CHAPTER XI
Superintendent Mansus had a little office in Scotland Yard proper,which, he complained, was not so much a private bureau, as awaiting-room to which repaired every official of the police servicewho found time hanging on his hands. On the afternoon of Miss Holland'ssurprising adventure, a plainclothes man of "D" Division brought toMr. Mansus's room a very scared domestic servant, voluble, tearful andagonizingly penitent. It was a mood not wholly unfamiliar to a policeofficer of twenty years experience and Mr. Mansus was not impressed.
"If you will kindly shut up," he said, blending his natural politenesswith his employment of the vernacular, "and if you will also answera few questions I will save you a lot of trouble. You were LadyBartholomew's maid weren't you?"
"Yes, sir," sobbed the red-eyed Mary Ann.
"And you have been detected trying to pawn a gold bracelet, the propertyof Lady Bartholomew?"
The maid gulped, nodded and started breathlessly upon a recital of herwrongs.
"Yes, sir--but she practically gave it to me, sir, and I haven't had mywages for two months, sir, and she can give that foreigner thousandsand thousands of pounds at a time, sir, but her poor servants she can'tpay--no, she can't. And if Sir William knew especially about my lady'scards and about the snuffbox, what would he think, I wonder, and I'mgoing to have my rights, for if she can pay thousands to a swell likeMr. Kara she can pay me and--"
Mansus jerked his head.
"Take her down to the cells," he said briefly, and they led her away, awailing, woeful figure of amateur larcenist.
In three minutes Mansus was with T. X. and had reduced the girl'sincoherence to something like order.
"This is important," said T. X.; "produce the Abigail."
"The--?" asked the puzzled officer.
"The skivvy--slavey--hired help--get busy," said T. X. impatiently.
They brought her to T. X. in a condition bordering upon collapse.
"Get her a cup of tea," said the wise chief. "Sit down, Mary Ann, andforget all your troubles."
"Oh, sir, I've never been in this position before," she began, as sheflopped into the chair they put for her.
"Then you've had a very tiring time," said T. X. "Now listen--"
"I've been respectable--"
"Forget it!" said T. X., wearily. "Listen! If you'll tell me the wholetruth about Lady Bartholomew and the money she paid to Mr. Kara--"
"Two thousand pounds--two separate thousand and by all accounts-"
"If you will tell me the truth, I'll compound a felony and let you gofree."
It was a long time before he could prevail upon her to clear herspeech of the ego which insisted upon intruding. There were gaps in hernarrative which he bridged. In the main it was a believable story. LadyBartholomew had lost money and had borrowed from Kara. She had given assecurity, the snuffbox presented to her husband's father, a doctor, byone of the Czars for services rendered, and was "all blue enamel andgold, and foreign words in diamonds." On the question of the amount LadyBartholomew had borrowed, Abigail was very vague. All that she knew wasthat my lady had paid back two thousand pounds and that she was stillvery distressed ("in a fit" was the phrase the girl used), becauseapparently Kara refused to restore the box.
There had evidently been terrible scenes in the Bartholomew menage,hysterics and what not, the principal breakdown having occurred whenBelinda Mary came home from school in France.
"Miss Bartholomew is home then. Where is she?" asked T. X.
Here the girl was more vague than ever. She thought the young lady hadgone back again, anyway Miss Belinda had been very much upset. MissBelinda had seen Dr. Williams and advised that her mother should go awayfor a change.
"Miss Belinda seems to be a precocious young person," said T. X. "Didshe by any chance see Mr. Kara?"
"Oh, no," explained the girl. "Miss Belinda was above that sort ofperson. Miss Belinda was a lady, if ever there was one."
"And how old is this interesting young woman?" asked T. X. curiously.
"She is nineteen," said the girl, and the Commissioner, who had picturedBelinda in short plaid frocks and long pigtails, and had moreovervisualised her as a freckled little girl with thin legs and snub nose,was abashed.
He delivered a short lecture on the sacred rights of property, paid thegirl the three months' wages which were due to her--he had no doubt asto the legality of her claim--and dismissed her with instructions to goback to the house, pack her box and clear out.
After the girl had gone, T. X. sat down to consider the position. Hemight see Kara and since Kara had expressed his contrition and wasprobably in a more humble state of mind, he might make reparation. Thenagain he might not. Mansus was waiting and T. X. walked back with him tohis little office.
"I hardly know what to make of it," he said in despair.
"If you can give me Kara's motive, sir, I can give you a solution," saidMansus.
T. X. shook his head.
"That is exactly what I am unable to give you," he said.
He perched himself on Mansus's desk and lit a cigar.
"I have a good mind to go round and see him," he said after a while.
"Why not telephone to him?" asked Mansus. "There is his 'phone straightinto his boudoir."
He pointed to a small telephone in a corner of the room.
"Oh, he persuaded the Commissioner to run the wire, did he?" said T. X.interested, and walked over to the telephone.
He fingered the receiver for a little while and was about to take itoff, but changed his mind.
"I think not," he said, "I'll go round and see him to-morrow. I don'thope to succeed in extracting the confidence in the case of LadyBartholomew, which he denied me over poor Lexman."
"I suppose you'll never give up hope of seeing Mr. Lexman again," smiledMansus, busily arranging a new blotting pad.
Before T. X. could answer there came a knock at the door, and auniformed policeman, entered. He saluted T. X.
"They've just sent an urgent letter across from your office, sir. I saidI thought you were here."
He handed the missive to the Commissioner. T. X. took it and glanced atthe typewritten address. It was marked "urgent" and "by hand." Hetook up the thin, steel, paper-knife from the desk and slit open theenvelope. The letter consisted of three or four pages of manuscript and,unlike the envelope, it was handwritten.
"My dear T. X.," it began, and the handwriting was familiar.
Mansus, watching the Commissioner, saw the puzzled frown gather onhis superior's forehead, saw the eyebrows arch and the mouth openin astonishment, saw him hastily turn to the last page to read thesignature and then:
"Howling apples!" gasped T. X. "It's from John Lexman!"
His hand shook as he turned the closely written pages. The letter wasdated that afternoon. There was no other address than "London."
"My dear T. X.," it began, "I do not doubt that this letter will giveyou a little shock, because most of my friends will have believed that Iam gone beyond return. Fortunately or unfortunately that is not so. Formyself I could wish--but I am not going to take a very gloomy view sinceI am genuinely pleased at the thought that I shall be meeting you again.Forgive this letter if it is incoherent but I have only this momentreturned and am writing at the Charing Cross Hotel. I am not stayinghere, but I will let you have my address later. The crossing has beena very severe one so you must forgive me if my letter sounds a littledisjointed. You will be sorry to hear that my dear wife is dead. Shedied abroad about six months ago. I do not wish to talk very much aboutit so you will forgive me if I do not tell you any more.
"My principal object in writing to you at the moment is an officialone. I suppose I am still amenable to punishment and I have decided tosurrender myself to the authorities to-night. You used to have a mostexcellent assistant in Superintendent Mansus, and if it is convenient toyou, as I hope it will be, I will report myself to him at 10.15. At anyrate, my dear T. X., I do not wish to mix you up in my affairs and ifyou will let me do th
is business through Mansus I shall be very muchobliged to you.
"I know there is no great punishment awaiting me, because my pardon wasapparently signed on the night before my escape. I shall not have muchto tell you, because there is not much in the past two years that Iwould care to recall. We endured a great deal of unhappiness and deathwas very merciful when it took my beloved from me.
"Do you ever see Kara in these days?
"Will you tell Mansus to expect me at between ten and half-past, and ifhe will give instructions to the officer on duty in the hall I will comestraight up to his room.
"With affectionate regards, my dear fellow, I am,
"Yours sincerely,
"JOHN LEXMAN."
T. X. read the letter over twice and his eyes were troubled.
"Poor girl," he said softly, and handed the letter to Mansus. "Heevidently wants to see you because he is afraid of using my friendshipto his advantage. I shall be here, nevertheless."
"What will be the formality?" asked Mansus.
"There will be no formality," said the other briskly. "I will secure thenecessary pardon from the Home Secretary and in point of fact I have italready promised, in writing."
He walked back to Whitehall, his mind fully occupied with the momentousevents of the day. It was a raw February evening, sleet was fallingin the street, a piercing easterly wind drove even through his thickovercoat. In such doorways as offered protection from the bitterelements the wreckage of humanity which clings to the West end ofLondon, as the singed moth flutters about the flame that destroys it,were huddled for warmth.
T. X. was a man of vast human sympathies.
All his experience with the criminal world, all his disappointments,all his disillusions had failed to quench the pity for his unfortunatefellows. He made it a rule on such nights as these, that if, by chance,returning late to his office he should find such a shivering piece ofjetsam sheltering in his own doorway, he would give him or her the priceof a bed.
In his own quaint way he derived a certain speculative excitement fromthis practice. If the doorway was empty he regarded himself as a winner,if some one stood sheltered in the deep recess which is a feature of theold Georgian houses in this historic thoroughfare, he would lose to theextent of a shilling.
He peered forward through the semi-darkness as he neared the door of hisoffices.
"I've lost," he said, and stripped his gloves preparatory to groping inhis pocket for a coin.
Somebody was standing in the entrance, but it was obviously a veryrespectable somebody. A dumpy, motherly somebody in a seal-skin coat anda preposterous bonnet.
"Hullo," said T. X. in surprise, "are you trying to get in here?"
"I want to see Mr. Meredith," said the visitor, in the mincing affectedtones of one who excused the vulgar source of her prosperity byfrequently reiterated claims to having seen better days.
"Your longing shall be gratified," said T. X. gravely.
He unlocked the heavy door, passed through the uncarpeted passage--thereare no frills on Government offices--and led the way up the stairs tothe suite on the first floor which constituted his bureau.
He switched on all the lights and surveyed his visitor, a comfortableperson of the landlady type.
"A good sort," thought T. X., "but somewhat overweighted with lorgnettesand seal-skin."
"You will pardon my coming to see you at this hour of the night," shebegan deprecatingly, "but as my dear father used to say, 'Hopi soit quimal y pense.'"
"Your dear father being in the garter business?" suggested T. X.humorously. "Won't you sit down, Mrs. ----"
"Mrs. Cassley," beamed the lady as she seated herself. "He was in thepaper hanging business. But needs must, when the devil drives, as thesaying goes."
"What particular devil is driving you, Mrs. Cassley?" asked T. X.,somewhat at a loss to understand the object of this visit.
"I may be doing wrong," began the lady, pursing her lips, "and twoblacks will never make a white."
"And all that glitters is not gold," suggested T. X. a little wearily."Will you please tell me your business, Mrs. Cassley? I am a very hungryman."
"Well, it's like this, sir," said Mrs. Cassley, dropping her erudition,and coming down to bedrock homeliness; "I've got a young lady stoppingwith me, as respectable a gel as I've had to deal with. And I knowwhat respectability is, I might tell you, for I've taken professionalboarders and I have been housekeeper to a doctor."
"You are well qualified to speak," said T. X. with a smile. "And whatabout this particular young lady of yours! By the way what is youraddress?"
"86a Marylebone Road," said the lady.
T. X. sat up.
"Yes?" he said quickly. "What about your young lady?"
"She works as far as I can understand," said the loquacious landlady,"with a certain Mr. Kara in the typewriting line. She came to me fourmonths ago."
"Never mind when she came to you," said T. X. impatiently. "Have you amessage from the lady?"
"Well, it's like this, sir," said Mrs. Cassley, leaning forwardconfidentially and speaking in the hollow tone which she had decidedshould accompany any revelation to a police officer, "this young ladysaid to me, 'If I don't come any night by 8 o'clock you must go to T. X.and tell him--'!"
She paused dramatically.
"Yes, yes," said T. X. quickly, "for heaven's sake go on, woman."
"'Tell him,'" said Mrs. Cassley, "'that Belinda Mary--'"
He sprang to his feet.
"Belinda Mary!" he breathed, "Belinda Mary!" In a flash he saw it all.This girl with a knowledge of modern Greek, who was working in Kara'shouse, was there for a purpose. Kara had something of her mother's,something that was vital and which he would not part with, and shehad adopted this method of securing that some thing. Mrs. Cassleywas prattling on, but her voice was merely a haze of sound to him.It brought a strange glow to his heart that Belinda Mary should havethought of him.
"Only as a policeman, of course," said the still, small voice of hisofficial self. "Perhaps!" said the human T. X., defiantly.
He got on the telephone to Mansus and gave a few instructions.
"You stay here," he ordered the astounded Mrs. Cassley; "I am going tomake a few investigations."
Kara was at home, but was in bed. T. X. remembered that thisextraordinary man invariably went to bed early and that it was hispractice to receive visitors in this guarded room of his. He wasadmitted almost at once and found Kara in his silk dressing-gown lyingon the bed smoking. The heat of the room was unbearable even on thatbleak February night.
"This is a pleasant surprise," said Kara, sitting up; "I hope you don'tmind my dishabille."
T. X. came straight to the point.
"Where is Miss Holland!" he asked.
"Miss Holland?" Kara's eyebrows advertised his astonishment. "What anextraordinary question to ask me, my dear man! At her home, or at thetheatre or in a cinema palace--I don't know how these people employtheir evenings."
"She is not at home," said T. X., "and I have reason to believe that shehas not left this house."
"What a suspicious person you are, Mr. Meredith!" Kara rang the bell andFisher came in with a cup of coffee on a tray.
"Fisher," drawled Kara. "Mr. Meredith is anxious to know where MissHolland is. Will you be good enough to tell him, you know more about hermovements than I do."
"As far as I know, sir," said Fisher deferentially, "she left the houseabout 5.30, her usual hour. She sent me out a little before five on amessage and when I came back her hat and her coat had gone, so I presumeshe had gone also."
"Did you see her go?" asked T. X.
The man shook his head.
"No, sir, I very seldom see the lady come or go. There has been norestrictions placed upon the young lady and she has been at liberty tomove about as she likes. I think I am correct in saying that, sir," heturned to Kara.
Kara nodded.
"You will probably find her at home."
He shook his finger wagg
ishly at T. X.
"What a dog you are," he jibed, "I ought to keep the beauties of myhousehold veiled, as we do in the East, and especially when I have asusceptible policeman wandering at large."
T. X. gave jest for jest. There was nothing to be gained by makingtrouble here. After a few amiable commonplaces he took his departure. Hefound Mrs. Cassley being entertained by Mansus with a wholly fictitiousdescription of the famous criminals he had arrested.
"I can only suggest that you go home," said T. X. "I will send a policeofficer with you to report to me, but in all probability you will findthe lady has returned. She may have had a difficulty in getting a bus ona night like this."
A detective was summoned from Scotland Yard and accompanied by him Mrs.Cassley returned to her domicile with a certain importance. T. X. lookedat his watch. It was a quarter to ten.
"Whatever happens, I must see old Lexman," he said. "Tell the best menwe've got in the department to stand by for eventualities. This is goingto be one of my busy days."