CHAPTER VI
There was unpleasant news for Inspector Chippenfield when Miss Fewbanksarrived at Riversbrook accompanied by the housekeeper, Mrs. Hewson. Inthe first place, he learnt with considerable astonishment that it wasMiss Fewbanks's intention to stay at the house until after the funeral,and for that purpose she had brought the housekeeper to keep her companyin the lonely old place. Although they had taken up their quarters in theopposite wing of the rambling mansion to that in which the dead body lay,it seemed to Inspector Chippenfield--whose mind was very impressionablewhere the fair sex was concerned--that Miss Fewbanks must be a verypeculiar girl to contemplate staying in the same house with the body ofher murdered father for nearly a week. He was convinced that she must bea strong-minded young woman, and he did not like strong-minded youngwomen. He preferred the weak and clinging type of the sex as more of acompliment to his own sturdy manliness.
His unfavourable impression of Miss Fewbanks was deepened when he saw herand heard what she had to tell him. The girl had come up from the countryfilled with horror at the crime which had deprived her of a father, andfirmly determined to leave no stone unturned to bring the murderer tojustice. It was true that she and her father had lived on terms ofpartial estrangement for some time past because of his manner of life,but all the girl's feelings of resentment against him had been swept awayby the news of his dreadful death, and all she remembered now was that hewas her father, and had been brutally murdered.
When she sent for Inspector Chippenfield she had visited the room inwhich lay the body of her father. It had been placed in a coffin whichwas resting on the undertaker's trestles in the bay embrasure of the bigroom with the folding doors. There was nothing in the appearance of thecorpse to suggest that a crime had been committed, but it had beenimpossible for the undertaker's men to erase entirely the distortion ofthe features so that they might suggest the cold, calm dignity of apeaceful death. The ordeal of looking on the dead body of her father hadnerved her to carry through resolutely the task of discovering the authorof the crime.
She awaited the coming of the inspector in a small sitting-room, andwhen he entered she pointed quickly to a chair, but remained standingherself. In appearance Miss Fewbanks was a charming girl of the typicalEnglish type. She was of medium height, slight, but well-built, withfair hair and dark blue eyes, an imperious short upper lip and adetermined chin, and the clear healthy complexion of a girl who haslived much out of doors. The inspector noted all these details; noted,too, that although her breast heaved with agitation she had herself wellunder control; her pretty head was erect, and one of her small hands wastightly clenched by her side.
"Have you found out--anything?" she asked the inspector as he entered.
The girl had chosen a vague word because she felt that there were manythings which must come to light in unravelling the crime, but, from thepolice point of view of Inspector Chippenfield, the question whether hehad found out anything was a stinging reflection on his ability.
"I consider it inadvisable to make any arrest at the present stage of myinvestigations," he said, with cold official dignity.
"Do you think you know who did it?" asked the girl.
"It is my business to find out," replied the inspector, in a voice thatindicated confidence in his ability to perform the task.
The girl was too unsophisticated to follow the subtle workings ofofficial pride. "The papers call it a mysterious crime. Do you think itis mysterious?"
"There are certainly some mysterious features about it," said theinspector. "But I do not regard them as insoluble. Nothing is insoluble,"he added, in a sententious tone.
"If there are mysteries to be solved you ought to have help," said theyoung lady.
She glanced at Mrs. Hewson significantly, and then proceeded to explainto Inspector Chippenfield what she meant.
"I have asked Mr. Crewe, the celebrated detective, to assist you. Ofcourse you know Mr. Crewe--everybody does. I know you are a very cleverman at your profession, but in a thing of this kind two clever men arebetter than one. I hope you will not mind--there is no reflectionwhatever on your ability. In fact, I have the utmost confidence in you.But it is due to my father's memory to do all that is possible to get tothe bottom of this dreadful crime. If money is needed it will beforthcoming. That applies to you no less than to Mr. Crewe. But I hopeyou will be able to carry out your investigations amicably together, andthat you will be willing to assist one another. You will lose nothing bydoing so. I trust you will place at Mr. Crewe's disposal all thefacilities that are available to you as an officer of the police."
This statement was so clear that Inspector Chippenfield had no choice butto face the conclusion that Miss Fewbanks had more faith in the abilitiesof a private detective to unravel the mystery than she had in theresources of Scotland Yard. He would have liked to have told the younglady what he thought of her for interfering with his work, and hedetermined to avail himself of the right opportunity to do so if it camealong. But the statement that money was not to be spared had a soothinginfluence on his feelings. Of course, officers of Scotland Yard were notallowed to take gratuities however substantial they might be, but therewere material ways of expressing gratitude which were outside theregulations of the department.
"I shall be very pleased to give Mr. Crewe any assistance he wants," saidInspector Chippenfield, bowing stiffly.
It was seldom that he took a subordinate fully into his confidence, butafter he left Miss Fewbanks he flung aside his official pride in order todiscuss with Rolfe the enlistment of the services of Crewe. Rolfe was noless indignant than his chief at the intrusion of an outsider into theirsphere. Crewe was an exponent of the deductive school of crimeinvestigation, and had first achieved fame over the Abbindon case someyears ago, when he had succeeded in restoring the kidnapped heir of theAbbindon estates after the police had failed to trace the missing child.In detective stories the attitude of members of Scotland Yard to thedeductive expert is that of admiration based on conscious inferiority,but in real life the experts of Scotland Yard have the utmost contemptfor the deductive experts and their methods. The disdainful pity of thedeductive experts for the rule-of-thumb methods of the police is not tobe compared with the vigorous scorn of the official detective for therival who has not had the benefit of police training.
"Look here, Rolfe," said Inspector Chippenfield, "we mustn't let Creweget ahead of us in this affair, or we'll never hear the last of it. It'sscandalous of a man like Crewe, who has money of his own and could livelike a gentleman, coming along and taking the bread out of our mouths byaccepting fees and rewards for hunting after criminals. Of course I knowthey say he is lavish with his money and gives away more than he earns,but that's all bosh--he sticks it in his own pocket, right enough. Onething is certain: he gets paid whether he wins or loses; that is to say,he gets his fee in any case, but of course if he wins something will beadded to his fee. In the meantime all you and I get is our salaries, and,as you know, the pay of an inspector isn't what it ought to be."
Rolfe assured his superior of his conviction that the pay at ScotlandYard ought to be higher for all ranks--especially the rank and file. Healso declared that he was ready to do his best to thwart Crewe.
"That is the right spirit," commented Inspector Chippenfield approvingly."Of course we'll tell him we're willing to help him all we can, and ofcourse hell tell us we can depend on his help. But we know what his helpwill amount to. He'll keep back from us anything he finds out, and we'lldo the same for him. But the point is, Rolfe, that you and I have to putall our brains into this and help one another. I'm not the man to despisehelp from a subordinate. If you have any ideas about this case, Rolfe, donot be afraid to speak out, I'll give them sympathetic consideration."
"I know you will," said Rolfe, who was by no means sure of the fact. "Youcan count on me."
"As you know, Rolfe, there have been cases in which men from the Yardhaven't worked together as amicably as they ought to have done. It usedto be said when I
was one of the plain-clothes men that the man in chargegot all the credit and the men under him did all the work. But as aninspector I can tell you that is very rarely the case. In my reports Ibelieve in giving my junior credit for all he has done, and generally abit more. It may be foolish of me, but that is my way. I never miss achance of putting in a good word for the man under me."
"It would be better if they were all like that," said Rolfe.
"Well, it's a bargain, Rolfe," said Inspector Chippenfield. "You do yourbest on this job and you won't lose by it. I'll see to that. But in themeantime we don't want to put Crewe on the scent. Let us see how muchwe'll tell him and how much we won't."
"He'll want to see the letter sent to the Yard about the murder," saidRolfe. "The _Daily Recorder_ published a facsimile of it this morning."
"Yes, I knew about that. Well, he can have it. But don't say anything tohim about that lace you found in the dead man's hand--or at any rate notuntil you find out more about it. The glove he can have since it ispretty obvious that it belonged to Sir Horace. We'll spin Crewe a yarnthat we are depending on it as a clue."
Crewe arrived during the afternoon to inspect the house and the room inwhich the crime had been committed. There was every appearance ofcordiality in the way in which he greeted the police officials.
"Delighted to see you, Inspector," he said. "Who is working this casewith you? Rolfe? Don't think we have met before, Rolfe, have we?"
Rolfe politely murmured something about not having had the pleasureof meeting Mr. Crewe, but of always having wanted to meet him,because of his fame.
"Very good of you," replied Crewe. "This is a very sad business. Iunderstand there are some attractive points of mystery in the crime. Ihope you haven't unravelled it yet before I have got a start. You fellowsare so quick."
"Slow and sure is our motto," said Inspector Chippenfield, feelingcertain that a sneer and not a compliment had been intended. "There isnothing to be gained in arresting the wrong man."
"That's a sound maxim for us all," said Crewe. "However, let's get tobusiness. I rang up the Yard this morning and they told me you werein charge of the case and that I'd probably find you here. Can youlet me have a look at the original of that letter which was sent toScotland Yard informing you of the murder? There is a facsimile of itin the _Daily Recorder_ this morning, and from all appearances thereare some interesting conclusions to be drawn from it. But theoriginal is the thing."
"Here you are," said the inspector, producing his pocket-book, taking outthe paper, and handing it to Crewe. "What do you make of it?"
Crewe sat down, and placing the paper before him took a magnifying glassfrom his pocket. As he sat there, in his grey tweed suit, his hat pushedcarelessly back from his forehead, he might have been mistaken for ayoung man of wealth with no serious business in life, for his clotheswere of fashionable cut, and he wore them with an air of distinction. Buta glance at his face would have dispelled the impression. The clear-cut,clean-shaven features riveted attention by reason of their strength andintelligence, and though the dark eyes were rather too dreamy for theface, the heavy lines of the lower jaw indicated the man of action andforce of character. The thick neck and heavily-lipped firm mouthsuggested tireless energy and abounding vitality.
"At least two people have had a hand in it," he said, after studying thepaper for a few minutes.
"In the murder?" asked the inspector, who was astonished at a deductionwhich harmonised with a theory which had begun to take shape in his mind.
"In writing this," said Crewe, with his attention still fixed on thepaper. "But of course you know that yourself."
"Of course," assented the inspector, who was surprised at theinformation, but was too experienced an official to show his feelings."And both hands disguised."
"Disguised to the extent of being printed in written characters,"continued Crewe. "It is so seldom that a person writes printed charactersthat any method in which they are written suggests disguise. The originalintention of the two persona who wrote this extraordinary note was foreach to write a single letter in turn. That system was carried as far as'Sir Horace' or, perhaps, up to the 'B' in 'Fewbanks.' After that theybecame weary of changing places and one of them wrote alternate lettersto the end, leaving blanks for the other to fill in. That much is to begathered from the variations in the spaces between the letters--sometimesthere was too much room for an intermediate letter, sometimes too little,so the letter had to be cramped. Here and there are dots made with thepen as the first of the two spelled out the words so as to know whatletters to write and what to leave blank. Look at the differences in theletter 'U.' One of the writers makes it a firm downward and upwardstroke; the other makes the letter fainter and adds another downwardstroke, the letter being more like a small 'u' written larger than acapital letter. The differences in the two hands are so pronouncedthroughout the note that I am inclined to think that one of the writerswas a woman."
"Exactly what I thought," said Inspector Chippenfield, looking hard atCrewe so that the latter should not question his good faith.
"Then there are sometimes slight differences in the alternate letterswritten by the same hand. Look at the 'T' in 'last' and the 'T' in'night'--the marked variation in the length and angle of the crossstroke. It is evident that the writers were labouring under seriousexcitement when they wrote this."
Rolfe was so interested in Crewe's revelations that he stood beside thedeductive expert and studied the paper afresh.
"And now, about finger-prints?" asked Crews.
"None," was the reply of the inspector, "We had it under the microscopeat Scotland Yard."
"None?" exclaimed Crewe, in surprise. "Why adopt such precautions aswearing gloves to write a note giving away this startling secret?"
"Easy enough," replied Inspector Chippenfield. "The people who wrote thenote either had little or nothing to do with the murder, but were afraidsuspicion might be directed to them, or else they are the murderers andwant to direct suspicion from themselves."
"And now for the bullets," said Crewe, "I understand two shotswere fired."
"From two revolvers," said the inspector. "Here are both bullets. Thisone I picked out of the wall over there. You can see where I've brokenaway the plaster. This one--much the bigger one of the two--was the onethat killed Sir Horace. The doctor handed it to me after thepost-mortem."
"Did Sir Horace keep a revolver?"
"The butler says yes. But if he did it's gone."
Crewe stood up and examined the hole in the wall where InspectorChippenfield had dug out the smaller bullet.
"Sir Horace made a bid for his life but missed. Of course, he had no timeto take aim while there was a man on the other side of the room coveringhim, but in any case those fancy firearms cannot be depended upon toshoot straight."
"You think Sir Horace fired at his murderer--fired first?" asked Rolfe.
"This small bullet suggests one of those fancy silver-mounted weaponsthat are made to sell to wealthy people. Sir Horace was a bit of asportsman, and knew something about game-shooting, but, I take it, he hadno use for a revolver. I assume he kept one of those fancy weapons onhand thinking he would never have to use it, but that it would do tofrighten a burglar if the occasion did arise."
"And when he was held up in this room by a man with a revolver he made adash for his own revolver and got in the first shot?" suggested Rolfe,with the idea of outlining Crewe's theory of how the crime was committed.
"It is scarcely possible to reconstruct the crime to that extent," saidCrewe with a smile. "But undoubtedly Sir Horace got in the first shot. Ifhe fired after he was hit his bullet would have gone wild--would probablyhave struck the ceiling--whereas it landed there. Let us measure theheight from the floor." He pulled a small spool out of a waistcoat pocketand drew out a tape measure. "A little high for the heart of an averageman, and probably a foot wide of the mark."
"And what do you make of the disappearance of Sir Horace's revolver?"asked Rolfe, who seemed to
his superior officer to be in danger ofdisplaying some admiration for deductive methods.
"I'm no good at guess-work," replied Crewe, who felt that he had givenenough information away.
"Well," said Rolfe, "here is a glove which was found in the room. Theother one is missing. It might be a clue."
Crewe took the glove and examined it carefully. It was a left-hand glovemade of reindeer-skin, and grey in colour. It bore evidence of havingbeen in use, but it was still a smart-looking glove such as a man whotook a pride in his appearance might wear.
"Burglars wear gloves nowadays," said Crewe, "but not this kind. Theindia-rubber glove with only the thumb separate is best for their work.They give freedom of action for the fingers and leave no finger-prints.Have you made inquiries whether this is one of Sir Horace's gloves?"
"Well, it is the same size as he wore--seven and a half," said InspectorChippenfield. "The butler is the only servant here and he can't say forcertain that it belonged to his master. I've been through Sir Horace'swardrobe and through the suit-case he brought from Scotland, but I canfind no other pair exactly similar. Rolfe took it to Sir Horace's hosier,and he is practically certain that the glove is one of a pair he sold toSir Horace."
"That should be conclusive," said Crewe thoughtfully.
"So I think," replied the inspector.
"Well, I'll take it with me, if you don't mind," said Crewe. "You canhave it back whenever you want it. Let me have the address of SirHorace's hosier--I'll give him a call."
"Take it by all means," said the inspector cordially, referring to theglove. And with a wink at Rolfe he added, "And when you are ready to fitit on the guilty hand I hope you will let us know."