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Page 93
THE WOMAN IN BLACK
Nesta Mallathorpe, who had just arrived in Barford when Eldrick caught
sight of her, was seriously startled as he and Collingwood came running
up to her carriage. The solicitor entered it without ceremony or
explanation, and turning to the coachman bade him drive back to
Normandale as fast as he could make his horses go. Meanwhile Collingwood
turned to Nesta. "Don't be alarmed!" he said. "Something is happening at
the Grange--your mother has just telephoned to the police here to go
there at once--there they are--in front of us, in that car!"
"Did my mother say if she was in danger?" demanded Nesta.
"She can't be!" exclaimed Eldrick, turning from the coachman, as the
horses were whipped round and the carriage moved off. "She evidently
gave orders for the message. No--Pratt's there! And--but of course, you
don't know--the police want Pratt. They've been searching for him since
noon. He's wanted for murder!"
"Don't frighten Miss Mallathorpe," said Collingwood. "The murder has
nothing to do with present events," he went on reassuringly. "It's
something that happened some time ago. Don't be afraid about your
mother--there are plenty of people round her, you know."
"I can't help feeling anxious if Pratt is there," she answered. "How did
he come to be there? It's not an hour since I left home. This is all
some of Esther Mawson's work! And we shall have to wait nearly an hour
before we know what is going on!--it's all uphill work to Normandale,
and the horses can't do it in the time."
"Eldrick!" said Collingwood, as the carriage came abreast of the Central
Station and a long line of motorcars. "Stop the coachman! Let's get one
of those cars--we shall get to Normandale twice as quickly. The main
thing is to relieve Miss Mallathorpe of anxiety. Now!" he went on, as
they hastily left the carriage and transferred themselves to a car
quickly scented by Eldrick as the most promising of the lot. "Tell the
driver to go as fast as he can--the other car's not very far in
front--tell him to catch it up."
Eldrick leaned over and gave his orders.
"I've told him not only to catch him up, but to get in front of 'em," he
said, settling down again in his seat. "This is a better car than
theirs, and we shall be there first. Now, Miss Mallathorpe, don't you
bother--this is probably going to be the clearing-up point of
everything. One feels certain, at any rate--Pratt has reached the end of
his tether!"
"If I seem to bother," replied Nesta, "it's because I know that he and
Esther Mawson are at Normandale--working mischief."
"We shall be there in half an hour," said Collingwood, as their own car
ran past that in which the detectives and Byner were seated. "They can't
do much mischief in that time."
None of the three spoke again until the car pulled up suddenly at the
gates of Normandale Park. The lodge-keeper, an old man, coming out to
open them, approached the door of the car on seeing Nesta within.
"There's a young woman just gone up to the house that wants to see you
very particular, miss," he said. "I tell'd her that you'd gone to
Barford, but she said she'd come a long way, and she'd wait till you
come back. She's going across the park there--crossin' yon path."
He pointed over the level sward to the slight figure of a woman in
black, who was obviously taking a near cut up to the Grange. Nesta
looked wonderingly across the park as the car cleared the gate and went
on up the drive.
"Who can she be?" she said musingly. "A woman from a long way--to see
me?"
"She'll get to the house soon after we reach it," said Eldrick. "Let's
attend to this more pressing business first. We should know what's afoot
here in a minute or two."
But it was somewhat difficult to make out or to discover what really was
afoot. The car stopped at the hall door: the second car came close
behind it; Nesta, Collingwood, Eldrick, Byner, and the detectives poured
into the hall--encountered a much mystified-looking butler, a couple of
footmen, and the groom whose services Esther Mawson had requisitioned,
and who, weary of waiting for her, had come up to the house.
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