hers.”
“There was nothing fishy about her death. I can tell you that. In fact, there's been nothing questionable about any of the deaths, the police have been investigating. If they were 'accidents' it might be suspicious. But the deaths are all perfectly normal deaths. Pneumonia, cerebral hemorrhage, tumour on the brain, gallstones, one case of polio - nothing in the least suspicious.”
I nodded.
“Not accident,” I said. “Not poisoning. Just plain illnesses leading to death. Just as Thyrza Grey claims.”
“Are you really suggesting that that woman can cause someone she's never seen, miles away, to catch pneumonia and die of it?”
“I'm not suggesting such a thing. She did. I think it's fantastic and I'd like to think it's impossible. But there are certain curious factors. There's the casual mention of a Pale Horse - in connection with the removal of unwanted persons. There is a place called the Pale Horse - and the woman who lives there practically boasts that such an operation is possible. Living in that neighbourhood is a man who is recognized very positively as the man who was seen following Father Gorman on the night that he was killed - the night when he had been called to a dying woman who was heard to speak of 'great wickedness.' Rather a lot of coincidences, don't you think?”
“The man couldn't have been Venables, since according to you, he's been paralyzed for years.”
“It isn't possible, from the medical point of view, that that paralysis could be faked?”
“Of course not. The limbs would be atrophied.”
“That certainly seems to settle the question,” I admitted. I sighed. “A pity. If there is a - I don't know quite what to call it - an organization that specializes in 'Removals - Human,' Venables is the kind of brain I can see running it. The things he has in that house of his represent a fantastic amount of money. Where does that money come from?”
I paused - and then said:
“All these people who have died - tidily - in their beds, of this, that and the other - were there people who profited by their deaths?”
“Someone always profits by a death - in greater or lesser degree. There were no notably suspicious circumstances, if that is what you mean?”
“It isn't quite.”
“Lady Hesketh-Dubois, as you probably know, left about fifty thousand net. A niece and a nephew inherit. Nephew lives in Canada. Niece is married and lives in North of England. Both could do with the money. Thomasina Tuckerton was left a very large fortune by her father. If she died unmarried before the age of twenty-one, it reverts to her stepmother. Stepmother seems quite a blameless creature. Then there's your Mrs Delafontaine - money left to a cousin -”
“Ah yes. And the cousin?”
“In Kenya with her husband.”
“All splendidly absent,” I commented.
Corrigan threw me an annoyed glance.
“Of the three Sandfords who've kicked the bucket, one left a wife much younger than himself who has married again - rather quickly. Deceased Sandford was an R.C. and wouldn't have given her a divorce. A fellow called Sidney Harmondsworth who died of cerebral hemorrhage was suspected at the Yard of augmenting his income by discreet blackmail. Several people in high places must be greatly relieved that he is no more.”
“What you're saying in effect is - that all these deaths were convenient deaths. What about Corrigan?”
Corrigan grinned.
“Corrigan is a common name. Quite a lot of Corrigans have died - but not to the particular advantage of anyone in particular so far as we can learn.”
“That settles it. You're the next prospective victim. Take good care of yourself.”
“I will. And don't think that your Witch of Endor is going to strike me down with a duodenal ulcer, or Spanish flu. Not a case-hardened doctor!”
“Listen, Jim. I want to investigate this claim of Thyrza Grey's. Will you help me?”
“No, I won't! I can't understand a clever educated fellow like you being taken
“There was nothing fishy about her death. I can tell you that. In fact, there's been nothing questionable about any of the deaths, the police have been investigating. If they were 'accidents' it might be suspicious. But the deaths are all perfectly normal deaths. Pneumonia, cerebral hemorrhage, tumour on the brain, gallstones, one case of polio - nothing in the least suspicious.”
I nodded.
“Not accident,” I said. “Not poisoning. Just plain illnesses leading to death. Just as Thyrza Grey claims.”
“Are you really suggesting that that woman can cause someone she's never seen, miles away, to catch pneumonia and die of it?”
“I'm not suggesting such a thing. She did. I think it's fantastic and I'd like to think it's impossible. But there are certain curious factors. There's the casual mention of a Pale Horse - in connection with the removal of unwanted persons. There is a place called the Pale Horse - and the woman who lives there practically boasts that such an operation is possible. Living in that neighbourhood is a man who is recognized very positively as the man who was seen following Father Gorman on the night that he was killed - the night when he had been called to a dying woman who was heard to speak of 'great wickedness.' Rather a lot of coincidences, don't you think?”
“The man couldn't have been Venables, since according to you, he's been paralyzed for years.”
“It isn't possible, from the medical point of view, that that paralysis could be faked?”
“Of course not. The limbs would be atrophied.”
“That certainly seems to settle the question,” I admitted. I sighed. “A pity. If there is a - I don't know quite what to call it - an organization that specializes in 'Removals - Human,' Venables is the kind of brain I can see running it. The things he has in that house of his represent a fantastic amount of money. Where does that money come from?”
I paused - and then said:
“All these people who have died - tidily - in their beds, of this, that and the other - were there people who profited by their deaths?”
“Someone always profits by a death - in greater or lesser degree. There were no notably suspicious circumstances, if that is what you mean?”
“It isn't quite.”
“Lady Hesketh-Dubois, as you probably know, left about fifty thousand net. A niece and a nephew inherit. Nephew lives in Canada. Niece is married and lives in North of England. Both could do with the money. Thomasina Tuckerton was left a very large fortune by her father. If she died unmarried before the age of twenty-one, it reverts to her stepmother. Stepmother seems quite a blameless creature. Then there's your Mrs Delafontaine - money left to a cousin -”
“Ah yes. And the cousin?”
“In Kenya with her husband.”
“All splendidly absent,” I commented.
Corrigan threw me an annoyed glance.
“Of the three Sandfords who've kicked the bucket, one left a wife much younger than himself who has married again - rather quickly. Deceased Sandford was an R.C. and wouldn't have given her a divorce. A fellow called Sidney Harmondsworth who died of cerebral hemorrhage was suspected at the Yard of augmenting his income by discreet blackmail. Several people in high places must be greatly relieved that he is no more.”
“What you're saying in effect is - that all these deaths were convenient deaths. What about Corrigan?”
Corrigan grinned.
“Corrigan is a common name. Quite a lot of Corrigans have died - but not to the particular advantage of anyone in particular so far as we can learn.”
“That settles it. You're the next prospective victim. Take good care of yourself.”
“I will. And don't think that your Witch of Endor is going to strike me down with a duodenal ulcer, or Spanish flu. Not a case-hardened doctor!”
“Listen, Jim. I want to investigate this claim of Thyrza Grey's. Will you help me?”
“No, I won't! I can't understand a clever educated fellow like you being taken
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