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"But I went out to Normandale first thing this morning: I've just come back from there. I say, Eldrick, here's an unpleasant matter to tell you of"; and he told the solicitor all that Nesta had just told him, and also of Pratt's visit to Mrs. Mallathorpe about the time of Antony Bartle's death. "Whatever it is," he concluded sternly, "it's got to stop! If you've any influence over your clerk "
"If I seem to bother," replied Nesta, "it's because I know that he and Esther Mawson are at Normandale working mischief." "We shall be there in half an hour," said Collingwood, as their own car ran past that in which the detectives and Byner were seated. "They can't do much mischief in that time." None of the three spoke again until the car pulled up suddenly at the gates of Normandale Park.
It had been absolutely necessary to have some tool close at hand to Normandale Grange and its inhabitants; to have some person there upon whom he could depend for news. He had found that person, that tool, in Esther Mawson, who, as Mrs. Mallathorpe's maid, had opportunities which he at once recognized as being likely to be of the greatest value to him.
As I say, he's a smart chap." Collingwood offered no comment. But he was conscious that it would not be at all pleasing to him to know that Linford Pratt held any official position at Normandale. Foolish as it might be, mere inspiration though it probably was, he could not get over his impression that Eldrick's clerk was not precisely trustworthy.
Bartle gave orders when I first came here that a register of every letter sent out was to be kept I've always entered them in this book." "And this letter you're talking about to whom was it addressed?" "Miss Mallathorpe, Normandale Grange, sir." "You went and posted it at once?" "That very minute, sir." "Was it soon afterwards that Mr. Bartle went out?" "He went out as soon as I came back, sir."
And he constantly went out to Normandale Grange, and often met Nesta elsewhere, and their knowledge of each other increased, and as the winter passed away and spring began to show on the Normandale woods and moors, Collingwood felt that the time was coming when he might speak.
But the old, substantial oak stood firm and fast nothing but a crow-bar would break that door. And so he turned to the mullioned window, set in a deep recess. He knew that it was thirty or forty feet above the level of the ground but there was much thick ivy growing on the walls of Normandale Grange, and it might be possible to climb down by its aid.
His grandfather had found a paper, closely written upon, in a book which had been the property of John Mallathorpe, deceased. The discovery had surprised him, for he had given voice to an exclamation of what was evidently astonishment. He had put the paper in his pocket. Then he had written a letter to Mrs. Mallathorpe of Normandale Grange.
And at the sight of him Eldrick shook his head. "I've had that telephone message from Normandale," he said, "five minutes ago. Pretty much what I expected at this juncture, anyway. Mrs. Mallathorpe absolutely declines to talk business with even her daughter at present and earnestly desires that Mr. Linford Pratt may be left alone." "Well?" asked Collingwood after a pause. "What now?"
"But that's probably only my fancy," he mused, as he sped back to Barford; "the real explanation is doubtless that suggested by Mrs. Mallathorpe. Something made the old man think of the collection of local books at Normandale Grange and he immediately wrote off to ask her to see him, with the idea of persuading her to let him have them.
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