And so, in this at once amazing and simple way was solved the mystery of
Godfrey Pavely's disappearance.
Inquiries made by the police soon elicited the fact that the Portuguese
financier had told the truth as regarded his business in England, for a
considerable number of persons voluntarily came forward to confirm the
account the man had given of himself in his strange letter.
During his sojourn at the Mayfair Hotel, the now mysterious Fernando
Apra had impressed those who came in contact with him pleasantly rather
than otherwise. It was also remembered there that one morning, about
three weeks ago, he had come in looking agitated and distressed, and
that he had confided to the manager of the hotel that an accident of a
very extraordinary nature had occurred to him. But there his confidences
had stopped--he had not said what it was that had happened to him. A day
or two later, he had gone away, explaining that his business in England
was concluded.
Laura stayed up in town till the inquest, and so, rather to Laura's
surprise, did Katty Winslow.
As is always the case when there is anything of the nature of a mystery,
the inquest was largely attended by the ordinary public. But no
sensational evidence was tendered, though person after person went into
the witness-box to prove that they had come in contact with Fernando
Apra, and that under a seal of secrecy he had informed them of his
gambling concession and of the scheme for developing what he believed
would be a hugely profitable undertaking. In fact, he had spoken to more
than one man of business of a possible two hundred per cent. profit.
It also became clear, for the first time, why Mr. Pavely had gone to
York. A gentleman who bore the aristocratic name of Greville Howard, and
who was in too poor a state of health to come up to the inquest,
volunteered the information that Fernando Apra had come to see him,
Greville Howard, with an introduction from Mr. Godfrey Pavely. Further,
that he, Mr. Howard, having gone into the matter of the proposed
gambling concession, had suggested that the three should meet and have a
chat over the business. As a result, a rather odd thing had happened.
Mr. Apra did not accept the invitation, but Mr. Pavely, whom he had
known for some years, had come to see him, and they had discussed the
project. Then he, Greville Howard, had heard nothing more till he had
seen in a daily paper a casual allusion to the fact of Mr. Godfrey
Pavely's disappearance!
But, though so much was cleared up, two rather important questions
remained unanswered. There was no proof, through any of the shipping
companies, that Fernando Apra had left England under his own name. Also,
while there were apparently several men of that same rather common name
in Lisbon, the Portuguese police seemed unable to give any clue as to
this particular man's identity. But a plausible explanation of this was
to be found in the fact that Portugal had lately changed her form of
government.
Though the mystery was now in no sense any longer a mystery, a rather
peculiar verdict was returned. The foreman of the jury, a tiresome,
self-opinionated man, declared that he and his fellow jurymen were not
really satisfied as to how Godfrey Pavely had come by his death, and
they added a strong rider to their verdict, expressing an earnest hope
that every effort would be made to find Fernando Apra.
The inquest lasted two days, and as Laura insisted on being present the
whole time, the ordeal for her was severe. She was, however, supported
by the companionship and presence of Mrs. Tropenell, who had come up on
purpose to be with her.
* * * * *
After having put Mrs. Tropenell and Laura in a carriage, Lord St. Amant
and Sir Angus Kinross walked away from the building where the inquest
had been held. For a while neither man said anything.
Then, suddenly, Lord St. Amant exclaimed: "I don't know what _you_ think
about it, but in spite of all we have heard, I can't help having a
suspicion that that man Fernando Apra's story is a bit too thin. I take
it that he and Pavely may have had a quarrel--it's even possible that
this Portuguese fellow may have wanted to get Pavely out of this
exceedingly profitable business. But no man, least of all a man
accustomed to carrying firearms, would play about with a pistol quite
close to the back of another man's head!"
"I've known stranger things than that happen," said Sir Angus slowly.
"But in any case this Portuguese fellow is an uncommonly clever chap.
He's clean covered up his tracks."
He hesitated a moment--and then added "I can tell you one queer thing,
St. Amant. This man Pavely's pockets were very thoroughly gone through
by whoever shot him. One side of his coat had the lining ripped open."
"Yet quite a good bit of money was found on him," observed Lord St.
Amant.
"Whoever went through his pockets wasn't looking for money." Sir Angus
spoke significantly.
He went on: "Though it was implied to-day that no papers or letters were
discovered on the body, there was, as a matter of fact, an envelope
found in an inner pocket. It was one of those inner pockets which some
men have put into the inner lining of a waistcoat, the kind of pocket
which is practically impossible to find--especially if you're in a
hurry, and don't suspect its existence."
Lord St. Amant's curiosity was sharply aroused. He ventured a question:
"And the contents of the envelope?"
"Well, between ourselves, the contents of the envelope astonished me
very much. The envelope, stamped with the name of Pavely's Bank,
contained two rather scurrilous anonymous letters. To me, the curious
thing consisted in the fact that Pavely had thought it worth while to
keep them. I should have destroyed them at once in his place."
"Do they throw any light on the mystery?"
"No, of course not, or they would have been produced in evidence to-day.
But still, one never can tell. Of course we are keeping them." He added
significantly, "They were not letters I should have cared to hand back
to Mr. Pavely's widow."
And then the Commissioner of Police added something which very much
surprised his companion: "By the way, talking of Mr. Pavely's widow, I
do earnestly beg you to try and dissuade Mrs. Pavely from continuing
that thousand pounds reward."
"Surely the reward has lapsed now? The only person entitled to it would
be this man, Fernando Apra himself."
"Ah, but Mrs. Pavely--or so Mr. Tropenell tells me--is quite determined
to keep the offer of the reward open. Whereas before the discovery of
Mr. Pavely's body the reward was offered for any information leading to
his discovery dead or alive, that same sum is now to be offered to any
one who can bring us into communication with this Portuguese fellow
himself. I'm bound to say that Mr. Tropenell saw at once all the
inconvenience of such a course, and he has done his best to dissuade
Mrs. Pavely. But she's quite set on it! I fancy she's been persuaded to
go on with it by Mrs. Winslow."
"Ah!" said Lord St. Amant. "I can't say that that surprises me. Mrs.
Winslow----"
Then he stopped short, and the other looked quickly round at him, and
exclaimed: "I wish you'd tell me a little more than I've been able to
find out about this Mrs. Winslow. What exactly was her position in the
Pavely _menage_?"
Lord St. Amant hesitated. He felt bound to stand up for poor Katty. So,
"Only that she and poor Godfrey Pavely were very old friends--friends
from childhood," he answered slowly. "And since the time she divorced
her husband Mrs. Winslow has lived close to The Chase--in fact, she was
their tenant."
"Then Mrs. Winslow was Pavely's rather than Mrs. Pavely's friend?"
"Yes--if you care to put it that way."
"I've very little doubt--in fact I feel quite sure, St. Amant, that Mrs.
Winslow knows a great deal more about the whole affair than she has
chosen to reveal. When she and I talked the whole thing over, I brought
her to admit that she _had_ heard something of this secret business
arrangement between Pavely and Fernando Apra. But if she was speaking
the truth--and I think she was--there was a reason for her having been
told. She was herself investing a small sum in the concern."
"The devil she was!" Lord St. Amant was very much surprised.
"Yes, and on Pavely's advice, of course. I take it that he was on more
confidential terms with this lady than he was with his own wife?"
The other nodded, reluctantly. "Well, you must know by this time almost
as well as I did that the Pavelys were not on very--well, happy terms,
together!"
Sir Angus went on: "D'you remember something I told you concerning Mr.
Pavely's day at York? Even before we knew all you have heard to-day, we
felt quite convinced that he'd gone down there to see the old rascal who
calls himself Greville Howard. But some further information about that
journey to York is in our possession."
Lord St. Amant again nodded. There came a rather uneasy look over his
face. He thought he knew the nature of the further confidence which was
about to be made to him. He had never had any doubt in his own mind
that Godfrey Pavely had not gone alone to Yorkshire.
"We feel quite certain that Mrs. Winslow was with Pavely in York. He was
seen there, in the company of a lady, by a business acquaintance. We've
ascertained that Mrs. Winslow went, on that same day, to stay with some
rather well-known people in the neighbourhood. Mind you, I'm not for a
moment suggesting that there was anything wrong."
"I wonder," said Lord St. Amant suddenly, "why Mrs. Winslow still
desires the reward to be offered."
"I think I can tell you why."
The Commissioner of Police looked straight into the other man's eyes.
"Mrs. Winslow wishes this reward to be offered because she has vague
hopes of earning it herself."
Lord St. Amant uttered an exclamation of extreme astonishment.
The other smiled. "Yes--queer, isn't it? But, mind you, that's by no
means an uncommon trait in the type of woman to which Mrs. Winslow
belongs. Their motives are almost always mixed. They're subtle little
devils for the most part, St. Amant. Mrs. Winslow was quite sufficiently
fond of this unfortunate man to wish to avenge his death, and she also
would be very glad suddenly to receive an addition to her fortune--which
is, I understand, very small--of even a thousand pounds."
He added, in a graver tone: "It seems to me that the one chance we have
of influencing Mrs. Pavely is through you. And then again, the mere fact
that you are one of her trustees may make a difference. Would you not
have it in your power to _prevent_ her continuing this reward?"
Lord St. Amant shook his head very decidedly. "No, I should not feel
justified in doing that, even if I had the power. As a matter of fact,
she has a certain amount of money at her own absolute disposal. I may
tell you that I did my best to dissuade her from offering the reward
when she first made up her mind to do so--you will remember when I
mean?"
* * * * *
As Lord St. Amant made his way back to his own rooms, the rooms where he
knew Mrs. Tropenell and Laura Pavely were now waiting for him, his mind
was in a whirl of surprise and conjecture.
Katty Winslow acting the part of amateur detective? What an
extraordinary notion! Somehow it was one which would never have crossed
his mind. That, no doubt, was the real reason why she had been so
determined to attend the inquest. But she had not sat with Mrs. Pavely,
Mrs. Tropenell, and himself. She had chosen a place in a kind of little
gallery behind the jurymen, and by her side, through the whole
proceedings, had sat, with his arms folded, Oliver Tropenell.
Tropenell, since the discovery of Godfrey Pavely's body, had kept
himself very much apart from the others. He had gone down to Pewsbury,
and had broken the sad news to Mr. Privet--this by Laura's direct
request and desire. But he had not shown even the discreet interest Lord
St. Amant would have expected him to show in the newly-made widow and
her affairs, and there was something enigmatic and reserved in his
attitude.
One thing he had done. He had made a great effort to prevent Laura
Pavely's being put into the witness-box. He had discovered that she
shrank with a kind of agonised horror from the ordeal, and he had begged
Lord St. Amant to join him in trying to spare her. But of course their
efforts had been of no avail. Laura, in one sense, was the principal
witness. But for her receipt of the letter, the body of her husband
might not have been discovered for weeks, maybe for months. Fernando
Apra would only have had to send a further instalment of rent, with the
proviso that his room should not be entered till he returned, for the
mystery to remain a mystery for at any rate a long time.
The funeral of Godfrey Pavely was to take place the next day in the old
Parish Church of Pewsbury, where the Pavely family had a vault. The
arrangements had all been left to Mr. Privet, and the only time Lord St.
Amant had seen Oliver Tropenell smile since the awful discovery had been
made, had been in this connection.
"I'm very glad we thought of it," he said, "I mean that Mrs. Pavely and
myself thought of it. Poor old Privet! He was one of the very few people
in the world who was ever really attached to Godfrey Pavely. And the
fact that all the arrangements have been left to him is a great
consolation, not to say pleasure, to the poor old fellow."