CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
STILL SILENT
Spargo dropped his pen on the desk before him with a sharp clatter thatmade Mrs. Gutch jump. A steady devotion to the bottle had made hernerves to be none of the strongest, and she looked at the startler ofthem with angry malevolence.
"Don't do that again, young man!" she exclaimed sharply. "I can'ta-bear to be jumped out of my skin, and it's bad manners. I observedthat the gentleman's name was Elphick."
Spargo contrived to get in a glance at his proprietor and his editor--aglance which came near to being a wink.
"Just so--Elphick," he said. "A law gentleman I think you said, Mrs.Gutch?"
"I said," answered Mrs. Gutch, "as how he looked like a lawyergentleman. And since you're so particular, young man, though I wasn'taddressing you but your principals, he was a lawyer gentleman. One ofthe sort that wears wigs and gowns--ain't I seen his picture in JaneBaylis's room at the boarding-house where you saw her this morning?"
"Elderly man?" asked Spargo.
"Elderly he will be now," replied the informant; "but when he took theboy away he was a middle-aged man. About his age," she added, pointingto the editor in a fashion which made that worthy man wince and theproprietor desire to laugh unconsumedly; "and not so very unlike himneither, being one as had no hair on his face."
"Ah!" said Spargo. "And where did this Mr. Elphick take the boy, Mrs.Gutch?"
But Mrs. Gutch shook her head.
"Ain't no idea," she said. "He took him. Then, as I told you, Maitlandcame, and Jane Baylis told him that the boy was dead. And after thatshe never even told me anything about the boy. She kept a tight tongue.Once or twice I asked her, and she says, 'Never you mind,' she says;'he's all right for life, if he lives to be as old as Methusalem.' Andshe never said more, and I never said more. But," continued Mrs. Gutch,whose pocket-flask was empty, and who began to wipe tears away, "she'streated me hard has Jane Baylis, never allowing me a little comfortsuch as a lady of my age should have, and when I hears the two of youa-talking this morning the other side of that privet hedge, thinks I,'Now's the time to have my knife into you, my fine madam!' And I hope Idone it."
Spargo looked at the editor and the proprietor, nodding his headslightly. He meant them to understand that he had got all he wantedfrom Mother Gutch.
"What are you going to do, Mrs. Gutch, when you leave here?" he asked."You shall be driven straight back to Bayswater, if you like."
"Which I shall be obliged for, young man," said Mrs. Gutch, "andlikewise for the first week of the annuity, and will call everySaturday for the same at eleven punctual, or can be posted to me on aFriday, whichever is agreeable to you gentlemen. And having my firstweek in my purse, and being driven to Bayswater, I shall take my boxesand go to a friend of mine where I shall be hearty welcome, shaking thedust of my feet off against Jane Baylis and where I've been living withher."
"Yes, but, Mrs. Gutch," said Spargo, with some anxiety, "if you go backthere tonight, you'll be very careful not to tell Miss Baylis thatyou've been here and told us all this?"
Mrs. Gutch rose, dignified and composed.
"Young man," she said, "you mean well, but you ain't used to dealingwith ladies. I can keep my tongue as still as anybody when I like. Iwouldn't tell Jane Baylis my affairs--my new affairs, gentlemen, thanksto you--not for two annuities, paid twice a week!"
"Take Mrs. Gutch downstairs, Spargo, and see her all right, and thencome to my room," said the editor. "And don't you forget, Mrs.Gutch--keep a quiet tongue in your head--no more talk--or there'll beno annuities on Saturday mornings."
So Spargo took Mother Gutch to the cashier's department and paid herher first week's money, and he got her a taxi-cab, and paid for it, andsaw her depart, and then he went to the editor's room, strangelythoughtful. The editor and the proprietor were talking, but theystopped when Spargo entered and looked at him eagerly. "I think we'vedone it," said Spargo quietly.
"What, precisely, have we found out?" asked the editor.
"A great deal more than I'd anticipated," answered Spargo, "and I don'tknow what fields it doesn't open out. If you look back, you'll rememberthat the only thing found on Marbury's body was a scrap of grey paperon which was a name and address--Ronald Breton, King's Bench Walk."
"Well?"
"Breton is a young barrister. Also he writes a bit--I have accepted twoor three articles of his for our literary page."
"Well?"
"Further, he is engaged to Miss Aylmore, the eldest daughter ofAylmore, the Member of Parliament who has been charged at Bow Streettoday with the murder of Marbury."
"I know. Well, what then, Spargo?"
"But the most important matter," continued Spargo, speaking verydeliberately, "is this--that is, taking that old woman's statement tobe true, as I personally believe it is--that Breton, as he has told mehimself (I have seen a good deal of him) was brought up by a guardian.That guardian is Mr. Septimus Elphick, the barrister."
The proprietor and the editor looked at each other. Their faces worethe expression of men thinking on the same lines and arriving at thesame conclusion. And the proprietor suddenly turned on Spargo with asharp interrogation: "You think then----"
Spargo nodded.
"I think that Mr. Septimus Elphick is the Elphick, and that Breton isthe young Maitland of whom Mrs. Gutch has been talking," he answered.
The editor got up, thrust his hands in his pockets, and began to pacethe room.
"If that's so," he said, "if that's so, the mystery deepens. What doyou propose to do, Spargo?"
"I think," said Spargo, slowly, "I think that without telling himanything of what we have learnt, I should like to see young Breton andget an introduction from him to Mr. Elphick. I can make a good excusefor wanting an interview with him. If you will leave it in my hands--"
"Yes, yes!" said the proprietor, waving a hand. "Leave it entirely inSpargo's hands."
"Keep me informed," said the editor. "Do what you think. It strikes meyou're on the track."
Spargo left their presence, and going back to his own room, stillfaintly redolent of the personality of Mrs. Gutch, got hold of thereporter who had been present at Bow Street when Aylmore was brought upthat morning. There was nothing new; the authorities had merely askedfor another remand. So far as the reporter knew, Aylmore had saidnothing fresh to anybody.
Spargo went round to the Temple and up to Ronald Breton's chambers. Hefound the young barrister just preparing to leave, and lookingunusually grave and thoughtful. At sight of Spargo he turned back fromhis outer door, beckoned the journalist to follow him, and led him intoan inner room.
"I say, Spargo!" he said, as he motioned his visitor to take a chair."This is becoming something more than serious. You know what you toldme to do yesterday as regards Aylmore?"
"To get him to tell all?--Yes," said Spargo.
Breton shook his head.
"Stratton--his solicitor, you know--and I saw him this morning beforethe police-court proceedings," he continued. "I told him of my talkwith you; I even went as far as to tell him that his daughters had beento the _Watchman_ office. Stratton and I both begged him to take youradvice and tell all, everything, no matter at what cost to his privatefeelings. We pointed out to him the serious nature of the evidenceagainst him; how he had damaged himself by not telling the whole truthat once; how he had certainly done a great deal to excite suspicionagainst himself; how, as the evidence stands at present, any jury couldscarcely do less than convict him. And it was all no good, Spargo!"
"He won't say anything?"
"He'll say no more. He was adamant. 'I told the entire truth in respectto my dealings with Marbury on the night he met his death at theinquest,' he said, over and over again, 'and I shall say nothingfurther on any consideration. If the law likes to hang an innocent manon such evidence as that, let it!' And he persisted in that until weleft him. Spargo, I don't know what's to be done."
"And nothing happened at the police-court?"
"Nothing--anoth
er remand. Stratton and I saw Aylmore again before hewas removed. He left us with a sort of sardonic remark--'If you allwant to prove me innocent,' he said, 'find the guilty man.'"
"Well, there was a tremendous lot of common sense in that," saidSpargo.
"Yes, of course, but how, how, how is it going to be done?" exclaimedBreton. "Are you any nearer--is Rathbury any nearer? Is there theslightest clue that will fasten the guilt on anybody else?"
Spargo gave no answer to these questions. He remained silent a while,apparently thinking.
"Was Rathbury in court?" he suddenly asked.
"He was," replied Breton. "He was there with two or three other men whoI suppose were detectives, and seemed to be greatly interested inAylmore."
"If I don't see Rathbury tonight I'll see him in the morning," saidSpargo. He rose as if to go, but after lingering a moment, sat downagain. "Look here," he continued, "I don't know how this thing standsin law, but would it be a very weak case against Aylmore if theprosecution couldn't show some motive for his killing Marbury?"
Breton smiled.
"There's no necessity to prove motive in murder," he said. "But I'lltell you what, Spargo--if the prosecution can show that Aylmore had amotive for getting rid of Marbury, if they could prove that it was toAylmore's advantage to silence him--why, then, I don't think he's achance."
"I see. But so far no motive, no reason for his killing Marbury hasbeen shown."
"I know of none."
Spargo rose and moved to the door.
"Well, I'm off," he said. Then, as if he suddenly recollectedsomething, he turned back. "Oh, by the by," he said, "isn't yourguardian, Mr. Elphick, a big authority on philately?"
"One of the biggest. Awful enthusiast."
"Do you think he'd tell me a bit about those Australian stamps whichMarbury showed to Criedir, the dealer?"
"Certain, he would--delighted. Here"--and Breton scribbled a few wordson a card--"there's his address and a word from me. I'll tell you whenyou can always find him in, five nights out of seven--at nine o'clock,after he's dined. I'd go with you tonight, but I must go to Aylmore's.The two girls are in terrible trouble." "Give them a message from me,"said Spargo as they went out together. "Tell them to keep up theirhearts and their courage."