While the Light Lasts - Agatha Christie [41]
‘Dear Sir or Madam,
Escuse delay but have been all sixes and sevens but i do now as mr Mylecharane axed me to and send you the piece of riting wot as been in my family many long years the wot he wanted it for i do not know. thanking you i am
Mary Kerruish’
‘Post mark–Bride,’ I remarked. ‘Now for the “piece of riting handed down in my family”!’†
Upon a rock, a sign you’ll see.
O, Tell me what the point of
That may be? Well, firstly, (A). Near
By you’ll find, quite suddenly, the light
You seek. Then (B). A house. A
Cottage with a thatch and wall.
A meandering lane near by. That’s all.
‘It’s very unfair to begin with a rock,’ said Fenella. ‘There are rocks everywhere. How can you tell which one has the sign on it?’
‘If we could settle on the district,’ I said, ‘it ought to be fairly easy to find the rock. It must have a mark on it pointing in a certain direction, and in that direction there will be something hidden which will throw light on the finding of the treasure.’
‘I think you’re right,’ said Fenella.
‘That’s A. The new clue will give us a hint where B, the cottage, is to be found. The treasure itself is hidden down a lane alongside the cottage. But clearly we’ve got to find A first.’
Owing to the difficulty of the initial step, Uncle Myles’s last problem proved a real teaser. To Fenella falls the distinction of unravelling it–and even then she did not accomplish it for nearly a week. Now and then we had come across Fayll in our search of rocky districts, but the area was a wide one.
When we finally made our discovery it was late in the evening. Too late, I said, to start off to the place indicated. Fenella disagreed.
‘Supposing Fayll finds it, too,’ she said. ‘And we wait till tomorrow and he starts off tonight. How we should kick ourselves!’
Suddenly, a marvellous idea occurred to me.
‘Fenella,’ I said, ‘do you still believe that Fayll murdered Ewan Corjeag?’
‘I do.’
‘Then I think that now we’ve got our chance to bring the crime home to him.’
‘That man makes me shiver. He’s bad all through. Tell me.’
‘Advertise the fact that we’ve found A. Then start off. Ten to one he’ll follow us. It’s a lonely place–just what would suit his book. He’ll come out in the open if we pretend to find the treasure.’
‘And then?’
‘And then,’ I said, ‘he’ll have a little surprise.’
VIII
It was close on midnight. We had left the car some distance away and were creeping along by the side of a wall. Fenella had a powerful flashlight which she was using. I myself carried a revolver. I was taking no chances.
Suddenly, with a low cry, Fenella stopped.
‘Look, Juan,’ she cried. ‘We’ve got it. At last.’
For a moment I was off my guard. Led by instinct I whirled round–but too late. Fayll stood six paces away and his revolver covered us both.
‘Good evening,’ he said. ‘This trick is mine. You’ll hand over that treasure, if you please.’
‘Would you like me also to hand over something else?’ I asked. ‘Half a snap-shot torn from a dying man’s hand? You have the other half, I think.’
His hand wavered.
‘What are you talking about?’ he growled.
‘The truth’s known,’ I said. ‘You and Corjeag were there together. You pulled away the ladder and crashed his head with that stone. The police are cleverer than you imagine, Dr Fayll.’
‘They know, do they? Then, by Heaven, I’ll swing for three murders instead of one!’
‘Drop, Fenella,’ I screamed. And at the same minute his revolver barked loudly.
We had both dropped in the heather, and before he could fire again uniformed men sprang out from behind the wall where they had been hiding. A moment later Fayll had been handcuffed and led away.
I caught Fenella in my arms.
‘I knew I was right,’ she said tremulously.
‘Darling!’ I cried, ‘it was too risky. He might have shot you.’
‘But he didn’t,’ said Fenella. ‘And we know where the treasure is.’
‘Do we?’
‘I do.