Bertha said, “Your cousin was murdered.”
Milbers’s face showed his astonishment. It was a moment before he could regain his composure. “Mrs. Cool, that’s a very strong statement.”
“I know it’s a strong statement, but your cousin was poisoned. He was given poison in his breakfast on the day he died, and he had all the symptoms of arsenic poisoning.”
“It seems incredible. You’re certain?”
“Practically.”
“You have proof?”
“Hell, no! The point is that if we go to work we can get the proof.”
“Oh,” Milbers said, a subtle change coming in his voice, “I thought you said you had proof.”
“No. I said I was practically certain he was poisoned. So far it’s all circumstantial, but I think I’ve got enough right now to get the D.A. to exhume your brother’s body for a check-up to see whether death actually wasn’t caused by arsenic.”
Milbers said, “Oh, come, Mrs. Cool. After all, that’s getting the cart somewhat before the horse. I think you can appreciate that I wouldn’t consider having any such step taken unless there was some definite, tangible proof that I personally considered absolutely ironclad.”
Bertha said, “Well, I think I can get the proof. I’ve got enough at least so they’ll start questioning Nettie Cranning and the Hanberrys. It’ll take a little work on my part, but I think I can get the whole thing lined up and ready to dump in the D.A.‘s lap in four or five days or perhaps a week.”
“After all,” Christopher pointed out, “this is rather an unusual situation. Exactly what did you have in mind Mrs. Cool?”
Bertha said, “If they killed him, they can’t inherit his property. Even if only one of them was in on the job and the others helped, none of them can take anything under the will. That would leave you, as the only living relative sitting pretty. Now, I’d be willing to gamble. I’d take, say, ten per cent of what you got out of the estate and do all of the detective work to make out a perfect case.”
Christopher Milbers pushed the tips of his fingers together, placed the middle fingers directly beneath his chin and frowned at Bertha Cool over the tops of his spread fingers.
“Well?” Bertha asked.
“That opens up a very, very peculiar situation, Mrs. Cool.”
“Of course it does. Why did you suppose I came up here and got you out of bed?”
“Of course, if my cousin was murdered, I want justice to be done.”
Bertha nodded, and then added, “And don’t forget the half a million dollars that’s thrown in for seeing justice done.”
“I’m not forgetting it, but — well—”
“Go ahead,” Bertha said. “Out with it.”
“You think that it would take you some time to work up a case?”
“Naturally. I can’t go out and drag something like that out of thin air.”
“But you have some evidence?”
“Some.”
“And you would want me to employ you to develop the rest?”
Bertha said, “Nix on that employment business. You and I’ll make an ironclad contract by which I’ll take a percentage of whatever you get from the estate.”
Milbers said, “I had quite a conference with Mrs. Cranning earlier in the evening. She’s really very different from what I had first concluded.”
“And her daughter?”
“A very beautiful and interesting young woman.”
“I see. How about Paul Hanberry?”
Christopher Milbers’s forehead puckered into a frown. “Rather antisocial,” he said. “Much opposed to the existing scheme of things. Somewhat a case of maladjustment.”
Bertha said, “I wouldn’t have to use words like that in talking about him. Just about four words would wrap him-AID in a package as far as I’m concerned.”
“Well, in a way my negotiations were with him, but my contacts were primarily with Mrs. Cranning.”
“Okay, okay.” Bertha said impatiently. “I take it that you patched up your personal little spat, and all that. But if they murdered your cousin, that’s something else again.”
“Quite.”
“All right. That’s the dish I’m offering you.”
“Unfortunately, however, Mrs. Cool, it would make no difference in regard to the property.”
“What?” Bertha jerked her head around so as to stare straight at him.
“That happens to be the situation. Late this evening I reached an agreement with the other parties involved; an agreement which I consider, under the circumstances, was eminently fair. I am, of course, not obliged to tell you the specific terms of that agreement, but because of the peculiar circumstances and knowing that I can depend upon your discretion, I will divulge the general basis of agreement. Josephine Dell will take her specific legacy. In order to avoid a contest of the will and any possible litigation, with all of the resulting hard feelings, recriminations, and, above all, the delay, the parties have agreed that the residue of the estate, whatever it may be after paying the expenses of the funeral, the current bills, and the legacy to Josephine Dell, will be divided four ways equally. In other words, distribution will be made to the residuary legatees under the will; but, by this agreement, they have conveyed to me a share sufficient to make the total amount which I receive over and above my specific legacy equal to a one-fourth interest in the estate. That will give me roughly, a hundred thousand net. It’s not quite as simple as that, but the lawyers have managed to work it out and—”
“You’ve already signed that agreement?” Bertha asked.
“We’ve all signed it.”
“That only relates to a contest of the will,” Bertha said. “If I can prove they murdered him—”
“No, you don’t understand. The agreement contains a clause that neither party will do anything which would, in any way, jeopardize the rights of any of the other parties o, directly or indirectly result in depriving them of benefit of the settlement. To hire you would be, under the circumstances, I’m afraid, a violation of the agreement — at least, of the spirit of the agreement. No, Mrs. Cool, I can hardly believe that Mrs. Cranning, or her daughter Eva, could have been party to what you have suggested. It is, of course, possible that Paul Hanberry, without the knowledge of any of the others, has managed to expedite his inheritance. But as far as the others are concerned, it is absolutely out of the question. I will admit, Mrs. Cool, that people are greedy. They are impulsive. At times they are tricky, but to think for a moment that Mrs. Cranning or her daughter would poison my cousin — no, Mrs. Cool, it is absolutely, utterly unthinkable.”
“Well, suppose Paul poisoned him and they found out about it afterwards?”
“No, you don’t understand, Mrs. Cool. In the event that the public authorities, of their own accord, started an investigation, the situation would, of course, be different; but if it should appear that any of the parties were inconvenienced in any way by some action I had taken, or was taking in connection with some investigation which might have, as one of its results, a different division of the estate from that mentioned in the agreement — no, Mrs. Cool, I couldn’t take a chance on doing it. Frankly, I consider that I have made a very advantageous settlement.”
“I guess so,” Bertha Cool said savagely. “When a bunch of murderers can bribe a man not to investigate the murder of a relative—”
Milbers held up his hand, palm outward as though he had been a traffic officer stopping a stream of oncoming traffic. “Just one moment, Mrs. Cool pull-ease,” he said. “I am mentioning only about hiring you. So far as any investigation made by the authorities is concerned, that of course, would, be through no volition on my part, and would in no way subject me to any criticism. But to employ you, to actually pay money directly or on a percentage basis to you as an investigator in order to dig up some evidence of that, sort, that would cost me exactly one hundred thousand dollars. No, Mrs. Cool, I couldn’t consider it, not for a moment. I know my lawyer would thumbs-down your proposition in a minute. He’d censure me for even discussing the matter.”