For the first time Jeffrey Legge felt the cold contact of handcuffs.
He was led back to the porter’s lodge, whilst two of the policemen
worked at the windlass that raised the hanging gate.
“It’s a cop, Craig,” he said, for the inspector in charge was that
redoubtable thief-catcher. “But I’m going to squeak all I know. Johnny
Gray is in this. He’s been working my slush for years. You’ll find the
presses in the second hall, but the other birds have done some quick
flying.”
“They’ve all flown into the police station at Oxford,” said Craig,
“and they’re singing their pretty little songs merrily. The Oxford
police took a whole carload of them about eleven o’clock last night.
Unfortunately, they weren’t so ready to squeak as you.”
“Johnny Gray’s in it, I tell you.”
“Oh, how can you say such a thing?” said the shocked Mr. Reeder. “I’m
perfectly sure Mr. Gray is quite innocent.”
Jeffrey regarded him with a sneer of contempt.
“You’re a pretty funny ‘busy.’ I suppose Craig brought you here?”
“No,” murmured Mr. Reeder, “I brought myself here.”
“The only thing I can say about you,” said Jeffrey Legge, “is that
you’re smarter than old Golden--and that’s not saying much.”
“Not very much,” murmured Mr. Reeder.
“But you’re not smart enough to know that Johnny Gray has been in this
business for years.”
“Even while he was in prison?” suggested Mr. Reeder innocently. “The
opportunities are rather restricted, don’t you think? But don’t let us
quarrel, Mr. Jeffrey.”
The portcullis was raised now, and in a few minutes the girl was in
her father’s arms.
“Johnny, you’ve had a narrow squeak,” said Craig, as he shook the
man’s hand, “and there’s some talk about you being in this slush
business, but I’ll not believe it till I get proof.”
“Who killed old Legge?” asked Johnny.
The detective shook his head.
“We don’t know. But Stevens has disappeared, and Stevens was Fenner’s
brother. I got it from Mr. Reeder, who seems to have remarkable
sources of information.”
“Not at all,” disclaimed the apologetic Reeder. “I certainly have a
remarkable source of information, and to that all credit must go. But
I think you will confirm my statement, John, that Stevens is Fenner’s
brother?”
To Peter’s surprise, Johnny nodded.
“Yes, I knew they were brothers; and it is unnecessary to say that
their name was neither Stevens nor Fenner. It is pretty well
established that the old man gave away Fenner--shopped him for the
Berkeley Square job--and possibly Stevens got to know of this, and had
been waiting his opportunity to settle accounts with Emanuel. Have you
caught him?”
“Not yet,” said Craig.
“I hope you won’t,” said Johnny. “What are you going to do about me,
Peter?”
He put his arm round the girl’s shoulder, and Peter smiled.
“I suppose I’ll have to let her marry you, Johnny, whether you’re a
crook or honest. I want you to go straight, and I’ll make it worth
while----”
“That I can promise you.” It was Mr. Reeder who spoke. “And may I
offer an apology. I’m rather a wolf in sheep’s clothing, or a sheep in
wolf’s clothing. The truth is, my name is Golden.”
“Golden!” gasped Craig. “But I thought Golden was out of this
business?”
“He is out of it, and yet he is in it,” explained Mr. Reeder
carefully. “I am an excellent office man,” he confessed, in that
mincing manner of his, staring owlishly over his glasses, “but a very
indifferent seeker of information, and although, when Mr. John Gray
Reeder was appointed over me as chief inspector of my department----”
“Here, stop!” said the dazed Craig. “John Gray Reeder? Who is
Inspector John Gray Reeder?”
Mr. Golden’s hand went out in the direction of the smiling Johnny.
“Johnny! You a ‘busy’!” said the bewildered Peter. “But you went to
jail sure enough?”
“I certainly went to jail,” said Johnny. “It was the only place I
could get any news about the Big Printer, and I found out all I wanted
to know. It was a trying two years, but well worth it, though I nearly
lost the only thing in the world that made life worth living,” he
said. “You’ve got to forgive me, Peter, because I spied on you--a good
spy doesn’t play favourites. I’ve been watching you and every one of
your pals, and I watched Marney most of all. And now I’m going to
watch her for years and years!”
“You see,” said Mr. Golden, who seemed most anxious to exculpate
himself from any accusation of cleverness, “I was merely the
listener-in, if I may use a new-fangled expression, to the information
which John broadcasted. I knew all about this marriage, and I was the
person who appointed a woman detective to look after her at the
Charlton Hotel--but on Johnny’s instructions. That is why he was able
to prove his alibi, because naturally, that section of the police
which knows him, is always ready to prove alibis for other officers of
the police who are mistakenly charged with being criminals.”
“How did you guess about the prison?”
“Fenner squeaked,” said Mr. Golden with a gesture of deprecation.
“‘Squeak’ is not a word I like, but it is rather expressive. Yes,
Fenner squeaked.”
Two happy people drove home together in the car which had brought
Marney to Keytown. The country between Oxford and Horsham is the most
beautiful in the land. The road passes through great aisles of tall
trees, into which a car may be turned and be hidden from the view of
those who pass along the road. Johnny slowed the machine at an
appropriate spot, and put it toward the thickest part of the wood. And
Marney, who sat with folded hands by his side, did not seek any
explanation for his eccentricity.
THE END
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES
The Arrow Books Ltd. edition (London, 1961) was consulted for many of
the changes listed below.
Minor spelling inconsistencies (e.g. bathroom/bath-room, cigarette
case/cigarette-case, etc.) have been preserved.
Alterations to the text:
Abandon the use of drop-caps.
Add ToC.
Place the two footnotes in brackets inline with the text.
Fix some quotation mark pairings and some missing periods.
Relabel the second Chapter XXIX to Chapter XXXII.
[Chapter I]
Change “Marney is marrying Major _Foyd_, of Toronto, and I know” to
_Floyd_.
[Chapter II]
“probably _squawed_ huskily in his cradle” to _squawked_.
[Chapter IV]
“Had _be_ been recognised? Apparently not,” to _he_.
[Chapter VI]
(“They used to have an office man named _Golder_ once)” to _Golden_.
[Chapter VII]
(“I can turn Mr. _Jeffery_ Legge into Dartmoor Jail,”) to _Jeffrey_.
[Chapter VIII]
“Parker who opened the door to him, asked no questions.” add comma
after _Parker_.
[Chapter X]
(“Thank you I would rather remain here.”) add comma after _you_.
(“_You’re_ double-crossed me, you dirty thief!) to _You’ve_.
“peeled five, which he flung on on to the table.” delete one _on_.
[Chapter XI]
(“If you had said five thousand _pound_,” Mr. Reeder went on) to
_pounds_.
[Chapter XII]
“which also belonged exclusively to the _Highlows_ was the basement”
to _Highlow_.
“why Emanuel should be respected at the _Highlows_” to _Highlow_.
“The porter who was a big ex-prize fighter, expressly engaged” add
comma after _porter_.
“even in the tolerant society of the _Highlows_” to _Highlow_.
[Chapter XVI]
(“I know, to my sorrow,” said Peter Kane _prompty_.) to _promptly_.
[Chapter XIX]
(“Oh, you’re _mutty_ to think it!”) to _nutty_.
[Chapter XXV]
“to wipe the moisture _whch_ had condensed upon the lenses” to
_which_.
[Chapter XXXI]
“_John_ listened at the door; he was coming alone” to _Johnny_.
[End of text]