IS IT BLACKMAIL?
Hetherwick was still in ignorance of the reason of Matherfield's desire
to see Rhona when, just before noon next day, Matherfield and he walked
up from Dorking Station into the High Street, and made for the "White
Horse." Matherfield halted a few yards away from its door.
"Let's wait outside for her," he said. "Till I've asked her a question
or two. I don't want to even run the risk of being overheard."
Rhona came along in a car a few minutes later, and seeing the two men
advanced to meet them. Matherfield lost no time in getting to business.
"Miss Hannaford," he said, with a cautious look round, and in a low
voice, "just tell me--is Lady Riversreade up there at the Court? She
is!" he continued, as Rhona nodded. "When did she come back, then?"
"Very early yesterday morning," answered Rhona promptly. "By the 7.45
from Victoria. She was up at the Court by 9.30."
Matherfield turned an utterly perplexed face on Hetherwick. Then he
stared at Rhona.
"Up at Riversreade Court at 9.30 yesterday--Tuesday--morning!" he
exclaimed. "Impossible! I saw her at Southampton at 9.30 yesterday
morning with my own eyes."
"I'm quite sure you didn't!" replied Rhona, with a satirical laugh.
"You're under some queer mistaken impression, Mr. Matherfield. Lady
Riversreade was in her own house, here, with me at 9.30 yesterday
morning. That's a fact that I can vouch for!"
The two men looked at each other. Each seemed to be asking the other a
silent question. But Matherfield suddenly voiced his, in tones full of
wonder and of chagrin.
"Then who on earth is that woman that I followed to Southampton?"
Matherfield's question went without answer. Rhona, who had no idea of
what he was talking about, turned a surprised and inquiring look on
Hetherwick. And Hetherwick saw that the time had come for a lot of
explanation.
"Look here!" he said. "We've got to do some talking, and we can't keep
Miss Hannaford standing in the street. Come into the hotel--we'll get
a private room for lunch, and then we can discuss matters all to
ourselves. You're a bit puzzled by all this," he continued a few
minutes later, turning to Rhona when all three were safely closeted
together, and lunch had been ordered. "And no wonder! But I'd better
tell you what Matherfield and I were after on Monday night, and what
Matherfield was doing all yesterday. You see," he concluded, after
giving Rhona an epitomised account of the recent proceedings, "I was
absolutely certain that the woman whom we saw coming out of Vivian's on
Monday night was the woman you pointed out to me on Sunday morning at
Victoria as Lady Riversreade--she was dressed in just the same things,
I'm positive!--in short I'm convinced it was Lady Riversreade. Then,
Matherfield and I are both equally sure that that was the same woman we
saw coming out of St. Mary's Mansions shortly before five o'clock
yesterday morning, and whom Matherfield followed to Southampton, Up to
now, we've never had a doubt that it was Lady Riversreade--not a doubt!"
"Well," said Rhona, with an incredulous laugh, "I can't say, of course,
that you didn't see Lady Riversreade come out of Vivian's on Monday
night. Lady Riversreade was certainly in town from Sunday noon to
yesterday morning, and she may have gone to Vivian's on Monday night
for purposes of her own. I know nothing about that. But I do know
that she was not in Southampton yesterday, for, as I told you, she was
back home at Riversreade Court, about half-past nine in the morning,
and she's never left the house since. That's plain fact!"
"It's beyond me, then!" exclaimed Matherfield. "And I say again, if
that wasn't Lady Riversreade that I tracked to Southampton, who was it?
I'll say more--if that really was Lady Riversreade that we saw coming
out of Vivian's, and followed to Paddington, and if she wasn't the
woman who came out of those flats yesterday morning, and that I went
after, well, then, Lady Riversreade has a double--who lives in St.
Mary's Mansions! That's about it!"
"As regards that," remarked Hetherwick. "I didn't tell you last night,
Matherfield, that I went back yesterday to that house from which we
watched, and made some cautious inquiries about the tall, handsome
woman who has a flat opposite. I got some information. The woman whom
we followed there, and whom you were running after yesterday is known
there as a Madame Listorelle. She's very little at her flat, though
punctual with its rent. She's sometimes away altogether for long
periods--in fact, she's rarely seen there. And she's believed to be
connected with the stage. The caretaker who supplied this information
saw her at the flat on Monday."
Matherfield smacked one hand on the open palm of the other.
"It's an alias!" he exclaimed. "Bet your stars she's Lady Riversreade!
Away from her flat for long periods? Of course--because she's down
here, at her big house. Keeps that flat up for some purpose of her
own, and calls herself--what is it?--sounds French."
"But supposing that's so," remarked Hetherwick, with a sly glance at
Rhona. "It's utterly impossible that Lady Riversreade could be at
Riversreade Court yesterday, and in Southampton at the same time!
Come, now!"
"Well, I tell you it beats me!" muttered Matherfield. "I know what I
saw! If there's anything gone wrong, it's your fault, Mr. Hetherwick!
I don't know this Lady Riversreade! All I know is that you said the
woman we saw coming out of that club was Lady Riversreade. That, sir,
is the woman I followed!"
"The woman I saw coming out of Vivian's was the woman pointed out to me
by Miss Hannaford as Lady Riversreade," affirmed Hetherwick quietly.
"That's certain! But----"
He was interrupted at this stage by the arrival of lunch. Nothing more
was said until all three were seated, and the waiter had been sent
away. Then Rhona looked at her companions and smiled.
"You both seem to have arrived at a very promising stage!" she said.
"At first I thought it a regular impasse, but----"
"Isn't it?" asked Hetherwick. "At present I don't see any way through
or over it."
"Oh, I think you're getting towards something!" she retorted. "All
these things, puzzling as they are, are better than nothing. I've got
some news, too--if you're sure there are no eavesdroppers about."
"Oh, we're all right!" said Hetherwick. "Good stout old doors,
these--close-fitting. What next?"
Rhona leaned across the table a little, and lowered her voice.
"There was a sort of row at the Court; at least, at the Home,
yesterday," she said. "With that man Baseverie!"
"Ah!" exclaimed Hetherwick. "That's interesting! Tell about it."
"Well, I told you that Lady Riversreade arrived from London yesterday
morning about nine-thirty," continued Rhona. "Major Penteney arrived
with her."
"Who's Major Penteney?" demanded Matherfield.
"He's a retired Army man who's greatly interested in Lady Riversreade's
Home, and looks after its affairs in London," replied Hetherwick. "And
Miss Hannaford thinks he's in love with the foundress. I've seen
him--saw him with Lady Riversreade on Sunday. Yes," he added, turning
to Rhona, "Major Penteney came back with her? Go on."
"As soon as they arrived--I saw them come, from my office window--they
came across to the Home," continued Rhona. "It struck me that they
both looked unusually grave and serious. They talked to me for a few
minutes on business matters: then they went into Lady Riversreade's
private office. They were there for some little time; then Lady
Riversreade came out and went away; I saw her cross to the Court.
Presently Major Penteney came to me, and told me that he wanted to have
a little private talk with me. He said--as near as I can
remember--'Miss Featherstone----'"
Matherfield looked up quickly from his plate.
"Eh?" he said. "Miss--Featherstone?"
"That's the name Miss Hannaford's known by--there," said Hetherwick.
"Her mother's name. I told you before, you know."
"True, true!" assented Matherfield, with a groan. "You did--I remember
now. I'm muddled--with yesterday's affair."
"'Miss Featherstone,' Rhona went on--'I believe you're aware that Lady
Riversreade has lately been visited--twice--by a man who called himself
Dr. Cyprian Baseverie?'
"'Yes,' I answered, 'I am, Major Penteney. I saw Dr. Baseverie on both
occasions.' 'Well,' he said--'I don't suppose you were at all
impressed by him?' 'Not at all impressed, Major Penteney,' I replied,
'except very unfavourably.' 'Didn't like his looks, eh,' he asked with
a smile. 'Do you?' I inquired. 'I've never seen the fellow,' he
answered. 'But I expect to--this very morning. That's what I want to
talk to you about. I believe he'll turn up about noon--as, I
understand, he did before, wanting, of course, to see Lady Riversreade.
I want you to tell the doorkeeper, Mitchell, to bring him straight in
when he comes, and Mitchell is not to say that Lady Riversreade is not
in--she won't be in--he's to admit him immediately; and you, if you
please, are to show him straight into the private office. Instead of
finding Lady Riversreade there, he'll find--me. Is that clear?'
'Perfectly clear, Major Penteney,' I replied. 'I'll see to it.'
'Well, there's something else,' he said. 'After I have had a little
plain-spoken talk with this fellow, I shall ring the bell. I want you
to come in, and to bring Mitchell with you. And--that's all, at
present. You understand?' 'I understand, Major Penteney,' I answered.
'I'll see to it. But as you've never seen this man there's one thing
I'd like to say to you--he's the sort of man who looks as if he might
be dangerous.' He smiled at that. 'Thank you,' he said. 'I'm
prepared for that, Miss Featherstone. You show him right in.'"
Rhona paused for a moment, to attend to the contents of her plate. But
Hetherwick's knife and fork had become idle; so had Matherfield's; each
man, it was plain, was becoming absorbed. And Matherfield suddenly
brightened, and gave Hetherwick an unmistakable wink.
"Good!--good!--good!" he muttered, with something like a chuckle. "I'm
beginning to see a bit of daylight! Excellent!--when you're ready,
Miss Featherstone----"
"Well," continued Rhona, after a few minutes' pause, "about noon, Dr.
Cyprian Baseverie drove up. I had already given Mitchell his
instructions, and he brought Baseverie straight into my office.
Baseverie was evidently in the very best of spirits--he bowed and
grimaced at sight of me as if he expected to find me dying to see him.
I made no answer to his flowery greetings; I just got up, ushered him
to the door of the private room, and closed it after him as he stepped
across the threshold. Then I laughed--he wouldn't see who was awaiting
him until he got right into the room, and I'd already gathered from
Major Penteney that his reception couldn't be exactly pleasant or
agreeable."
Matherfield rubbed his hands together.
"Good!--good!" he chuckled. "Wish I'd been in that room!"
"It wasn't long before I was there, Mr. Matherfield," said Rhona. "I
was, of course, tremendously curious to know what was going on there,
but the door fits closely, and I heard nothing--no angry voices or
anything. However, in less than ten minutes the bell rang sharply. I
called Mitchell--he's a big, strapping, very determined-looking
ex-Guardsman--and in we went. I took everything in at a glance, Major
Penteney sat at Lady Riversreade's desk. On the blotting-pad, his
right hand close to it, lay a revolver----"
"Hah!" exclaimed Matherfield. "To be sure! Just so! Fine!"
"Opposite the desk stood Baseverie, staring first at Major Penteney,
then at us. It's difficult for me to describe how he looked. I think
the principal expression on his face was one of intense surprise."
"Surprise?" ejaculated Hetherwick.
"Surprise! Astonishment! He looked like a man who had just heard
something that he has believed it impossible to hear. But there was
also such a look of anger and rage--well, if Major Penteney hadn't had
that revolver close to his finger-ends, and if Mitchell hadn't been
there, I should have screamed and run. However, it was not I who was
to do the running. As soon as Mitchell and I entered, Major Penteney
spoke--very quietly. He nodded at Baseverie. 'Miss Featherstone and
you, Mitchell--you see this man? If ever he comes here again, you,
Mitchell, will deny him entrance, and you, Miss Featherstone, on
hearing from Mitchell that he's here, will telephone for the police
and, if he hangs about, will give him in charge.' Then he turned to
Baseverie. 'Now, my man!' he continued, pointing to the door. 'You
get out--quick! Go!' Of course, I looked at Baseverie. He stood
staring almost incredulously at Major Penteney. It seemed to me that
he could scarcely believe his ears--he gave me the impression of being
unable to credit that he could be so treated. But he was also livid
with anger. His fingers worked; his eyes blazed; it was dreadful to
see his lips. He got out some words at last----'"
"Give me the exact ones, if you can," interrupted Matherfield.
"I can--I'm not likely to forget them," said Rhona. "He
said--'What--you defy me, knowing what I know--knowing what I know!'"
"'Knowing what I know!'" muttered Matherfield. "Knowing what he knew!
Um!--and then?"
"Then Major Penteney just pointed to the door. 'Get out, I tell you!'
he said. 'And look in the papers to-night. Be off!'"
"'Look in the papers to-night,' eh?" said Matherfield. "Um--um! And
then, I suppose, he went?"
"He went without another word then," assented Rhona. "Mitchell
escorted him out and saw him off. Major Penteney looked at me when
he'd gone. 'There, Miss Featherstone,' he said, 'you've seen one of
the biggest scoundrels in London--or in Europe. Let's hope you'll
never see him again, that that's the end of him here. I think he's had
his lesson!' I made no answer, but I was jolly glad to see Baseverie's
car scooting away down the drive!"
Matherfield picked up the tankard of ale at his side and took a hearty
pull at its contents. He set the tankard down again with an emphatic
bang.
"I know what this job is!" he exclaimed triumphantly. "Blackmail!"
"Just so!" agreed Hetherwick. "I've been thinking that for the last
ten minutes. Baseverie has been endeavouring to blackmail Lady
Riversreade. But that's not our affair, you know. What we're after is
the solving of the mystery surrounding Hannaford's death. And--does
this look likely to fit in anywhere?"
"I should say it decidedly does look likely!" answered Matherfield.
"In my opinion it's all of a piece; at least, it's a piece out of a
piece, one of many pieces, like a puzzle. The thing is to put these
pieces together. And there are two things we can try to do at once.
First, find out more about this man Baseverie; the other, get hold of
more information about the lady in St. Mary's Mansions."
"What about approaching Lady Riversreade for information--or Major
Penteney?" suggested Hetherwick.
"Yes--why don't you?" said Rhona, almost eagerly. "Do! I'm a bit
tired of being there as Miss Featherstone. I want to tell Lady
Riversreade the truth, and all the whys and wherefores of it."
But Matherfield shook his head. The time for that was not yet, he
declared; let them wait awhile. And after more conversation he and
Hetherwick returned to London.