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Page 25
"Well--the fact is," he said, "I--I meant to hand it to you to put in
the safe, Pratt, but I didn't come back from the club. And--it's gone!"
Pratt simulated concern--but not astonishment. And Eldrick pulled open
the drawer, and waved a hand over it.
"I put it down there," he said. "Very careless of me, no doubt--but
nothing of this sort has ever happened before, and--however, there's the
unpleasant fact, Pratt. The money's gone!"
Pratt, who had hastily turned over the papers and other contents of the
drawer, shook his head and used his privilege as an old and confidential
servant. "I've always said, sir, that it was a great mistake to leave
loose money lying about," he remarked mournfully. "If there'd only been
a practice of letting me lock anything of that sort up in the safe every
night--and this chequebook, too, sir--then----"
"I know--I know!" said Eldrick. "Very reprehensible on my part--I'm
afraid I am careless--no doubt of it. But----"
He in his turn was interrupted by Pratt, who was turning over the
cheque-book.
"Some cheque forms have been taken out of this," he said. "Three! at the
end. Look there, sir!"
Eldrick uttered an exclamation of intense annoyance and disgust. He
looked at the despoiled cheque-book, and flung it into the drawer.
"Pratt!" he said, turning half appealingly, half confidentially to the
clerk. "Don't say a word of this--above all, don't mention it to Mr.
Pascoe. It's my fault and I must make the forty-three pounds good.
Pratt, I'm afraid this is Parrawhite's work. I--well, I may as well tell
you--he'd been in trouble before he came here. I gave him another
chance--I'd known him, years ago. I thought he'd go straight. But--I
fear he's been tempted. He may have seen me leave money about. Was he in
here last night?"
Pratt pointed to a document which lay on Eldrick's desk.
"He came in here to leave that for your perusal," he answered. "He was
in here--alone--a minute or two before he left."
All these lies came readily and naturally--and Eldrick swallowed each.
He shook his head.
"My fault--all my fault!" he said. "Look here--keep it quiet. But--do
you know where Parrawhite has lived--lodged?"
"No!" replied Pratt. "Some of the others may, though!"
"Try to find out--quickly," continued Eldrick; "Then, make some excuse
to go out--take papers somewhere, or something--and find if he's left
his lodgings! I--I don't want to set the police on him. He was a decent
fellow, once. See what you can make out, Pratt. In strict secrecy, you
know---I do not want this to go further."
Pratt could have danced for joy when he presently went out into the
town. There would be no hue-and-cry after Parrawhite--none! Eldrick
would accept the fact that Parrawhite had robbed him and flown--and
Parrawhite would never be heard of--never mentioned again. It was the
height of good luck for him. Already he had got rid of any small scraps
of regret or remorse about the killing of his fellow-clerk. Why should
he be sorry? The scoundrel had tried to murder him, thinking no doubt
that he had the will on him. And he had not meant to kill him--what he
had done, he had done in self-defence. No--everything was working most
admirably--Parrawhite's previous bad record, Eldrick's carelessness and
his desire to shut things up: it was all good. From that day forward,
Parrawhite would be as if he had never been. Pratt was not even afraid
of the body being discovered--though he believed that it would remain
where it was for ever--for the probability was that the authorities
would fill up that pit with earth and stones. But if it was brought to
light? Why, the explanation was simple.
Parrawhite, having robbed his employer, had been robbed himself,
possibly by men with whom he had been drinking, and had been murdered in
the bargain. No suspicion could attach to him, Pratt--he had nothing to
fear--nothing!
For the form of the thing, he called at the place whereat Parrawhite had
lodged--they had seen nothing of him since the previous morning. They
were poor, cheap lodgings in a mean street. The woman of the house said
that Parrawhite had gone out as usual the morning before, and had never
been in again. In order to find out all he could, Pratt asked if he had
left much behind him in the way of belongings, and--just as he had
expected--he learned that Parrawhite's personal property was remarkably
limited: he possessed only one suit of clothes and not over much
besides, said the landlady.
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