CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
THE JEW AND THE JAP
When Melky Rubinstein slipped quietly out of the police-station, hecrossed the street, and taking up a position just within a narrow alleyon the other side, set himself to watch the door which he had justquitted. There was a deep design in his mind, and he meant to carry itout--alone.
Mr. Mori Yada, apparently as cool and unconcerned as ever, presentlytripped down the steps of the police-station and went leisurely off,swinging his neatly rolled umbrella. As long as he was within sight ofthe police-station windows he kept up the same gentle pace--but as soonas he had turned the first corner his steps were quickened, and he madefor a spot to which Melky had expected him to make--a cab-rank, onwhich two or three taxi-cabs were drawn up. He had reached the first,and was addressing the driver, when Melky, who had kept a few yards inthe rear, stole gently up to his side and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Mister!" said Melky. "A word--in private!"
Yada turned on his interrupter with the swiftness of a snake, and for asecond his white teeth showed themselves in an unmistakable snarl, anda savage gleam came into his dark eyes. Both snarl and gleam passed asquickly as they had come, and the next instant he was smiling--asblandly as ever.
"Oh, yes!" he said. "It is you--how do you do? Perhaps you are going myway--I can give you a lift--Yes?"
Melky drew his man away a yard or two, and lowered his voice to awhisper.
"Mister!" he said, with a note of deep confidence which made Yada lookat him with a sudden sense of fear. "Mister!--I wouldn't go no way atall if I was you--just now. You're in danger, mister--you shoved yourhead into the lions' den when you walked in where I've just seen you!Deep, deep is them fellows, mister!--they're having you on toast. Iknow where you're thinking of going, mister, in that cab. Don'tgo--take my tip!"
"How do you know where I'm going?" demanded Yada.
"I was looking over Levendale's shoulder when he wrote that bit of acheque, mister," answered Melky, in his quietest accents. "You're offto his bank to turn it into cash. And--if you walk into thatbank--well, you'll never walk out again, alone! Mister!--they're goingto collar you there--there's a trap laid for you!"
Melky was watching Yada's face out of his own eye-corners, and he sawthe olive-tinted skin pale a little, and the crafty eyes contract. Andon the instant he pursued his tactics and his advantage. He hadpurposely steered the Japanese into a more crowded part of the street,and now he edged him into a bye-alley which led to a rookery of narrowbye-streets beyond. He felt that Yada was yielding--oppressed by a fearof the unknown. But suddenly Yada paused--drawing back from the handwhich Melky had kept on his arm.
"What are you after?" he demanded. "What is your game, eh? You think toalarm me!--what do you want?"
"Nothing unreasonable, mister," answered Melky. "You'll easily satisfyme. Game? Come, now, mister--I know your game! Bank first--to get someready--then somewhere to pick up a bit of luggage--then, a railwaystation. That's it, ain't it, now? No blooming good, mister--they'reready for you the minute you walk into that bank! If they don't takeyou then, they'll only wait to follow you to the station. Mister!--youain't a cat's chance!--you're done--if you don't make it worth my whileto help you! See?"
Yada looked round, doubtfully. They had turned two or three corners bythat time, and were in a main street, which lay at the back of PraedStreet. He glanced at Melky's face--which suggested just then nothingbut cunning and stratagem.
"What can you do for me?" he asked. "How much do you want? You wantmoney, eh?"
"Make it a hundred quid, mister," said Melky. "Just a hundred of thebest, and I'll put you where all the police in London won't find youfor the rest of today, and get you out of it at night in such a fashionthat you'll be as safe as if you was at home. You won't never see yourhome in Japan, again, mister, if you don't depend on yours truly! And ahundred ain't nothing--considering what you've got at stake."
"I haven't a hundred pounds to give you," answered Yada. "I havescarcely any money but this cheque."
"In course you ain't, mister!" agreed Melky. "I twigged your gamestraight off--you only came there to the police-station to put yourselfin funds for your journey! But that's all right!--you come along of me,and let me put you in safety--then you give me that cheque--I'll get itcashed in ten minutes without going to any banks--see? Friend o' minehereabouts--he'll cash it at his bank close by--anybody'll cash acheque o' Levendale's. Come on, now, mister. We're close to that littleport o' refuge I'm telling you about."
The bluff was going down--Melky felt, as much as saw, that Yada wasswallowing it in buckets. And he slipped his hand within hiscompanion's arm, piloted him along the street, across Praed Street,round the back of the houses into the narrow passage which communicatedwith the rear of the late Daniel Multenius's premises, and in at thelittle door which opened on the parlour wherein so many events hadrecently taken place.
"Where are you taking me?" asked Yada, suspiciously, as they crossedthe threshold.
"All serene, mister!" answered Melky, reassuringly. "Friend o' minehere--my cousin. All right--and all secure. You're as safe here as youwill be in your grave, mister--s'elp me, you are! Zillah!"
Zillah walked into the parlour and justified Melky's supreme confidencein her by showing no surprise or embarrassment. She gave Yada themerest glance, and turned to Melky.
"Bit o' business with this young gentleman, Zillah," said Melky. "Thatlittle room, upstairs, now--what?" "Oh, all right!" said Zillah,indifferently. "You know your way--you'll be quiet enough there."
Melky signed to Yada to follow him, and led the way up the stairs tothe very top of the house. He conducted the Japanese into the smallroom in which were some ancient moth-and-worm-eaten bits of furniture,an old chest or two, and a plenitude of dust--and carefully closed thedoor when he and his captive had got inside.
"Now, mister!" he said, "you're as safe here as you could be in anyspot in the wide world. Let's get to business--and let's understandeach other. You want that cheque turned into cash--you want to get outof London tonight? All right--then hand over your cheque and keep quiettill I come back. Is there anything else now--any bit of luggage youwant?"
"You do all this if I pay you one hundred pounds?" asked Yada.
"That'll do me, mister," answered Melky. "I'm a poor fellow, d'yesee?--I don't pick up a hundred quid every day, I assure you! So ifthere is anything--"
"A suit-case--at the luggage office at Oxford Circus Tube," said Yada."I must have it--papers, you understand. If you will get me that--"
"Give me the ticket--and that cheque," said Melky. He slipped the twobits of paper into his pocket, and made for the door. "I'll turn thekey outside," he said. "You'll be safer. Make yourself comfortable,mister--I'll be back in an hour with the money and the goods."
Two minutes later Melky confronted Zillah in the parlour and grinned ather. Zillah regarded him suspiciously.
"What's this, Melky?" she demanded. "What're you up to?"
"Zillah!" said Melky, "you'll be proud of your cousin, MelkyRubinstein, before ever it's dinner-time--you will do, Zillah! And inthe meantime, keep your counsel, Zillah, while he fetches a nice largepoliceman."
"Is that Japanese locked in that little room?" asked Zillah.
Melky tapped the side of his nose, and without a word looked out intothe street. A policeman, large enough for all practical purposes, waslounging along the side-walk; another, equally bulky, was looking intoa shop-window twenty yards away across the street. Within a couple ofminutes Melky had both in the back-parlour and was giving them andZillah a swift but particular account of his schemes.
"You're sure you're right, Melky?" asked Zillah. "You're not making anymistake?"
"Mistake!" exclaimed Melky, satirically. "You'll see about that in aminute! Now," he added, turning to the policemen, "you come quietlyup--and do exactly what I've told you. We'll soon know about mistakes,Zillah!"
Yada, left to himself, had spent his time in gazing out of th
e dirtywindow of his prison. There was not much of a prospect. The windowcommanded the various backyards of that quarter. As if to consider anypossible chance of escape, he looked out. There was a projectionbeneath him, a convenient water-pipe--he might make a perilous descent,if need arose. But, somehow, he believed in that little Jew: hebelieved, much more, in the little Jew's greed for a hundred pounds ofready money. The little Jew with the cunning smile had seen his chanceof making a quiet penny, and had taken it--it was all right, said Yada,all right. And yet, there was one horrible thought--supposing, now thatMelky had got the cheque, that he cashed it and made off with all themoney, never to return?
On top of that thought, Melky did return--much sooner than Yada hadexpected. He opened the door and beckoned the prisoner out into thedark lobby at the top of the stairs.
"Come here a minute, mister," said Melky, invitingly. "Just a word!"
Yada, all unsuspecting, stepped out--and found his arms firmly grippedby two bulky policemen. The policemen were very quiet--but Melkylaughed gleefully while Yada screamed and cursed him. And while helaughed Melky went through his prisoner's pockets in a knowing andskilful fashion, and when he had found what he expected to find, hemade his helpers lock Yada up again, and taking them downstairs to theparlour laid his discoveries on the table before them and Zillah. Therewas a great orange-yellow diamond in various folds of tissue-paper, anda thick wad of bank-notes, with an indiarubber band round them.
These valuables lay, carelessly displayed, on the table when the partyfrom Pilmansey's Tea Rooms came tumbling into the shop and the parlour,an hour later. Melky was calmly smoking a cigar--and he went on smokingit as he led the Inspector and his men upstairs to the prisoner. Hecould not deprive himself of the pleasure of a dig at Ayscough.
"Went one better than you again, Mr. Ayscough," he said, as he laid hishand on the key of the locked room. "Now if I hadn't seen through myyoung gentleman--"
But there, as Melky threw open the door, his words of assurance came toan end. His face dropped as he stared into an empty room. Yada hadrisked his neck, and gone down the water-pipe.