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"I want that confession," said Tarling, and with a sickly smile. Milburgh put his hand in his pocket and drew out the crumpled sheet. "Now, if you are anxious to see it burn," said Tarling, "you will have an opportunity." He read the statement again and put it into the fire, watched it until it was reduced to ashes, then beat the ashes down with a poker. "That's that," said Tarling cheerfully.
There are some quaint old houses in the town timbered structures with bold bow-windows and not a few of them of great age. Roger de Montgomery is credited with founding Wenlock Abbey at the time of the Norman Conquest. The site was previously occupied by a nunnery, said to have been the burial-place of St. Milburgh, who was the granddaughter of King Penda of Mercia.
"And for an excellent reason," sneered Milburgh. "Here!" It was the girl's voice, surprisingly clear and steady. Her shaking hands held the paper she had taken from the wallet and she thrust it toward the detective. "There is a reason," she said in a low voice. "But it is not the reason you suggest." Milburgh had gone too far.
Milburgh had lived in terror that Odette Rider would betray him, and because of his panicky fear that she had told all to the detective that night he brought her back to London from Ashford, he had dared attempt to silence the man whom he believed was the recipient of the girl's confidence.
He was a very agreeable man and told mother that he had a big business in the city. Mother believes that he is very well off." Tarling whistled. "I see," he said. "Milburgh has been robbing his employers and spending the money on your mother." She shook her head. "That is partly true and partly untrue," she said. "Mother has been an innocent participant.
"He was killed by you," said Ling Chu slowly, "because he had discovered that you had been robbing him, and you were in fear that he would hand you over to the police." "That's a lie," roared Milburgh. "It's a lie I tell you it's a lie!" "I shall discover whether it is a lie in a few moments," said Ling Chu.
They took little or no account of the immediate consequences of their act, and a man like Milburgh, in his desperation, might in his very frenzy overlook the possibility of his crime coming to light through the very deed he had committed to cover himself up.
"I have a warrant for your arrest, Milburgh, on a charge of wilful murder, arson, forgery, and embezzlement." "Wilful murder!" Milburgh's voice was high and squeaky and his shaking hands went to his mouth. "You cannot charge me with wilful murder. No, no, no! I swear to you I am innocent!" "Where did you see Thornton Lyne last?" asked Tarling, and the man made a great effort to compose himself.
"I accuse nobody," said Milburgh with a wide sweep of his hands. "I merely suggest that both Miss Rider and myself are in very serious trouble and that you have it in your power to get us safely out of this country to one where extradition laws cannot follow." Tarling took one step towards him and Milburgh shrank back. "Do you accuse Miss Rider of complicity in this murder?" he demanded.
I felt my responsibilities very keenly, and I felt that if Mr. Lyne would not accept my protestations of innocence, there was nothing left for me but to quit this world." "In other words, you contemplated suicide?" said Whiteside. "You have accurately diagnosed the situation," said Milburgh ponderously. "Miss Rider had been dismissed, and I was on the point of ruin.
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