Chapter XIV
Thorndyke Lays the Mine
The information supplied by Mr. Samuel Wilkins, so far from dispellingthe cloud of mystery that hung over the Blackmore case, only envelopedit in deeper obscurity, so far as I was concerned. The new problem thatThorndyke offered for solution was a tougher one than any of the others.He proposed that I should identify and give a name to this mysteriouswoman. But how could I? No woman, excepting Mrs. Wilson, had beenmentioned in connection with the case. This new dramatis persona hadappeared suddenly from nowhere and straightway vanished without leavinga trace, excepting the two or three beads that we had picked up inJeffrey's room.
Nor was it in the least clear what part, if any, she had played in thetragedy. The facts still pointed as plainly to suicide as before herappearance. Jeffrey's repeated hints as to his intentions, and the verysignificant preparations that he had made, were enough to negative anyidea of foul play. And yet the woman's presence in the chambers at thattime, the secret manner of her arrival and her precautions againstrecognition, strongly suggested some kind of complicity in the dreadfulevent that followed.
But what complicity is possible in the case of suicide? The woman mighthave furnished him with the syringe and the poison, but it would nothave been necessary for her to go to his chambers for that purpose.Vague ideas of persuasion and hypnotic suggestion floated through mybrain; but the explanations did not fit the case and the hypnoticsuggestion of crime is not very convincing to the medical mind. Then Ithought of blackmail in connection with some disgraceful secret; butthough this was a more hopeful suggestion, it was not very probable,considering Jeffrey's age and character.
And all these speculations failed to throw the faintest light on themain question: "Who was this woman?"
A couple of days passed, during which Thorndyke made no furtherreference to the case. He was, most of the time, away from home, thoughhow he was engaged I had no idea. What was rather more unusual was thatPolton seemed to have deserted the laboratory and taken to outdoorpursuits. I assumed that he had seized the opportunity of leaving me incharge, and I dimly surmised that he was acting as Thorndyke's privateinquiry agent, as he seemed to have done in the case of Samuel Wilkins.
On the evening of the second day Thorndyke came home in obviously goodspirits, and his first proceedings aroused my expectant curiosity. Hewent to a cupboard and brought forth a box of Trichinopoly cheroots. Nowthe Trichinopoly cheroot was Thorndyke's one dissipation, to be enjoyedonly on rare and specially festive occasions; which, in practice, meantthose occasions on which he had scored some important point or solvedsome unusually tough problem. Wherefore I watched him with livelyinterest.
"It's a pity that the 'Trichy' is such a poisonous beast," he remarked,taking up one of the cheroots and sniffing at it delicately. "There isno other cigar like it, to a really abandoned smoker." He laid the cigarback in the box and continued: "I think I shall treat myself to oneafter dinner to celebrate the occasion."
"What occasion?" I asked.
"The completion of the Blackmore case. I am just going to write toMarchmont advising him to enter a caveat."
"Do you mean to say that you have discovered a flaw in the will, afterall?"
"A flaw!" he exclaimed. "My dear Jervis, that second will is a forgery."
I stared at him in amazement; for his assertion sounded like nothingmore or less than arrant nonsense.
"But the thing is impossible, Thorndyke," I said. "Not only did thewitnesses recognize their own signatures and the painter's greasyfinger-marks, but they had both read the will and remembered itscontents."
"Yes; that is the interesting feature in the case. It is a very prettyproblem. I shall give you a last chance to solve it. To-morrow eveningwe shall have to give a full explanation, so you have anothertwenty-four hours in which to think it over. And, meanwhile, I am goingto take you to my club to dine. I think we shall be pretty safe therefrom Mrs. Schallibaum."
He sat down and wrote a letter, which was apparently quite a short one,and having addressed and stamped it, prepared to go out.
"Come," said he, "let us away to 'the gay and festive scenes and hallsof dazzling light.' We will lay the mine in the Fleet Street pillar box.I should like to be in Marchmont's office when it explodes."
"I expect, for that matter," said I, "that the explosion will be feltpretty distinctly in these chambers."
"I expect so, too," replied Thorndyke; "and that reminds me that I shallbe out all day to-morrow, so, if Marchmont calls, you must do all thatyou can to persuade him to come round after dinner and bring StephenBlackmore, if possible. I am anxious to have Stephen here, as he will beable to give us some further information and confirm certain matters offact."
I promised to exercise my utmost powers of persuasion on Mr. Marchmontwhich I should certainly have done on my own account, being now on thevery tiptoe of curiosity to hear Thorndyke's explanation of theunthinkable conclusion at which he had arrived--and the subject droppedcompletely; nor could I, during the rest of the evening, induce mycolleague to reopen it even in the most indirect or allusive manner.
Our explanations in respect of Mr. Marchmont were fully realized; for,on the following morning, within an hour of Thorndyke's departure fromour chambers, the knocker was plied with more than usual emphasis, and,on my opening the door, I discovered the solicitor in company with asomewhat older gentleman. Mr. Marchmont appeared somewhat out of humour,while his companion was obviously in a state of extreme irritation.
"How d'you do, Dr. Jervis?" said Marchmont as he entered at myinvitation. "Your friend, I suppose, is not in just now?"
"No; and he will not be returning until the evening."
"Hm; I'm sorry. We wished to see him rather particularly. This is mypartner, Mr. Winwood."
The latter gentleman bowed stiffly and Marchmont continued:
"We have had a letter from Dr. Thorndyke, and it is, I may say, a rathercurious letter; in fact, a very singular letter indeed."
"It is the letter of a madman!" growled Mr. Winwood.
"No, no, Winwood; nothing of the kind. Control yourself, I beg you. Butreally, the letter is rather incomprehensible. It relates to the will ofthe late Jeffrey Blackmore--you know the main facts of the case; and wecannot reconcile it with those facts."
"This is the letter," exclaimed Mr. Winwood, dragging the document fromhis wallet and slapping it down on the table. "If you are acquaintedwith the case, sir, just read that, and let us hear what you think."
I took up the letter and read aloud:
"JEFFREY BLACKMORE, DECD.
"DEAR MR. MARCHMONT,--
"I have gone into this case with great care and have now no doubt thatthe second will is a forgery. Criminal proceedings will, I think, beinevitable, but meanwhile it would be wise to enter a caveat.
"If you could look in at my chambers to-morrow evening we could talk thecase over; and I should be glad if you could bring Mr. StephenBlackmore; whose personal knowledge of the events and the partiesconcerned would be of great assistance in clearing up obscure details.
"I am,
"Yours sincerely,
"JOHN EVELYN THORNDYKE
"C.F. MARCHMONT, ESQ."
"Well!" exclaimed Mr. Winwood, glaring ferociously at me, "what do youthink of the learned counsel's opinion?"
"I knew that Thorndyke was writing to you to this effect," I replied,"but I must frankly confess that I can make nothing of it. Have youacted on his advice?"
"Certainly not!" shouted the irascible lawyer. "Do you suppose that wewish to make ourselves the laughing-stock of the courts? The thing isimpossible--ridiculously impossible!"
"It can't be that, you know," I said, a little stiffly, for I wassomewhat nettled by Mr. Winwood's manner, "or Thorndyke would not havewritten this letter. The conclusion looks as impossible to me as it doesto you; but I have complete confidence in Thorndyke. If he says that thewill is a forgery, I have no doubt that it is a forgery."
"But how the deuce can it
be?" roared Winwood. "You know thecircumstances under which the will was executed."
"Yes; but so does Thorndyke. And he is not a man who overlooks importantfacts. It is useless to argue with me. I am in a complete fog about thecase myself. You had better come in this evening and talk it over withhim as he suggests."
"It is very inconvenient," grumbled Mr. Winwood. "We shall have to dinein town."
"Yes," said Marchmont, "but it is the only thing to be done. As Dr.Jervis says, we must take it that Thorndyke has something solid to basehis opinion on. He doesn't make elementary mistakes. And, of course, ifwhat he says is correct, Mr. Stephen's position is totally changed."
"Bah!" exclaimed Winwood, "he has found a mare's nest, I tell you.Still, I agree that the explanation should be worth hearing."
"You mustn't mind Winwood," said Marchmont, in an apologetic undertone;"he's a peppery old fellow with a rough tongue, but he doesn't mean anyharm." Which statement Winwood assented to--or dissented from; for itwas impossible to say which--by a prolonged growl.
"We shall expect you then," I said, "about eight to-night, and you willtry to bring Mr. Stephen with you?"
"Yes," replied Marchmont; "I think we can promise that he shall comewith us. I have sent him a telegram asking him to attend."
With this the two lawyers took their departure, leaving me to meditateupon my colleague's astonishing statement; which I did, considerably tothe prejudice of other employment. That Thorndyke would be able tojustify the opinion that he had given, I had no doubt whatever; but yetthere was no denying that his proposition was what Mr. Dick Swivellerwould call "a staggerer."
When Thorndyke returned, I informed him of the visit of our two friends,and acquainted him with the sentiments that they had expressed; whereathe smiled with quiet amusement.
"I thought," he remarked, "that letter would bring Marchmont to our doorbefore long. As to Winwood, I have never met him, but I gather that heis one of those people whom you 'mustn't mind.' In a general way, Iobject to people who tacitly claim exemption from the ordinary rules ofconduct that are held to be binding on their fellows. But, as hepromises to give us what the variety artists call 'an extra turn,' wewill make the best of him and give him a run for his money."
Here Thorndyke smiled mischievously--I understood the meaning of thatsmile later in the evening--and asked: "What do you think of the affairyourself?"
"I have given it up," I answered. "To my paralysed brain, the Blackmorecase is like an endless algebraical problem propounded by an insanemathematician."
Thorndyke laughed at my comparison, which I flatter myself was a ratherapt one.
"Come and dine," said he, "and let us crack a bottle, that our heartsmay not turn to water under the frown of the disdainful Winwood. I thinkthe old 'Bell' in Holborn will meet our present requirements better thanthe club. There is something jovial and roystering about an ancienttavern; but we must keep a sharp lookout for Mrs. Schallibaum."
Thereupon we set forth; and, after a week's close imprisonment, I oncemore looked upon the friendly London streets, the cheerfully lightedshop windows and the multitudes of companionable strangers who movedunceasingly along the pavements.