CHAPTER IX
A PARTY OF THREE
Juve was busy searching in a bureau drawer while Marie Pascal was goingthrough piles of linen in her cupboard.
"You are sure you put it there?" asked Juve. "Madame Ceiron hasn't byany chance taken it away, has she?"
"Oh, no," replied Marie Pascal, "I am quite sure I locked it in mydrawer, and locked the door of my room as well."
The room had been turned completely topsy-turvy, while Juve and MariePascal were searching anxiously and nervously through all the girl'sbelongings.
When she left the Royal Palace Hotel, Marie Pascal had gone directly toPolice Headquarters, where she had found Juve. After telling him thehistory of the chemise fallen from the Marquis de Serac's laundry, shehad repeated all the details of her interview with the King and theadvice he had given her.
"His Majesty Frederick-Christian was certainly wise in sending youhere," he replied; "to begin with, it proves most conclusively that hehas every intention of denying the crime of which you accused himyesterday, and of which you no longer accuse him to-day."
Marie Pascal protested: "I never accused him!"
"It amounted to the same thing, for the man you say threw Susy d'Orselout of the window could only be the King, since he was alone with hismistress.... Now we get the further evidence of the chemise found by youquite by chance ... and by sending you to me His Majesty explicitlyaccuses a woman, the woman to whom that chemise belonged--of havingkilled Susy d'Orsel."
"The first thing to be done, Mademoiselle, is to go to your room andhave a look at this garment. The Marquis de Serac himself is away, andbesides, his reputation is well known. Therefore, we cannot accuse him.If the chemise was found among his laundry it would imply that themurderer, taken by surprise, hid himself in the Marquis's apartment andeither changed his clothes there or dropped the chemise into theMarquis's laundry-bag on purpose to create a false scent."
Without further words, Juve and the young girl drove to Rue de Monceauto examine the chemise which she had found that morning. Marie Pascalunlocked her door; a few moments later started in amazement. The chemisehad disappeared. Afterward Juve began to wonder whether Marie Pascalhad spoken the truth or whether it was a put-up story between herselfand the King.
"There's no use looking any further," he cried, "some one has stolenit."
"But it's terrible," replied Marie Pascal. "It is the only evidence thatwould clear the King. The only proof that he is not guilty. How cananyone be sure that I really found the chemise?"
Juve nodded. "That's what I have been asking myself, Mademoiselle."
"Oh, what can be done?"
The anxiety of the young girl interested Juve keenly.
"It's very annoying, Mademoiselle. But, after all, it only affects youindirectly. The King will have to explain clearly whether he was alonewith Susy d'Orsel or whether a woman accompanied him."
"Yes, but then they will suspect him.... Oh, M. Juve, what do youthink?"
Juve gave a dry cough and answered:
"Well, Mademoiselle, this is the way I figure it out. Susy d'Orsel hasbeen the mistress of the King for about two years, and as you knowconstancy is unusual with men, it is quite possible thatFrederick-Christian had had enough of his mistress and had becomeinterested in another woman."
"That doesn't explain anything."
"Oh, yes, it does. It explains everything. Suppose, for instance, thatthe King had fallen in love with another demi-mondaine, and that hadbrought her to the apartment to notify Susy d'Orsel of his intention tobreak with her. Might not a quarrel have arisen between the two womenand the new mistress, exasperated by some taunt, had thrown theunfortunate Susy d'Orsel out of the window?... That would be acommonplace enough story."
While speaking Juve was watching carefully the expression on MariePascal's face. She had grown very pale and at the end protested with acry:
"No, no, you are wrong. The King had not two mistresses. And besides,the chemise I found was made of coarse linen, and would not certainly beworn by that sort of woman."
"Ah," thought Juve, "I wonder if Marie Pascal by any chance is in lovewith his Majesty. That would explain many things. To begin with, thereason why she was watching Susy's window. Also why the King, touchedperhaps by the caprice of this girl, had had a row with his mistress,and finally why Marie Pascal, having seen him again, had invented thestory of the chemise, which could not be found. This young girl isimprudent. She lets it be seen too clearly how disagreeable thehypothesis would be to her. After reasoning thus to himself Juve turnedto the young girl.
"Well, Mademoiselle Marie, if my supposition is wrong there can be onlyone explanation, namely, that some woman committed the crime, a womanwho was hidden in the apartment and who subsequently hid the chemise inthe Marquis de Serac's laundry bag, and then having learned of yourdiscovery returned to your room to recover the compromising article."Marie Pascal remained silent. Juve continued with the intention ofalarming her out of her reserve.
"But if this last supposition is the right one we must admit that it isnone the less unfortunate for the King. For once the chemise disappearedthe King must be held guilty until further discovery."
Marie Pascal replied simply:
"It is frightful. The more so because I had this proof in my hand, and Iknow very well he is innocent."
Juve picked up his hat and began buttoning his overcoat.
"Naturally, Mademoiselle, you yourself know ... and I may add that I amof your opinion, but still you have no proof to offer, andconsequently...."
Marie Pascal wrung her hands in desperation.
"What is to be done? How can the truth come to light.... Ah, I shallnever forgive myself for having at first accused the King and thenlosing the proof of his innocence."
"Oh, don't take it to heart too much. In criminal affairs the firstresults of the investigator are really conclusive."
Juve nodded to the young girl and rapidly went downstairs smiling tohimself. One thing and one alone had developed from his interview. TheKing denied his guilt.
"The only thing I know," he thought, "is that the concierge affirms thatFrederick-Christian was alone when he came to see Susy d'Orsel.... If Ican prove that definitely I can also prove by the chain of evidence thatthe King is guilty. But how to do it?"
Juve hurried through the courtyard, passing the office of Mme. Ceiron,who was out at that moment. As he had already obtained the key of Susyd'Orsel's apartment, her absence did not trouble him.
"I'll be willing to bet," he thought, "that I shall find nothinginteresting in her rooms. But it is at least my duty to go over themcarefully.... If only I could discover evidence showing that threepersons were there together, but that is most unlikely. The officers,the doctors, the concierge and the men who carried the body to theMorgue would have destroyed all traces."
It was not without a slight shudder that Juve entered the apartmentwhere the tragedy occurred. With a real catch at his heart he wentthrough the bright, luxuriously decorated rooms, still giving evidenceof a feminine presence.
Death had entered there. The sinister death of crime, brutal,unforeseen. A hundred times more tragic for remaining unexplained. Juve,however, quickly stifled his feelings. He was there to investigate andnothing else mattered. The bedroom presented nothing worthy of notice,the boudoir was in perfect order, also the kitchen and the hall.
Juve entered, finally, the dining-room. It was there, according to thetestimony of witnesses, that the crime must have taken place. It wasthere in any case that Susy d'Orsel had received her lover.
Nothing had been deranged. The table was still set for supper. Twoplaces, side by side, bore mute witness that the King had been alonewith his mistress.
Juve at first carefully examined the general lay of the room. Thedisposition of the chairs, the two knives from the two forks, two fishplates, all went to prove there had been only two persons at the table.
But suddenly he gave a start and his face expressed the keenestinterest. H
e dropped to his knees and carefully examined the floor underthe table.
"Unless I am dreaming there are ashes here."
Juve bent forward and noticed at the right of the sofa an ash receiverplaced near the edge of the table, and below on the carpet a small heapof gray ash.
"To begin with, we'll admit that Susy d'Orsel flicked the ash off hercigarette ... gray ash from Egyptian tobacco, a woman's cigarette."
He now moved to the left of the sofa.
"In the second place, here is another heap of ashes in this plate ...cigar ashes ... in fact here is the tend showing a German brand.... Sothe King was sitting on the right of Susy d'Orsel. Less careful, he usedhis plate instead of an ash receiver."
Now bending down he noticed on the carpet a third heap of ash.
"A third person has been smoking here. For there is no reason why theKing should have changed his place and sat at the opposite side of thetable where no place is laid.... Also this third person, in smoking acigarette, and having no plate or ash receiver, dropped his ashes on thecarpet."
After a moment's thought Juve took from his pocket a small automaticlighting arrangement and going on his hands and knees under the tablebegan a careful examination of its feet. In a moment he gave anexclamation of joy.
"Ah, I have got it now. This is conclusive."
And in fact Juve had made a most important discovery. The heavy legs ofthe table were joined by crosspieces and Juve had been able to determinewhere Susy d'Orsel had rested her feet. He saw also the slight traces ofmud where the King had rested his feet. Most important, however, was thefact that further traces of mud had been left by a third pair of feet.
"If only I could identify the feet that were placed here, and whetherthey belonged to a woman."
A closer examination of the wood made him rise to his feet with a cry.Quickly taking a chair, he placed it before the table in the place thatmight naturally be occupied by a third guest, and then sat down. This iswhat he discovered. It was quite impossible for a woman to have beensitting there. Having stretched his legs and rested his feet upon thetraces of mud, he discovered that one of the legs of the table camedirectly between his knees. A woman's skirt would have made thisposition impossible for her.
"Why, the King was telling the truth! There were three persons in thisdining-room a few moments before the crime was committed. And they wereSusy d'Orsel, the King and another man."
Juve now threw himself into an armchair and remained buried in thought.
"To sum it up, the King alone is in a position to give me furtherinformation.... And if he should refuse to speak or should attempt tolie I have now within my hands the means of forcing him to tell thetruth."
He sprang up quickly.
"The next thing to do is to go and see the King."