that he was crying.
Ronald advanced to inspect the electrical device on the table. He opened his briefcase, eased on a pair of gloves, produced a large plastic bag, wrapped it round the lethal box of tricks and put it into his bag. After that he removed his gloves, sat down, and began to sort some documents on to the table.
“Shall we recap for you?” asked Charles. “Three attempted murders, one kidnapping, one case of torture and one of assault...”
“We’ll all get life!” gasped Ruth, crying as usual.
Bianca raised one hand wearily, and smiled. It wasn’t a nice smile, it showed her gums. “I don’t think that’s the point, is it Charles? What you really want is to get your father out of jail. Am I right? That’s why you gave us the cheques, to frame us into a situation similar to the one for which we got your father. And I suppose it was Ronald, with his knowledge of office routine, who did a little breaking and entering to plant that incriminating file of letters from J.B. in the right filing cabinet at the right time.”
“Not breaking and entering,” said Ronald apologetically. “Nobody asked me for my keys when I was thrown out of the firm. Merely trespass.”
“So who got the photographs of our bank statements... Sue? No, it couldn’t have been Sue. She hasn’t got a camera, and...”
“David. He was the telephone engineer who called to rectify a fault on your line yesterday morning; a fault created by Sue, acting on my instructions. But you won’t be able to prove it, I’m afraid.”
“No, I’m quite sure we won’t,” agreed Bianca. “So — how much?”
“You sign these,” said Charles, as Ronald adjusted his glasses and handed out some typed documents. “They’re identical — just read them through and sign at the bottom. Ronald and Sue can witness them.”
“Just what are we supposed to be confessing to?” asked Bianca, taking her copy with a steady hand.
“The original fraud, that’s all.”
“No mention of attempted murder, or grievous bodily harm or anything like that?”
“Certainly not. Neither J.B. nor I believe that the present system of locking people away for decades is a good one. You’ll be punished in other ways; by loss of status, income and reputation. I don’t know what you’ll get for fixing the fraud case on my father, but I don’t suppose it will be more than the seven years he was given, and it may be less. Of course, you’ll have to refund the money you stole as well...”
“You know we can’t do that! It’s nearly all...”
“That’s where this second document comes in,” said Charles. He took a legal-looking wodge of paper from Ronald and handed it to Robert. “Now the twenty thousand which I gave you by way of J.B...”
“By way of...? You mean that the money was yours all the time? Where did you get it from?”
“You set me next to J.B. to break me; all you succeeded in doing was giving me the chance of a lifetime to make money on the ‘Change by keeping my ears and eyes open and apeing his methods. As I earned it, I gave it to him and he gave me a cheque in return... which I paid over to you. Don’t worry about that last cheque for three thousand, by the way. You may not have been able to pay it in yet, but I assure you it will be honoured. Now I suggest we regularise the position in the manner suggested by J.B. Robert sells the firm back to me, for the amount he paid for it. For twenty thousand pounds, which he has already received. Robert?”
The sound of Robert’s wheezes filled the room. Then he lunged forward, took the contract and signed it. His hand shook. Ronald and I witnessed his signature while Charles stood over us like an avenging angel.
Just as we finished, the Sergeant, a boyish, red-faced lad, came back into the house, gave us a puzzled look and asked for the Inspector.
“In that room,” said Charles, pointing. “These good people here are just on the point of signing statements for you, and will be ready to accompany you to the Station in a moment.” The Sergeant went into the den and closed the door behind him.
“Because if you don’t sign,” said Charles, speaking in a thread of a voice, “then we might start remembering all sorts of things which might prove difficult for you to explain away. Like the matter of a forged Will,