Part 10 (1/2)
”No, not a trap,” she dissented. ”I am determined to see justice done.”
Britz was too well aware of the average woman's distorted notion of abstract justice to accept her statement at its face value. Woman by her very nature is incapable of appreciating or applying impartial justice, and her incapacity grows in proportion to her immediate interest in the matter involved. This latter might apply with equal force to the average man; but man, less governed by emotions, will permit his sense of justice to prevail when not blinded by personal interest. Abstract justice will frequently appeal to him and he will act with rational regard for its proper application. To a woman's eyes, however, justice invariably shapes itself as her emotions dictate.
Britz, mindful of the fact that with a woman justice and self-interest are inextricably interwoven, immediately began to search for the visitor's selfish motive in offering to surrender the murderer, if, indeed, she meant to surrender the real perpetrator of the crime and not to s.h.i.+eld him behind someone against whom she held a grievance.
”Who is the man you wish to surrender?” he asked with aggravating calmness.
”George Collins,” she replied without hesitancy.
”What evidence have you that he committed the crime?”
”He often threatened to kill Mr. Whitmore. He told me of his intention innumerable times in the past six weeks.”
”Have you any evidence bearing on the act itself--on the killing, I mean?”
”How can I have?” she replied with a faint smile. ”He didn't invite me to see him do it.”
”Then you simply believe he committed the murder because he had threatened to do so?”
In a carefully planned murder it is always safe to mistrust the obvious.
Beard's outburst against Collins had seemed a genuine eruption of uncontrollable emotions, at first. But his subsequent conduct had given his words the aspect of shrewd premeditation. Now she appeared intent on fastening guilt on Collins. Her very anxiety to do so implied a hidden motive. It was necessary to be on guard against trickery.
Evidently she sensed Britz's lack of confidence, for she hastened to say:
”I know why he wanted to kill Mr. Whitmore. It was because Mrs. Collins was preparing to obtain a divorce in order to marry Mr. Whitmore. She had confessed her love for Mr. Whitmore and Collins had intercepted a letter from the merchant in which he urged her to obtain the divorce.”
”When did Collins intercept the letter?” quickly asked Britz.
”On the morning Mr. Whitmore disappeared.”
Here was something tangible at last. Not direct evidence that Collins was guilty, but circ.u.mstantial evidence of the highest importance. Not only had he threatened to kill the merchant, but he had motive for the crime, and a motive which could be established easily in a court of law.
”You say Collins will be at your house at eleven to-night?” inquired Britz.
”Yes,” she answered, an eager light in her eyes. ”And if you care to be there and will listen, you shall hear him confess the crime.”
Her words and the tone of certainty in which she spoke almost dazed Greig. Even Britz had to struggle hard against betraying his amazement.
The whole thing seemed incredible--yet the detectives had experienced more incredible happenings in the course of their long service.
”You say he will confess?” Britz said mechanically.
”More than confess,” she answered. ”You'll hear him gloat over the crime. He'll display his exultation before me, and I want you to be there to listen.”
”But why--why are you betraying him?” faltered the detective.
Her face clouded, while her lips parted slightly in an expression of intense hatred. For an instant she rested her chin on her gloved hand, staring fixedly before her. Then, with a rebellious toss of her head, she declared:
”I am betraying him because he betrayed me.”