THE PAPERS AT LAST
Lord Merehaven followed Lechmere eagerly down the steps of the club. He
was anxious and excited now as any schoolboy with the prospect of a last
holiday before him. The diplomatist became merged in the mere man. He
plied Lechmere with questions.
"I think that we had better have a cab," said the latter. "In the first
instance we have to go as far as General Maxgregor's rooms. After that
we will proceed to the residence of Countess Saens. Yes, you are quite
right. It was I who supplied the police with the information that led up
to this sensational arrest."
"Pity you had not done it before," Merehaven spluttered, as he jammed
his top hat in the door of the hansom. "It would have saved a wonderful
lot of trouble."
Lechmere demurred. He had known for some time a great deal of the past
of the woman who was known to society as Countess Saens. As a matter of
fact he had bided his time, little dreaming how soon it would be
necessary to make use of his information.
"I think I told you before who the woman was," he said. "Or was it
General Maxgregor? Anyway, it does not in the least matter. For my part,
I rather regret the necessity for putting this woman out of the way. It
is far better to keep such people under observation and thus keep in
touch with one's enemies. But I could see no other way."
"But you won't frighten her into speaking," Merehaven said.
"Of course we shan't. She has too much pluck for that. I want to get her
out of the way because it is desirable to search her house for the
missing papers without suspicion of our designs. And we are going to
find the papers there sure enough."
"Surely you must be mistaken," Merehaven protested. "If the countess
still has the papers, she would have handed them over to Count
Gleikstein, who would have made profit over them. She would have given
us no quarter like he is doing now."
"I did not say that the countess had the papers," Lechmere said drily.
"I said they were in the house, which is quite a different matter. But
here we are at Maxgregor's."
Maxgregor was out as the hall porter-valet Robert told Lechmere. But the
latter did not seem in the least disappointed. He proceeded up the
stairs to the general's rooms, intimating that Robert had better follow
him. The man did so wondering, but he had no anxiety for himself yet.
Lechmere wanted to go into the general's bedroom, he also wanted to see
the suit of dress clothes worn by the general on the night of his return
from Lady Merehaven's reception. With some little demur Robert produced
the garments in question from a wardrobe. Lechmere smiled with an air of
easy triumph as he produced a flat packet of papers from the dress coat
pocket.
"Exactly as I expected," he murmured to Lord Merehaven. "This is the
dress suit worn by the king when he was smuggled into your house by the
queen and her tiring woman on the night of the reception. As I have told
you before, Maxgregor escaped in the king's clothes. In these clothes
was the Deed of Abdication ready for signature as handed to the king by
Mazaroff. If you will open that packet you will see whether I am wrong
or not."
Lechmere was not wrong, it was the Deed of Abdication right enough. Very
grimly Lord Merehaven placed it in a position of safety. It was a strong
weapon that Lechmere had afforded for his next interview with Count
Gleikstein.
"I felt quite certain that we should find it," Lechmere said. "And now
let us proceed a stage further. Where is General Maxgregor's telephone,
Robert?"
Robert explained that the telephone was in the next room. The servant
seemed a little easier in his mind as he led the way to the
sitting-room. Then Lechmere closed the door and looked at the man
keenly.
"You are going to do something for me, Robert," he said. "Be so good as
to call up No. 99996 Belgravia. Ah, I see that the number is well known
to you. I have every reason to believe that you have called up that
number many times before. Now listen to me and do exactly what I tell
you or you may make the acquaintance of the inside of a gaol before
long. You are going to help me to find certain papers which, though you
may not be a party to stealing them, you know all about them and their
value and the like."
"I am sure that I don't know what you mean, sir," Robert said sulkily.
"Then it will be necessary for me to refresh your memory, Robert. I mean
those papers that you were discussing the other night with Annette--the
night you had the champagne supper at Countess Saens's house. The papers
returned by the policeman, you know, found by him in Piccadilly. You and
Annette were going to sell them and buy a boarding-house in Brook Street
with the proceeds. I think it would be far better for you to recollect,
Robert."
The valet-porter collapsed without further signs of fight. There was
nothing of the born conspirator about him. He was no more or less than a
tolerably dishonest London servant. He was quite ready to do anything
that Mr. Lechmere asked him.
"Then call up 99996 and ask for Annette," Lechmere said curtly. "Say
that you must see her at once here without the slightest delay. No
occasion to explain the reason. Then you can hang the receiver up
quietly as if you were cut off, so that the young woman has no time to
ask questions. After that you will come with me in my cab. It won't be
gallant conduct so far as Annette is concerned but I can't help that.
You can make the best of your explanations later on."
"What do you want that fellow for?" Merehaven asked, as Robert proceeded
to carry out his instructions.
Lechmere replied that he had no need whatever of Robert's services, but
that he had not the smallest intention of leaving him there to sound the
note of alarm over the telephone directly they had gone. Lord Merehaven
had not seen this point, it would have escaped him. But Lechmere was not
in the habit of leaving his pawns unaccounted for like that. He listened
close by the telephone till he heard the small distant voice of Annette
saying that she would come round at once, then he jerked up the
receiver and rang off connection sharply.
"Now come along," he said. "By the time we reach the residence of
Countess Saens, Annette will be well on her way here, indeed we shall
probably pass her in the cab. For the sake of our friend Robert it will
be necessary to take a four-wheeler this time. Come along."
Lechmere proved to be perfectly correct as to the meeting of Annette on
her way to keep the appointment. The cab pulled up not too close to the
countess' residence and Lechmere alighted, bidding Lord Merehaven wait
until he returned. As he expected, the house was in the hands of the
police pending the arrival of the owner's agent, who had been
telegraphed for. The inspector in charge was an old acquaintance of
Lechmere's and seemed glad to see him.
"Bit of a sensation, this, Roscoe," Lechmere said guardedly. "But one
never knows, do they?"
Roscoe smiled with the air of a man who was used to these surprises. He
intimated that this was going to be a big business, there would be a
formal remand applied for, and after that the foreign police proposed to
take a hand in the matter.
"Have you had the house searched yet?" Lechmere asked. "No? Well, you'd
better get a warrant. As a matter of fact the countess is a brilliant
political spy and there may be things here well worth the inspection of
the British Government. Don't say I didn't give you the tip. I suppose
you don't mind my going over the house. I may see something worth
noting."
Roscoe had no objection whatever. Lechmere made an elaborate pretence of
inspecting the room and then he strolled up to the servants' quarters
in a casual way. This was Annette's room sure enough. Lechmere
remembered Peretori's description well enough to recollect that. And on
the wall high up was a plaster cast of a crucifix with a figure extended
upon it. Lechmere listened a moment to make quite sure that nobody was
about, then he climbed up with the aid of a chair. As he had expected,
the back of the cast was hollow and in the cavity was a bundle of
papers. Without the slightest feeling of excitement he untied the tape
that fastened them, glanced his eyes over the contents, and walked down
stairs again. He nodded to Roscoe as he passed out.
"Nothing so far as I can see," he said. "Don't forget to apply for a
search warrant."
He dismissed the four-wheeler in the street and told Robert curtly to go
about his business. He had no further use for the valet-porter. The task
was done.
"Well?" Merehaven asked eagerly. "Well? One can judge nothing from your
face."
"Good thing for me," Lechmere said imperturbably. "But what do you think
of this? There are your papers."
And Merehaven was only too glad to admit that Lechmere was right.