“Of course not. But did it leak out in any way—say, in general conversation? Such things often do. It was no real secret, I suppose.”
“I treated it as one,” said Lane. “Of course, I considered it confidential.”
“Of course,” put in Belknap. “Lawyers have to be close-mouthed people, Prescott.”
But Prescott would not be downed.
“I know all that, Mr Belknap, but listen here. The news of that inheritance might have leaked out in a dozen ways. Not purposely, of course, but by chance. Wasn’t anybody ever in your office, Mr Lane, when Mr Gleason was there, talking about it, or didn’t you ever mention it in conversation with some intimate friend, say?”
Lane thought back.
“No,” he said, decidedly. “Unless—yes, one day, I remember, Manning Pollard was in my office when Gleason came in. Gleason only stayed a few minutes, but he did refer to his will, and after he went, I think I did speak of it to Pollard.”
“Did he ask you about it?”
“No, I’m sure he didn’t. I think I volunteered an observation on the queerness of the Western man, and, as Pollard didn’t like him, anyway, very little was said.”
“But the terms of his will were spoken of?”