Murchison had consulted him with the view of identifying Mrs Spencer
and George Dutton with the Norah and George Burton of those far-off days
at Blankfield, and he had identified them as the same persons. He had
then handed over the Major to the astute Parkinson, who would find out
as much as he could with regard to the present relations between the
precious pair.
Bryant had been very busy of late, and he had almost dismissed the
Murchison episode from his mind. But when the Major had completed his
investigations he would undoubtedly take steps to turn such a scheming
and unscrupulous adventuress out of her husband's house. As to the way
in which he would proceed to accomplish that purpose, Bryant, of course,
had no knowledge. Neither did he know which Murchison would approach
first, the husband or the wife. Perhaps both together.
One thing stood out pretty clearly, from the evidence of Iris Deane,
that she had met Murchison alone at the house in Cathcart Square a few
days before the discovery of the dead body.
Another thing also stood out equally clearly, that the dead man bore a
remarkable likeness to Reginald Davis. If not, Caroline Masters would
not have dared to perjure herself as she had done. And he himself had
recognised the superficial resemblance between the two men.
Assuming that it was a murder, and not a suicide, and Bryant was
beginning to incline, like Davis, to the former theory, why had the
murderer fixed upon the name of Reginald Davis, and forged a letter to
the Coroner? He must have been somebody who had known Davis at some
time, and was acquainted with his handwriting. Like Caroline Masters,
he must have been inclined to do the hunted fugitive a good turn, and
have trusted to his gratitude to keep a silent tongue.
An hour's steady thinking had cleared his brain. The conclusions he
arrived at were as follows: Hugh Murchison had been murdered by
somebody, and buried as a suicide under the name of Reginald Davis. The
next question was who was the murderer, and what was the motive for
committing the murder? Here he could make a pretty shrewd guess. If
Murchison had gone about his mission in a straightforward, but rather
blundering, fashion the motive was clear enough.
With Bryant to think was to act. Davis was having a week's holiday in
London, staying with his sister, Mrs Masters. That same afternoon the
young man was again in the Inspector's room, in response to an urgent
summons on the telephone.
"Now, Mr Davis, I have been thinking deeply over this rather
complicated affair of Cathcart Square, and I am beginning to see a
streak or two of daylight. I told you this morning I know a bit more
about Major Murchison than you do, and there is just a chance you might
help me. I take it you have had a somewhat adventurous career, your
sister admitted as much at the inquest. She said in fact that you had
been the black sheep of the family."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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