Major Holmes felt a certain amount of conviction creeping in upon him. It was only his sense of officialdom which enabled him to conceal his growing sense of horror.
“You must forgive me, Mr. Johnson,” he begged, “if I accept your story with some reserves. As a man of common sense, I am sure you will see that it has its incredible side, especially when one considers the great position of the Ballastons and the horrible results which must ensue if your story be proved true. By-the-by, didn’t I hear that Gregory Ballaston was going abroad again for some years?”
“It is that fact,” Mr. Johnson admitted, “which has induced me to pay you this visit instead of pursuing a few investigations myself.”
Major Holmes pushed pen and paper across the table.
“Will you write down the address of your bankers,” he invited, “to whom I may refer? If you also care to give me a reference to your lawyers or some private person, I must confess that I should proceed with more confidence.”
Mr. Johnson acquiesced without hesitation. There was something convincing about the name of the bank and the solicitors, written in his firm handwriting.
“You have no further suggestions to make, I suppose?” the Chief Constable asked.
“None at all,” Mr. Johnson replied, “except that I should much prefer your keeping my intervention in this matter entirely secret for a short time. You will probably place such investigations as you decide to make in the hands of your subordinate who first took charge of the case. If you can arrange to let him pay me a visit at the Great House, I should be glad.”
Major Holmes sat for a moment or two in silence.
“Let me see,” he reflected, “Cloutson was the man who had the matter in hand before we were overrun by the Scotland Yard people. He is travelling inspector now for the northern part of the county. I shall catch him to-night at Lynn and will have him return at once.”