XV
VAGUE SUSPICIONS
Fandor was talking to himself--an inveterate habit of his--as he sat inthe cab which was carrying him to the Palais de Justice.
"Beyond question, I ought to have examined that paper they have stolenfrom Mademoiselle Elizabeth. I should have looked through it at thefirst opportunity. That sequence of names; those dates, which seem toalmost coincide with the different criminal attempts, probably relate tothe mysterious plan which the assassins are carrying outsystematically.... But, that means there are to be more victims, and weshall witness fresh tragedies!... I am not at all easy about Elizabetheither!... Who the deuce could have telephoned to her at the convent?...Perhaps what I am going to do is stupid, but no chance must beneglected.... I wonder if I shall learn anything worth knowing at thecourt to-day?...
"When they arrested these smugglers, five months ago, I recollectperfectly that Monsieur Thomery's name was mentioned in connection withthe business.... If I only held the connecting link of interest in myhands, which would make it clear why all these people--Jacques Dollon,the Baroness de Vibray, Princess Sonia Danidoff, Barbey-Nanteuil, andeven Elizabeth Dollon--have been the victims of the horrible band I ampursuing.... The motive? Evidently robbery! But there must be some otherreason, for--and it is a significant fact--all these people know oneanother, meet one another, or at least are either clients of theBarbey-Nanteuil bank, or are friends of Monsieur Thomery.... It's thedevil's own mystery!"
* * * * *
Jerome Fandor had arrived at the Palais de Justice. He crossed the greathall des Pas-Perdus and entered the Assize Court.
* * * * *
The trial of the Cooper and his accomplices was a small affair, and hadnot attracted many listeners, for these smuggling and coining cases wereapt to be dull. As a matter of fact, there would not have been a soulpresent, if the accused had not had the most popular of counsels todefend them--Maitre Henri Robart!
Fandor joined a group who were on familiar terms evidently, and,although he had not seen her for many a day, he at once recognisedMother Toulouche by her remarkable appearance and grotesque get up. Hehad had so many other irons in the fire, that he had not followed thissmuggling case at all closely: he was surprised, therefore, to seeMother Toulouche in the little passage adjoining the court, for he hadthe impression that the old receiver of stolen goods had been under lockand key for some weeks.... She was now being interviewed by one of hiscolleagues. Fandor went up to them.
Though she had not been accused of anything so far, the old storekeeperwas vehemently protesting her innocence.
"Yes," she declared to her interviewer, "it is abominable, when suchthings are discovered all of a sudden!"
Mother Toulouche went on to explain that on Clock Quay she rented asmall shop for the sale of curiosities: that she was an honest woman,who had never wronged a soul by as much as a farthing: all she asked wasto be left in peace to earn a decent living, so that she could retirefrom business some day or other.... Everyone had a right to ask as muchas that!... Her store consisted of two rooms and an underground cellar,in which she had put a quantity of old odds and ends, when she had movedto her present abode.... She never descended to this cellar, never atall: she was far too much afraid of rats to venture down there! Not she!But, one day, if you please, when she was quietly engaged in mendingsome old clothes, the police had suddenly burst into her store!... Andthey had accused her of receiving smuggled goods and false money, andshe didn't know what more besides!...
The police, not content with this, had made her go down to the cellar tofind out whether or no there were such things in the second cellarbelonging to her store!... Who had been most surprised then? Why who butMother Toulouche, who, until that very minute, had not known that thissecond cellar existed! How then was she to know that it communicatedwith the sewer, still less that the sewer opened on to the Seine, andthat by the Seine arrived bales of smuggled goods, which were concealedin her cellar by the smugglers?... Fortunately, the judges hadunderstood this, and after twenty-four hours' detention on suspicion,Mother Toulouche had been set at liberty!
At first, she had declared that she did not know the accused personssummoned to appear that day, the Cooper in particular; to tell thetruth, she had made a mistake; she did know them, through having metthem a long time ago, when she lived near la Capelle; so long ago was itthat she had forgotten all about it! Anyhow, she wanted to have donewith the business!
From the very beginning of the trial, Mother Toulouche had beendisagreeably struck by the inquisitorial glances and pointed questionsof the Public Prosecutor throughout the proceedings. Now, in her turn,the old storekeeper was questioning her audience, trying hard to findout what would be the probable attitude of the magistrate, when sheherself should be summoned to the witness-box.
"Witness!... Mother Toulouche!"
Fandor smiled as he listened to the loquacious old storekeeper,for he knew how much faith was to be put in her veracity andrespectability!... It was pretty clear that she was every whit as guiltyas the handcuffed individuals now in the dock. As she had not beenarrested, it simply meant that, in Juve's opinion, this was not anopportune moment to put a stopper on the nefarious activities of thisbad old woman.
At this precise moment, Fandor recognised Juve. He was leaving a groupof barristers and officials, who had been hugely entertained by hisstupid answers and remarks. Yes, it was Juve, so admirably made up anddisguised that Fandor had difficulty in recognising him. Here wasCranajour on the scene! He approached Mother Toulouche and stoodthere--a Cranajour who was the picture of gaping imbecility!
"You, too?" cried Mother Toulouche, looking askance at him. "Are you oneof the witnesses?"
Cranajour's reply was a comical grimace. He scratched his beard,remarking finally:
"I have forgotten! I don't know!"
His audience burst into roars of laughter: Fandor laughed loudest ofall!
One of Maitre Henri Robart's juniors whispered in Fandor's ear, with anair of giving the journalist a piece of information worth having.
"A simple-minded soul, that!--a kind of idiot! You can guess that, atthe preliminary inquiry, they soon found that out!... He may beheard--or he may not?"
Fandor nodded. He found it difficult not to laugh.
"Thanks many for the information," he stammered. The young barrister didnot understand the ironical tone of our journalist.
Mother Toulouche was envying Cranajour.
"You're in luck, you are--to be too silly to go and talk to thoseinquisitive fellows in there! Eh?"
Conversations stopped. The little low door, giving entrance to thecourt, had just opened: an usher announced:
"The case is resumed!... Witnesses this way!... The woman Toulouche?...It is your turn!..."
They jostled and pushed their way through the narrow entrance in orderto get into the court room quickly.
Fandor, however, instead of following the crowd, had grasped the simpleCranajour by the shoulder, and shouted loud enough to be heard by thosewho might have been surprised at his action.
"You duffer of a Cranajour! Go along with you! You're the man for mymoney, old fellow! Here's something for a glass--but come with me forfive minutes: I want to interview you and make a jolly good article outof it!"
Fandor went off, followed by the detective. When they were quite awayfrom everyone, Fandor turned quickly to his friend.
"Well, Juve?"
"Nothing, so far...."
"You have not run in the whole gang?"
"Not I!" replied Juve. "These are only the supernumeraries, and thereare some of them out of my reach!... Look here, Fandor," continued Juvein a low tone. "You will see someone in court presently whose presencewill astonish you--it is an aviator--the aviator Emilet.... Well, myboy, I have a notion that this fellow is no stranger to all thesegoings-on!... But patience!... besides, you know, Fandor, it's not myway of doing things to put the bracelets on mediocriti
es such as he: Ifly higher!... Good-bye. Shall see you later on!"
Fandor asked, in a low tone:
"Shall I remain for the sitting?"
"Yes," said Juve. "It is quite likely that I shall not be present; andit would be a good thing if you were to get a general idea of thisaffair: you may pick up some useful information."
"Juve, I very much wish to have a longer talk with you--there are thingsI want to say--to tell you!"
Steps could be heard coming in their direction: the two men separated atonce; but Juve had just time to say:
"This evening then, at eight, I shall come to your place, Fandor. Expectme!"
Half an hour later, Fandor entered the court room....
The speech for the Crown had just been concluded.
The arrest of these smugglers, now on their trial, had made some stir,about five months ago. Public opinion had been aroused almost to feverpitch, when it became known that the accused had, for nearly two yearspast, succeeded in getting through into Paris, without having paid towndues, quantities of the most highly taxed articles, and thus hadaccumulated a large store of riches in contraband goods and money. Theyowed their arrest to the betrayal of a wretched dealer, who wasdissatisfied with his remuneration.
The journalists had, after their manner, amplified all the details, hadexaggerated the realities, and had given a romantic colouring to thevarious incidents in the varied lives and adventures of this daring bandof smugglers.
They had been represented as perfect gentlemen, who had formedthemselves into a marvellously organised Black Band, led by a chiefhaving right of life or death over them: a band fertile in tricks andextraordinary stratagems, who massed their plunder in immense vaults andcellars under the very heart of Paris, in the Isle of the Cite, andcommunicating with the river, which, under the eyes of the police,served to bear the barges laden with their booty.
Cellars and vaults in the Isle of the Cite!
"Well," thought Fandor, "men organised into such a powerful associationin this part of Paris might well put one on the track of strangediscoveries regarding the mysterious events connected with the JacquesDollon affair!"
Then, having spoken to his colleagues on the press, Fandor turned in thedirection of the jury and set himself to follow attentively Maitre HenriRobart's speech for the defence.