“Thanks,” said Hannasyde, stretching out his hand for it. “I really am grateful. You're saving me a lot of time, Mr Carrington.”
“Don't mention it,” said Giles.
The Superintendent read Geoffrey Vereker's Will, knitting his brows over it.
“This is a most extraordinary document,” he remarked. “All that seems to be left to his other children is his private fortune - and even that is divided between the four of them. What's the meaning of it, Mr Carrington?”
“It isn't as extraordinary as it appears,” replied Giles. “The Shan Hills Mine was an obsession with my uncle. In his day it wasn't the huge concern it is now. My uncle believed in it, and made a private company to work it. It was to be developed, and it was on no account to pass out of the family. So he left his holding to Arnold, with a reversion to Arnold's eldest son, if any; and failing a son, to Roger and his heirs; or, in the event of Roger's death without legitimate male issue, to Kenneth. The private fortune amounted to thirty-three thousand pounds, and was at that time the more substantial bequest. It was divided equally between the four children. But a few years after my uncle's death, his belief in the potentialities of Shan Hills was justified by the discovery, on one of the leases, of a very rich deposit — a limestone replacement deposit, if you're interested in technicalities. Arnold floated the mine as a public company - and you know pretty well how it stands today. Arnold's holding probably represents about a quarter of a million.”
“A very nice little packet to inherit,” commented Hannasyde dryly.
“Very nice,” agreed Giles.
There was a short pause. “Well, we'd better go through the desk,” said Hannasyde. “Have you found anything that might have a bearing on the case?”
“Nothing at all,” said Giles. He handed a diary across. “I hoped this might reveal his Saturday night engagement, but he's merely crossed off Saturday and Sunday. I haven't come across his cheque-book yet, by the way. Was it on him?”
“Yes, I've got it,” Hannasyde said, producing it. “I see he drew a cheque for a hundred pounds to self on Friday. At first glance rather a large sum to carry about with him, but he seems to have been in the habit of doing it.”