The Fingerprint - Patricia Wentworth - Miss Silver 30 by The Fingerprint-3S(v1)(html)

Author:The Fingerprint-3S(v1)(html) [Fingerprint-3S, The]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

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Chapter XXII

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Frank Abbott hung up the receiver.

"That was Mr. Maudsley the solicitor. He says Jonathan Field rang him up at about half-past-nine on Tuesday evening and told him he had destroyed the will signed only that morning. Mr. Maudsley had made rather strong representations on the grounds of its being unjust. Jonathan had come to feel that this was the case, and he had just finished burning the will."

Miss Silver inclined her head.

"Yes, I was able to hear most of what was said."

Frank lifted an eyebrow.

"Very convenient for Miss Georgina Grey. Jonathan Field must have rung up as soon as she left him and went back to the drawing-room, and before Stokes came in with the drinks. Now the question is, did she come down later on and shoot him, or have we got to find another suspect?"

Miss Silver's voice took on a tone of reproof.

"My dear Frank, with the will destroyed, what possible motive could she have had?"

"My dear ma'am, I don't think one has to look very far for a motive. He had always allowed her to be considered as his heiress. I have no doubt that under the will of two years ago she would have come in for practically everything. When she saw him destroy the will which, as far as one gathers, put Mirrie Field in her place Georgina was back in the position of sole heiress. And she held that position for just so long as Jonathan didn't make another will. He had acted on impulse once when he cut her out. He had acted on impulse again when he destroyed his new will. For all she knew, he might cut her out again, if not tomorrow, then the next day, or the next, or at any time when she chanced to vex him or he had an access of affection for Mirrie."

Miss Silver looked at him very directly.

"Do you really believe her capable of such a line of reasoning?"

"Oh, she is quite intelligent."

"I think you know very well that I was not referring to her intelligence. What I meant was that so unprincipled a line of thought would never occur to her."

There was a sardonic gleam in his eye as he said,

"Discharged without a stain upon her character? Then we must have our other suspect. Unfortunately, we are handicapped by the fact that though there is some evidence that he may exist, he is for the moment featureless and nameless. In fact we haven't a clue as to who he may be, or where to look for him."

Miss Silver fixed him with a bright, expectant look.

"You interest me extremely. Pray go on."

He leaned forward to lift the heavy album which contained a part of Jonathan Field's collection of fingerprints and set it down upon the blotting-pad.

"This album was on the table when Jonathan was shot. You may have heard that he had a very extensive collection of fingerprints. Some of them were in this volume. Anthony Hallam brought me down to a dance here last Saturday week.

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