Certain Blindness

Things other than beauty are in the eye of the beholder. In the eyes of solicitor Eric Ward there was something odd abut Arthur Egan’s life and death. But Ward was a former police inspector, and trained to be suspicious. And he could no longer trust his eyesight, since it was a serious eye condition that had led to his resignation from the Force.

Egan’s estate comprised a large sum, to go to an heir no one knew he had. To settle the estate, Ward had first to trace the offspring of this quiet lonely bachelor, and the photograph of an unknown tombstone was his only clue. He made no progress in discovering the grave, but he did discover that Egan had served a term for manslaughter committed during an armed robbery on Lord Morcomb’s estate. There were indications that the evidence against him had been planted. So why had he accepted his fate?

Egan’s estate was not the only one causing legal problems. The present Lord Morcomb was faced with heavy death duties, and Ward’s firm had to advise how these could best be handled for the benefit of his lordship’s only daughter.

Despite warnings from the senior partner that he was wasting time on the Egan rather than the Morcomb estate, Ward persisted – and his investigations soon led to murder. By the time Ward realized why, he had also learned that where this case was concerned the defect in his vision was mental, not physical, and his life and career were both at risk.