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Updated: June 19, 2025
His face flushed, almost as hotly as if he himself had been accused of theft. "Oh, come!" he said. "Horbury, now, of all men! Come come! you don't mean to tell me that Horbury's been playing games of that sort? There must be some mistake." "I shall be glad to be assured that I am making it," said Gabriel coolly.
"That is, I don't believe that Horbury's appropriated anything. There's some mistake and some mystery." "We can't get away from the fact that Mr. Horbury has disappeared," remarked Neale, looking at the superintendent. "That's all I'm sent here to tell you, Mr. Polke." "That's an accepted fact," agreed Polke. "But he's not the first man who's disappeared under mysterious circumstances.
"Oh, miss!" she said, in a low, frightened voice, "you can't! That room's locked up. So is the study where all Mr. Horbury's papers are. So is his bedroom. Mr. Joseph Chestermarke locked them all up last night he has the keys. Nobody's to go into them nor into any other room without his permission." Betty's cheeks began to glow, and an obstinate look to settle about her lips. "Oh!" she exclaimed.
"Could you tell? had you any idea? whose shadow it was?" demanded Neale eagerly. "No! he passed in a sort of slanting direction back and forward just once," answered Walford. "But his build was, I should say, about the like of John Horbury's. Mr. Neale Horbury might be locked up there! He's a bad 'un, is Joe Chestermarke oh, he's a rank bad 'un, my lad! though most folk don't know it.
The Earl suddenly paused and turned from the window with a glance at Betty. "There's young Mr. Neale coming across from the bank," he observed. "I think he's coming here. By the by, isn't he a relation of Horbury's?" "No," said Betty. "But my uncle was his guardian. Is he coming here, Lord Ellersdeane?" "Straight here," replied the Earl. "Perhaps he's got some news."
"Most people have a safe in their houses nowadays they're so handy, you know, and so cheap. Don't you think that may be it?" "I am not familiar with Horbury's domestic arrangements," said Gabriel. "I have not been in his house for some years. But as we are desirous of giving your lordship what assistance we can, we will go into the house and see if there is anything of the sort.
"What is the meaning of all this reserve on the Chestermarkes' part? Why didn't they tell the police what securities are missing? Why don't they let you, his niece, examine Horbury's effects? What right have they to fasten up his house?" "Their house so Mrs. Carswell says," remarked Betty.
Polke and Starmidge, presently entering, found themselves coldly greeted. Gabriel made the slightest inclination of his head, in response to Polke's salutation and the detective's bow: Joseph pointedly gave no heed to either. "Well?" demanded the senior partner. "We've just called, Mr. Chestermarke, to hear if you've anything to say to us about this matter of Mr. Horbury's," said Polke.
"Is there anything in this house cupboard, chest, trunk, anything in which Mr. Horbury kept valuables?" he asked. "Any place in which he was in the habit of locking up papers, for instance?" Mrs. Carswell again shook her head. No, she knew of no such place or receptacle. There was Mr. Horbury's desk, but she believed all its drawers were open.
Pellworthy, an elderly man, looked at Gabriel with as much disapproval as Gabriel had bestowed on him. "Mr. Chestermarke," he said quietly, "Miss Fosdyke, as next-of-kin to Mr. John Horbury my client desires to see and examine her uncle's effects. As you know very well, she is quite within her rights. I must ask you to give her access to Mr. Horbury's belongings." "And what do you want, Mr.
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