NABALL MAKES A DISCOVERY.
When Kilsip undertook to educate Naball in the business of a
detective, he gave him an epigrammatical piece of advice: "Cultivate
curiosity." This golden rule Naball constantly followed, and found it
of infinite service to him in his difficult profession. He was always
on the lookout for queer cases, and when he discovered one that
piqued his curiosity, he never rested until he found out all about it.
The Red Indian follows the trail of his enemy by noting the most
trivial signs, which to others with a less highly cultivated instinct
would appear worthless. And Naball was a social Red Indian, following
up the trail of a mystery by a constant attention to surrounding
events. A casual observation, a fleeting expression, a scrap of
paper--these were the sign-posts which led him to a satisfactory
conclusion, and he never neglected any opportunity of exercising his
faculties. By this constant practice he sharpened his senses in a
wonderful degree, and cultivated to the highest extent the unerring
instinct which he possessed in discovering crimes.
Consequently, when he found there was no legal authority to be given
him in unravelling the mystery of the diamond robbery, he determined
to investigate it on his own account, in order to satisfy his
curiosity. To a casual spectator, it appeared to be a mere vulgar
burglary, in which the thieves had got off with their plunder, and
until his interview with Caprice the detective had supposed it to be
so. But when he went over in his own mind the peculiar circumstances
of that interview, he saw there was a complicated criminal case to be
investigated, so he set himself to work to unravel the mystery, and
gratify his inquiring mind.
In the first place, he drew up a statement of the case pure and
simple, and then, deducing different theories from the circumstances,
he tried to get a point from whence to start. He placed his ideas in
the form of questions and answers, as follows:--
_Q_. Was Villiers outside on the verandah when Caprice mentioned where
her diamonds were kept?
_A_. To all appearances he was.
_Q_. Had he any inducement to steal the diamonds?
_A_. Undoubtedly. He was poor, and wanted money, proved by his calling
on Caprice and asking for some. He said he would be revenged because
she did not give him more than a sovereign, and there would be no
sweeter revenge than to steal her diamonds, as it would punish her,
and benefit himself.
_Q_. Did he know the room where the diamonds were kept?
_A_. Yes. Caprice said her bedroom, and as Villiers had been several
times to the house before, he knew where it was.
_Q_. Did Caprice know Villiers had stolen her jewels?
_A_. Extremely probably, hence her refusal to prosecute, as he was the
husband of Madame Midas, whom she had treated so basely. The refusal
to prosecute Villiers might be, in Caprice's opinion, an act of
expiation.
When he had got thus far, Naball paused. After all, this was pure
theory. He had not a single well authenticated fact to go on, but all
the circumstances of the case seemed to point to Villiers, so he
determined to go on the trail of Villiers, and find out what he was
doing.
Mr. Villiers had of late been under the espionage of the police, owing
to some shady transactions with which he was connected, so Naball knew
exactly where to find him, and, putting on an overcoat, he sallied
forth in the direction of the slums in Little Bourke Street, with the
intention of calling on a Chinaman named Ah Goon, who kept an opium
den in that unsavoury locality.
To his drinking habits Villiers now added that of being a confirmed
opium smoker, and was on terms of intimacy with Ah Goon, in whose den
he was accustomed to pass his evenings. Naball therefore intended to
watch for Villiers, and find out, if possible, when, owing to drink
and opium combined, he was not master of himself, what he had done on
the night of the robbery after leaving Caprice.
He soon entered Little Bourke Street, and plunged into the labyrinth
of slums, which he knew thoroughly. It was a clear, starry night, but
the cool, fresh air was tainted in this locality by the foul miasma
which pervaded the neighbourhood, and even the detective, accustomed
as he was to the place, felt disgusted with the sickly odours that
permeated the atmosphere.
Ah Goon's house was in a narrow right-of-way off one of the larger
alleys, and there was a faint candle burning in the window to attract
customers. Pausing at the door a moment, Naball listened to hear if
there was any European within. The monotonous chant of a Chinese
beggar could be heard coming down the alley, and every now and then
the screams of two women fighting, while occasionally a number of
noisy larrikins would come tramping heavily along, forming a strong
contrast to the silent, soft-footed Orientals.
Pushing open the door, Naball entered the den, a small, low-ceilinged
room, which was filled with a dull, smoky atmosphere. At the end was a
gaudy-looking shrine, all yellow, red, and green, with tinsel flowers,
and long red bills with fantastic Chinese letters on them in long
rows. Candles were burning in front of this, and cast a feeble light
around--on a pile of bamboo canes and baskets heaped up against the
wall; on strange-looking Chinese stools of cane-work; on _bizarre_
ivory carvings set on shelves; and on a low raised platform at the
end of the room, whereon the opium-smokers reclined. Above this
ground-floor were two or three other broad, shallow shelves, in each
of which a Chinaman was lying, sunk deep in an opium slumber; there
was also a kerosene lamp on the lower floor, beside which Ah Goon was
reclining, and deftly preparing a pipe of opium for a fat,
stolid-looking Chinaman, who watched the process with silent apathy.
Ah Goon looked up as the detective entered, and a bland smile spread
over his face as he nodded to him, and went on preparing his pipe,
while Naball stood watching the queer operation. There was an oil lamp
with a clear flame in front of Ah Goon, who was holding a kind of
darning-needle. Dipping this into a thick, brown, sticky-looking
substance, contained in a small pot, he twirled the needle rapidly,
spinning round the glutinous mass like treacle. Then he placed it in
the flame of the lamp, and turned it slowly round and round for a
short time until it was ready; then, having placed it in the small
hole of the opium pipe, which he held ready in his other hand, he gave
it to his countryman, who received it with a grunt of satisfaction,
and, lying back, took the long stem between his lips and inhaled the
smoke with long, steady breaths. When his pipe was done, which was
accomplished in three or four whiffs, he devoted himself to preparing
another, while Ah Goon arose to his feet to speak to Naball.
He was a tall man, with a thin, yellow-skinned, emaciated face,
cunning, oblong eyes, and flattish nose. His pigtail, of course--black
hair craftily lengthened by thick twisted silk--was coiled on top of
his head; and his dress, consisting of a dull blue blouse, wide
trousers of the same colour, and thick, white-soled Chinese slippers,
by no means added to his personal beauty. Standing before Naball, with
an unctuous smile on his face, and his long, slender hands clasped in
front of him, Ah Goon waited for the detective to speak.
Naball glanced rapidly round the apartment, and not seeing Villiers,
addressed himself to the stolid Celestial, who was looking slyly at
him.
"Ah Goon, where is the white man who comes here every night?"
"Plenty he come allee muchee night--me no have seen," replied Ah Goon,
blinking his black eyes.
"Yes, I know that," retorted Naball quickly; "but this one is
short--black hair and whiskers--smokes opium--drinks a lot--is called
Villiers."
Whether Ah Goon recognised the gentleman thus elegantly described was
doubtful; at all events, he put on a stolid air.
"Me no sabee," he answered.
Naball held out a half-a crown, upon which Ah Goon fixed his eyes
lovingly.
"Where is he?"
The money was too much for Ah Goon's cupidity, so he gave in.
"Him playee fan-tan-ayah!" he answered, in a sing-song voice, "allee
same."
"Oh!"
Mr. Naball did not waste any words, but threw the half-crown to the
expectant Ah Goon, and turned towards the door. Just as he reached it
there was a noise of hurried footsteps outside, and Villiers' voice,
husky and savage, was heard,--
"Ah Goon, you yellow devil, where are you?" and there came a heavy
kick at the door.
In a moment Naball drew back into a shadowy corner, and placed his
finger on his lips to ensure silence, a pantomime which the
intelligent Ah Goon understood at once.
Villiers opened the door and lurched noisily into the room, stopping
for a minute on the threshold, dazed by the yellow, smoky glare.
"Here, you, Ah Goon," he cried, catching sight of the Chinaman, "I
want some money--more money."
"Ah Goon no have," murmured that individual, clutching his half-crown.
"I've lost all I had on that infernal fan-tan of yours," shrieked
Villiers, not heeding him; "but my luck must change--give me another
fiver."
"Ah Goon no have," reiterated the Chinaman, edging away from the
excited Villiers.
"Curse your no have," he said fiercely; "why, I've only had twenty
pounds from you, and those diamonds were worth fifty."
Diamonds! Naball pricked up his ears at this. He was winning after
all. Kitty did not steal her jewels, but this was the thief, or
perhaps an accomplice.
"Give me more money," cried Villiers, lurching forward, and would have
laid his hand on the shoulder of the shrinking Chinaman, when Naball
stepped out of his corner.
"What's the matter?" he asked, in his silky voice.
Villiers turned on the new-comer with a sudden start, and stared
suspiciously at him; but the detective being muffled up in a heavy
ulster, with his hat pulled over his eyes, he did not recognise him.
"What do you want?" he said ungraciously.
"Nothing," replied Naball quickly. "I'm only strolling round the
Chinese quarter out of curiosity, and heard you rowing this poor
devil."
"Poor devil!" sneered Villiers, with a glance of fury at Ah Goon, who
had complacently resumed his occupation of preparing an opium pipe;
"he's rich enough."
"Indeed," said the detective, carelessly--"to lend money?"
"What's that to you?" growled Villiers, with a snarl. "I s'pose I can
borrow money if I like."
"Certainly, if you've got good security to give."
Villiers glared angrily at the young man.
"Don't know what you're talking about," he said sulkily.
"Security," explained Naball smoothly; means "borrowing money on land,
clothes, or--or diamonds."
Villiers gave a sudden start, and was about to reply, when the door
opened violently, and a bold, handsome woman, dressed in a bright
green silk, dashed into the room and swooped down on Ah Goon.
"Well, my dear," she said effusively, "'ere I am; bin to the theatre,
and 'ere you are preparing that pisin of yours. Oh, I must 'ave one
pipe to-night, just one, and--Who the blazes are you?" catching sight
of the two strangers.
"Shut up," said Villiers, and made a step towards her, for just on the
bosom of her dress sparkled a small crescent of diamonds set in
silver. The woman's eyes caught his covetous glance, and she put her
hand over the ornament.
"No, you don't," she said scowling. "Lay a finger on me and I'll--ah!"
She ended with a stifled cry, for without warning, Villiers had sprung
on her, and his hands were round her throat. Ah Goon and another
Chinaman jumped up and threw themselves on the two, trying to separate
them. The woman got Villiers' hands off her, and started to sing out
freely, so Naball began to think of retreating, as the noise would
bring all the undesirable bullies of the neighbourhood into the
unsavoury den.
While thus hesitating, the woman flung the diamond ornament away from
her with an oath, and it fell at Naball's feet. In a moment the
detective had picked it up and slipped in into his pocket.
Villiers, seeing the ornament was gone, flung the woman from him with
a howl of fury, and turned to look for it, when the door was burst
violently open, and a crowd of Chinese, all chattering in their high
shrill voices like magpies, surged into the room. Ah Goon, with many
gesticulations, began to explain, Villiers to swear, and the woman to
shriek, so in the midst of this pandemonium Naball slipped away, and
was soon walking swiftly down Little Bourke Street, with the diamond
ornament safe in his pocket.
"I believe this is one of the stolen jewels," he muttered exultingly,
"and Villiers was the thief after all. Humph! I'm not so sure of that.
Well, I'll find out the truth when I see how she looks on being shown
this little bit of evidence."