JUVE'S LIES
M. Annion had left the Ministry quite late the evening before in a very
bad humor. Not that he had any doubt about the deposition of Marie
Pascal. The report of his inspectors had settled that point,
supplemented by the visits to the King of the attache and the banker.
"That young girl of the sixth floor," he said to himself, "who calls
herself Marie Pascal, is either trying to hold up the sovereign or else
she is crazy. In either case the important thing is to make her hold her
tongue. Now there are two ways of doing this, through menacing her or
through bribing her. I'll apply the first, and if that doesn't answer
I'll try the second."
As to the King, while his identity had been proved, he was none the less
a murderer.
The question was whether to prevent the visit he wished to pay to the
President of the Republic or to bring it about.
M. Annion took the Rue des Saussaies at 7.30 and having reached home,
dined quickly while he read the evening paper. The news was startling.
An article reserved in tone, but giving sufficient details, announced
the arrest of Fantomas, the mysterious criminal of the Palace Royal of
Glotzbourg, while attempting to steal the diamond which constituted the
private fortune of Prince Frederick-Christian II.
"Good God!" cried M. Annion, "Fantomas arrested, the diamond stolen, and
Juve doesn't return or send any word!"
The director of the Secret Service felt himself entangled in a network
of intrigues which seemed impossible to unravel. He seemed to be
surrounded by an impenetrable mystery.
Fantomas! And now the name of Fantomas was associated with the scandal
brought about by Frederick-Christian!
M. Annion slept badly, haunted by a nightmare in which he was constantly
pursuing an extraordinary Fantomas, whom he would seize and bind and who
would then suddenly vanish into thin air. At eight o'clock in the
morning he appeared at his office. There a surprise awaited him. Upon
his desk lay a telegram. Rapidly tearing it open, he glanced at the
text.
"Ah!... Good God! Can it be true! Fantomas dead! Fantomas dead in
prison! I must be dreaming!"
While he was rereading the astonishing news, the door of his office
opened and Juve walked in.
"Juve!"
"Myself, Chief."
"Well!"
"Well," replied Juve, calmly, "I've had a pretty good trip."
Brandishing the telegram, M. Annion cried:
"Fantomas is dead!"
"Yes ... Fantomas is dead."
"What have you found out?"
"Oh, a thing or two ... rather interesting."
"And the diamond?"
"Stolen, Chief, disappeared."
"Stolen by Fantomas?"
"Yes, by Fantomas."
"It was you who arrested him?"
"Hum!--yes and no.... I was the cause of his arrest."
"And the murder of Susy d'Orsel?"
"It was committed by Fantomas."
"You are sure of that?"
"Certain, Chief."
M. Annion rose and paced up and down in great excitement.
"Now then, let's get the facts in the case, tell me in detail what
occurred at Hesse-Weimar."
Juve had had the foresight to prepare a report which would tell enough
to prove that the murderer of Susy d'Orsel was really Fantomas, and thus
clear the name of the King. He gave no hint, however, that Fandor was
still, as Juve thought, impersonating Frederick-Christian, and made no
mention of his own adventures. He concluded by saying:
"In a word, we have now only to establish the guilt of Fantomas and
publish the story of his crime, to absolve the King in the eyes of
all ... and that will mean the end of your troubles."
"That is true!" replied the director joyfully, "and I may add it is
entirely due to you, my dear Juve. Why, the other day, I was actually on
the point of arresting Frederick-Christian, which would have been an
unpardonable blunder."
"Really?"
"Yes. For since your departure, the identity of the King has been
established beyond dispute. Yesterday I learned that the director of the
bank had had an interview with him, and he also received a visit from an
intimate friend, an attache of the Embassy."
Juve heard these words with growing uneasiness. The King was Fandor. How
had Fandor managed the affair?
M. Annion continued:
"And what do you think happened yesterday afternoon? I received a visit
from a little idiot called Marie Pascal, who still insisted on the
imposture. She asserted that the King was no longer the same."
Juve felt his head swimming.
Marie Pascal had paid one visit to Fandor, and now declared he was no
longer the same! So Fandor was not at the Royal Palace. Who had taken
his place?
The real King?
Was Fandor himself a victim?
"By the way," pursued M. Annion, oblivious of Juve's trouble, "you
didn't happen to learn any details concerning the King's toilette at
Glotzbourg?"
"No, why?"
"Oh, nothing of importance. I should like to have known whether it was a
fact that Frederick-Christian wore an 18-inch collar. It would merely
have been another proof."
The words literally stupefied the detective. If the man at the Royal
Palace wore 18-inch collars, he was certainly not Fandor, whose neck
was very slender. The journalist wore size 14-1/2.
* * * * *
One hour later--it was then half-past ten in the morning--Juve arrived
at the Royal Palace. He did not attempt to send up his card to the King,
but contented himself with gathering what information he could from
among his colleagues who were stationed about the hotel.
"The deuce!" he cried, twenty minutes later. "It's true that
Frederick-Christian is really here. What has become of Fandor? Well, I
shall probably be able to get news of him at his own apartment. What I
have to do now is to recover the diamond and catch Fantomas ... if that
is possible."