That's another thing we must find out--where they've
hidden his body."
"He was sure from the first," remarked Walter, "that it was a
conspiracy on the part of some one in the line of succession?"
"Yes," agreed Dunn. "It's likely enough, too. You see, ever since
that big family row and dispersion eighty years ago, a whole branch
of the family has been entirely lost sight of. There may be half a
dozen possible heirs we know nothing about. Like poor John Clive.
I daresay if we had known of his existence we should have begun by
suspecting him."
"There's one thing pretty sure," remarked Walter. "If these
pleasant little arrangements did succeed, it would be a fairly safe
guess that the inheritor of the title and estates was the guilty
person. It might be brought home to him, too."
"Perhaps," agreed Dunn dryly. "But just a trifle too late to
interest me for one. And I don't mean to let the dad or uncle be
sacrificed if I can help it. I failed with Clive, poor fellow, but
I don't mean to again, and I don't see how we can. Deede Dawson
has exposed his hand. Now we can play ours."
"But what are you going to do?" Walter asked. "Are you going to
follow out his instructions?"
"To the letter," Dunn answered. "We are dealing with very wary,
suspicious people, and the least thing might make them take alarm.
The important point, of course, is the promise that Deede Dawson's
employer will be at Brook Bourne Spring tomorrow afternoon.
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