CHAPTER VIII
COMPLICATIONS AND COMPLEXITIES
The Cheyne Court affair, as it was to be called afterward in the days ofits publicity, had faded in Cleek's mind, but he was to be reminded ofit very speedily. Within three weeks of that memorable drive through themoonlit lanes of Hampton he entered the sacred precincts of Mr. MaverickNarkom's room to find him in deep conversation with a fair-haired,slightly built young man in whom he immediately recognized no less aperson than Sir Edgar Brenton himself.
In a second of time Cleek had altered his identity so suddenly andcompletely that, thick-headed, dull-witted George Headland stood where amoment before Cleek had been. Mr. Narkom was quick enough to note thechange, and introduced him accordingly. There was an undercurrent ofexcitement visible in his tones that Cleek was constantly aware of.
"This is Mr. George Headland, Sir Edgar, one of our sharpest men. Idon't mind telling you, he'll soon get to the bottom of your littleaffair." He turned to Cleek and motioned with his hand in the youngman's direction. "This is Sir Edgar Brenton. He's come from Hamptonwhere there seems to be some mysterious goings on at a place---- Whatdid you say its name was, Sir Edgar?"
"Cheyne Court, Mr. Narkom, the Honourable Miss Marion Cheyne's place andthe home of my fiancee Lady Margaret Cheyne. I tell you," he addedexcitedly, "she is in danger, and I mean to rescue her from the clutchesof that old harridan before another day is over."
Mr. Narkom set the tips of his fingers together and nodded blandly.
"So you shall, Sir Edgar," he assented, as he turned to smooth somepapers on his desk.
"Oho!" said Cleek to himself. "So there is that element in the case,eh?" Then he bowed to Sir Edgar. "P'raps you'll be good enough to tellme the facts, sir," he said, looking stolidly across the table.
Sir Edgar restrained himself with evident effort.
"They are only too few, Mr. Headland," he said irritably. "Lady Margarethas just returned from a convent school in Paris. In fact, she came backjust three weeks ago to-morrow. I met her more than a year ago when mymother and I--we are neighbours, by the way--were staying in Paris, andwe became engaged. I had no idea that Peggy, Lady Margaret I mean, wasto return to England till I heard through my servant. For Miss Cheynedislikes me intensely and----"
"Any reason for that, sir?" queried Mr. Headland with an air of blandpoliteness.
"Well, to a certain extent, yes," was the grudging reply. "My father, Ibelieve, was engaged to her at one time, but finding her temperintolerable, made his escape, and Miss Cheyne has hated my mother andmyself in consequence. When she heard from Peggy that we had met, andfallen in love with each other, she was furious, and kept my dear girlalmost imprisoned in that confounded convent. It was impossible for usto hold any communication directly, but when I heard she was expectedback, like an ass I rushed over to Cheyne Court, to beg permission tomeet her at the station. This was refused. Indeed, the old wretch wentso far as to threaten me with a revolver, and I believe she would haveattacked me, too, had I not snatched it from her, and beat a retreat."
"And what time did you say that was?" put in Cleek with ill-concealedinterest.
An innocent remark enough, but one Sir Edgar seemed to resent strongly.
"What the devil's that to do with you, I should like to know?" hedemanded fiercely. "How dare you try to badger me with foolishquestions! As a matter of fact, it was quite early in the day. Somewherenear lunch time, if you must know."
A little smile creased Cleek's face, but his tones were quite smooth ashe said, "I see, sir; and you didn't go back?"
Again Sir Edgar flushed and frowned.
"No, I did not, sir," he retorted savagely. "I was at a dinner-party.And I haven't come here to be cross-examined by a common policeman. Iwant to know how I can get my fiancee out of that house."
Here Mr. Narkom flung himself into the breach.
"Has she come of age?" he asked quickly, and thereby voiced the thoughtthat was passing in Cleek's own mind.
"Legally, no, and that is just the difficulty. By Lord Cheyne's will shetakes possession of her property on her eighteenth birthday though shecan only marry with the consent of Miss Cheyne. Now yesterday was herbirthday, and by a sheer piece of good luck here in London I came acrossLady Margaret herself and without Miss Cheyne. When she told me thatthey had come up to fetch all the family jewels and to remove them toCheyne Court, you can imagine my feelings."
"Good Heavens," blurted out Cleek, involuntarily startled by thisannouncement. "Do you mean to tell me two helpless women have riskedburdening themselves with such priceless jewels down in a lonely placelike Cheyne Court? Why, every sneak thief in Europe could attack it----"He broke off sharply, for Sir Edgar was looking at him in a startled waythat made Cleek mentally kick himself for having been momentarily thrownoff his guard and betraying his own knowledge of the place in question."Surely someone could have prevented it!" he concluded weakly.
"No, that is just what they could not do," responded Sir Edgar. "I sawthe family lawyer but he told me that Peggy has the right to do what shelikes with her own fortune, the only thing Lord Cheyne had to leave her,but I certainly agree with Mr. Shallcott that it was at that oldharridan of an aunt's instigation."
"What made him think that?" Cleek asked.
Sir Edgar frowned.
"Mr. Shallcott couldn't define it," he responded, "only he felt that ifhe had seen her alone he could have persuaded her to have left them orat least the bulk of them in safety. Especially the very valuablependant----"
"Not the Purple Emperor!" blurted out Cleek. Once more he betrayed moreknowledge than he had meant to in the beginning.
To his surprise it seemed as if the young man's face became almost graywith fear. "You know of that stone, Mr. Headland?" Cleek scratched hisear.
"Heard of it, sir? Lor, bless yer, we policemen have to pass a regularexamination in all the famous jewels of history and that stone isamongst them," he lied glibly. "And if there are thieves who know the'Emperor' is loose, so to speak, the quicker your young lady and it partcompany, the better for her, I say."
"Yes, that's it. She is in danger, that's why I came to the Yard. Sheshrieked out to me, just as I broke the glass in the window."
"What's that?" rapped out Cleek. "Broke the glass of the window, yousay? Whose window and why did you break it?"
"Because she was afraid. Because she wanted me to run away with her andkeep her safe from those devils in Cheyne Court!"
Cleek's eyes shot a look of sympathy.
"Suppose you tell us all about it, Sir Edgar," he said in a kindly tone,"then we'll be able to get to the bottom of it all the sooner."
"I ran from one side of the house to the other," Sir Edgar went on. "Butevery door and window seemed to be bolted and barred. At last I smashedin the dining-room door with a spade I found outside and rushed throughthe house, but it was absolutely empty!"
"Empty!" chimed in Mr. Narkom, excitedly, while Cleek sucked in hisbreath.
"Absolutely empty!" said Sir Edgar; "as regards human beings, that is. Itell you, man, I went nearly mad with the horror of it, and the fear formy darling girl! There was not a sign, no trap-doors or panels, nothing,and I simply had to give up in the dark, and now I want your help! ByHeaven they shall suffer if a hair of that angel's head is so much astouched--the devils. I don't care if Miss Cheyne is killed, she deservesit, but Peggy----"
He broke down, turning his haggard face in his hands and his shouldersshook spasmodically.
A brief moment and Sir Edgar pulled himself together with a jerk.
"Sorry," he gulped, apologetically, "made an ass of myself, but youcan't think what a night I've spent----"
"That's all right, sir," said Mr. Headland with an air of the properrespect due from him. "But I don't think as there's anything to be donetill me and my mates come down and have a peep at the place. That'sabout it, don't you think so, sir?" He turned to Mr. Narkom, who,though puzzled by Cleek's strange aloofness, still knew his methods toowell to do an
ything else but agree with him.
"Certainly, Headland," he returned. "We'll go down to Hampton as quicklyas you like."
"I think it would be best for the young gentleman to get back to Hamptonfirst, and we'll come down and look round casual like," said Mr. GeorgeHeadland in an off-hand manner. "Ten chances to one but wot the younglady's tied up in one of the upper rooms, don't you know."
"Now I never thought of that!" threw in Sir Edgar quickly. "Yes, you'reright. I will get back and leave it in your hands."
"And you may safely do so," said Mr. Narkom, shaking the young man'shand sympathetically as he took his departure.
"What do you think about it, Cleek?" he cried excitedly, when the doorhad closed.
"Think? I think a good many things, my dear fellow," retorted thatgentleman serenely, "and one of them is, why didn't Sir Edgar break thedining-room door down at once before he made that fruitless rush aroundthe house. He might have known that the doors would be locked at eveningtime."
"I never thought of that!" said Mr. Narkom. "Still, I don't see whatthat has to do with it. You are not insinuating that the man would harmhis own sweetheart? Where is the incentive?"
"The Purple Emperor might be, or its value," was the reply. "Mind, I amnot saying it is so, but I would like to know the young gentleman'sfinancial status. Secondly, I would like to know why he has made noeffort to see the girl this past fortnight since she has been back.Don't forget I met him that night, when a murder was committed at CheyneCourt. For I still hold that that woman was dead when I found her in theballroom and the young gentleman's story about a revolver which hesnatched away from her in the afternoon is all tommy-rot. The weapon waslying by her side when I saw her, and I'll take my oath there was arevolver in his own pocket when I lurched up against him in the lane.No, my friend, there are one or two points about Sir Edgar Brenton'stale that I should like to see cleared up satisfactorily, and I thinkI'll betake myself down to the Hampton Arms where you can join me."
Speaking, he gave a little friendly nod to Mr. Narkom, writhed hisfeatures into their semblance of the stolid policeman once more, andstrode from the room.
Once outside the portals of Scotland Yard, Cleek looked keenly around atthe casual people who invariably appear to haunt the precincts of thelaw. There was the usual street loafer and errand boy, buthalf-concealed by an abutting arch there stood the figure of a man,evidently on the watch for someone. Cleek, with his usual caution,slouched past, then crossed so as to get a better view.
For a second Cleek paused, then switching on his heel, turned and walkedback, past the watcher once more, and into Scotland Yard. That the manoutside was waiting for someone to come out was obvious, but for whom?Cleek gave vent to a little laugh. "A dollar to a ducat but whom hewaits for is Lieutenant Deland," he said to himself, "and he shall havehis wish."
He dashed lightly up the stairs again to Mr. Narkom's room and lockedthe door behind him.
"You never mean to let him see you!" said the Superintendent blanklywhen Cleek had related his story.
"That's just what I do mean. Give me time to make the change. That mansaw Lieutenant Deland go in, and he shall see Lieutenant Deland comeout. You can follow with the limousine if you like."
A minute later he sallied forth, and the little one-sided smile loopedup his face as he saw the watcher detach himself from the shadowing walland follow in his wake, unconscious, however, that he, too, was beingshadowed in his turn by Mr. Narkom in the car. It was not until theyemerged upon the open embankment that Cleek turned to see his pursuer.To his supreme astonishment, the man had disappeared!
Cleek laughed to himself as he strode onward toward Mr. Narkom and thelimousine which had slowed down some distance ahead. There was certainlysomething up, but what that something might be he was not so sure.
"Mr. Narkom," he said, as he threw open the door of the car and climbedin beside the Superintendent, "the plot thickens. That man was thebutler at Cheyne Court."