"By discounting the old saw, 'There is honor among thieves,' Mannion, of course, gave Goloff his confidence, told him all about the forged will and showed him his first imitative attempts. Naturally there was a pecuniary understanding between them. It is reasonable to conclude that Mannion promised the Russian a goodly share of Playfair's fortune. But Goloff was distrustful. He did not bank on his partner's word; he wanted surety, and he found it when he filched those will copies.
"In his possession they would serve as a club to make Mannion come to terms, in the possible event of a disposition on Mannion's part to play the hog. It is possible, though not probable, that Mannion, in a fit of generosity, gave the copies himself to Goloff as security for the performance of the agreement he had made. It matters not, however, how Goloff procured them. The plain deduction is that they were held for the purpose I have indicated.
"And now," continued the detective, with his eyes on the coroner, "my suggestion is that the public be left in ignorance, until we have caught Mannion, both of the identity of the man killed by my fall from the scaffolding and of the discovery of the will copies. Goloff came here a stranger; it is doubtful if his name is known to any one except myself and my assistants. It will, therefore, be an easy matter to manage the inquest so that a verdict of accidental death of an unknown man may be rendered."
The coroner, whose eyes had been opened by Nick's latest explanation and exposition, promptly fell in with the suggestion.
The chief of detectives saw no objection to the plan, and it was carried out.
"The time to look for the next move of Mannion's," were the detective's words as the assembly was about to break up, "is at the time or shortly alter the will is offered for probate. It must be offered," answering Feversham's shake of the head, "for not to offer it would amount to a declaration that its spurious character has been discovered. The offer will be merely a formal matter; its admission to probate, of course, is not to be thought of. Before the day set for such action arrives I will be prepared, I hope, to produce Mr. Mannion and expose the fraud."
Shortly afterward Nick went to his rooms, hoping to find either Chick or Patsy there. Both rose to greet him as he entered.
"Lost him, did you?" he asked, looking at Patsy, whose face wore a black, angry expression.
"It wasn't my fault, sir," was his reply, "I was bested by a woman."