CHAPTER XLII
THE QUARRY DOUBLES
I turned towards the booking-office on the main departure platform. AsI went, the chief platform inspector, George Bellingham, with whom Ihad some acquaintance, came out of his office. I stopped him.
'Mr Bellingham, will you be so good as to step with me to thebooking-office, and instruct the clerk in charge to answer one or twoquestions which I wish to put to him. I will explain to you afterwardswhat is their exact import, but you know me sufficiently to be able tobelieve me when I say that they refer to a matter in which every momentis of the first importance.'
He turned and accompanied us into the interior of the booking-case.
'To which of the clerks, Mr Champnell, do you wish to put yourquestions?'
'To the one who issues third-class tickets to Southampton.'
Bellingham beckoned to a man who was counting a heap of money, andapparently seeking to make it tally with the entries in a huge ledgerwhich lay open before him,--he was a short, slightly-built youngfellow, with a pleasant face and smiling eyes.
'Mr Stone, this gentleman wishes to ask you one or two questions.'
'I am at his service.'
I put my questions.
'I want to know, Mr Stone, if, in the course of the day, you haveissued any tickets to a person dressed in Arab costume?'
His reply was prompt.
'I have--by the last train, the 7.25,--three singles.'
Three singles! Then my instinct had told me rightly.
'Can you describe the person?'
Mr Stone's eyes twinkled.
'I don't know that I can, except in a general way,--he was uncommonlyold and uncommonly ugly, and he had a pair of the most extraordinaryeyes I ever saw,--they gave me a sort of all-overish feeling when I sawthem glaring at me through the pigeon hole. But I can tell you onething about him, he had a great bundle on his head, which he steadiedwith one hand, and as it bulged out in all directions it's presencedidn't make him popular with other people who wanted tickets too.'
Undoubtedly this was our man.
'You are sure he asked for three tickets?'
'Certain. He said three tickets to Southampton; laid down the exactfare,--nineteen and six--and held up three fingers--like that. Threenasty looking fingers they were, with nails as long as talons.'
'You didn't see who were his companions?'
'I didn't,--I didn't try to look. I gave him his tickets and off hewent,--with the people grumbling at him because that bundle of his keptgetting in their way.'
Bellingham touched me on the arm.
'I can tell you about the Arab of whom Mr Stone speaks. My attentionwas called to him by his insisting on taking his bundle with him intothe carriage,--it was an enormous thing, he could hardly squeeze itthrough the door; it occupied the entire seat. But as there weren't asmany passengers as usual, and he wouldn't or couldn't be made tounderstand that his precious bundle would be safe in the luggage vanalong with the rest of the luggage, and as he wasn't the sort of personyou could argue with to any advantage, I had him put into an emptycompartment, bundle and all.'
'Was he alone then?'
'I thought so at the time, he said nothing about having more than oneticket, or any companions, but just before the train started two othermen--English men--got into his compartment; and as I came down theplatform, the ticket inspector at the barrier informed me that thesetwo men were with him, because he held tickets for the three, which, ashe was a foreigner, and they seemed English, struck the inspector asodd.'
'Could you describe the two men?'
'I couldn't, not particularly, but the man who had charge of thebarrier might. I was at the other end of the train when they got in.All I noticed was that one seemed to be a commonplace lookingindividual and that the other was dressed like a tramp, all rags andtatters, a disreputable looking object he appeared to be.'
'That,' I said to myself, 'was Miss Marjorie Lindon, the lovelydaughter of a famous house; the wife-elect of a coming statesman.'
To Bellingham I remarked aloud:
'I want you to strain a point, Mr Bellingham, and to do me a servicewhich I assure you you shall never have any cause to regret. I want youto wire instructions down the line to detain this Arab and hiscompanions and to keep them in custody until the receipt of furtherinstructions. They are not wanted by the police as yet, but they willbe as soon as I am able to give certain information to the authoritiesat Scotland Yard,--and wanted very badly. But, as you will perceive foryourself, until I am able to give that information every moment isimportant.--Where's the Station Superintendent?'
'He's gone. At present I'm in charge.'
'Then will you do this for me? I repeat that you shall never have anyreason to regret it.'
'I will if you'll accept all responsibility.'
'I'll do that with the greatest pleasure.'
Bellingham looked at his watch.
'It's about twenty minutes to nine. The train's scheduled forBasingstoke at 9.6. If we wire to Basingstoke at once they ought to beready for them when they come.'
'Good!'
The wire was sent.
We were shown into Bellingham's office to await results Lessinghampaced agitatedly to and fro; he seemed to have reached the limits ofhis self-control, and to be in a condition in which movement of somesort was an absolute necessity. The mercurial Sydney, on the contrary,leaned back in a chair, his legs stretched out in front of him, hishands thrust deep into his trouser pockets, and stared at Lessingham,as if he found relief to his feelings in watching his companion'srestlessness. I, for my part, drew up as full a precis of the case as Ideemed advisable, and as time permitted, which I despatched by one ofthe company's police to Scotland Yard.
Then I turned to my associates.
'Now, gentlemen, it's past dinner time. We may have a journey in frontof us. If you take my advice you'll have something to eat.'
Lessingham shook his head.
'I want nothing.'
'Nor I,' echoed Sydney.
I started up.
'You must pardon my saying nonsense, but surely you of all men, MrLessingham, should be aware that you will not improve the situation byrendering yourself incapable of seeing it through. Come and dine.'
I haled them off with me, willy nilly, to the refreshment room, Idined,--after a fashion; Mr Lessingham swallowed with difficulty, aplate of soup; Sydney nibbled at a plate of the most unpromisinglooking 'chicken and ham,'--he proved, indeed, more intractable thanLessingham, and was not to be persuaded to tackle anything easier ofdigestion.
I was just about to take cheese after chop when Bellingham camehastening in, in his hand an open telegram.
'The birds have flown,' he cried.
'Flown!--How?'
In reply he gave me the telegram. I glanced at it. It ran:
'Persons described not in the train. Guard says they got out atVauxhall. Have wired Vauxhall to advise you.'
'That's a level-headed chap,' said Bellingham. 'The man who sent thattelegram. His wiring to Vauxhall should save us a lot of time,--weought to hear from there directly. Hollo! what's this? I shouldn't besurprised if this is it.'
As he spoke a porter entered,--he handed an envelope to Bellingham. Weall three kept our eyes fixed on the inspector's face as he opened it.When he perceived the contents he gave an exclamation of surprise.
'This Arab of yours, and his two friends, seem rather a curious lot, MrChampnell.'
He passed the paper on to me. It took the form of a report. Lessinghamand Sydney, regardless of forms and ceremonies, leaned over my shoulderas I read it.
'Passengers by 7.30 Southampton, on arrival of train, complained ofnoises coming from a compartment in coach 8964. Stated that there hadbeen shrieks and yells ever since the train left Waterloo, as ifsomeone was being murdered. An Arab and two Englishmen got out of thecompartment in question, apparently the party referred to in wire justto hand from Basingstoke. All three declared that there was nothing thematter. T
hat they had been shouting for fun. Arab gave up three thirdsingles for Southampton, saying, in reply to questions, that they hadchanged their minds, and did not want to go any farther. As there wereno signs of a struggle or of violence, nor, apparently, any definitecause for detention, they were allowed to pass. They took afour-wheeler, No. 09435. The Arab and one man went inside, and theother man on the box. They asked to be driven to Commercial Road,Limehouse. The cab has since returned. Driver says he put the three mendown, at their request, in Commercial Road, at the corner of SutcliffeStreet, near the East India Docks. They walked up Sutcliffe Street, theEnglishmen in front, and the Arab behind, took the first turning to theright, and after that he saw nothing of them. The driver further statesthat all the way the Englishman inside, who was so ragged and dirtythat he was reluctant to carry him, kept up a sort of wailing noisewhich so attracted his attention that he twice got off his box to seewhat was the matter, and each time he said it was nothing. The cabmanis of opinion that both the Englishmen were of weak intellect. We wereof the same impression here. They said nothing, except at the seeminginstigation of the Arab, but when spoken to stared and gaped likelunatics.
'It may be mentioned that the Arab had with him an enormous bundle,which he persisted, in spite of all remonstrances, on taking with himinside the cab.'
As soon as I had mastered the contents of the report, and perceivedwhat I believed to be--unknown to the writer himself--its hideous innermeaning, I turned to Bellingham.
'With your permission, Mr Bellingham, I will keep thiscommunication,--it will be safe in my hands, you will be able to get acopy, and it may be necessary that I should have the original to showto the police. If any inquiries are made for me from Scotland Yard,tell them that I have gone to the Commercial Road, and that I willreport my movements from Limehouse Police Station.'
In another minute we were once more traversing the streets ofLondon,--three in a hansom cab.