CHAPTER XXXVIII
A LITTLE FICTION
Bell seemed to know by intuition that Chris required him, or perhaps hecaught a glimpse of her white dress from the terrace. Anyway, he strolledleisurely in her direction.
"Something has happened?" he whispered, as he came up.
"Well, yes," Chris replied, "though I should like to know how youguessed that. I had no difficulty in getting Mr. Steel on thetelephone, but he would say nothing directly he heard that you werehere beyond a peremptory request that you were to be told at once thatVan Sneck has gone."
"Gone!" Bell echoed, blankly. "What do you mean by that?"
"He has disappeared from the hospital at Brighton to-day. Mr. Steelthinks they were extra busy, or something of that kind. Anyway, Van Sneckgot up and dressed himself and left the hospital without being observed.It seems extraordinary to me."
"And yet quite possible," Bell said, thoughtfully. "Van Sneck hadpractically recovered from the flesh wounds; it was the injury to hishead that was the worst part. He resembled an irresponsible lunatic morethan anything else. Steel wants me, of course?"
"He suggests that you should go down to Brighton without delay."
"All right, I'll make some excuse to take the first train in the morning.We've got a fine start of Henson, and that's a good thing. If Van Sneckcomes within his net we shall have a deal of trouble. I had hoped to getpermission to operate on Van Sneck, and relied upon him to solve themystery. And now you had better go back to your telephone."
Chris hurried back again. A whispered word satisfied her that Steel wasstill at the other end.
"Dr. Bell starts as early as possible to-morrow," she said. "If you willlisten carefully I will give you a brief outline of all that has happenedsince I have been here."
Chris proceeded to tell her story succinctly and briefly. From littlesounds and signs she could tell that Steel was greatly interested. Thestory of the man with the thumb fascinated him. It appealed to hisprofessional instincts.
"And what do you want to do with him?" Steel asked.
"Well, you see, I have him in my power," Chris explained. "We can get theother Rembrandt any time we like now, but that is quite a minorconsideration. What I want is for Merritt to know that I can have himarrested at any time for stealing my star. It's Enid's star, as a matterof fact; but that is a detail."
"An important one, surely," Steel's voice came thin and clear."Suppose that our dear friend chances to recognise it? ... No, don'tring off yet."
"I'm not. Oh, you are speaking to the Exchange people ... Yes, yes; weshall be a long time yet ... Are you there? Well, Henson has never seenthe star. Enid bought it just before the great trouble came, andafterwards she never had the heart to wear it."
"I understand. You want Merritt to know this?"
"Well, I do and I don't," Chris explained. "I am anxious not to frightenthe man. I want to get him in my power, and I want to prove to him thatit would be to his advantage for him to come over to my side. Supposethat Enid gave it out that the star had been stolen? And suppose that Icould save him at the critical moment? I shouldn't mind him thinking thatI had stolen the star in the first place. That is why I am asking you asa novelist to help me."
"You would have made an excellent novelist yourself," David said,admiringly. "Give me five minutes.... Are you there? I fancy I have it.Can't you hear me? That's better. I'll see Miss Gates the first thing inthe morning and get her to go over to Longdean and see your sister....Confound it, don't cut us off yet. What does it matter so long as themessages are paid for? Nobody else wants the line. Well, I may for anhour more.... Are you there? Very sorry; it's the fault of the PostOffice people. Here is the plot in a nutshell. Your sister has lost adiamond star. She gives a minute description of it to the police, anddrops a hint to the effect that she believes it was taken away bymistake--in other words, was stolen--from her in London by a chanceacquaintance called Christabel Lee--"
"Ah," Chris cried, "how clever you are!"
"I have long suspected it," the thin voice went on, drily. "The fulldescription of the star will be printed in the _Police Gazette_, a copyof which every respectable pawnbroker always gets regularly. I supposethe people where the star was pawned are respectable?"
"Highly so. They have quite a Bond Street establishment attached."
"So much the better. They will see the advertisement, and they willcommunicate with the police. The Reverend James Merritt will bearrested--"
"I don't quite like that," Chris suggested.
"Oh, it's necessary. He will be arrested at the castle. Knowing hisantecedents, the police will not stand upon any ceremony with him. Youwill be filled with remorse. You have plunged back into a career of crimeagain a being who was slowly climbing into the straight path once more.You take the blame upon yourself--it was at your instigation that Merrittpawned the star."
"But, really, Mr. Steel--"
"Oh, I know. But the end justifies the means. You save Mr. Merritt, thereis a bond of sympathy between you, he will regard you as a great light inhis interesting profession. You saved him because you had appropriatedthe star yourself."
"And go to gaol instead of Mr. Merritt?"
"Not a bit of it. The star you deemed to be yours. You had one very likeit when you saw Miss Henson, when you were staying in London at the samehotel. By some means the jewels got mixed. You are confident that anexchange has been made. Also you are confident that if Miss Henson willsearch her jewel-case she will find a valuable star that does not belongto her. Miss Henson does so, she is distressed beyond measure, she offersall kinds of apologies. Exit the police. You need not tell Merritt howyou get out of the difficulty, and thus you increase his respect for you.There, that would make a very ingenious and plausible magazine story. Itshould be more convincing in real life."
"Capital!" Chris murmured. "What an advantage it is to have a novelist toadvise one! Many, many thanks for all your kindness. Good-night!"
Chris rang off with a certain sense of relief. It was some time laterbefore she had a chance of conveying to Bell what had happened. Helistened gravely to all that Chris had to say.
"Just the sort of feather-brained idea that would occur to a novelist,"he said. "For my part, I should prefer to confront Merritt with histheft, and keep the upper hand of him that way."
"And he would mistrust me and betray me at the first opportunity.Besides, in that case, he would know at once that I wanted to get to thebottom of his connection with Reginald Henson. Mr. Steel's plan may bebizarre, but it is safe."
"I never thought of that," Bell admitted. "I begin to imagine thatyou are more astute than I gave you credit for, which is saying agreat deal."
Chris was down early the following morning, only to find Bell atbreakfast with every sign of making an early departure. He was verysorry, he explained, gravely, to his host and Chris, but his letters gavehim no option, He would come back in a day or two if he might. A momentlater Henson came into the room, ostentatiously studying a Bradshaw.
"And where are you going?" Littimer asked. "Why do you all abandon me?Reginald, do you mean to say that you are going to refuse me the light ofyour countenance?"
"Is Dr. Bell going, too?" Henson asked, with just a suggestion ofuneasiness. "I mean--er--"
"Business," Bell said. "I came here at great personalinconvenience. And you?"
"London," Henson replied. "A meeting to-day that I cannot get out of. Acouple of letters by this morning's post have decided me."
Chris said nothing; she appeared to be quite indifferent until she had achance to speak to Bell alone. She looked a little anxious.
"He has found out about Van Sneck," she said. "Truly he is a marvellousman! And he had no letters this morning. I opened the post-bagpersonally. But I'm glad he's going, because I shall have James Merrittall to myself."