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Updated: June 26, 2025
"She put on her things and went out, sir, just just after that young lady called this morning. She she's never come back, sir." Polke, who was standing close to Starmidge, quietly nudged the detective's elbow. Both men watched the junior partner. And both saw the first signs of something that was very like doubt and anxiety show in his face. "That'll do!" he said to the servant.
"I suppose there's some journalist here in the town who sends news to the London press, isn't there?" he asked. "Parkinson, editor of the 'Scarnham Advertiser, he does," replied Polke, with promptitude. "He's a sort of reporter-editor, you understand, and jolly glad of a bit of extra stuff." "That's the first thing," said Starmidge.
"Never mind I've an idea," said the detective. "I'd just like them to see it, anyway, and," he added, with a wink, "I'd like to see them when they do see it!" "You know best," said Polke. "If you think it well, do it." Starmidge put the cheque in an envelope and walked over to the bank. He was shown into the partners' room almost immediately, and the two men glanced at him with evident curiosity.
From the description already furnished to him by Polke, Starmidge at once recognized Joseph Chestermarke's abode. It was a corner house, abutting on the road which ran out at the lower angle of this irregular space and led down to the river and Scarnham Bridge.
Horbury's disappearance, and of the loss of your lordship's jewels, and he says that an explanation of the whole thing may be got if we search the bank-house." "Thoroughly!" said Batterley, with a warning shake of his big head. "Thoroughly thoroughly, Mr. Polke! No use just walking through the rooms, and seeing what any housemaid would see the thing must be done properly.
Polke and the detective listened to the Earl's account of his interview, and the superintendent sniffed at the mention of the inquiries instituted by the partners. "Ah!" he said incredulously. "Just so! Private inquiry agent, no doubt. All right let 'em do what they like. But we're going to do what we like, my lord, and what we do will be on very different lines.
"Date and amount filled in and the names of payee and drawer omitted! What does it mean?" "Ah!" said Starmidge, "when we know that, Mr. Neale, we shall know a lot! But I'm pretty sure of one thing. Mr. Hollis came down here intending to pay somebody ten thousand pounds. And he wasn't exactly certain who that somebody was!" "Good!" muttered Polke. "Good! That looks like it."
Starmidge, who, like the rest of them, had been listening eagerly to Batterley's talk, turned sharply to him. "Did you say murdered, sir?" he said. "A well-known story!" answered the old man half-impatiently, as he rose from his chair. "An ancestor of these Chestermarkes he killed a man in that very room. Well that's what I suggest, Mr. Polke. And for another reason.
First thing now we want that woman!" The search-party separated outside the bank, not too well satisfied with the result of its labours. The old antiquary walked away obviously nettled that he was not allowed to pursue his investigations further; Betty Fosdyke and the solicitor went across to the hotel in deep conference; the Earl accompanied Starmidge and Polke to the police-station.
The Ellersdeane constable who had followed Polke suddenly raised a finger and pointed across the heather. "Here's a gentleman coming as might know, Mr. Polke," he said. "Mr. Chestermarke!" Neale and Starmidge turned sharply to see the banker advancing quickly from the adjacent road. A cab, drawn up a little distance off, showed that he had driven out to hear the latest news.
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