XVI
AT THE ELYSEE BALL
The ball was in full swing. There was a crush in the brilliantlylighted reception-rooms of the Elysee. Prominent members ofParliament, diplomats, officers naval and military, representatives ofthe higher circles of commerce, and finance, rubbed shoulders with theundistinguished, at the official reception given in honour of Japan'snew ambassador, Prince Ito. The prince was stationed in the centre ofthe inmost drawing-room, gorgeously arrayed in his national costume, adelicate smile on his lips as he watched the President's guests withbright shrewd eyes, while music from an invisible Hungarian bandfloated on the air.
In this particular room two men were in earnest conversation: ColonelHofferman and Lieutenant de Loubersac.
"Well, Lieutenant, I have been too pressed for time to-day to see you ...but, Heaven knows, I have not forgotten for a moment the matter I entrustedto you.... They are causing me the greatest anxiety."...
"I can well understand that, Colonel."...
"Anything new?"
"No, Colonel.... That is to say--I ought to say 'No' to you."...
"What the devil do you mean?" The colonel stared at his junior amoment; then, taking him by the arm, said in a confidential tone:
"Let us take a turn in the garden, it is not cold.... We had betterhave our talk away from such a collection as this ... one does notknow who or what one's neighbours may be."
"Right, Colonel, prudence is the mother of surety."
The colonel shrugged.
"I have no desire to pun, but since you speak of La Surete,[4] Icannot help noticing that they are blundering terribly over these veryaffairs. Confound those clumsy fools and their meddling! They willinterfere with things which are no concern of theirs--not in theslightest!"
[Footnote 4: La Surete-Scotland Yard detective service.]
"Are they still investigating?"
"No. The warning I myself administered to their famous Juve has taughtthem a lesson. They are keeping quiet at present. Plague take the lotof them!... It makes me furious when I think what happened the otherday--creating a scandal about things the public ought to be kept inignorance of--ought never to hear of--never!... Those confoundedmeddlers complicate our task abominably."
Colonel Hofferman paused: de Loubersac kept a discreet silence.
The two men were walking down the little path which encircles theprincipal lawn of the Elysee Gardens, now almost deserted.
The colonel turned to his companion.
"What was that you were saying just now?... You had something fresh totell me, and you had not.... That is the Norman way of putting it!...Not like you, de Loubersac!"
"It is merely the answer of one who hesitates to speak out," repliedde Loubersac, laughing, "... who hesitates to give a definite opinion,who, nevertheless."...
"Who nevertheless what?... De Loubersac, just forget I am yourcolonel--speak out, man!... Have you an idea of where the document waslost?"
"That?... No."...
"Then what conclusion have you arrived at? Have you furtherinformation about Brocq's death?"
"Hum!"...
"About Nichoune's death, perhaps?"
"Colonel! Have you noticed that for some time past I have not handedyou any report from the agent Vagualame?"
"The deuce.... What do you imagine that means?"
"I do not imagine anything, Colonel--I state facts!... Nichoune isdead, murdered: there is not a shadow of a doubt about that....Nichoune was the mistress of Corporal Vinson.... This Vinson was onthe point of playing the traitor, if he had not already done so; hewas also a friend of Captain Brocq, and Brocq died just when thedocument disappeared--the document confided to him by our service ...so much for facts."
The colonel was staring fixedly at de Loubersac.
"I do not see what you are driving at!" said he.
"I am coming to it, Colonel.... Nichoune was found dead on Saturday,November 19th, but on the evening of November 18th Nichoune received avisit from our agent, Vagualame, whom I had sent to Chalons by yourown orders to occupy himself with the V. affair."
"Well?"
"Well, Colonel, I do not much like that, but what I like still lessis, that, a few days ago, I had occasion to see Vagualame ... and thisagent far from bringing me details of Nichoune's death, at first gooff wanted to deny that he had been at Chalons! I could swear he wasgoing to declare he had not been there, when a reply of my own--ablunder, I confess it--I did not take time to think--informed him thatI knew of his visit to Nichoune."
Colonel Hofferman weighed the gravity of de Loubersac's words; hestrode along, head bent, hands clasped behind his back, gazing withunseeing eyes at the pebbles on the path. At last he spoke.
"Tell me how you knew for certain that Nichoune had received a visitfrom Vagualame!"
"For some time past, Colonel, Vagualame has been under the eye of theofficer charged with the supervision of our spies, de Loreuil. Underthe guise of Aunt Palmyra he discovered that Nichoune had beenmurdered. This was the morning after her interview with Vagualame. Thediscovery, I may tell you, did not take de Loreuil altogether bysurprise. He had observed Vagualame's attitude towards the girl, andhad considered it queer--suspiciously so."
"This is serious, but it is not sufficiently definite," pronouncedColonel Hofferman.... "Let us admit that Vagualame has played adouble game, has been at once traitor and spy. That being so, he mayhave murdered Nichoune; but as to incriminating this agent whom wehave known a long time ... well ... you have merely a vague indicationto go upon ... the kind of reticence, or what you thought wasreticence, he wished to maintain regarding his journey to Chalons."
"Yes," admitted de Loubersac, "if that were all I had to go upon, itwould amount to little."
"You know something else?"
"I know that I arranged to meet this agent yesterday in the Garden, asour custom is, that I waited there, that he never turned up."
Colonel Hofferman took de Loubersac's arm as they walked slowly backto the reception-rooms.
"What you have just told me is exceedingly serious: we must enquireinto this at once--without loss of time. If Vagualame has really fled,the probability is that he is Nichoune's murderer.... In that case,there is nothing to prevent our suspecting him of no end of thingswhich I need not particularise."...
The colonel pointed to an individual standing by a buffet near theentrance to the great reception-room.
"Let us go the other way," said he. "There is Monsieur Havard! I donot at all want to meet him!... If we have to arrest Vagualame, itwould be unnecessary to take Police Headquarters into our confidence."
"Undoubtedly, Colonel."
"Then let us keep clear of Monsieur Havard! Devote your wholeattention to clearing up the questions raised by your talk. FindVagualame for me in three days. If you have not run him to earth, thenset our special enquiry men on his track.... I shall see you to-morrowat the Ministry--six sharp."
* * * * *
Whilst Colonel Hofferman and Lieutenant de Loubersac were having theirtalk, Jerome Fandor, who was also at the Elysee ball, in his ownproper person, was busying himself with the affairs which had led himto consider that the murder of Captain Brocq was a crime which must beimputed to one of those foreign spies with which France was nowswarming. At Verdun, along the entire frontier, there were nests ofthese noxious vermin.
Fandor was, of course, still stationed at Verdun. He had arrived earlyat the ball, hoping to pick up information from some friend as to howthe Second Bureau was taking the disappearance of Corporal Vinson. Didthe Second Bureau suspect anything?... What?... Had Nichoune's murderbeen explained?
Fandor stationed himself near the entrance to the firstreception-room, watching all who entered, seeking the welcome face offriend or acquaintance.
Someone slapped him on the shoulder.
"Hullo, Fandor! Are you reporting the official fetes nowadays?"
"You, Bonnet? What a jolly surprise! I have heard nothing of you forages.
How goes it?"
"My dear fellow, good luck has come my way at last!... I am policemagistrate at Chalons! There's news for you!"
"By Jove, Bonnet! That is good hearing! You arrive here in the verynick of time!"
"Old Bonnet at Chalons and police magistrate!" thought Fandor. "What abit of luck for me!"
"I want to ask the police magistrate of Chalons most interestingthings," said Fandor, smiling at his friend.
"Information for a report?" queried Bonnet.
"Just so."
Fandor drew his "old Bonnet" away from the crowd of eyes and earsaround them. They came on an empty little smoking-room. The veryplace!
"Now tell me, my dear Bonnet, have you not been engaged on a recentcase--the death of a little singer, called."...
"Nichoune?... That is so. My first case at Chalons."
"Ah!... Now, just tell me!"
The examining magistrate shook his head.
"I cannot tell you much, for the good reason that this affair is asmysterious as can be, and is giving me no end of trouble.... You knewNichoune, Fandor?"
"Yes--and no.... I would give a good deal, though, to know who hermurderer is!"
"I also," said Bonnet, smiling. "Would I not like to put my hand onthe collar of that individual!... Naturally, I want to carry throughthe enquiry with flying colours!"
"Have you no idea as to who the murderer might be?"
Police Magistrate Bonnet rose.
"That is as may be!... It seems that on the eve of her death, thisNichoune received a visit from an old man--a beggar--whom I am unableto identify--who has vanished into thin air.... Would you like me tokeep you informed? Rue Richer is still your address?"
"Yes. It would be awfully kind of you to write when you have any freshfacts to disclose about this case. I cannot explain to you all theimportance I attach to that, but it is enormous!"
"It is understood, then! Count on me. I shall tell you all I canwithout breaking professional secrecy.... Shall we take a turn throughthe rooms, old boy?"
"If you like, my dear Bonnet."
The two men strolled through the thinning rooms, talking of what allthe world might hear.
"Dear boy, I must leave you," said Fandor suddenly.... "Aninterview!... Till our next meeting!"
Fandor went up to a man standing in a doorway, gazing disdainfully atthe couples revolving in the centre of the room.
"Will you grant me a word or two, Monsieur Havard?" asked Fandorrespectfully.
The chief of police brightened.
"Four, if you like, my good Fandor, I am bored to death. I wouldrather submit to your indiscreet questioning than stick here in abrown study--black, I might say--with only my own thoughts forcompany."
"Good heavens, Chief! What is troubling you to such an extent?"
Monsieur Havard laughed.
"Oh, I will tell you the reason of this melancholy mood!... You are onpretty intimate terms with Juve, are you not?"
"You have heard from him, Chief?"
"No, it is precisely."...
"You are anxious, then?"
"No, no! Be easy!" smiled Monsieur Havard.
He caught Fandor by the lapel of his coat.
"Look here, my dear fellow! It is precisely because you and Juve areon such intimate terms--this friendship between you is a finething--that I should like you to use your influence with Juve."
"With Juve?"
"Yes. With Juve. You know how highly I esteem him? He is our bestdetective. Very well he is making a thorough mess of his career: heprevents his own promotion, because he is so obstinately set onsearching for his elusive, fugitive, never-to-be-caught Fantomas!"
"I do not understand you, Chief."
"You soon will. Do you know where Juve is at this moment?"
"No."
"I am as ignorant of his whereabouts as you are!... It is beyondbearing!... Juve goes his own way beyond what is allowable. Hedeclared to me, the other day, that he was certain the death ofCaptain Brocq must be credited to--whose account do you think?... Whyto Fantomas! And clac! Since then I have not heard a word from him!Juve is pursuing Fantomas! Now, Fandor, how can I tolerate this?"
Fandor considered Juve had a perfect right to take his own initiativein this particular matter--he had earned the right if ever a man had.He answered his aggrieved chief with a question.
"But suppose Juve is right?"
"Right?... But he deceives himself.... I have proof of it!"
"You have proof of it?... But who then, according to you, Chief, haskilled Brocq?"
"My dear fellow," said Monsieur Havard, in a positive tone, "for alogical mind that reasons coolly, for one who does not bewilderhimself in a network of Fantomas hypotheses, he who killed Brocq isassuredly he who has killed Nichoune! Brocq, I imagine, was killed bysomeone lying in wait on the top of the Arc de Triomphe. Anaccomplice, during this time, or some hours before--it matterslittle--had stolen the document the Ministry are looking for.... Brocqknew Corporal Vinson ... you are aware of that, Fandor?"
"Yes, yes! Please continue!"
"Good. Vinson had the murdered Nichoune as his mistress.... Do you notthink the link between these two names is evident?... Brocq andNichoune have died by the same hand."...
"But all this does not exclude Fantomas as the guilty person!"
"You go too fast, Fandor. I know who killed Nichoune!"
"Oh! I say!"
"But I do. Deuce take it, you do not suppose I go by what theseofficers of the Second Bureau are doing in the way of a search, doyou?... They fancy they are detectives!"
"Oh, that is going too far, surely!" expostulated Fandor.
"No," asserted Monsieur Havard. "Who did the deeds?... I know. Theinvestigations of my own agents, the information obtained through thePublic Prosecutor and the magistrates, point to one person--Vagualame--anold sham beggar, who has relations of sorts with the Second Bureau."
Fandor could scarcely keep his countenance: he nearly burst intoderisive laughter. Vagualame guilty! Monsieur Havard evidently had notall the facts. Could he possibly realise that Vagualame was one ofColonel Hofferman's most trusted men?
Jealous of the Second Bureau and all its works, Monsieur Havard meantto carry off the honours this time: he was going to arrest Vagualameas the murderer of both Captain Brocq and Nichoune! And then what ajolly blunder Police Headquarters would make! What a fine joke! Fandorreally must help it on! He said to himself:
"Only let the police paralyse the action of the Second Bureau agent,old Vagualame, and I, the false Corporal Vinson, will be all the morefree to act."
"You have serious circumstantial evidence against this person?" Fandorasked with a grave face.
"Very serious. I know for certain that he saw Nichoune the eveningbefore her death: he was even the last person known to have spoken tothe singer. I know that he then left Chalons, and has not returnedthere!... I know that he was on good terms with very shady people,some of whom are suspected of spying; and all that."...
Fandor interrupted:
"If I were in your place, Chief, and knew what you seem to know, Iwould not hesitate a moment.... I should arrest Vagualame!"
Monsieur Havard's glance was ironical.
"Who told you that I had not so decided?... At this moment my besttrackers are out on Vagualame's trail.... If I run him to earth, hewill not be at large long, I can promise you! It would end abothersome affair, and would open the eyes of Colonel Hofferman whomust be a hundred leagues from imagining that Vagualame is themurderer of Captain Brocq and Nichoune."
On this Fandor and Monsieur Havard parted. Dancing went gaily on inthe warm, perfumed atmosphere of the ball-rooms; but Fandor andMonsieur Havard, Colonel Hofferman and Lieutenant de Loubersac had hadtheir serious interviews and had gone their respective ways.