The Sittaford Mystery

Chapter 7 The Will

An alert-looking young man rose to receive them in the office of Messrs Williamson.

‘Good morning, Major Burnaby.’

‘Morning.’

‘Terrible business, this,’ said the young man chattily. ‘Not been such a thing in Exhampton for years.’

He spoke with gusto and the Major winced.

‘This is Inspector Narracott,’ he said.

‘Oh! yes,’ said the young man pleasurably excited.

‘I want some information that I think you can give me,’ said the Inspector. ‘I understand that you put through this let of Sittaford House.’

‘To Mrs Willett? Yes, we did.’

‘Can you give me full details, please, of how that came about. Did the lady apply personally, or by letter?’

‘By letter. She wrote, let me see—’ He opened a drawer and turned up a file. ‘Yes, from the Carlton Hotel, London.’

‘Did she mention Sittaford House by name?’

‘No, she merely said she wanted to rent a house for the winter, it must be right on Dartmoor and have at least eight bedrooms. Being near a railway station or town was of no consequence.’

‘Was Sittaford House on your books?’

‘No, it was not. But as a matter of fact it was the only house in the neighbourhood that at all fulfilled the requirements. The lady mentioned in her letter that she would be willing to go to twelve guineas, and in these circumstances I thought it worth while writing to Captain Trevelyan and asking whether he would consider letting. He replied in the affirmative, and we fixed the thing up.’

‘Without Mrs Willett seeing the house?’

‘She agreed to take it without seeing it, and signed the agreement. Then she came down here one day, drove up to Sittaford, saw Captain Trevelyan, arranged with him about plate and linen, etc., and saw over the house.’

‘She was quite satisfied?’

‘She came in and said she was delighted with it.’

‘And what did you think?’ asked Inspector Narracott, eyeing him keenly.

The young man shrugged his shoulders.

‘You learn never to be surprised at anything in the house business,’ he said.

On this note of philosophy they left, the Inspector thanking the young man for his help.

‘Not at all, a pleasure, I’m sure.’

He accompanied them politely to the door.

The offices of Messrs Walters and Kirkwood were, as Major Burnaby had said, next door to the estate agents. On reaching there, they were told that Mr Kirkwood had just arrived and they were shown into his room.

Mr Kirkwood was an elderly man with a benign expression. He was a native of Exhampton and had succeeded his father and grandfather in the firm.

He rose, put on his mourning face, and shook hands with the Major.

‘Good morning, Major Burnaby,’ he said. ‘This is a very shocking affair. Very shocking indeed. Poor Trevelyan.’

He looked inquiringly at Narracott and Major Burnaby explained his presence in a few succinct words.

‘You are in charge of the case, Inspector Narracott?’

‘Yes, Mr Kirkwood. In pursuance of my investigations, I have come to ask you for certain information.’

‘I shall be happy to give you any information if it is proper for me to do so,’ said the lawyer.

‘It concerns the late Captain Trevelyan’s will,’ said Narracott. ‘I understand the will is here in your office.’

‘That is so.’

‘It was made some time ago?’

‘Five or six years ago. I cannot be sure of the exact date at the moment.’

‘Ah! I am anxious, Mr Kirkwood, to know the contents of that will as soon as possible. It may have an important bearing on the case.’

‘Indeed?’ said the lawyer. ‘Indeed! I should not have thought that, but naturally you know your own business best, Inspector. Well—’ he glanced across at the other man. ‘Major Burnaby and myself are joint executors of the will. If he has no objection—’

‘None.’

‘Then I see no reason why I should not accede to your request, Inspector.’

Taking a telephone that stood on his desk he spoke a few words down it. In two or three minutes a clerk entered the room and laid a sealed envelope in front of the lawyer. The clerk left the room, Mr Kirkwood picked up the envelope, slit it open with a paper knife and drew out a large and important-looking document, cleared his throat and began to read—

‘I, Joseph Arthur Trevelyan, of Sittaford House, Sittaford, in the County of Devon, declare this to be my last will and testament which I make this thirteenth day of August nineteen hundred and twenty-six.

‘(1) I appoint John Edward Burnaby of 1 The Cottages, Sittaford, and Frederick Kirkwood of Exhampton, to be the executors and trustees of this, my will.

‘(2) I give to Robert Henry Evans, who has served me long and faithfully, the sum of £100 (one hundred pounds) free of legacy duty for his own benefit absolutely, provided that he is in my service at the time of my death and not under notice to leave whether given or received.

‘(3) I give the said John Edward Burnaby, as a token of our friendship and of my affection and regard for him, all my trophies of sport, including my collection of heads and pelts of big game as well as any challenge cups and prizes awarded to me in any department of sport and any spoils of the chase in my possession.

‘(4) I give all my real and personal property, not otherwise disposed of by this, my will, or any codicil hereto, to my Trustees upon Trust that my Trustees shall sell, call in and convert the same into money.

‘(5) My Trustees shall out of the moneys to arise out of such sale, calling in and conversion pay any funeral and testamentary expenses and debts, and the legacies given by this, my will, or any codicil hereto and all death duties and other moneys.

‘(6) My Trustees shall hold the residue of such moneys or the investments for the time being, representing the same upon Trust to divide the same into four equal parts or shares.

‘(7) Upon such division as aforesaid my Trustees shall hold one such equal fourth part or share upon Trust to pay the same to my sister Jennifer Gardner for her own use and enjoyment absolutely.

‘And my Trustees shall hold the remaining three such equal fourth parts or shares upon Trust to pay one such equal fourth part or share to each of the three children of my deceased sister, Mary Pearson, for the benefit of each such child absolutely.

‘In Witness whereof I, the said Joseph Arthur Trevelyan, have hereunto set my hand the day and year first above written.

‘Signed by the above names Testator as his last will in the presence of us both present at the same time, who in his presence and at his request and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names as witness.’

Mr Kirkwood handed the document to the Inspector.

‘Witnessed by two of my clerks in this office.’

The Inspector ran his eye over the will thoughtfully.

‘My deceased sister, Mary Pearson,’ he said. ‘Can you tell me anything about Mrs Pearson, Mr Kirkwood?’

‘Very little. She died about ten years ago, I believe. Her husband, a stockbroker, had predeceased her. As far as I know, she never visited Captain Trevelyan here.’

‘Pearson,’ said the Inspector again. Then he added: ‘One thing more. The amount of Captain Trevelyan’s estate is not mentioned. To what sum do you think it will amount?’

‘That is difficult to say exactly,’ said Mr Kirkwood, enjoying, like all lawyers, making the reply to a simple question difficult. ‘It is a question of real or personal estate. Besides Sittaford House, Captain Trevelyan owns some property in the neighbourhood of Plymouth, and various investments he made from time to time have fluctuated in value.’

‘I just want an approximate idea,’ said Inspector Narracott.

‘I should not like to commit myself—’

‘Just the roughest estimate as a guide. For instance would twenty thousand pounds be out of the way?’

‘Twenty thousand pounds. My dear sir! Captain Trevelyan’s estate will be worth at least four times as much as that. Eighty or even ninety thousand pounds will be much nearer the mark.’

‘I told you Trevelyan was a rich man,’ said Burnaby.

Inspector Narracott rose.

‘Thank you very much, Mr Kirkwood,’ he said, ‘for the information you have given me.’

‘You think you will find it helpful, eh?’

The lawyer very clearly was agog with curiosity, but Inspector Narracott was in no mood to satisfy it at present.

‘In a case like this we have to take everything into account,’ he said, noncommittally. ‘By the way, have you the names and addresses of this Jennifer Gardner and of the Pearson family?’

‘I know nothing of the Pearson family. Mrs Gardner’s address is The Laurels, Waldon Road, Exeter.’

The Inspector noted it down in his book.

‘That will do to get on with,’ he said. ‘You don’t know how many children the late Mrs Pearson left?’

‘Three, I fancy. Two girls and a boy—or possibly two boys and a girl—I cannot remember which.’

The Inspector nodded and put away his notebook and thanked the lawyer once more and took his departure.

When they had reached the street, he turned suddenly and faced his companion.

‘And now, sir,’ he said, ‘we’ll have the truth about the twenty-five past five business.’

Major Burnaby’s face reddened with annoyance.

‘I have told you already—’

‘That won’t go down with me. Withholding information, that is what you are doing, Major Burnaby. You must have had some idea in mentioning that specific time to Dr Warren—and I think I have a very good idea of what that something is.’

‘Well, if you know about it, why ask me?’ growled the Major.

‘I take it that you were aware that a certain person had an appointment with Captain Trevelyan somewhere about that time. Now, isn’t that so?’

Major Burnaby stared at him in surprise.

‘Nothing of the kind,’ he snarled, ‘nothing of the kind.’

‘Be careful, Major Burnaby. What about Mr James Pearson?’

‘James Pearson? James Pearson, who’s he? Do you mean one of Trevelyan’s nephews?’

‘I presume it would be a nephew. He had one called James, hadn’t he?’

‘Not the least idea. Trevelyan had nephews—I know that. But what their names were, I haven’t the vaguest idea.’

‘The young man in question was at the Three Crowns last night. You probably recognized him there.’

‘I didn’t recognize anybody,’ growled the Major. ‘Shouldn’t anyway—never saw any of Trevelyan’s nephews in my life.’

‘But you knew that Captain Trevelyan was expecting a nephew to call upon him yesterday afternoon?’

‘I did not,’ roared the Major.

Several people in the street turned round to stare at him.

‘Damn it, won’t you take plain truth! I knew nothing about any appointment. Trevelyan’s nephews may have been in Timbuctoo for all I knew about them.’

Inspector Narracott was a little taken aback. The Major’s vehement denial bore the mark of truth too plainly for him to be deceived.

‘Then why this twenty-five past five business?’

‘Oh! well—I suppose I had better tell you,’ the Major coughed in an embarrassed fashion. ‘But mind you—the whole thing is damned foolishness! Tommy rot, sir. How any thinking man can believe such nonsense!’

Inspector Narracott looked more and more surprised. Major Burnaby was looking more uncomfortable and ashamed of himself every minute.

‘You know what it is, Inspector. You have to join in these things to please a lady. Of course, I never thought there was anything in it.’

‘In what, Major Burnaby?’

‘Table-turning.’

‘Table-turning?’

Whatever Narracott had expected he had not expected this. The Major proceeded to explain himself. Haltingly, and with many disclaimers of his own belief in the thing, he described the events of the previous afternoon and the message that had purported to come through for himself.

‘You mean, Major Burnaby, that the table spelt out the name of Trevelyan and informed you that he was dead—murdered?’

Major Burnaby wiped his forehead.

‘Yes, that’s what happened. I didn’t believe in it—naturally, I didn’t believe in it.’ He looked ashamed. ‘Well—it was Friday and I thought after all I would make sure and go along and see if everything was all right.’

The Inspector reflected on the difficulties of that six mile walk, with the piled-up snowdrifts and the prospect of a heavy snowfall, and he realized that deny it as he would Major Burnaby must have been deeply impressed by the spirit message. Narracott turned it over in his mind. A queer thing to happen—a very queer thing to happen. The sort of thing you couldn’t explain satisfactorily. There might be something in this spirit business after all. It was the first well-authenticated case he had come across.

A very queer business altogether but, as far as he could see, though it explained Major Burnaby’s attitude, it had no practical bearing on the case as far as he himself was concerned. He had to deal with the physical world and not the psychic.

It was his job to track down the murderer.

And to do that he required no guidance from the spirit world.