He is a very old man, a Greek by birth, and when he was a young man he was helped and befriended by Aristide Leonides.
He has always remained deeply grateful to his friend and benefactor and it seems that Leonides placed great reliance and trust in him."
"I would never have believed Leonides was of such a suspicious and secretive nature," said Mr Gaitskill. "Of course, he was of advanced years - practically in his dotage, one might say."
"Nationality tells," said my father gently. "You see, Gaitskill, when you are very old your mind dwells a good deal on the days of your youth and the friends of your youth."
"But Leonides's affairs had been in my hands for well over forty years," said Mr Gaitskill.
"Forty-three years and six months to be precise."
Taverner grinned again.
"What happened?" I asked.
Mr Gaitskill opened his mouth, but my father forestalled him.
"Mr Agrodopolous stated in his communication that he was obeying certain instructions given him by his friend Aristide Leonides.
Briefly, about a year ago he had received a letter by Mr Leonides with a sealed envelope which Mr Agrodopolous was to forward to Mr Gaitskill immediately after Mr Leonides's death.
In the event of Mr Agrodopolous dying first, his son, a godson of Mr Leonides, was to carry out the same instructions.
Mr Agrodopolous apologises for the delay, but explains that he has been ill with pneumonia and only learned of his old friend's death yesterday afternoon."
"The whole business is most unprofessional," said Mr Gaitskill.
"When Mr Gaitskill had opened the sealed envelope and made himself acquainted with its contents, he decided that it was his duty -"
"Under the circumstances," said Mr Gaitskill.
"To let us see the enclosures.
They consist of a will, duly signed and attested, and a covering letter."
"So the will has turned up at last?" I said.
Mr Gaitskill turned a bright purple.
"It is not the same will," he barked. "This is not the document I drew up at Mr Leonides' s request.
This has been written out in his own hand, a most dangerous thing for any layman to do.
It seems to have been Mr Leonides's intention to make me look a complete fool."
Chief Inspector Taverner endeavoured to inject a little balm into the prevailing bitterness.
"He was a very old gentleman, Mr Gaitskill," he said. "They're inclined to be cranky when they get old, you know - not balmy, of course, but just a little eccentric."
Mr Gaitskill sniffed.
"Mr Gaitskill rang us up," my father said, "and apprised us of the main contents of the will and I asked him to come round and bring the two documents with him.
I also rang you up, Charles."
I did not see why I had been rung up.
It seemed to me singularly unorthodox procedure on both my father's and Taverner's part.
I should have learnt about the will in due course, and it was really not my business at all how old Leonides had left his money.
"Is it a different will?" I asked. "I mean, does it dispose of his estate in a different way?"
"It does indeed," said Mr Gaitskill.
My father was looking at me.
Chief Inspector Taverner was very carefully not looking at me.
In some way I felt vaguely uneasy...
Something was going on in both their minds - and it was a something to which I had no clue.
I looked enquiringly at Gaitskill.
"It's none of my business," I said.
"But -" He responded.
"Mr Leonides's testamentary dispositions are not, of course, a secret," he said.
"I conceived it to be my duty to lay the facts before the police authorities first, and to be guided by them in my subsequent procedure.
I understand," he paused, "that there is an - understanding, shall we say - between you and Miss Sophia Leonides?"
"I hope to marry her," I said, "but she will not consent to an engagement at the present time."
"Very proper," said Mr Gaitskill.
I disagreed with him. But this was no time for argument.
"By this will," said Mr Gaitskill, "dated November the 29th of last year Mr Leonides, after a bequest to his wife of one hundred and fifty thousand pounds, leaves his entire estate, real and personal, to his granddaughter, Sophia Katherine Leonides absolutely."
I gasped.
Whatever I had expected, it was not this.
"He left the whole caboodle to Sophia," I said.