The Valley of Ghosts by Edgar Wallace

Author:Edgar Wallace [Wallace, Edgar]
Format: epub
Tags: Mystery & Crime
Published: 2010-06-19T13:39:39.375000+00:00

CHAPTER 17

It was a novel experience for Andrew Macleod to find himself standing up in a court of law committing wilful perjury. He could hardly believe that it was he who was speaking so calmly.

"Yes," he said, "I saw the door of Merrivan's house open, and a little while after I saw a woman coming across the Green."

"At what time was this?"

"Eleven o'clock. The fact is, the clock of Beverley church was striking eleven as she passed."

"You could not distinguish her features?"

"No, your honour; the moon was obscured that night."

That concluded the evidence, and the jury retired. They returned in half an hour with a verdict of wilful murder against Abraham Selim. They had been practically directed to that verdict by the coroner.

Downer had not come to court. Andy had looked round in search of him, but he was neither at the reporters' table nor in the body of the little hall where the inquest was held.

He stopped to chat a moment with Mr Boyd Salter and a representative of the Public Prosecutor's department, and then he walked back to the village, having very much the same state of mind towards Mr Downer as Stella had had towards himself on the first day they had met.

He walked so slowly that Merrivan's lawyer was able to overtake him.

"The story about Mr Merrivan being in the clutches of a moneylender is nonsense," said that gentleman, whose name was Vetch. "Mr Merrivan was a rich man."

"Did he leave a will? You did not mention that in your evidence," said Andy.

"None has been discovered," said the other, shaking his head. "The estate will go to Mr Wilmot unless a nearer relative turns up."

Andy wondered how much truth there was in the story that Merrivan was married. A search had been made of the marriage registers, but no trace of such a marriage had been unearthed.

"You described Merrivan as a merchant. What does that mean exactly? In what particular branch of merchandise did he trade?"

Mr Vetch shook his head.

"I haven't the slightest idea. He was very reticent about his business affairs and did not come to us until he had retired. I have an idea he was in the tea trade."

"What makes you think that?" asked Andy quickly.

"He was rather fastidious about tea. I think it was the only commodity in his household in which he took the slightest interest. Often when I have been up at his house and the tea has been brought in, he has asked me what I thought of it, very much as a man who is a connoisseur of wines would ask you to pass an opinion on some old port."

They had turned into Beverley Green road when they came in sight of a man who was strolling in the same direction.

"Isn't that a reporter, a man named Downer? I saw him this morning. A very intelligent fellow," said Vetch. "We discussed that new judgment in the High Court on the liability of agents. He seems very well read in law.

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