CHAPTER XV
After a busy and sleepless night he came down to report to the ChiefCommissioner the next morning. The evening newspaper bills were filledwith the "Chelsea Sensation" but the information given was of a meagrecharacter.
Since Fisher had disappeared, many of the details which could havebeen secured by the enterprising pressmen were missing. There was noreference to the visit of Mr. Gathercole and in self-defence the presshad fallen back upon a statement, which at an earlier period had creptinto the newspapers in one of those chatty paragraphs which begin "I sawmy friend Kara at Giros" and end with a brief but inaccurate summary ofhis hobbies. The paragraph had been to the effect that Mr. Kara had beenin fear of his life for some time, as a result of a blood feud whichexisted between himself and another Albanian family. Small wonder,therefore, the murder was everywhere referred to as "the political crimeof the century."
"So far," reported T. X. to his superior, "I have been unable to traceeither Gathercole or the valet. The only thing we know about Gathercoleis that he sent his article to The Times with his card. The servants ofhis Club are very vague as to his whereabouts. He is a very eccentricman, who only comes in occasionally, and the steward whom I interviewedsays that it frequently happened that Gathercole arrived and departedwithout anybody being aware of the fact. We have been to his oldlodgings in Lincoln's Inn, but apparently he sold up there before hewent away to the wilds of Patagonia and relinquished his tenancy.
"The only clue I have is that a man answering to some extent to hisdescription left by the eleven o'clock train for Paris last night."
"You have seen the secretary of course," said the Chief.
It was a question which T. X. had been dreading.
"Gone too," he answered shortly; "in fact she has not been seen since5:30 yesterday evening."
Sir George leant back in his chair and rumpled his thick grey hair.
"The only person who seems to have remained," he said with heavysarcasm, "was Kara himself. Would you like me to put somebody else onthis case--it isn't exactly your job--or will you carry it on?"
"I prefer to carry it on, sir," said T. X. firmly.
"Have you found out anything more about Kara?"
T. X. nodded.
"All that I have discovered about him is eminently discreditable,"he said. "He seems to have had an ambition to occupy a very importantposition in Albania. To this end he had bribed and subsidized theTurkish and Albanian officials and had a fairly large following in thatcountry. Bartholomew tells me that Kara had already sounded him as tothe possibility of the British Government recognising a fait accompli inAlbania and had been inducing him to use his influence with the Cabinetto recognize the consequence of any revolution. There is no doubtwhatever that Kara has engineered all the political assassinations whichhave been such a feature in the news from Albania during this past year.We also found in the house very large sums of money and documents whichwe have handed over to the Foreign Office for decoding."
Sir George thought for a long time.
Then he said, "I have an idea that if you find your secretary you willbe half way to solving the mystery."
T. X. went out from the office in anything but a joyous mood. He wason his way to lunch when he remembered his promise to call upon JohnLexman.
Could Lexman supply a key which would unravel this tragic tangle? Heleant out of his taxi-cab and redirected the driver. It happened thatthe cab drove up to the door of the Great Midland Hotel as John Lexmanwas coming out.
"Come and lunch with me," said T. X. "I suppose you've heard all thenews."
"I read about Kara being killed, if that's what you mean," said theother. "It was rather a coincidence that I should have been discussingthe matter last night at the very moment when his telephone bell rang--Iwish to heaven you hadn't been in this," he said fretfully.
"Why?" asked the astonished Assistant Commissioner, "and what do youmean by 'in it'?"
"In the concrete sense I wish you had not been present when I returned,"said the other moodily, "I wanted to be finished with the whole sordidbusiness without in any way involving my friends."
"I think you are too sensitive," laughed the other, clapping him on theshoulder. "I want you to unburden yourself to me, my dear chap, and tellme anything you can that will help me to clear up this mystery."
John Lexman looked straight ahead with a worried frown.
"I would do almost anything for you, T. X.," he said quietly, "the moreso since I know how good you were to Grace, but I can't help you in thismatter. I hated Kara living, I hate him dead," he cried, and there wasa passion in his voice which was unmistakable; "he was the vilest thingthat ever drew the breath of life. There was no villainy too despicable,no cruelty so horrid but that he gloried in it. If ever the devil wereincarnate on earth he took the shape and the form of Remington Kara. Hedied too merciful a death by all accounts. But if there is a God, thisman will suffer for his crimes in hell through all eternity."
T. X. looked at him in astonishment. The hate in the man's face tookhis breath away. Never before had he experienced or witnessed such avehemence of loathing.
"What did Kara do to you?" he demanded.
The other looked out of the window.
"I am sorry," he said in a milder tone; "that is my weakness. Some day Iwill tell you the whole story but for the moment it were better thatit were not told. I will tell you this," he turned round and faced thedetective squarely, "Kara tortured and killed my wife."
T. X. said no more.
Half way through lunch he returned indirectly to the subject.
"Do you know Gathercole?" he asked.
T. X. nodded.
"I think you asked me that question once before, or perhaps it wassomebody else. Yes, I know him, rather an eccentric man with anartificial arm."
"That's the cove," said T. X. with a little sigh; "he's one of the fewmen I want to meet just now."
"Why?"
"Because he was apparently the last man to see Kara alive."
John Lexman looked at the other with an impatient jerk of his shoulders.
"You don't suspect Gathercole, do you?" he asked.
"Hardly," said the other drily; "in the first place the man thatcommitted this murder had two hands and needed them both. No, I onlywant to ask that gentleman the subject of his conversation. I also wantto know who was in the room with Kara when Gathercole went in."
"H'm," said John Lexman.
"Even if I found who the third person was, I am still puzzled as to howthey got out and fastened the heavy latch behind them. Now in the olddays, Lexman," he said good humouredly, "you would have made a finemystery story out of this. How would you have made your man escape?"
Lexman thought for a while.
"Have you examined the safe!" he asked.
"Yes," said the other.
"Was there very much in it?"
T. X. looked at him in astonishment.
"Just the ordinary books and things. Why do you ask?"
"Suppose there were two doors to that safe, one on the outside of theroom and one on the inside, would it be possible to pass through thesafe and go down the wall?"
"I have thought of that," said T. X.
"Of course," said Lexman, leaning back and toying with a salt-spoon,"in writing a story where one hasn't got to deal with the absolutepossibilities, one could always have made Kara have a safe of thatcharacter in order to make his escape in the event of danger. He mightkeep a rope ladder stored inside, open the back door, throw out hisladder to a friend and by some trick arrangement could detach the ladderand allow the door to swing to again."
"A very ingenious idea," said T. X., "but unfortunately it doesn't workin this case. I have seen the makers of the safe and there is nothingvery eccentric about it except the fact that it is mounted as it is. Canyou offer another suggestion?"
John Lexman thought again.
"I will not suggest trap doors, or secret panels or anything so banal,"he said, "nor m
ysterious springs in the wall which, when touched, revealsecret staircases."
He smiled slightly.
"In my early days, I must confess, I was rather keen upon that sortof thing, but age has brought experience and I have discovered theimpossibility of bringing an architect to one's way of thinking even inso commonplace a matter as the position of a scullery. It would be muchmore difficult to induce him to construct a house with double walls andsecret chambers."
T. X. waited patiently.
"There is a possibility, of course," said Lexman slowly, "that thesteel latch may have been raised by somebody outside by some ingeniousmagnetic arrangement and lowered in a similar manner."
"I have thought about it," said T. X. triumphantly, "and I have made themost elaborate tests only this morning. It is quite impossible to raisethe steel latch because once it is dropped it cannot be raised againexcept by means of the knob, the pulling of which releases the catchwhich holds the bar securely in its place. Try another one, John."
John Lexman threw back his head in a noiseless laugh.
"Why I should be helping you to discover the murderer of Kara is beyondmy understanding," he said, "but I will give you another theory, at thesame time warning you that I may be putting you off the track. For Godknows I have more reason to murder Kara than any man in the world."
He thought a while.
"The chimney was of course impossible?"
"There was a big fire burning in the grate," explained T. X.; "so bigindeed that the room was stifling."
John Lexman nodded.
"That was Kara's way," he said; "as a matter of fact I know thesuggestion about magnetism in the steel bar was impossible, because Iwas friendly with Kara when he had that bar put in and pretty well knowthe mechanism, although I had forgotten it for the moment. What is yourown theory, by the way?"
T. X. pursed his lips.
"My theory isn't very clearly formed," he said cautiously, "but so faras it goes, it is that Kara was lying on the bed probably reading oneof the books which were found by the bedside when his assailant suddenlycame upon him. Kara seized the telephone to call for assistance and waspromptly killed."
Again there was silence.
"That is a theory," said John Lexman, with his curious deliberationof speech, "but as I say I refuse to be definite--have you found theweapon?"
T. X. shook his head.
"Were there any peculiar features about the room which astonished you,and which you have not told me?"
T. X. hesitated.
"There were two candles," he said, "one in the middle of the room andone under the bed. That in the middle of the room was a small Christmascandle, the one under the bed was the ordinary candle of commerceevidently roughly cut and probably cut in the room. We found traces ofcandle chips on the floor and it is evident to me that the portion whichwas cut off was thrown into the fire, for here again we have a trace ofgrease."
Lexman nodded.
"Anything further?" he asked.
"The smaller candle was twisted into a sort of corkscrew shape."
"The Clue of the Twisted Candle," mused John Lexman "that's a very goodtitle--Kara hated candles."
"Why?"
Lexman leant back in his chair, selected a cigarette from a silver case.
"In my wanderings," he said, "I have been to many strange places. Ihave been to the country which you probably do not know, and which thetraveller who writes books about countries seldom visits. There arequeer little villages perched on the spurs of the bleakest hills youever saw. I have lived with communities which acknowledge no king andno government. These have their laws handed down to them from father toson--it is a nation without a written language. They administertheir laws rigidly and drastically. The punishments they award arecruel--inhuman. I have seen, the woman taken in adultery stoned to deathas in the best Biblical traditions, and I have seen the thief blinded."
T. X. shivered.
"I have seen the false witness stand up in a barbaric market placewhilst his tongue was torn from him. Sometimes the Turks or the piebaldgovernments of the state sent down a few gendarmes and tried a sortof sporadic administration of the country. It usually ended in therepresentative of the law lapsing into barbarism, or else disappearingfrom the face of the earth, with a whole community of murderers eagerto testify, with singular unanimity, to the fact that he had eithercommitted suicide or had gone off with the wife of one of the townsmen.
"In some of these communities the candle plays a big part. It is not thecandle of commerce as you know it, but a dip made from mutton fat. Strapthree between the fingers of your hands and keep the hand rigid with twoflat pieces of wood; then let the candles burn down lower and lower--canyou imagine? Or set a candle in a gunpowder trail and lead the trail toa well-oiled heap of shavings thoughtfully heaped about your naked feet.Or a candle fixed to the shaved head of a man--there are hundreds ofvariations and the candle plays a part in all of them. I don't knowwhich Kara had cause to hate the worst, but I know one or two that hehas employed."
"Was he as bad as that?" asked T. X.
John Lexman laughed.
"You don't know how bad he was," he said.
Towards the end of the luncheon the waiter brought a note in to T. X.which had been sent on from his office.
"Dear Mr. Meredith,
"In answer to your enquiry I believe my daughter is in London, but I didnot know it until this morning. My banker informs me that my daughtercalled at the bank this morning and drew a considerable sum of moneyfrom her private account, but where she has gone and what she is doingwith the money I do not know. I need hardly tell you that I am veryworried about this matter and I should be glad if you could explain whatit is all about."
It was signed "William Bartholomew."
T. X. groaned.
"If I had only had the sense to go to the bank this morning, I shouldhave seen her," he said. "I'm going to lose my job over this."
The other looked troubled.
"You don't seriously mean that."
"Not exactly," smiled T. X., "but I don't think the Chief is verypleased with me just now. You see I have butted into this businesswithout any authority--it isn't exactly in my department. But you havenot given me your theory about the candles."
"I have no theory to offer," said the other, folding up his serviette;"the candles suggest a typical Albanian murder. I do not say that itwas so, I merely say that by their presence they suggest a crime of thischaracter."
With this T. X. had to be content.
If it were not his business to interest himself in commonplacemurder--though this hardly fitted such a description--it was part ofthe peculiar function which his department exercised to restore to LadyBartholomew a certain very elaborate snuff-box which he discovered inthe safe.
Letters had been found amongst his papers which made clear the partwhich Kara had played. Though he had not been a vulgar blackmailer hehad retained his hold, not only upon this particular property of LadyBartholomew, but upon certain other articles which were discovered,with no other object, apparently, than to compel influence from quarterslikely to be of assistance to him in his schemes.
The inquest on the murdered man which the Assistant Commissionerattended produced nothing in the shape of evidence and the coroner'sverdict of "murder against some person or persons unknown" was only tobe expected.
T. X. spent a very busy and a very tiring week tracing elusive clueswhich led him nowhere. He had a letter from John Lexman announcing thefact that he intended leaving for the United States. He had received avery good offer from a firm of magazine publishers in New York and wasgoing out to take up the appointment.
Meredith's plans were now in fair shape. He had decided upon the lineof action he would take and in the pursuance of this he interviewed hisChief and the Minister of Justice.
"Yes, I have heard from my daughter," said that great man uncomfortably,"and really she has placed me in a most embarrassing position. I cannottell you, Mr. Meredith, ex
actly in what manner she has done this, but Ican assure you she has."
"Can I see her letter or telegram?" asked T. X.
"I am afraid that is impossible," said the other solemnly; "she beggedme to keep her communication very secret. I have written to my wife andasked her to come home. I feel the constant strain to which I am beingsubjected is more than human can endure."
"I suppose," said T. X. patiently, "it is impossible for you to tell meto what address you have replied?"
"To no address," answered the other and corrected himself hurriedly;"that is to say I only received the telegram--the message this morningand there is no address--to reply to."
"I see," said T. X.
That afternoon he instructed his secretary.
"I want a copy of all the agony advertisements in to-morrow's papersand in the last editions of the evening papers--have them ready for metomorrow morning when I come."
They were waiting for him when he reached the office at nine o'clockthe next day and he went through them carefully. Presently he found themessage he was seeking.
B. M. You place me awkward position. Very thoughtless. Havereceived package addressed your mother which have placed in mother'ssitting-room. Cannot understand why you want me to go away week-endand give servants holiday but have done so. Shall require very fullexplanation. Matter gone far enough. Father.
"This," said T. X. exultantly, as he read the advertisement, "is where Iget busy."