Dr. Jim slept very little that night. He was turning over in his mind Joyce's strange conduct. Now that he remembered, Robin had been very particular as to the details of his whereabouts. He had gone to Town on a Tuesday leaving Herrick at the Southberry Railway Inn. According to his story he had seen Frith and Frith the same afternoon, and again the next morning. The intervening night he had slept at the Hull Hotel in a side Street off the Strand. Then on Wednesday afternoon, he had rejoined Dr. Jim at Southberry and on Thursday morning had started to cross the Heath. It was on that same night, that the two had discovered the body of Colonel Carr. So far Herrick had believed this story.

But now, the fact that he had not called on the lawyers had put a different complexion on the affair. Also his statement concerning the money left to him was proved--by the evidence of the solicitors who paid the annuity--to be a lie. Robin therefore had not been so deeply plunged in grief as he appeared to be, when he could call a few days after his mother's death to see if he was to inherit the money. Herrick considered that probably when alone in the flat he had found some paper stating that the five hundred a year terminated at his mother's death, and had gone to Frith and Frith in order to ascertain if this were true. Besides his mother might have told him this on her deathbed. But what else had she told him? Colonel Carr was not the man to pay out money for nothing. Mrs. Joyce must have had some hold over him.

However the main point, and that which vexed Dr. Jim most, was the fact that Robin had not called on the solicitors, as he said he had done. At Southberry he had received a letter calling him up to town. Jim had not read the letter, but since Robin had told him the contents he never doubted that it was from the firm of Frith. If he had not called on them, why was the letter sent, and where was he during the two days he was in Town? Herrick reckoned back the dates. It was Thursday the twenty-sixth of July when they arrived at Saxham. Robin had gone to Town on the twenty-fourth, and on that same night Colonel Carr (according to the medical evidence) had been shot.

"Good Heavens!" said Jim when this came into his mind, "can it be possible that Joyce killed the man? There is no reason why he should. I am a suspicious fool. He was in London even though he did not call on the solicitors. There is no proof that he was at Saxham. He said himself when he went through the Pine wood that he did not know the country."

Then Jim recollected that it was Robin who had selected the route for the walking tour. Could it be possible that he knew of the existence of the House in the Pine Wood, and had designedly led Herrick that way in order that the murder should be discovered, and suspicion averted from himself? "No! No!" Cried Jim tossing and turning, "he could not have contrived so damnable a scheme. Besides he slept at the Hull Hotel."

In this way he kept arguing out the situation, but by the morning he had come to no conclusion. The evidence against Robin was not strong enough. But while shaving Dr. Jim made up his mind to call on Frith and Frith, and also to look in at the Hull Hotel. Nevertheless whatever he found, he resolved to hold his tongue so far as Robin was concerned. Joyce was far too intimate with Don Manuel to please Herrick. And Don Manuel, as the doctor remembered professed a hatred of Carr. He also might have something to do with the matter.

"Stephen" said Herrick at breakfast, "I want you to look after yourself again to-day. I have business to do."

"All right," replied Marsh, "I can amuse myself. There is The National Gallery to see; and the Tower, and Westminster Abbey. I should only bore you taking you to these places."

"I am never bored in your company," said Jim absently, his thoughts intent on what he had to do, "but I shall be at your service to-morrow.

"You have to see about your practice I suppose Herrick?"

"Yes. Also some other business. How long do you want to stay in Town?"

"A week is enough for the present," replied Marsh, "we came for two, did we not? I have got all the clothes, I need. They will be ready by the end of this week; then we can go back. You want to return?"

"Yes! I have an idea in my head. Later on I will tell it to you." Marsh turned to ask what Herrick meant but seeing that his friend was taken up with his own thoughts, he said nothing. After breakfast Jim left Marsh to look over the morning paper, and went out.

The first place he sought out was the lawyer's office. Mr. Frith the junior partner received him, all the more readily, when he heard the name. On the previous day, Stephen had been enthusiastic on the subject of his new friend. Frith junior took to Jim at once.

"I am glad to see you," he said pushing forward a chair, "Mr. Marsh-Carr told us all about you. I am glad he has had the good sense to select you as a companion. He needs shaking up."

"Marsh is a good fellow," replied Jim, "and anything I can do to make a man of him shall be done. But the material is there, Mr. Frith."

"Yes! But that step-mother of his did a great deal to ruin him. He could not call his soul his own. I do not think her death is much to be regretted," finished Frith with a dry smile.

"She was rather stormy, but I think she really loved her step-son. What are you smiling at?"

"I was recalling one or two interviews I had with the lady in question," said the young lawyer. "She was, as you say, stormy. Even the Colonel was afraid of her, so he sent her up to us."

"What did she come about?"

"An annuity for herself and an income for her son, the present owner of the estate. Colonel Carr refused to allow her one penny. He said that he had made his will in favour of Stephen Marsh, and that both he and Mrs. Marsh could wait until his death. I tried hard to persuade him to allow her something but he refused. Mrs. Marsh used to come up and make scenes in this office. Stormy!" chuckled Frith. "I should think she was."

"What was your opinion of Colonel Carr?"

"Well," drawled the lawyer with a quick glance, "that is rather a leading question. The man is dead, and he was a good client to us. But speaking as man to man and in confidence doctor, I think he was the greatest scoundrel in the Three Kingdoms."

"That's rather strong Mr. Frith."

"Yet it falls short of the truth Dr. Herrick. However the man is dead, so we may leave him at rest. He met with a terrible death, and his own familiar friend put an end to him. The Colonel had not much human feeling but when dying he must have felt a pang at the thought that the only creature he had been kind to was putting him out of the way."

"Humph!" said Jim using his favourite ejaculation, "do you believe that Frisco did kill him?"

"I do not know anyone else who could have done so. And if he did not, why did he run away? Why does he keep hidden? Yes, Dr. Herrick, I think the crime can be safely put down to his account. Queer man too," added Frith reflectively, "he was slangy and a good bit of a brute, yet there was something of the gentleman about him. He could speak good English when he chose, which was not often."

"The Colonel brought him from South America?"

"Did he now?" said Frith sharply, "I never knew that before. Frisco at times came up about Carr's business but he was careful to say nothing about himself. He seemed fond of his master. That is why it is so strange he should have killed him. But then we know that the collie, which is the most faithful of dogs, goes mad at times and attacks his master. I expect it was something of the same kind with Frisco."

"Do you know how the Colonel made his money?" asked Herrick.

"No! nor does anyone else that I know of. I am certain of one thing, that it was made in some shady way. Carr was an out and out bad lot. A kind of Captain Kidd."

"Strange that you should mention his name in conjunction with Kidd. He had a treasure likewise, had he not?"

"What do you mean by 'had a treasure likewise?'"

Herrick considered a minute before replying. As a rule he was not a man given to loose speaking, and preferred to do his own work without the assistance of any one. But he saw that Frith was a shrewd and capable man, and that in case of need, his advice was not to be despised. So far as Joyce was concerned, Jim did not intend to say anything at present, as he was not yet sure of his ground and even had he been sure, he would have hesitated to betray his friend, however guilty he might be. Concerning Don Manuel, he had no such scruples, so he then and there told the lawyer all that had passed at the flat. Frith listened attentively, but seemed in no way astonished.

"It is the sort of thing one would expect from Carr," he said. "The man was a bad lot, and I daresay if we knew all the details of that expedition we should find it less innocent than this Mexican has depicted. Still, leaving the man amongst the Indians was bad enough. So that was how he made his money. I always knew it was not made in any respectable way."

"Few fortunes are," said Herrick dryly.

"That is true; but some methods may be more damnable than others, as in this case. Carr I know went away many years ago, as poor as a rat. I have heard my father speak of him. He came back ten years ago with no end of money. We helped him to invest it. As the income is eight thousand a year Dr. Herrick, you may guess what the principal amounted to. Treasure-hunting sounds innocent enough, even romantic, but in Carr's hands I can guess what a piece of rascality it was. The man could not run straight. If there was a possibility of going the wrong way, he took that in preference to following the right path."

"Still," said Herrick approaching the main object of his visit, "the man had some good points. For instance, he was charitable to Mrs. Joyce."

"Of West Kensington?" said Frith with a stare. "How did you know about her."

"Joyce is a friend of mine. I was with him on a walking-tour when he received your letter asking him to call."

"Nonsense. We never wrote the man a letter in our lives!"

"Not on or about the twenty-third of July?"

"No! I am positive. I should have known. It is true that he called to see us a few days after his mother's death, about the annuity which Carr ordered to be paid to Mrs. Joyce. He wanted to know if he would have it also. We communicated with Colonel Carr, who replied in his characteristic way that Joyce could go to the devil. Afterwards Joyce called a second time and we told him the message."

"The second time was on the twenty-fourth of July?"

"No! It was towards the end of April. We have not seen him since, nor, as I say, have we written him any letter."

This concise explanation showed Herrick that Robin for reasons of his own had told a deliberate lie. Whatever he had come to London about, it was not to see the Solicitors as he had alleged to Herrick. Dr. Jim pulled his moustache reflectively. "Why was an annuity paid to Mrs. Joyce?"

"I don't know," replied Frith, "and even if I did, it would be a breach of professional etiquette to tell you. A year after the Colonel came back to England--about nine years ago--he ordered my father to send a monthly cheque to Mrs. Joyce at an address at Hampstead. She sent a receipt every time, but she never came to see us, and we had absolutely nothing to do with her. When she changed her address, which she did several times, she notified the fact and we sent her allowance to the new place. That is all I know of the annuity. And as I say the Colonel stopped it when she died. What it was for, I don't know. The Colonel was dark in many ways."

"He was evidently a most dangerous person," said, Herrick rising to take his leave. "However he has received the reward of his crimes. By the way I suppose all the business of Marsh is in your hands?"

"Yes! It is all in order. The Colonel was a most methodical man, and left his estate in the best of conditions. We are now arranging for letters patent for this change of name. Our client has arranged to call himself Marsh-Carr. I suppose he did not like the idea of Carr alone."

"Can you wonder at it considering the reputation of the name?"

"No! not a very nice name to give one's wife," laughed Frith rising. "Well good-bye Dr. Herrick. I am glad to have seen you, and still more glad to think that our client has so excellent a friend at his elbow."

Herrick laughed at this praise and departed, very pleased that he had been received in so friendly a way. He fancied at one time that Frith might have looked upon him as an interloper, and it was a great compliment to him, that these shrewd lawyers should be so satisfied with Stephen's choice of a friend.

From the city Herrick went to the Strand in search of the Hull Hotel. He was now very doubtful of Robin............