A PARTY OF THREE
Juve was busy searching in a bureau drawer while Marie Pascal was going
through piles of linen in her cupboard.
"You are sure you put it there?" asked Juve. "Madame Ceiron hasn't by
any chance taken it away, has she?"
"Oh, no," replied Marie Pascal, "I am quite sure I locked it in my
drawer, and locked the door of my room as well."
The room had been turned completely topsy-turvy, while Juve and Marie
Pascal were searching anxiously and nervously through all the girl's
belongings.
When she left the Royal Palace Hotel, Marie Pascal had gone directly to
Police Headquarters, where she had found Juve. After telling him the
history of the chemise fallen from the Marquis de Serac's laundry, she
had repeated all the details of her interview with the King and the
advice he had given her.
"His Majesty Frederick-Christian was certainly wise in sending you
here," he replied; "to begin with, it proves most conclusively that he
has every intention of denying the crime of which you accused him
yesterday, and of which you no longer accuse him to-day."
Marie Pascal protested: "I never accused him!"
"It amounted to the same thing, for the man you say threw Susy d'Orsel
out of the window could only be the King, since he was alone with his
mistress.... Now we get the further evidence of the chemise found by you
quite by chance ... and by sending you to me His Majesty explicitly
accuses a woman, the woman to whom that chemise belonged--of having
killed Susy d'Orsel."
"The first thing to be done, Mademoiselle, is to go to your room and
have a look at this garment. The Marquis de Serac himself is away, and
besides, his reputation is well known. Therefore, we cannot accuse him.
If the chemise was found among his laundry it would imply that the
murderer, taken by surprise, hid himself in the Marquis's apartment and
either changed his clothes there or dropped the chemise into the
Marquis's laundry-bag on purpose to create a false scent."
Without further words, Juve and the young girl drove to Rue de Monceau
to examine the chemise which she had found that morning. Marie Pascal
unlocked her door; a few moments later started in amazement. The chemise
had disappeared. Afterward Juve began to wonder whether Marie Pascal
had spoken the truth or whether it was a put-up story between herself
and the King.
"There's no use looking any further," he cried, "some one has stolen
it."
"But it's terrible," replied Marie Pascal. "It is the only evidence that
would clear the King. The only proof that he is not guilty. How can
anyone be sure that I really found the chemise?"
Juve nodded. "That's what I have been asking myself, Mademoiselle."
"Oh, what can be done?"
The anxiety of the young girl interested Juve keenly.
"It's very annoying, Mademoiselle. But, after all, it only affects you
indirectly. The King will have to explain clearly whether he was alone
with Susy d'Orsel or whether a woman accompanied him."
"Yes, but then they will suspect him.... Oh, M. Juve, what do you
think?"
Juve gave a dry cough and answered:
"Well, Mademoiselle, this is the way I figure it out. Susy d'Orsel has
been the mistress of the King for about two years, and as you know
constancy is unusual with men, it is quite possible that
Frederick-Christian had had enough of his mistress and had become
interested in another woman."
"That doesn't explain anything."
"Oh, yes, it does. It explains everything. Suppose, for instance, that
the King had fallen in love with another demi-mondaine, and that had
brought her to the apartment to notify Susy d'Orsel of his intention to
break with her. Might not a quarrel have arisen between the two women
and the new mistress, exasperated by some taunt, had thrown the
unfortunate Susy d'Orsel out of the window?... That would be a
commonplace enough story."
While speaking Juve was watching carefully the expression on Marie
Pascal's face. She had grown very pale and at the end protested with a
cry:
"No, no, you are wrong. The King had not two mistresses. And besides,
the chemise I found was made of coarse linen, and would not certainly be
worn by that sort of woman."
"Ah," thought Juve, "I wonder if Marie Pascal by any chance is in love
with his Majesty. That would explain many things. To begin with, the
reason why she was watching Susy's window. Also why the King, touched
perhaps by the caprice of this girl, had had a row with his mistress,
and finally why Marie Pascal, having seen him again, had invented the
story of the chemise, which could not be found. This young girl is
imprudent. She lets it be seen too clearly how disagreeable the
hypothesis would be to her. After reasoning thus to himself Juve turned
to the young girl.
"Well, Mademoiselle Marie, if my supposition is wrong there can be only
one explanation, namely, that some woman committed the crime, a woman
who was hidden in the apartment and who subsequently hid the chemise in
the Marquis de Serac's laundry bag, and then having learned of your
discovery returned to your room to recover the compromising article."
Marie Pascal remained silent. Juve continued with the intention of
alarming her out of her reserve.
"But if this last supposition is the right one we must admit that it is
none the less unfortunate for the King. For once the chemise disappeared
the King must be held guilty until further discovery."
Marie Pascal replied simply:
"It is frightful. The more so because I had this proof in my hand, and I
know very well he is innocent."
Juve picked up his hat and began buttoning his overcoat.
"Naturally, Mademoiselle, you yourself know ... and I may add that I am
of your opinion, but still you have no proof to offer, and
consequently...."
Marie Pascal wrung her hands in desperation.
"What is to be done? How can the truth come to light.... Ah, I shall
never forgive myself for having at first accused the King and then
losing the proof of his innocence."
"Oh, don't take it to heart too much. In criminal affairs the first
results of the investigator are really conclusive."
Juve nodded to the young girl and rapidly went downstairs smiling to
himself. One thing and one alone had developed from his interview. The
King denied his guilt.
"The only thing I know," he thought, "is that the concierge affirms that
Frederick-Christian was alone when he came to see Susy d'Orsel.... If I
can prove that definitely I can also prove by the chain of evidence that
the King is guilty. But how to do it?"
Juve hurried through the courtyard, passing the office of Mme. Ceiron,
who was out at that moment. As he had already obtained the key of Susy
d'Orsel's apartment, her absence did not trouble him.
"I'll be willing to bet," he thought, "that I shall find nothing
interesting in her rooms. But it is at least my duty to go over them
carefully.... If only I could discover evidence showing that three
persons were there together, but that is most unlikely. The officers,
the doctors, the concierge and the men who carried the body to the
Morgue would have destroyed all traces."
It was not without a slight shudder that Juve entered the apartment
where the tragedy occurred. With a real catch at his heart he went
through the bright, luxuriously decorated rooms, still giving evidence
of a feminine presence.
Death had entered there. The sinister death of crime, brutal,
unforeseen. A hundred times more tragic for remaining unexplained. Juve,
however, quickly stifled his feelings. He was there to investigate and
nothing else mattered. The bedroom presented nothing worthy of notice,
the boudoir was in perfect order, also the kitchen and the hall.
Juve entered, finally, the dining-room. It was there, according to the
testimony of witnesses, that the crime must have taken place. It was
there in any case that Susy d'Orsel had received her lover.
Nothing had been deranged. The table was still set for supper. Two
places, side by side, bore mute witness that the King had been alone
with his mistress.
Juve at first carefully examined the general lay of the room. The
disposition of the chairs, the two knives from the two forks, two fish
plates, all went to prove there had been only two persons at the table.
But suddenly he gave a start and his face expressed the keenest
interest. He dropped to his knees and carefully examined the floor under
the table.
"Unless I am dreaming there are ashes here."
Juve bent forward and noticed at the right of the sofa an ash receiver
placed near the edge of the table, and below on the carpet a small heap
of gray ash.
"To begin with, we'll admit that Susy d'Orsel flicked the ash off her
cigarette ... gray ash from Egyptian tobacco, a woman's cigarette."
He now moved to the left of the sofa.
"In the second place, here is another heap of ashes in this plate ...
cigar ashes ... in fact here is the tend showing a German brand.... So
the King was sitting on the right of Susy d'Orsel. Less careful, he used
his plate instead of an ash receiver."
Now bending down he noticed on the carpet a third heap of ash.
"A third person has been smoking here. For there is no reason why the
King should have changed his place and sat at the opposite side of the
table where no place is laid.... Also this third person, in smoking a
cigarette, and having no plate or ash receiver, dropped his ashes on the
carpet."
After a moment's thought Juve took from his pocket a small automatic
lighting arrangement and going on his hands and knees under the table
began a careful examination of its feet. In a moment he gave an
exclamation of joy.
"Ah, I have got it now. This is conclusive."
And in fact Juve had made a most important discovery. The heavy legs of
the table were joined by crosspieces and Juve had been able to determine
where Susy d'Orsel had rested her feet. He saw also the slight traces of
mud where the King had rested his feet. Most important, however, was the
fact that further traces of mud had been left by a third pair of feet.
"If only I could identify the feet that were placed here, and whether
they belonged to a woman."
A closer examination of the wood made him rise to his feet with a cry.
Quickly taking a chair, he placed it before the table in the place that
might naturally be occupied by a third guest, and then sat down. This is
what he discovered. It was quite impossible for a woman to have been
sitting there. Having stretched his legs and rested his feet upon the
traces of mud, he discovered that one of the legs of the table came
directly between his knees. A woman's skirt would have made this
position impossible for her.
"Why, the King was telling the truth! There were three persons in this
dining-room a few moments before the crime was committed. And they were
Susy d'Orsel, the King and another man."
Juve now threw himself into an armchair and remained buried in thought.
"To sum it up, the King alone is in a position to give me further
information.... And if he should refuse to speak or should attempt to
lie I have now within my hands the means of forcing him to tell the
truth."
He sprang up quickly.
"The next thing to do is to go and see the King."