would like to let bygones be bygones. He
suggested that I should come home and enter
the firm. He was rather vague in his terms
and I wasn’t really sure that I wanted to do
what he asked. Anyway, the upshot was that I
came over to England last—yes, last August,
just about three months ago. I went down to
see him at Yewtree Lodge and he made me, I
must say, a very advantageous offer. I told
him that I’d have to think about it and I’d
have to consult my wife. He quite understood
that. I flew back to East Africa, talked it over
with Pat. The upshot was that I decided to
accept the old boy’s offer. I had to wind up
my affairs there, but I agreed to do so before
101
the end of last month. I told him I would wire
to him the date of my actual arrival in
England.”
Inspector Neele coughed.
“Your arrival back seems to have caused
your brother some surprise.”
Lance gave a sudden grin. His rather
attractive face lit up with the spirit of pure
mischief.
“Don’t believe old Percy knew a thing
about it,” he said. “He was away on his
holiday in Norway at the time. If you ask me,
the old man picked that particular time on
purpose. He was going behind Percy’s back.
In fact I’ve a very shrewd suspicion that my
father’s offer to me was actuated by the fact
that he had a blazing row with poor old
Percy—or Val as he prefers to be called. Val, I
think, had been more or less trying to run the
old man. Well, the old man would never
stand for anything of that kind. What the
exact row was about I don’t know, but he was
furious. And I think he thought it a jolly good
idea to get me there and thereby spike poor
old Val’s guns. For one thing he never liked
Percy’s wife much and he was rather pleased,
in a snobbish kind of way, with my marriage.
It would be just his idea of a good joke to get
102
me home and suddenly confront Percy with
the accomplished fact.”
“How long were you at Yewtree Lodge on
this occasion?”
“Oh, not more than an hour or two. He
didn’t ask me to stay the night. The whole
idea, I’m sure, was a kind of secret offensive
behind Percy’s back. I don’t think he even
wanted the servants to report upon it. As I
say, things were left that I’d think it over, talk
about it to Pat and then write him my
decision, which I did. I wrote giving him the
approximate date of my arrival, and I finally
sent him a telegram yesterday from Paris.”
Inspector Neele nodded.
“A telegram which surprised your brother
very much.”
“I bet it did. However, as usual, Percy
wins. I’ve arrived too late.”
“Yes,” said Inspector Neele thoughtfully,
“you’ve arrived too late.” He went on
briskly, “On the occasion of your visit last
August, did you meet any other members of
the family?”
“My stepmother was there at tea.”
“You had not met her previously?”
“No.” He grinned suddenly. “The old boy
certainly knew how to pick them. She must
103
be thirty years younger than him at least.”
“You will excuse my asking, but did you
resent your father’s remarriage, or did your
brother do so?”
Lance looked surprised.
“I certainly didn’t, and I shouldn’t think
Percy did either. After all, our own mother
died when we were about—oh, ten, twelve
years old. What I’m really surprised at is that
the old man didn’t marry again before.”
Inspector Neele murmured:
“It may be considered taking rather a risk
to marry a woman very much younger than
yourself.”
“Did my dear brother say that to you? It
sounds rather like him. Percy is a great
master of the art of insinuation. Is that the set
up. Inspector? Is my stepmother suspected of
poisoning my father?”
Inspector Neele’s face became blank.
“It’s early days to have any definite ideas
about anything, Mr. Fortescue,” he said
pleasantly. “Now, may I ask you what your
plans are?”