12 - Case With Nine Solutions by Alfred Walter Stewart

Penned by Alfred Walter Stewart under the pseudonym J.J. Connington, Case With Nine Solutions introduces us to the astute and highly regarded police professional, Sir Clinton Driffield. Thrust into a tangled web of murder, Driffield and his loyal sidekick, Inspector Flamborough, must sift through nine possible scenarios to uncover the truth. This complex case brings a beguiling temptress, her unsuspecting husband, a clandestine admirer, and a smitten young man into the mix. As the pair delve deeper into the mystery, they navigate a labyrinth of scientific evidence, cryptic messages, and rely on their sharp deductive reasoning skills to solve the murder.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter twelve of the Case with Nine Solutions by J. J. Connington.
This LibriVox recording is in the public domain the Silverdale Wills.
This is mister Renard. Sir Flambero held open the door
Sir Clinton's office and ushered in the little frenchman. The
Chief Constable glanced up at the interrupters. Missus Silverdale's brother,

(00:25):
isn't it, he asked courteously. Renard nodded vigorously and turned
toward the inspector as though leaving explanations to him. Flamborough
threw himself into the breach. It appears, Sir, that mister
Renard isn't entirely satisfied with the state of things. He's
on earthed in the matter of his sister's will has

(00:45):
taken him by surprise, and he came to see what
I thought about it. He preferred to lay the point
before you, so I brought him along. It seems just
as well that you should hear it at first hand,
for it looks as though it might be important. Sir
Clinton enclosed his fountain pen and invited Renard to take
a seat. I am at your disposal, mister Renard, he

(01:06):
said briskly, let's hear the whole story if you please.
Whatever it is, Inspector Flamborough will make notes if you
don't mind. Renard took the chair which Sir Clinton indicated.
I shall be concise, He assured the Chief Constable. It
is not a very complicated affair, but I should like
to have it thrashed out as you English say. He

(01:28):
settled himself at ease, and then plunged into his tale.
My sister, Yvonne Renard, as you know, married mister Silverdale
in nineteen twenty three. I was not altogether pleased with
the alliance, not quite satisfied. You understand. Oh, there was
nothing against mister Silverdale. But I knew my sister and
Silverdale was not the right man for her. He was

(01:50):
too serious, too intent on his profession. He had not
the natural gaiety which was needed in a husband for Yvaughan.
Already I was in doubt at the very moment of
the marriage. There were incompatibilities, you understand. Sir Clinton's gesture
assured him that he had made himself sufficiently clear. I

(02:10):
have nothing to say against my brother in law. You
follow me, Renard went on. It was a case of
marry in haste and repent at leisure. As your English
proverb says, they were unsuited to each other, but that
was no fault of theirs. When they discovered each other
their real selves, it is clear that they decided to
make the best of it. I had nothing to say.

(02:31):
I was sorry that my sister had not found a
husband more suited to her temperament. But I am not
one who would make trouble by sympathizing too much. I
quite understand, mister Renard, Sir Clinton intervened with the obvious
intention of cutting short this elaborate exposition of the self evident.
Now I come to the important point Renard went on.

(02:52):
At the time of the marriage or shortly afterwards, I
do not know your English law about testaments very well.
My brother in law transferred part of his property in
stocks and shares to my sister. It was some question
of death duties. I was told if he died first,
then she would have to pay on his whole estate,
but by transferring some of his property to her, this

(03:14):
could be avoided. In case of his death, she would
have to pay only on what he had retained in
his own name. It is I understand a usual precaution.
In the circumstances it's often done. Sir Clinton confirmed, by
the way, mister Renard, can you give me some idea
of how much he transferred to her on their marriage?

(03:35):
I cannot give you the precise figures, Renard explained. I
have seen the lawyer's accounts, of course, but they were involved,
and I have no good memory for figures. It was
only a few hundred pounds, a mere drop on the bucket,
as you would say in English. My brother in law
is not a rich man, not by any means. But
the sum itself is of little importance. It is the

(03:56):
sequel which is of more interest. As you shall see.
He leaned forward in his chair as though to fix
Sir Clinton's attention. When my brother in law transferred this
little property to my sister, they each made their testament
that I believe was on the advice of a lawyer.
By his will, my brother in law left all his
property to my sister. He had no relations, so far

(04:18):
as I have learned, and that seemed very fair. The
second will my sisters was in identical terms, so far
as the principal clauses went. All her property in stock
shares and money went to my brother in law. There
was a little provision at the end which left to
me a few small souvenirs, things of sentimental value. Only.

(04:39):
It seemed very fair in the circumstances. I suggest nothing wrong.
How could there be anything wrong? It seems a normal
precaution in the circumstances. Sir Clinton assured him. Naturally, if
she died first, he would expect to get his own
property back again lest the death duties. Of course, it
was a very small affair. Renard, emphasize, if I had

(05:01):
been consulted, I should certainly have advised it. But I
was not consulted. It was no business of mine, except
that I was made a trustee. I am not one
who mixes himself up with affairs which do not concern him.
Where is this leading to, mister Renaud, Sir Clinton asked patiently,
I don't see your difficulty as yet. I must confess

(05:22):
there is no difficulty. It is merely that I wish
to lay some further information before you. Now I proceed.
My aunt had been ill for a long time, a
disease of the heart, it was, and Gina Pectoris, she
was bound to die in a spasm at a moment's notice.
One expected it, you understand, And less than three weeks

(05:43):
ago she had the spasm which we had so long anticipated,
and she died. Sir Clinton's face expressed his sympathy, but
he made no attempt to interrupt. As I told Inspector
Flamborough when I saw him last, Renard continued, the figure
of her fortune came and is a surprise to me.
I had no idea she was so rich. She lived

(06:05):
very simply, very parsimoniously. Even I had always thought of
her as a hard up You understand figure to yourself.
My astonishment when I learned that she had accumulated over
twelve thousand pounds. That is a great sum. Many people
would do almost anything to acquire twelve thousand pounds. He
paused for a moment, as though in rapt contemplation of

(06:27):
the figures. Her testament was very simple, He proceeded. My
sister yvan was her favorite. My aunt always put her
in front of me. I made no complaint, to understand,
some one must be preferred. I had a little bequest
under my aunt's testament, but Yvanne secured almost the whole
of my aunt's fortune. That was how things stood A

(06:49):
fortnight ago, he hitched himself in his chair, as though
preparing for a revelation. My sister and I were the
trustees under my aunt's testament. The lawyer who had charge
of the will communicated with me and forwarded a copy
of the document. These legal documents are not easy to understand,
but I soon saw that my sister had acquired the

(07:11):
whole of my aunt's capital in stocks and shares, about
a million and a half francs. I am not very
good at legal affairs. It took me some time to
understand what all this meant, but I thought it out.
It is really quite simple, very easy. My sister had
gained twelve thousand pounds under my aunt's will. But if

(07:32):
she died without any change in the circumstances, then under
the will which she signed after her marriage, my brother
in law would inherit the whole of that money. Figure
to yourself. He had never even seen my aunt, and
all that twelve thousand pounds would pour into his lap.
And I, who had been almost like a son to
my aunt, I beget nothing. I make no complaint. Of course,

(07:56):
Sir Clinton's face betrayed nothing whatever of his views on
the question. He merely waited in silence for Renard to
continue his story. When I understood the position Renard Rezun,
I sat down and wrote a letter to my sister.
Here is the state of affairs, I said. Our good
aunt is dead, and she has named you as her
heiress a whole million and a half francs to me.

(08:20):
She has left some little things, enough at least to
buy a suit of mourning. I have no complaints to make.
Our good aunt had the right to dispose of her
money as she chose. That was how I began, you understand, Then,
I went on. Thus things are for the best for
the present, I said, but one must think of the
future as well. Recall the will which you made at

(08:42):
the time of your marriage. All is to go to
your husband should anything happen to you. Now, I wrote,
that seems to me hardly as it should be. If
you should die, a motor accident might happen any day,
then all the money of our aunt would pass into
the hands of your husband. This husband, with whom you
have so little in common, and who had no relations

(09:03):
with our good aunt, and I, who am your nearest
and kin, would receive not one penny. Think of that,
I wrote, and consider whether it would be fair is
the fortune of our family to pass into the hands
of strangers, and we ourselves to be left without a
share in it. Renard looked from the inspector to Sir Clinton,

(09:23):
and back to the inspector, as though seeking for sympathy.
Apparently finding nothing very satisfying in their expressions, he continued
his tale. I put it to her that this state
of affairs was not as it should be. I did
not plead for myself, of course, that is not my way.
I tried to show her that as things stood injustice

(09:44):
would be done if she should happen to die, and
I urged her very strongly to make a fresh will. See,
I wrote, how things would fall out to you? It
would mean nothing very naturally, you would be far beyond
all cares. But this money would be like left. Would
you desire that it should fall into the hands of
this husband of yours, with whom you cannot find anything

(10:06):
in common? Or would you not prefer that it should
be left to your brother, who has always been good
to you? That is how I put it to her.
I asked her to take swift action and to call
in a lawyer who could aid her to draw up
a fresh will which would be fair to both her
husband and myself. I desire to be fair, you understand.
Merely to be fair, he would have received back his

(10:29):
own stocks and shares which he had given to her
at the time of their marriage. I would have gained
the fortune which descended from my aunt. That seemed reasonable. Surely, yes,
Sir Clinton confirmed, it sounds quite reasonable in the circumstances.
And what happened. I have been to see the lawyers,
Renard went on, Figure to yourself what I discovered. My

(10:52):
poor Vaughan was not a woman of affairs. She had
no business like habits. If a thing seemed likely to
give her trouble, she would put it aside for as
long as she could before dealing with it. Affairs bored her.
It was her temperament like that. So when she received
my letter she put it aside for some days. One
cannot blame her. It was not in her nature to

(11:14):
go to great trouble over a thing like that. Besides,
death was not in her thoughts. One day was as
good as another. He paused, as though wishing to heighten
the interests of his narrative, for it was evident that
he had produced, but little impression on Sir Clinton. She
had a good heart, my poor sister. She understood the

(11:34):
position well enough, it seems, and she had no wish
to see her good brother lift out in the cold,
as you English put it. But she delayed and delayed
in the affair. And in the end she delayed too long.
Again he hitched himself forward in his chair, as though
he were approaching something important. I went to the lawyers.
What did I find this? My poor Yvaughan had not

(11:58):
forgotten her good brother. She had the intention of setting
things right. One day she rang up the lawyers on
the telephone and made an appointment with them for the
following afternoon. She informed them that she proposed to alter
her will, But of course, over the telephone she said
nothing about her wishes on the point that is to
be understood. But she said she would jot down the

(12:21):
points to be embodied in the new will and bring
that paper with her. That is all the lawyers know.
That is all I know myself. For before the next afternoon,
when she had made her appointment with the lawyers, my
poor Yvonne was dead. Is it not distressing? Twelve thousand
pounds a million and a half francs, and they slipped

(12:43):
through my fingers just by a few hours. But I
made no complaint. Of course, I do not grumble. It
is not my way. These things happen and one has
to bear them. If he had expected to read any
sympathy in Sir Clinton's face, he must have been disappointed.
The Chief Constable betrayed nothing of the feelings in his mind.

(13:04):
Was it not most inopportune, Renard continued, Or most opportune
indeed for Silverdale that things fall out as they have done?
A coincidence? Of course, life is full of these things.
I have seen too many to be astonished myself. But
is it not most apt that she should die just
at that juncture? Another day of life and the twelve

(13:26):
thousand pounds goes into one pocket, a death and the
money falls into other hands. I am something of a philosopher,
one has to be in this world, and these strange
chances have an attraction for my mind. I know there
is nothing behind them, nothing whatever you understand. And yet
is it not most striking that things fall out as

(13:47):
they do? The Chief Constable declined to be drawn into
a general discussion on the universe. I am afraid it
is scarcely a matter for the police. Mister Renaud, wills
hardly fall into our province, you know, unless the case
of forgery turns up, and in this case there's nothing
of that sort. The only advice I could give you

(14:07):
would be to consult a lawyer. But as you've already
had the legal position made clear, I don't see that
there's anything to be done. Inspector Flamborough took his cue,
and without more ado, he hinted to Renard very plainly
than enough time had been spent on the matter. At length,
the little Frenchman withdrew, leaving the two officials together. I

(14:28):
don't much care for his way of telling his story,
Sir Flamborough remarked, But I'm not sure if I were
in his shoes that I wouldn't feel much the same
as he seems to do. It must be a bit
galling to lose twelve thousand pounds by a few hours delay,
and he's quite reasonably suspicious. Evidently, Sir Clinton refused to
be drawn. Don't let's be too much influenced by the

(14:51):
thought press news. Inspector Renard's evidence is the latest we have,
but that adds nothing to its value. Remember, look at
the case as a whole jowl and tried to reckon
up the people who could conceivably gain anything by the crime.
Then you can assess the probabilities in each case apart
altogether from the order in which the facts have come
to light. The inspector had evidently considered the matter already.

(15:15):
From this standpoint, he hardly paused before offering his views. Well, sir,
if you ask me, Silverdale had at least two sound
motives for committing murder. By getting his wife out of
the way, he opened the road to a marriage with
the deep Car girl, whom he's obviously keen on. Also,
if Renard's story is true, the death of his wife

(15:36):
at that particular juncture put twelve thousand pounds into his pocket,
which he'd have lost if Missus Silverdale had lived a
day or two longer. One has to admit that he
hadn't evidence to get a divorce, which would have been
an obvious alternative to murder. Sir Clinton acknowledged, and the
cash affair makes the death of Missus Silverdale peculiarly opportune.

(15:58):
It's no use burking the plain fact that either money
or a woman might tempt a man to murder, and
when you've got both of them together, one can't brush
them aside cavalierly. But go on with your list, Inspector.
There's that money lender Spratton Flamborough pursued if young Hassendein's
death can be proved to be a murder, then spread

(16:19):
and lifts some thousands out of the pocket of the
insurance company returned for the payment of a single premium.
That's a motive, certainly, it's a sound motive for proving
that it was a case of murder and not suicide,
and it's a possible motive for murder, I admit. But
the position of a gentleman who commits a murder for
gain and can only collect the money by proving that

(16:41):
murder was done, well, it sounds a bit complicated, doesn't it,
unless he can be sure of fixing the murder on
someone else. Sir. It's a bit difficult in practice to
produce a frame up of that description, isn't it. The
inspector refrained from betraying any opinion on this point. Then
there's the hailshrom girl, Sir. She's a vindictive type and

(17:03):
she quite obviously had the worst kind of grudge against
both of them. Revenge might have been at the back
of the business, for all one can tell. I don't
say it's likely, but I'm considering possibilities, not necessarily probabilities.
I don't think miss Hailsham can reckon me among her admirers,
Sir Clinton confessed, But that's hardly evidence against her in

(17:24):
a murder case. We'd need something a bit more concrete.
She admitted that she left the dance early that night
and took her car home. Sir, she hasn't got a
clean alibi for the time the murder was committed, so
I noticed when she told her story. But the absence
of an alibi doesn't establish murderous intent. You know. Go ahead, well, sir,

(17:46):
there's the deep car girl. She's keen on Silverdale. It's
always a motive save me from being mixed up. In
any murder case that you have charge of, Inspector, my
character wouldn't escape. I see, you'll need to have something
better than that before you start arresting anyone. I'm not
talking about arresting anyone, sir, the inspector replied in an

(18:06):
injured tone. I'm just reviewing possible motives. Quite true. Can't
one make a feeble joke without rasping your susceptibilities? Now?
Is that the end of your list? I think so,
sir Ah, you didn't think of including someone with the
initial B. Then you remember the bee on the bracelet.

(18:27):
The inspector seemed rather startled. You mean this fellow bee
might have been a discarded lover of missus Silverdale's who's
out for revenge, like the Hailshrom girl. I hadn't thought
of that. It's possible, of course. Now let's turn to
a fresh side of the case. Sir Clinton suggested it
one thing certain hiocene played a part in the affair.

(18:49):
What about mister Justice's pertinent inquiry? Who had access to
hyacine at the craft Thornton Institute? Every blessed sould in
the place. So far as I could see, the inspector
goes fest rather ruefully. Silverdale, Markfield, Young Hassendein and the
two girls. They all had equal chances of helping themselves
from that bottle in a store. I don't think that

(19:10):
leads very far that hiacine was common property. So far
as access to it went, anyone might have taken some
then pushed the thing a little further out of all
that list who had an opportunity of administering hioseine to
Missus Silverdale directly or indirectly on the night she died

(19:31):
directly or indirectly. Flamborough mused, there's something in that. Perhaps,
on the face of it, only three people could have
administered the drug directly, since there were only three people
at Heatherfield in a fit state to do it. I
take it that she swallowed the stuff at Heatherfield, Sir,
because I found no trace of a paper which might
have held it, either at the bungalow or in the

(19:52):
bodies of Young Hassendeen and Missus Silverdale. That sound I believe,
Sir Clinton acquiesced she swallowed the stuff a Heatherfield before
going out. Now, who are your three suspects? Missus Silverdale
herself might have taken it, Sir, either on purpose or
by mistake, but she had no access to hyacine that
we know of, no, Sir, but both Silverdale and Young

(20:15):
Hassendeen had. She may have taken it in mistake for
a headache powder or something of that sort, and it
might have been added to a headache powder by either
Silverdale or Young Hassendeen. That's a good enough suggestion, Inspector.
But I didn't see any sign of a powder paper
in her room when I searched it. And you remember
she came straight downstairs and went out of the house.

(20:36):
According to the maid's evidence, any other view, then it
must have been administered in the coffee, sir, by either
Young Hassendeen or the maid. The maid, where would she
get hyacine from Silverdale, Sir? It's just occurred to me.
Silverdale wanted a divorce, but he couldn't get evidence because
his wife was simply playing with Young Hassendein and keeping

(20:59):
well within the limits. But if she were drugged, then
young Hassendein might seize the chance that was offered to him,
and if Silverdale was prepared beforehand, he'd have his evidence
at the cost of watching them for an hour or two.
So Silverdale gave the maid the drug to put in
one of the cups of coffee and order her to
give that cup to missus Silverdale, you think it's possible, sir,

(21:22):
I don't put it higher. That maid was a simple creature.
Look out. The doctor pumped on the pretense of getting
medical information that night she was devoted to Silverdale. He
told us that himself, she'd swallow any talk he chose
to hand out to her. Suppose he faked up some
yarn about missus Silverdale needing a sedative but refusing to

(21:42):
take it. The maid would believe that from Silverdale, and
she put the hyacine into the cup quite innocently. If
the worst came to the worst and the cups got mixed,
then young Hassendein would get the dose instead. It's asking
a bit too much, I'm afraid. Remember it was a
heavy overdose that would given everybody's liable to make a mistake, sir. True,

(22:05):
and I suppose you say that after the murder at
the bungalow, Silverdale awoke to the fact that the maid's
evidence about the hyghesc scene would hang him, probably so
he went back and murdered her. Also, it was someone
well known to her who did her in, Sir, that's
clear enough. In the meantime, you've left aside the possibility
that young Hassendeen may have administered this stuff. How does

(22:29):
that strike you. It's possible, sir, the inspector admitted cautiously,
but there's no evidence for it. Oh, I shouldn't like
to go so far as that, Sir Clinton said chafingly.
I'll tell you what evidence there is on the point.
There's Hassendeen's own diary, first of all. Then there's what
we found in young Hassendeen's laboratory notebook. But that was

(22:51):
just some stuff about weighing potash bulbs whatever. They may
be quite correct, that was what it was. Well, I'm
no cares, Sir is off my beat. There's no chemistry
in it. I gave you the key to it at
the time. Then there's other evidence Young Hassendein was a
careless worker. Everyone agreed on that, and his notebook confirmed it.

(23:15):
Next there was what miss Hailsham said about Hiocene, which
is more or less common knowledge nowadays, of course. And
there's Young Hassendein's interference in the serving of coffee at
Heatherfield that night. Finally, there's what the maids said about
Missus Silverdale's appearance when she was going out of the house.
Put all these points together, and I'll engage to satisfy

(23:37):
a jury that young Hassendeen administered the highesting to Missus
Silverdale in her coffee with a definite purpose, but not
murder in view on need to think over all that, sir.
You seem pretty sure about it. I am practically certain.
Now look at the business from another standpoint. Who had
a grudge against the two victims, either separately or together Silverdale?

(24:00):
Obviously obviously, as you say, as if you take them together.
Of course, Now for a final problem. Who is mister Justice.
He seems to be in the know somehow. If we
could lay hands on him, we might be near the
center of things. He knew before any one else that
something had happened at the bungalow. He knew about the

(24:22):
highest scene at the institute. Although as Silverdale's a fairly
well recognized authority on alkaloids, that might have been just
as shot aimed on chance. Anyhow, look at it as
you choose. Mister Justice has information and he seems to
have a motive. Who is he? Can you guess somebody
who won't come out into the open until he's dragged there.

(24:42):
Evidently it might be an unwilling accomplice, sir, That's possible.
Any one else. It might be Spratton. He's got an
interest in establishing that it was a case of murder
in that suicide obviously true. Any one else. I can't
think of any one else who would fit the case, sir.

(25:03):
By the way, I've got the originals of these advertisements,
the code ones. I sent down to the newspaper offices
and got hold of them. He produced two sheets of
paper from his pocket book and handed them to the
Chief Constable. Sir Clinton glanced over them. Hum. The first
one the letters, is built up as usual from telegraph forms.

(25:24):
The one with the numbers is fitted together from numbers
printed in a newspaper. It might have been cleared from
one of these lists of the results of drawings of
bonds for redemption underground electric railways and that kind of thing.
These advertisements have columns and columns of figures out of
which he'd be able to pick what he wanted easily enough. Now,
what about this address that he's put down the usual

(25:46):
guarantee of good faith at the bottom. It's fictitious, of course, yes, sir,
there's no such place. It's in writing. It looks like
a girl's writing. This is a dangerous game for mister Justice.
But I suppose if he'd put all the advertisement and
clipped out letters, the newspaper people might have got suspicious
and refused to print it. What about this handwriting, Inspector.

(26:10):
Flamborough's expression showed that he felt he had done his
work thoroughly. I managed to get hold of specimens of
the writing of Miss Hailsham and Miss Deep Carr. It
isn't either of them. Then I tried to get it
recognized and I succeeded. Sir, Miss Hailsham recognized it at once.
It's missus Silverdale's own writing. A forgery. Then that's very

(26:32):
neat of mister Justice. I feel inclined to take off
my hat to that fellow. He thinks of everything. Well,
it's a blank end for us so far as I
can see, Sir. Sir Clinton seemed to be so lost
in admiration of mister Justice's ingenuity that he failed to
notice Flamborough's dissatisfaction. When he spoke again, it was on
a different topic. What about your friend mister Wally, Inspector.

(26:56):
It seems to me we ought to have him up
and put him through it as quick as possible. Quite
obviously he knows something. I tried to get hold of him, Sir,
but he's left the town and I can't get on
his track. He's gone off to some race meeting or other.
I expect he often goes off like that and leaves
no address. I'll lay hands on him as soon as
he comes back to Westerhaven. He's an essential witness, I suspect,

(27:20):
so don't let him slip through your fingers. You'd better
ask for assistance from the local police and likely places.
Very good, sir, And now, Inspector, how are you getting
along with the game of eliminations? How low have you
brought the possibles out of the original nine solutions? Flamborough
produces oft an unfolded scrap of paper and scanned it

(27:42):
once more. If one accepts what you said a minute
or two ago, sir, then the drugging of missus Silverdale
was meant to be plain drugging and wasn't wilfulm murder.
So the last case drops out. He put his pencil
through the line of writing that leaves only two alternatives.
Please note their reader now pauses once more to describe

(28:04):
an abbreviated version of the earlier chart. This time there
are only two columns and two rows under the names
of the two victims. The first row reads x suicide
an accident and the second row reads y murder an accident.
The chapter now concludes as follows, and young Hassendine, from
all accounts, was hardly the lad to suicide by shooting

(28:27):
himself twice in the body too painful for him. So
it really looks rather like case Hy. Certainly it's coming
down to brass tacks quicker than I thought it would.
End of chapter twelve.