Susan pulled a little face. “Perhaps you don’t look for excitement. If I had the money and could be independent—I think I’d try to find excitement. Although I’m scared at the time, I do like it afterwards.”
“We don’t want you getting into any more mischief. Poor Cedric was so worried about you. I’m sure he wouldn’t survive another bout of thrills.”
“I’ve still got some money left from the sum Joe gave me,” Susan said after a pause. “After that’s gone, I shall really have to find something to do.”
“Here we are,” he said, opening the car door. “Do you want me to go in with you, or shall I wait outside?”
Susan hesitated and then squared her shoulders. “I can manage, thank you,” she said, remembering her new attitude of independence.
“Think I might become too possessive?” Adams asked with a grin.
“I shan’t give you the opportunity,” Susan returned primly.
“All right. I’ll wait here. If you want me, throw something through the window.”
Susan ran up the steps and rang the bell.
A loose-limbed, elderly man opened the door. “Of course,” he said when Susan had told him who she was, “we were expecting you. Mr. Weidmann is quite bright today and he’s been looking forward to your visit.” He went on to introduce himself as Doctor Edgely and then conducted her along a passage and up some stairs.
“Mr. Weidmann mustn’t be excited,” Edgely said, unlocking a door at the head of another passage. “He’s here for a good rest and then perhaps he will be able to go home.”
He led Susan to a door, tapped gently and opened it.
“Miss Hedder has come to see you, Mr. Weidmann,” he said in that false, breezy tone doctors have for their patients. “I was saying that we mustn’t excite ourselves and we mustn’t keep the young lady too long.”
Kester Weidmann was sitting before a large fire, a rug over his knees and a book in his hand. Susan found the room stiflingly hot.
“Don’t bother me with your claptrap,” Weidmann said, scowling at Edgely. “Let the young woman come in and you go away.”
Susan advanced nervously into the room.
“Sit down,” Edgely said, pushing a chair forward. “There now, we can have a nice cosy chat.”
Weidmann again waved him away. “Do go away,” he implored. “I don’t want a cosy chat and I don’t want you hanging around. I see far too much of you as it is.”
Edgely gave Susan a sly, warning look and took himself off. When he had gone, Weidmann turned in his chair and stared at Susan thoughtfully. He stared so long that she became not only uncomfortable, but distinctly nervous.
“So you are Susan Hedder,” Weidmann said at last. “Forgive me for looking at you so intently, but from what I’ve heard, you are a remarkable young woman.”
“They’re trying to make out that I’m insane. It’s a lot of nonsense. I’m as sane as that old fool of a doctor, not that that is saying much; but if it pleases them to keep me here, I don’t mind. The fact is, my dear, I’m getting old. I can no longer run my business. Do you know why? It’s because my brother is no longer with me. Together we could do anything, but alone, we are very feeble, I’m afraid. Anyway, I’ve got my money, the place is comfortable, and I’m tired of looking after myself, so why not let them keep me here?”
Susan suddenly found that she was not afraid of this little man. He certainly did not look insane and she thought he was nice in a kindly, fatherly way.
So Susan told him how she had met Joe, how she had followed Butch and what had happened after that. She told him everything, including the moving of Cornelius’ body.
Weidmann sat in his chair, his fingertips together and his eyes closed.
When she had finished—it took her over half an hour—he nodded.
“It’s a remarkable story,” he said. “The police— what’s his name—Adams, told me something of what happened, but it seems if it hadn’t been for you, I might have lost all my money. I should have been very angry. It took me a long time to acquire. I should like to thank you.” He shook his head. “Poor Joe, I’ll never forget him.”
Susan squirmed uneasily. “Oh, it was nothing really,” she said. “I—I liked doing it. I was scared, of course, but now— well, now I’ve got no excitement. It’ll be terribly dull, Mr. Weidmann.”
He looked at her sharply. “It need not be,” he said, “so long as you don’t throw yourself away on some man. A young woman of your courage and determination could go far if she’s prepared to go alone. You’ve tried to help me, and now I’m going to help you.” He took a long envelope from his pocket and placed it on his rug-covered knee. “I’ve talked things over with my trustees. They think I’m cracked too, but I’ve managed to persuade them to let me have some money for you. I want you to have it. Don’t be proud. Money can bring a lot of fun. You’re only young once and now’s the time to have a good time.” He tossed the envelope into her lap. “Don’t open it now. It is not a great deal, but it’ll buy you a little freedom to do with what you will, anyway for a year or so.”
“Oh, but I couldn’t,” Susan said, flushing. “You see Joe paid me to look after you and I still have some money he gave me.”
“Now don’t argue. Take it as a fee, if that’ll make you happy. I hear that old fool of a doctor coming back. Have a good time and don’t waste your opportunities.”
Dr. Edgely came in. “I think it’s time we had a little sleep,” he said, giving his toothy smile. “Then we’ll be as fresh as a daisy for our nice little dinner.”
“Did you ever hear such drivel?” Weidmann said, shrugging his shoulders and smiling at Susan. “Well, I suppose I must humour the poor fellow.”
Susan got to her feet. “Thank you, Mr. Weidmann . . .” she began.
He raised his hand. “Run along, my child. If you want help come and see me again. If you don’t, then stay away. This is no place for a pretty child like you.”
Then quite suddenly, without any warning, his smile went away and his expression changed. It was as if a shutter had fallen behind his eyes, leaving them blank and stupid looking. “Take that woman away. Who is she? What’s she doing here?” he said in a high-pitched querulous voice. “I want Cornelius. Ask him to come here at once. There’s the Headway Steel Merger to discuss.”
Susan found herself gently but firmly pushed out of the room by Edgely, who closed the door and turned the key.
“You see how it is,” he said, shaking his head. “He has these spells. Some days he is quite normal. Then something happens and he calls for his brother. It is very sad and I’m afraid he’ll take some time to recover.”
Susan, upset and shocked, did not know what to say. “But he is happy?” she asked at last when they reached the head of the staircase.
“Oh yes,” Edgely assured her. “You needn’t worry about that.” He offered his hand. “You can find your way out? I must go back and talk to him.”
In the hall, Susan paused and examined the envelope Weidmann had given her. After a moment’s hesitation she opened the flap and drew out a slip of pink paper. It was a cheque made out in her name and signed by the Weidmann bank directors for the sum of five thousand pounds.
She stood for some moments staring at the cheque, her mind in a whirl. It must be all right, she told herself. Weidmann had given it to her and the directors had signed it.
An impatient growl of the police klaxon outside made her start. She pushed the cheque hurriedly into her purse. She was independent now. Why, she could even go into business. She could set up an office, buy a shop or even open a detective agency.
The police klaxon growled again and quickly opening the front door, she ran down the steps to the waiting car.
THE END