The dossier of solar pon.., p.16
The Dossier of Solar Pons, page 16
There were little sparks of humor in Pons's eyes, and the solicitor's own glance was filled with ironic amusement as though he appreciated the point. His whitening hair and the silver mustache were all crimsoned with the dying winter sunlight now.
"What do you wish to know, sir?"
"You administer the colonel's considerable, estate, Mr. Bradshaw. I believe someone is trying to get control of the family's assets. I would like to know if you have any documents in your possession or any knowledge which might lead my inquiries in any specific direction."
The solicitor's face was alight with interest; he drummed his fingers on the desk again.
"You are a very shrewd man, Mr. Pons. There is something, but as to whether I should reveal it to you is another matter."
He hesitated.
"I can assure you that no improper use will be made of the information, Mr. Bradshaw."
"In that case, Mr. Pons ..."
Chadburn Bradshaw rose from the desk and crossed to a green iron safe at the side of the room. He rummaged inside it and presently emerged with a brown cardboard dossier tied with red tape. He brought it back to the desk and undid it
"What use you make of this information is up to you, Mr. Pons. But it must be made clear that it must not be seen to come from me."
"That is perfectly understood."
"Well, then. There was another beneficiary of Silas Renfrew's estate, you must know. He was a strange and eccentric man, though he had become a good friend to me over the years."
"You interest me greatly, Mr. Bradshaw. Do go on."
"A distant cousin, George Tolliver, is a secret beneficiary of the estate. He and young Adrian Renfrew were great friends as boys, but later Tolliver went to America: He had a bad reputation there, I believe."
"No one knew of the existence of this legacy?"
The solicitor shook his head.
"Silas Renfrew insisted on this. He felt he had behaved badly toward his relative, I think. Only myself and Mr. Renfrew knew of this. And George Tolliver, of course. He would inherit only on the colonel's death."
"You have not even told the colonel?"
Bradshaw shook his head.
"Those were Mr. Renfrew's precise instructions."
"What was the amount of the legacy?"
"Precisely fifty thousand pounds, Mr. Pons. I have the document."
He took it from the cardboard file as he spoke and came around the desk to hand it to my companion. Solar Pons bent eagerly over it, his keen, aquiline features intent on the detail. He turned the pages over, studying the signatures.
"Excellent, Mr. Bradshaw. You have been extremely helpful. Tell me, how was Mr. Tolliver informed of his good fortune. Did you see him?"
Bradshaw shook his head.
"He was in America at the time. So far as I knew, Mr. Renfrew informed him by letter, enclosing a copy of the document here."
Pons sat deep in thought for a moment longer.
"Have you any idea where George Tolliver is now, Mr. Bradshaw?"
"Not ten miles from where we are sitting, Mr. Pons. He bought a large house in the area some two years ago. I heard of this through my property interests in the district.
Of course, I have not sought him out as it was no business of mine, but the name is the same. And according to reports of his strange manage I have no doubt it is the Tolliver named in the will."
"What makes you say that?"
"Because of the man's weird tastes, Mr. Pons. He has some sort of private menagerie over there. He keeps tropical snakes and spiders among other things, I understand."
"Why, Pons, this is..." I burst out excitedly.
Pons's warning frowns checked my flow and I turned rather shamefaced to the lawyer. But he evidently affected not to notice my discomfort and sat waiting for Pons's next question.
"I am in your debt, Mr. Bradshaw," said he, rising from the chair. "Now it only remains for you to give me the address of Mr. Tolliver, and I will pay him a call. I think we have time before it gets entirely dark, Parker."
An alarmed look crossed Bradshaw's face.
"You will be careful, Mr. Pons. A confidence, remember."
He rose, putting the document back into the cardboard folder.
"Have no fear, Mr. Bradshaw," said Pons, shaking hands. "You have my word."
"Very well, then. Tolliver lives at a place called White- stone Manor. Some nine or so miles outside Tolleshunt D'Arcy. Just take the main road the way your car is pointing and keep straight on."
"Many thanks, Mr. Bradshaw. It has been a most instructive afternoon. Come, Parker."
6
A few minutes later we were humming along the straight, flat road through the marsh country on our way to White- stone Manor. Pons sat at my side deep in thought, his aquiline face clear-minted against the freezing winter background. A low mist was rising again, and for the first few minutes I concentrated on the road, digesting the information we had just received. Finally Pons broke silence.
"Well, Parker, what do you make of it? I know that you are bursting to question me."
"You are perfectly correct, Pons. That man Tolliver and the business of the snakes and spiders. Why, the whole thing fits together as plainly as the nose on my face."
Pons chuckled, taking his pipe from his pocket.
"Does it not, Parker. It certainly seems as if Mr. Tolliver has both motive and opportunity, though how he would insinuate such creatures into Colonel d'Arcy's home must remain conjectural for the moment."
"Such a man could find ways," I said.
"True, Parker, true," Pons nodded, filling the interior of the car with the harsh reek of shag as he lit the tobacco in the bowl of his pipe.
"Old Silas Renfrew was a curious man, certainly, and this bequest throws a fresh light upon matters."
"And remember the manner in which his son died," I continued. "The colonel said his death bore all the symptoms of a bite from a tropical insect."
"I see that your medical as well as your deductive faculties are working well, Parker," went on Pons, shooting me sharp glances from beneath his brows, as he puffed furiously at his pipe.
"But here, if I am not mistaken, is our destination."
Even as he spoke the white palings of a large house were composing themselves in the light mist which had begun to gather. I drove the car up in front of a heavy oak door, one of three in the facade of the ancient timbered house, and switched off the engine. Silence crowded in, broken only by the melancholy cawing of rooks from some ancient elms which overhung the lawn, now heavily carpeted with leaves. It was a somber scene, but Pons was cheerful enough as he got out of the car, rubbing his hands together briskly.
"Quite a Gothic milieu, Parker," he said with satisfaction as he led the way up to the front door, which was already being opened by a severe-looking woman with shingled hair.
"Solar Pons and Dr. Lyndon Parker to see Mr. George Tolliver," said my companion crisply.
The woman inclined her head, no sign of surprise on her pale face.
"You will find him in his laboratory. It is the large barn at the other side of the house."
And with that she slammed the door. Pons chuckled. He was already walking away in the direction indicated, and I had a job to keep up with him as he followed the paved path. The barn indeed was a massive structure—evidently an Elizabethan tithe-barn—and electric lights burned cheerily behind the windows in its white-painted planking. There was an electric bell push set into the door lintel, and its shrill ring was followed almost immediately by a loud exhortation to come in.
It was agreeably warm in the interior and with the warmth was mingled a sharp, animal smell, acrid and unmistakable—like that in one of the mammal houses in the zoo. The first thing I noticed was cages ranged around the walls at this end of the building; they were wire and iron structures, in which dark forms could be glimpsed. There were glass tanks containing fish and reptiles; up at the far end, on a large platform, a Bunsen burner burned palely. There were rows of bookshelves and benches. This was all I had time for as the master of this strange domain was already bearing down upon us.
He was a small, rather mild-looking man with steel- framed spectacles and a shock of whitening hair which hung down low over his brow. He wore a sort of smock over his waistcoat and trousers, and a black-and-white striped shirt looked incongruous in juxtaposition with the greenness of the overall. He held out his hand as he came down the steps from the platform and looked at us alertly.
"Welcome, gentlemen. Visitors are rare, but I do not think I have had the pleasure..."
"Solar Pons and Dr. Lyndon Parker," Pons explained. "We are staying with Colonel d'Arcy in the neighborhood, and as we understood you are a relative, decided to take the liberty of calling upon you."
"A distant relative only, gentlemen," said Tolliver, studying us sharply from behind his glasses.
"But will you not come up into my study and remove your coats? If you would like some tea..."
"Thank you, no," said Pons affably. "We are due back at The Briars for tea, but since we were so close, we looked in with an invitation."
We were up on the platform now and I studied the books and equipment with mounting interest as Pons and our strange host chatted on.
"Invitation?"
Tolliver looked from Pons to me and then back to my companion again with unconcealed curiosity.
"Well, yes," said Pons with a composure I found difficult to contemplate. "The colonel feels that he should, perhaps, have been more forthcoming in paying his respects and wishes to make up for it."
Tolliver held up his hand.
"Colonel d'Arcy owes me nothing, Mr. Pons. I am a distant cousin only."
"Nevertheless, he would be delighted if you could accept a little suggestion. He has just become engaged to a delightful young lady and would appreciate the honor if you could come over to spend one or two nights as his guest this weekend. Friday evening was the time suggested."
I could only watch open-mouthed as Tolliver colored and looked around hesitantly.
"Why, I should deem it an honor, Mr. Pons."
"That is settled, then. Shall we say six o'clock Friday evening?"
"That will do admirably."
Pons nodded as though the subject were closed. He looked around with piercing eyes.
"I see you are a herpetologist, Mr. Tolliver."
Our host flushed.
"An amateur only. Zoology has been my passion since college days."
"You seem to have quite a collection. These bird-eating spiders, for example ..."
I was already looking at the creatures in question, and my scalp crawled with loathing at the great furry creature which scuttled across the sanded floor of one of the heated glass cages. In another coil after coil of gold-dusted patterning moved lazily across a tree branch.
"Magnificent, aren't they?" Tolliver continued. "I have some notable rarities. Would you care for a tour?"
Pons smilingly declined.
"I think I have seen enough, Mr. Tolliver."
We were descending the stairs again now.
"I trust you and Dr. Parker will visit me again," said our host when we were once more near the door. He shook hands with Pons and then turned to me. Pons spoke again before I could open the door.
"Do you by any chance know Mr. Bradshaw, the solicitor from Tolleshunt D'Arcy?"
"Yes, indeed. He acts for me in certain matters."
Despite my warning frown at Pons, he continued as though he had not seen it.
"By the way, Mr. Tolliver, you have not lost any specimens lately? Spiders, for example. Or snakes?"
I could not help making a small explosive sound of astonishment, but the effect on Tolliver was electrifying. He cast a worried, almost haggard, look about him.
"I could not possibly see how you could know that, Mr. Pons. But the truth is that I have. I do not understand how it could have happened. Several specimens have disappeared of late."
He licked his lips nervously.
would appreciate it if you did not noise the fact abroad. My laboratory, as the locals call it, is little liked hereabouts."
"You have my word, Mr. Tolliver."
Tolliver glanced around uneasily.
"The only relief, Mr. Pons, is that the specimens need tropical heat. They would have died quickly outside these walls."
"That is good to hear," said Solar Pons with a dry laugh, gazing at an anaconda which took up most of a large cage opposite. "Until Friday."
"Until Friday, Mr. Pons."
I could hardly wait until we were back in the car.
"Good heavens, Pons, this man has given himself away. And are you mad, inviting him to stay at The Briars?"
"I fancy it will be an interesting weekend, Parker," said Pons, a faraway expression in his eyes as I turned the car and headed back toward Colonel d'Arcy's house.
"It was a liberty, as you say, but as soon as I have explained the situation to our client, I am sure he will cooperate. And now, if you please, Parker, I would prefer to smoke in silence while I get to grips with the problem."
7
"Your health, Mr. Pons!"
Colonel d'Arcy's bearded face was flushed with pleasure and as I looked around the dining table, I saw nothing but contentment on the features of Miss Mortimer, her mother, and about a dozen other guests who were celebrating our client's engagement. The great paneled dining room was a blaze of light from the chandeliers and from the vast stone fireplace heaped with logs, which cast a mellow glow over the tiled hearth and on the replete form of the dog, Toto, which lay with its paws toward the warmth.
Pons and I occupied positions of honor near the end of the table. The only other people present known to us were solicitor Bradshaw and Pons's invited guest, Tolliver. Colonel d'Arcy himself had welcomed Pons's suggestion, though my friend had given no indication of his inward thoughts on the subject. In truth, there were some half- dozen people already staying for the weekend and The Briars was so vast, the servants so numerous, that Tolliver's presence was hardly noticed.
This Friday evening was the formal engagement dinner, and the Saturday was to be given over to a dance, to which many of the neighboring gentry and their families had been invited. Pons could be an excellent listener on occasion, even though he might be privately bored, and now he smiled encouragingly as a wealthy farmer on his left went on with a tirade about the scandalously low price of potatoes.
Our host and his fiancée were obviously wrapped up in each other, and Bradshaw was engaged in earnest conversation with Mrs. Mortimer, so I was at liberty to study Tolliver. He affected to be listening to a tall, fair girl who had been placed at his right hand, but all the while his eyes were roving restlessly about the apartment, now at the richness of the table decorations, now at the chandeliers, and occasionally at the sullen figure of Vickers who passed to and from the table on various errands.
"An interesting study, is it not, Parker?"
The low voice of Pons was in my ear, his face alert, his eyes missing nothing that went on in the room.
"Indeed, Pons, though I am not quite sure..."
"Of mankind, Parker. Of one's fellow human beings. And there is nothing like a convivial dinner atmosphere, as tonight, for catching them off guard."
"Ah, Pons, you mean Tolliver. And Vicker's attitude..."
Pons's fingers dug into my arm, a warning plainly on his face.
"Hush, Parker, moderate your tones. We do not wish the world to know our business."
He looked around the table coolly, as though enjoying the conversation, while he continued our discourse sotto voce.
"Be on the alert when we retire, Parker. And make sure you have your revolver. If I am not mistaken, something is due to happen this evening."
"So we will not be retiring, Pons?" I said.
He shook his head
"We must keep on the alert. Fetch your revolver from your bedroom after dinner. We had better keep guard in my room since it is the nearest to the colonel's."
"Very well, Pons."
As soon as dinner was over I made my excuses to the company and begged a headache to avoid the gathering in the smoking room. I went straight to my own room and disinterred my pistol from my valise. I checked it carefully, but the cartridges were in the chambers and there was no sign that it had been tampered with. I had just put my case away when I heard a faint creaking outside in the corridor.
It was the work of a moment to cross the carpeting and throw the door open. The dark-faced servant Vickers was standing there. He still wore the green baize apron and the dark suit over the batwing collar and somber tie. Far from being nonplussed he smiled in what I thought a most impertinent manner.
"I just felt you might need something, Dr. Parker."
"There is nothing, thank you," I said stiffly, giving him a disapproving glance.
His smile widened even further. His manner was just this side of insolence.
"How long have you been there?" I asked.
He shrugged.
"Just long enough, Doctor."
And he was gliding away down the corridor before I could remonstrate. I was still fuming when Pons joined me in his room a few minutes later. He flung himself on the bed and chuckled.
"Ah, Parker," said he. "It does not always do to make mysteries where none exist"
"But there's something infernally suspicious about the fellow, Pons," I said bitterly. "He's always hanging about Surely it is plausible to suppose that he might have had something to do with the young nephew's death and the attempt against the colonel's life."
Solar Pons looked up at me with that maddeningly omniscient air he sometimes affected.
"Where does that leave our snake and insect man, Tolliver?" he said dryly. "You are an excellent doctor, Parker, and your diagnoses are invariably right But you have not yet learned to apply the same exacting standards to your observation of human nature in action. You will end by having a multiplicity of suspects. You must first draw the correct conclusions from the material before you."
"Mark my words, Pons ..." I began heatedly when my companion arrested me with a sudden gesture of his hand. He sprang up from the bed, drawing his own pistol and putting it down on the counterpane within easy reach.
