The Middle Temple Murder J. S. Fletcher (the reading strategies book .txt) š
- Author: J. S. Fletcher
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āHow,ā asked Breton, sternly, ācan you prove it? How do you know it?ā
āBecause,ā replied Myerst, with a cunning grin, āI helped to carry out his mock death and burialā āI was a solicitor in those days, and my name wasā āsomething else. There were three of us at it: Chamberlayneās nephew; a doctor of no reputation; and myself. We carried it out very cleverly, and Chamberlayne gave us five thousand pounds apiece for our trouble. It was not the first time that I had helped him and been well paid for my help. The first time was in connection with the Cloudhampton Hearth and Home Mutual Benefit Society affairā āAylmore, or Ainsworth, was as innocent as a child in that!ā āChamberlayne was the man at the back. But, unfortunately, Chamberlayne didnāt profitā āhe lost all he got by it, pretty quick. That was why be transferred his abilities to Market Milcaster.ā
āYou can prove all this, I suppose?ā remarked Spargo.
āEvery wordā āevery letter! But about the Market Milcaster affair: Your father, Breton, was right in what he said about Chamberlayne having all the money that was got from the bank. He hadā āand he engineered that mock death and funeral so that he could disappear, and he paid us who helped him generously, as Iāve told you. The thing couldnāt have been better done. When it was done, the nephew disappeared; the doctor disappeared; Chamberlayne disappeared. I had bad luckā āto tell you the truth, I was struck off the rolls for a technical offence. So I changed my name and became Mr. Myerst, and eventually what I am now. And it was not until three years ago that I found Chamberlayne. I found him in this way: After I became secretary to the Safe Deposit Company, I took chambers in the Temple, above Cardlestoneās. And I speedily found out who he was. Instead of going abroad, the old foxā āthough he was a comparatively young āun, then!ā āhad shaved off his beard, settled down in the Temple and given himself up to his two hobbies, collecting curiosities and stamps. There heād lived quietly all these years, and nobody had ever recognized or suspected him. Indeed, I donāt see how they could; he lived such a quiet, secluded life, with his collections, his old port, and his little whims and fads. Butā āI knew him!ā
āAnd you doubtless profited by your recognition,ā suggested Breton.
āI certainly did. He was glad to pay me a nice sum every quarter to hold my tongue,ā replied Myerst, āand I was glad to take it and, naturally, I gained a considerable knowledge of him. He had only one friendā āMr. Elphick, in there. Now, Iāll tell you about him.ā
āOnly if you are going to speak respectfully of him,ā said Breton sternly.
āIāve no reason to do otherwise. Elphick is the man who ought to have married your mother. When things turned out as they did, Elphick took you and brought you up as he has done, so that you should never know of your fatherās disgrace. Elphick never knew until last night that Cardlestone is Chamberlayne. Even the biggest scoundrels have friendsā āElphickās very fond of Cardlestone. Heā āā
Spargo turned sharply on Myerst.
āYou say Elphick didnāt know until last night!ā he exclaimed. āWhy, then, this running away? What were they running from?ā
āI have no more notion than you have, Spargo,ā replied Myerst. āI tell you one or other of them knows something that I donāt. Elphick, I gather, took fright from you, and went to Cardlestoneā āthen they both vanished. It may be that Cardlestone did kill Maitlandā āI donāt know. But Iāll tell you what I know about the actual murderā āfor I do know a good deal about it, though, as I say, I donāt know who killed Maitland. Now, first, you know all that about Maitlandās having papers and valuables and gold on him? Very wellā āIāve got all that. The whole lot is locked upā āsafelyā āand Iām willing to hand it over to you, Breton, when we go back to town, and the necessary proof is givenā āas it will beā āthat youāre Maitlandās son.ā
Myerst paused to see the effect of this announcement, and laughed when he saw the blank astonishment which stole over his hearersā faces.
āAnd still more,ā he continued, āIāve got all the contents of that leather box which Maitland deposited with meā āthatās safely locked up, too, and at your disposal. I took possession of that the day after the murder. Then, for purposes of my own, I went to Scotland Yard, as Spargo there is aware. You see, I was playing a gameā āand it required some ingenuity.ā
āA game!ā exclaimed Breton. āGood heavensā āwhat game?ā
āI never knew until I had possession of all these things that Marbury was Maitland of Market Milcaster,ā answered Myerst. āWhen I did know then I began to put things together and to pursue my own line, independent of everybody. I tell you I had all Maitlandās papers and possessions, by that timeā āexcept one thing. That packet of Australian stamps. Andā āI found out that those stamps were in the hands ofā āCardlestone!ā
XXXVI The Final TelegramMyerst paused, to take a pull at his glass, and to look at the two amazed listeners with a smile of conscious triumph.
āIn the hands of Cardlestone,ā he repeated. āNow, what did I argue from that? Why, of course, that Maitland had been to Cardlestoneās rooms that night. Wasnāt he found lying dead at the foot of Cardlestoneās stairs? Ayeā ābut who found him? Not the porterā ānot the policeā ānot you, Master Spargo, with all your cleverness. The man who found Maitland lying dead there that night wasā āI!ā
In the silence that followed, Spargo, who had been making notes of what Myerst said, suddenly
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