'And let that fellow get hold of my money?
No - indeed!'
I said, 'Well, her children then. Pip and Emma, and there may be lots more by now, and so he grumbled, but he did put it in."
"And from that day to this," Craddock said slowly, "you've heard nothing of your sister-in-law or her children?"
"Nothing - they may be dead - they may be - anywhere."
They may be in Chipping Cleghorn, thought Craddock.
As though she read his thoughts, a look of alarm came into Belle Goedler's eyes. She said,
"Don't let them hurt Blackie.
Blackie's good - really good - you mustn't let harm come to -" Her voice trailed off suddenly.
Craddock saw the sudden grey shadows round her mouth and eyes.
"You're tired," he said.
"I'll go."
She nodded. "Send Mac to me," she whispered.
"Yes, tired..." She made a feeble motion of her hand.
"Look after Blackie... Nothing must happen to Blackie... look after her..."
"I'll do my very best, Mrs. Goedler."
He rose and went to the door.
Her voice, a thin thread of sound, followed him...
"Not long now - until I'm dead - dangerous for her - take care..."
Sister McClelland passed him as he went out.
He said, uneasily: "I hope I haven't done her harm."
"Oh, I don't think so, Mr. Craddock.
I told you she would tire quite suddenly."
Later, he asked the nurse:
"The only thing I hadn't time to ask Mrs. Goedler was whether she had any old photographs?
If so, I wonder -" She interrupted him. "I'm afraid there's nothing of that kind.
All her personal papers and things were stored with their furniture from the London house at the beginning of the war. Mrs. Goedler was desperately ill at the time.
Then the storage depository was blitzed.
Mrs. Goedler was very upset at losing so many personal souvenirs and family papers.
I'm afraid there's nothing of that kind."
So that was that, Craddock thought.
Yet he felt his journey had not been in vain.
Pip and Emma, those twin wraiths, were not quite wraiths.
Craddock thought,
"Here's a brother and sister brought up somewhere in Europe.
Sonia Goedler was a rich woman at the time of her marriage, but money in Europe hasn't remained money. Queer things have happened to money during these war years.
And so there are two young people, the son and daughter of a man who had a criminal record.
Suppose they came to England, more or less penniless.
What would they do?
Find out about any rich relatives.
Their uncle, a man of vast fortune is dead.
Possibly the first thing they'd do would be to look up that uncle's will.
See if by any chance money had been left to them or to their mother.
They go to Somerset House and learn the contents of his will, and then, perhaps, they learn of the existence of Miss Letitia Blacklog.
Then they make inquiries about Randall Goedler's widow.
She's an invalid, living up in Scotland, and they find out she hasn't long to live.
If this Letitia Blacklog dies before her, they will come into a vast fortune.
What then?"
Craddock thought,
"They wouldn't go to Scotland.