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III
Mr. Broadribb showed this to Mr. Schuster, who leaned back in his chair
and whistled.
“She’s going to take it on, is she? Sporting old bean,” he said. Then he ad-
ded, “I suppose she knows something of what it’s all about, does she?”
“Apparently not,” said Mr. Broadribb.
“I wish we did,” said Mr. Schuster. “He was an odd cuss.”
“A difficult man,” said Mr. Broadribb.
“I haven’t got the least idea,” said Mr. Schuster, “have you?”
“No, I haven’t,” said Mr. Broadribb. He added, “He didn’t want me to
have, I suppose.”
“Well, he’s made things a lot more difficult by doing that. I don’t see the
least chance that some old pussy from the country can interpret a dead
man’s brain and know what fantasy was plaguing him. You don’t think he
was leading her up the garden path? Having her on? Sort of joke, you
know. Perhaps he thinks that she thinks she’s the cat’s whiskers at solving
village problems, but he’s going to teach her a sharp lesson—”
“No,” said Mr. Broadribb, “I don’t quite think that. Rafiel wasn’t that
type of man.”
“He was a mischievous devil sometimes,” said Mr. Schuster.
“Yes, but not—I think he was serious over this. Something was worrying
him. In fact I’m quite sure something was worrying him.”
“And he didn’t tell you what it was or give you the least idea?”
“No, he didn’t.”
“Then how the devil can he expect—” Schuster broke off.
“He can’t really have expected anything to come of this,” said Mr.
Broadribb. “I mean, how is she going to set about it?”
“A practical joke, if you ask me.”
“Twenty thousand pounds is a lot of money.”
“Yes, but if he knows she can’t do it?”
“No,” said Mr. Broadribb. “He wouldn’t have been as unsporting as all
that. He must think she’s got a chance of doing or finding out whatever it
is.”
“And what do we do?”
“Wait,” said Mr. Broadribb. “Wait and see what happens next. After all,
there has to be some development.”
“Got some sealed orders somewhere, have you?”
“My dear Schuster,” said Mr. Broadribb, “Mr. Rafiel had implicit trust in
my discretion and in my ethical conduct as a lawyer. Those sealed instruc-
tions are to be opened only under certain circumstances, none of which
has yet arisen.”
“And never will,” said Mr. Schuster.
That ended the subject.
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