CHAPTER XXIII
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM
An hour later, the attorney and the detective reappeared, and,threading their way through the crowd still lingering about thehotel, walked rapidly down the street, arm in arm, conversing inlow tones.
"A case of suicide, undoubtedly," said the attorney "and scarcely tobe wondered at, taking all the circumstances into consideration.Do you know, I am now more than ever inclined to the belief thatshe was in some way connected with Hugh Mainwaring's death, andthat, after such a revelation of her character as was made in courtthis morning, she feared further disclosures."
Mr. Whitney glanced at his companion, but the latter seemedengrossed with his own thoughts and made no reply.
"I never was so completely floored in my life," the attorneycontinued, "as when it came out that Harold Mainwaring was her son;and I yet fail to see the necessity for introducing that featureinto the testimony. I should have thought that would have beenpassed over in silence."
"As near as I can judge from reading of the case," Merrick replied,"it seems to have been done with a purpose. His attorneys wereleading up to that very point in such a manner that, when the climaxwas reached, she would involuntarily betray herself--as she did--thusconfirming in the strongest manner the testimony already given."
"I believe you may be right," said the attorney, musingly, "thoughit had not occurred to me."
After a short pause, Merrick continued: "When I was first called toFair Oaks, I suspected some relationship between that woman and thesecretary, as he was then called; there was a marked resemblancebetween them; both had the same peculiar olive skin, while theirfeatures and carriage were almost identical."
"Yes, I recall your mentioning the likeness to me, and at the sametime I was puzzled by the resemblance between him and HughMainwaring. Well, I always said he was a mystery, and no wonder!"
They had reached the club-house by this time, and, as Merrickdeclined Mr. Whitney's invitation to enter, both men remainedoutside for a few moments. Once again, the attorney endeavored tosound the detective regarding his work and the progress he wasmaking, but the latter suddenly became strangely uncommunicative.
"My client is going to charge Harold Mainwaring with the murder,"said the attorney at last.
Merrick laughed scornfully, and for the second time that eveningwheeled abruptly and turned down a side street, leaving Mr. Whitneystanding upon the club-house steps, watching the rapidly retreatingfigure with mingled vexation and amusement.
"Something has upset Merrick," he soliloquized, as he finally turnedtowards the entrance; "who can he imagine is 'dogging' his tracks,as he terms it? These detectives seem about as jealous of theirreputation as we lawyers are supposed to be. Ralph Mainwaring isgoing to engage 'the best legal talent that money can get!' H'm!when he comes to settle, he may find that my 'legal talent' willcome just as high as the best of them."
Could Mr. Whitney have been present at a conference held thatevening in one of the private parlors of the Waldorf, he might havehad a better understanding of the cause of Merrick's perturbation.
Immediately upon returning to the hotel, Harold Mainwaring hadcommunicated to the English attorney and to Mr. Scott the particularsof his interview with Mrs. LaGrange. Mr. Scott at once expressedhis satisfaction at the outcome, in that she had rejected all offersof assistance except upon her own terms.
"That is best, that is best just as it is," he said, emphatically;"you do not want to be hampered with any obligations she mightimpose upon you, and as for ever recognizing or acknowledging anyrelationship, it is not to be thought of for one moment. Your coursewas right, perfectly right. But what was the statement of suchimportance which she was to make?"
"That is just what I am coming to," the young man replied; anddrawing his chair closer to those of his companions, he repeated inlow tones the secret intrusted to him by Mrs. LaGrange. The faces ofthe two men were a study as he ended his recital.
"Are you confident that she spoke the truth?" questioned Mr. Bartoneagerly.
"I am positive that she did; she seemed like one terror-stricken,and said that the horror of it had haunted her day and night."
"There could be no reason in this instance for doubting her,"commented Mr. Scott, thoughtfully; "she would have no motive formaking such a statement if it were not true."
"My dear Mainwaring!" exclaimed the attorney, "it is what I havesuspected ever since you gave me the details of the affair; youremember what I told you before we left London!"
"Certainly; but it seemed to me then too improbable."
"The improbable is, sometimes, what we must look for in cases likethis," he replied; "McCabe should be put on to this immediately,and we must call Sutherland. I will summon him, myself, at once,"and he left the room.
The foster-father and son, left for a few moments to themselves,had little to say, but sat looking into each other's faces with eyesfull of meaning, each understanding what was in the other's heart.At last, as they heard returning footsteps, the elder man spoke,--
"It was a good thing you went there, my boy; come what may, you willnever regret it."
"Never!" the other replied with emphasis.
It seemed but a few moments ere hurried steps were heard along thecorridor, followed by a light, familiar knock, and Mr. Sutherlandentered.
"I recognized your voice at the 'phone, Mr. Barton," said theattorney, after greetings had been exchanged, "and something in itstone, aside from the general import of your message, led me tobelieve that the call was of special importance, therefore I lostno time in coming here."
"You were correct," replied the English barrister; "we have made amost important discovery, bearing not only upon the case in hand,but also upon the Mainwaring murder case."
"Ah-h!" responded the attorney with evident interest; then drawinghis chair near the group seated about the open fire, he asked, witha swift glance about the room, "But where is your 'clerk,' Mr.Barton? Should he not be present?"
"My 'clerk!'" replied Mr. Barton, with peculiar emphasis, and plainlyappreciating the humor of the inquiry; "my 'clerk' is, I believe, atpresent engaged in most assiduously cultivating the acquaintance ofRalph Mainwaring's coachman."
Then, as Mr. Sutherland elevated his eyebrows in mute inquiry, hecontinued,--
"The coachman, I have understood, is a recent acquisition, taken, Ibelieve, upon the recommendation of this Merrick; and while he seemseminently satisfactory as a coachman, I have my doubts as to whetherhe will prove quite so satisfactory to his superior officer upon hisreturn."
"Ah, I see!" ejaculated the other; "he is what might be denominateda 'sub.'"
"Yes; and so exceedingly verdant that McCabe thought it worth whileto make his acquaintance. But now to present business!"
Again the strange story was repeated, Mr. Sutherland listening withgrave attention, which deepened as the recital proceeded, until, atits completion, he could scarcely restrain his enthusiasm; exultationwas plainly written on his face, but there was a peculiar gentlenessin his manner as he first approached his young client, saying in alow tone, as he cordially grasped his hand,--
"I realize, Mr. Mainwaring, all that this means to you, and I amsure you will understand me when I say that I congratulate you."
Harold Mainwaring bowed silently, and Mr. Sutherland, turningtowards the English barrister, exclaimed, "This explains everything!This will make our case absolutely incontrovertible; but, first,we must secure that man at all hazards and at any cost just asquickly as possible; think what a witness he will make!"
"Just what I had in mind" was the response, "and McCabe is the manto locate him if he is upon the face of the earth. But we mustdecide immediately upon our own course of action, for this willnecessitate certain changes in our plans, and we must act at once,and, at the same time, with the utmost caution and secrecy."
Dinner was ordered and served in the privacy of their own apartmentsthat they might be entirely free from intrusion or interruptionsd
uring their deliberations, and it was at a late hour when, theirconsultation ended, they gathered about the open fire with theircigars, awaiting, with much self-congratulation and cheerful talk,the return of the absent McCabe.
"Confound it!" exclaimed Mr. Barton, presently, glancing at hiswatch; "what in the deuce is keeping that fellow so late? If wehad not especially wanted him, he would have been here two hours ago."
"Perhaps," suggested Mr. Sutherland, "he may have found the coachmanmore communicative than he anticipated."
"He has doubtless struck some clue which he is following," was thereply; but at that instant there was a light tap at the door, and theman generally known as the English barrister's "clerk" entered.
"Well, Mac," said Mr. Barton, cheerfully, "'speak of the devil'--youknow what follows! What luck to-night?"
"Very fair, sir," said the man, quietly taking in the situation ata glance, as he noted the eager, expectant faces of the four men,and, dropping into a chair near the group, he instantly assumed anattitude of close attention.
Ordinarily, McCabe was, as Mr. Whitney had remarked, rather aninsignificant looking man. He was below medium stature and somewhatdull in appearance, owing to the fact that he seemed to take littleinterest in his surroundings, while his face, when his eyes wereconcealed, as was generally the case, by the heavily drooping lidsand long eyelashes, was absolutely expressionless. When, however,he raised his eyes and fixed them upon any one, the effect was muchthe same as though a search-light suddenly flashed in one's face;but this was only upon rare occasions, and few casual observerswould dream of the keen perceptive faculties hidden beneath thatquiet exterior.
"Tell us your story first, Mac," said Mr. Barton, after a moment'ssilence, thoroughly understanding his man, "ours will keep for alittle bit."
"There's not much to tell, sir."
"How are you and the coachman coming on?"
"We'll not be very intimate after to-night, I'm thinking."
"How is that?" questioned the attorney, at the same time smilingbroadly at his companions.
"Well, sir, there'll be no call for it, for one thing, as I've gotall the points in the case I wanted; and for another, his chiefreturned this evening, and, from the few words I overheard uponhis arrival, I don't think the coachman will feel over-confidentialthe next time he sees me," and McCabe smiled grimly to himself.
"So Merrick is back!" interposed Mr. Sutherland, laughing. "Didyou and he meet?"
"Meet, sir? Ah, no, not much o' that! I heard a step coming upthe stairs, and as I thought the room was hardly big enough forthree, I excused myself to Mr. Jim Matheson--alias Matthews, thecoachman--and made for the hall. We passed each other at the headof the stairs, and I cluttered down, making as much racket as Icould; then at the foot of the stairs I took off my boots and creptupstairs again, more to hear the fellow's voice than anything else,so I could recognize him afterwards."
"What did you hear?" inquired Mr. Barton, as McCabe paused to lighta cigar which Mr. Sutherland had handed him.
"I heard him say, 'Who was that I passed outside, Jim?' 'Only across-country friend of mine,' says Jim. 'What friends are youentertaining here in these quarters?' says he, kind o' sharp like.'An' sure,' says Jim, 'it was only Dan McCoy, the clerk of the bigLondon lawyer who has come over with the young Mr. Mainwaring I'veheard you speak of, and a right clever fellow he is, too!' 'Clerk!'he roars out, 'clerk, you blithering idiot! he's no more clerkthan you are coachman, nor half so much, for you're fit for nothingbut to take care of horses all your days! Do you want to know,'says he, 'who you've been entertaining?' That's no more nor lessthan Dan McCabe, a Scotland Yard man they've brought over, nobodyknows what for, but whatever his game, he's made you play into hishand! I didn't stay to hear more," McCabe concluded, "I got out."
"But how does this Merrick know you?" Mr. Barton inquired, as thelaughter caused by McCabe's recital subsided.
"He doesn't know me, he only knows of me," the man replied. "Ifound that out an hour or two later, when I met him in a crowd atthe Wellington Hotel;" the speaker glanced curiously in thedirection of Harold Mainwaring for an instant, and then continued,"I knew him by his voice, but I spoke with him, and he had no ideawho I was."
"But how has he heard of you?" persisted Mr. Barton.
"There was an American detective--a friend of his--who came overon the 'Campania' on the same trip with Mr. Mainwaring. He wasfollowing up a case in London, but he managed to keep his eye onMr. Mainwaring and kept this Merrick posted of all that he was doing.It was because of some remarks of his that I got wind of, that Idetermined from the first to get onto his game."
"Well, Mac," said Mr. Barton, tentatively, "are you ready to go towork now?"
The keen eyes flashed for an instant in the attorney's face, thenthe man answered quietly, "If you've nothing to tell me, I'm readyto go to work on my own hook and in my own way; if you've anythingto say, I'll hear it."
Mr. Barton glanced at the others. "We had better tell McCabe whatwe have learned, and also just what our plans are."
The others bowed in assent, and the chairs were drawn closer togetherwhile Mr. Barton, in low tones, told, as briefly and clearly aspossible, the discovery which they had made. McCabe listened to theattorney's story, but whether or not the secret were already guessedby him, his face gave no sign. When it was ended he glancedcuriously at Harold Mainwaring.
"Mrs. LaGrange told you this?"
"She did."
"At what time, if you please, sir?"
"At about half-past five."
"Are you aware, sir, that, with the exception of her maid, you areprobably the last person who saw Mrs. LaGrange living?"
"Saw her living!" Harold Mainwaring repeated, astonished, while Mr.Barton demanded, "What do you mean, Mac?"
"I mean, sir," said McCabe, slowly, "that Mrs. LaGrange committedsuicide at about seven o'clock this evening, less than two hoursafter Mr. Mainwaring saw her."
"When did you learn of this?" "What do you know of the affair?"questioned the attorneys quickly, while Harold Mainwaring, moredeeply shocked than he would have thought possible, listened to theman's reply.
"I happened along by the Wellington about two hours ago, and sawconsiderable stir around there. I learned 'twas a case of suicide,but thought nothing of it till I heard the woman's name, then Idropped in and picked up the facts in the case," and he proceededto relate the details of the affair.
As Harold Mainwaring listened, he recalled the looks and words ofthe wretched woman, her genuine misery, her falsehood and deceit,her piteous pleadings, and the final rage and scorn with which shehad rejected his assistance even in the face of such desperationand despair; and a sickening sense of horror stole over him,rendering him almost oblivious to the conversation around him.
"'Twas there I saw this man Merrick," McCabe was saying inconclusion. "I heard him questioning the maid about Mr. Mainwaring'sinterview with the woman; he evidently was onto that. I saw thegirl myself shortly afterwards and gave her a hint and a bit of moneyto keep her mouth shut about Mr. Mainwaring. She seemed prettybright, and I think she will understand her business."
"Confound that meddlesome Yankee! what was he prowling aroundthere for?" interrupted Mr. Scott, angrily. "He has no businessprying into Harold Scott Mainwaring's affairs, and I'll have himunderstand it; let him attend to his own duties, and I think, fromall reports, he will have his hands more than full then. Mr.Sutherland," he continued, addressing the attorney, "there's noknowing what that beastly bungler who calls himself a detectivewill do next; this thing is likely to be out in the morning paperswith the boy's name mixed up in it, and it must be stopped righthere. His name must be kept out of this at any price, and youprobably can reach the New York press better than any one of us."
"You are right," said Mr. Sutherland, rising hastily and preparingto leave; "our client wants no notoriety of that sort; and I willmake sure that nothing of the kind occurs. I have a friend who hasunlimited influence with the newsp
aper men, and I will have himattend to the matter at once, and see to it that everything of thatnature is suppressed."
"That is best," said Harold Mainwaring gravely, coming forward. "Iwould have rendered the woman any necessary assistance; I am willingto do whatever is needful now, but, living or dead, her name shallnever be coupled with my father's name and mine."
"You understand, of course, that money is no object in this matter,"added Mr. Scott.
"I understand perfectly, sir," said the attorney, courteously;"everything will be attended to; and, Mr. Barton, you will kindlyconfer with Mr. McCabe, and I will see you in the morning regardingyour final decision. Good-night, gentlemen."
An hour later, McCabe took his departure. Of his own theories orplans he had said little more than that he was to leave theWaldorf that night for another part of the city, but all detailsfor communication with him in case of necessity had been carefullyarranged.
"Your 'clerk' has been suddenly called to London on importantbusiness," he said to Mr. Barton, with a quiet smile, adding, "Youmay meet me occasionally, but it's not likely or best that yourecognize me, and when I have anything to report you will hear fromme," and with these words he was gone.
When at last Harold Mainwaring and his foster-father were again bythemselves, the latter, noting the younger man's abstraction, said,--
"This is naturally a great shock to you, my boy, but it is only whatmight be expected after such a life as hers. You have done nothingfor which to censure yourself; you have done all that could be doneunder existing conditions, and more than was actually required ofyou; so you need have no regrets over the affair."
"I understand that, sir; but the thought that I cannot banish frommy mind is, knowing so well her treachery and deceit, is it possiblethat she herself had a hand in the murder, and finding at last thatthere was no hope of gaining my friendship, did she fear thedevelopments which might follow from what she had told?"
The elder man shook his head thoughtfully. "We cannot say, my boy;the thought occurred to me almost instantaneously, for, withoutdoubt, she both hated and feared him; but time alone will tell."