ASHTON-KIRK ASKS QUESTIONS
Ashton-Kirk dismissed his car in front of a restaurant in the center of
the city; he and his friend had luncheon in a quiet corner, then lighted
cigars and smoked while they sipped their coffee.
"This is the second little matter I've had to put up to you," said Bat
Scanlon. "I hope it won't grow into a habit."
"If it has any of the entertaining qualities of the other case," smiled
the investigator, "I shall be greatly beholden to you."
Bat shook his head, and watched a cloud of white, thin smoke vanish in
the air.
"That hardly seems likely," said he. "Stanwick ain't the place for
mystery that Warwick Furnace was; and on the face of it, anyway, 620
Duncan Street can't touch Castle Schwartzberg for thrills. Beside that,
the Campe affair[1] just sizzled with stuff, while this one, like as
not, is finished already."
Ashton-Kirk smiled, and drew slowly at his cigar; this latter had a
spicy tang, a flavor which suggested hot suns and heavy dews; the taste
was rich, and the effect heady.
"Here is a cigar," said he, "which has all the flavor and shock of a
richer looking and more suggestive leaf." He indicated the rather
negative wrapper, and went on: "As you see, it hasn't any of that lush
darkness which one usually associates with potent tobacco. And all
because the wrapper was grown in Pennsylvania; for a casual inspection
tells nothing of the tropical growth within."
"All of which is meant to mean----?" and Bat Scanlon looked at his
friend inquiringly.
"That one must not be too hasty in judging a thing by its externals. The
Campe case was surrounded by a sort of natural melodrama; the gloomy
hills, which appear to have impressed Miss Cavanaugh, the huge bulk of
Schwartzberg Castle, the unaccountable messages, and unknown agencies
all led one to expect something unusual. In this present affair,
however, the stage settings are not nearly so sensational; and yet,"
here the singular eyes of the investigator were fixed upon Scanlon
intently, "who knows? Unlooked-for results may not be lacking."
"Why--do you mean to say----?" Scanlon began the question in a voice
pitched in the key of sudden surprise; but the other stopped him before
he could finish.
"As I said a while ago, at Stanwick," remarked Ashton-Kirk, "it is not
yet time to declare anything. Just now we are picking up what facts and
suggestions we can; later we'll try fitting them together." He drew out
his watch and looked at it. "Two-thirty," he said. "Miss Cavanaugh must
have started for Stanwick before this; so suppose we go now for our
call."
Scanlon made a wry face as he arose.
"I don't like calling," spoke he, "and I especially don't like this one.
When I was deputy marshall out in the Gunnison country I once made a
call at the house of a gentleman who had locked himself up with a barrel
of ammunition and a half dozen Winchesters, and bid defiance to the law.
It was no soft job, but I'd rather do it again, than this."
"I think you are a little thin-skinned in the matter," spoke
Ashton-Kirk. "Miss Cavanaugh is extremely anxious to go further into
this case, and has asked our help. As I see it we can greatly increase
our chances of success by this visit; and we'll also save her the
anxiety of seeing us prowling around."
It was about a half hour's walk to Nora Cavanaugh's house; and when they
rang the bell the same trim maid opened the door.
"Is Miss Cavanaugh at home?" inquired Ashton-Kirk.
"No, sir," replied the maid. "She went out about a half hour ago."
"I'm sorry," said the investigator, a look of vexation upon his face.
"However, I suppose, though, it makes no difference. You recall what
Miss Cavanaugh said to you when we were here yesterday."
"Oh, yes, sir; very well."
"Excellent!" said Ashton-Kirk. "And, now, we'd like to ask you a few
questions, if you please."
The girl admitted them to a bright old reception room; the investigator
laid his hat and stick upon a table.
"It was you who admitted Mr. Burton the last time he was here, was it
not?"
"I opened the door for him, yes, sir. And he pushed by me."
"I see. How long had it been since his previous visit?"
"I'm not sure; but some time."
"What sort of a temper was he in?"
"He was always disagreeable, sir; but he was real nasty that night. He
pushed me aside as if I was nothing at all."
The black eyes of the maid flashed at the recollection.
"I suppose you attend Miss Cavanaugh at the theatre as well as at
home?"
"Oh, yes; she has no other maid."
Ashton-Kirk smiled and shook his finger at the girl.
"Then it was you who left the door of a cabinet open in the
dressing-room and so caused that little accident."
"An accident!" The girl looked at him surprisedly. "I don't think I know
just what you mean."
"Oh, well, never mind," said the investigator, carelessly. "A little
mistake of mine, no doubt."
There was a vague sort of trouble in the face of Bat Scanlon; he
smoothed his chin with one big hand, and shifted his weight uneasily
from one foot to the other.
"And now," said Ashton-Kirk, to the maid, "when Burton pushed past you
that night, where did he go?"
"He went to Miss Cavanaugh's rooms, sir."
"And just _how_ did he go? Take us to the rooms just as he went."
The girl led the way into the hall once more.
"When he passed me," she said, "he ran up those stairs," pointing. "At
first I didn't know what to do, but I followed him. He went into Miss
Cavanaugh's room"--they had reached the second floor by this time, and
the girl pointed to a door--"without ever knocking."
"Is that all?"
"Yes, sir; except that about fifteen minutes later he left the house."
"Very well. And now, if we may, we'd like to see the inside of Miss
Cavanaugh's rooms."
The trim little maid seemed surprised at this; however, she had her
instructions, and so did not hesitate. She opened the door, stood aside
for them to enter, and then followed them in. It was Nora's
dressing-room, a place of soft colors, of cool aloofness, and as Bat
Scanlon breathed the air of it, with its delicate suggestion of scent,
he had a feeling that he was venturing too far; he felt that his act was
almost profanation. Through an open door at one end he caught a glimpse
of a white bed; but it was only a glimpse, for after that he kept his
head turned resolutely in another direction.
But not so with Ashton-Kirk; only one idea held his mind; his singular
eyes studied the room with the eagerness of an ancient scholar poring
over his scrolls.
"Miss Cavanaugh wears some handsome diamonds in the play in which she is
now appearing," said he, suddenly, to the maid.
"Oh, yes, sir; beautiful. And real ones, too."
Ashton-Kirk smiled.
"And the more real they are, the more reason why she shouldn't permit
them to lie about like that," said he, pointing to a stand, upon which
rested a handsome jewel case. "And more especially when I see a
scaffolding just outside the window which would make entrance for a
thief rather easy."
"It's perfectly all right," she said; "there's no danger, sir." She
opened the jewel case, showing it to be empty. "Miss Cavanaugh has put
all her jewels in a bank vault."
"That must have been recently," said the investigator, his brows a
trifle raised.
"Only yesterday. She made up her mind about it very suddenly."
A look which Bat Scanlon could not interpret shot across Ashton-Kirk's
face; a tune was upon his lips as he prowled, hands deep in his trousers
pockets, up and down the room, his keen eyes missing nothing. At length
he paused and looked at the maid once more.
"I have always admired the manner in which Miss Cavanaugh has her hair
arranged," said he. "Do you do that?"
"Usually, sir," said the maid. "But," with a little shadow upon her
face, "I don't think _she_ cares for my work, sir. She has refused to
have me touch her hair for the last few mornings."
"Too bad," said the investigator. "Too bad!"
Once more he began walking about the room. At a window he halted and
looked out; the scaffolding erected by the workmen, who had apparently
been engaged in "pointing" the wall, ran sheer to the roof. Scanlon went
to the investigator's side, and also looked out.
"Quite a job to hang one of these things," said the big man. "As few
materials as you can do with, and all the strength you can get."
Ashton-Kirk, without a word of warning, climbed out upon the foot-planks
under the window and then to Scanlon's amazement, he dropped upon his
knees.
"Evening prayer or something, I suppose," said the big trainer. "But why
the hurry? It's some hours till sundown."
The investigator picked at some particles of mortar adhering to the
planks with the blade of a knife.
"The idea of cements and mortars always fascinated me," said he; "their
cold persistency, their determination to outdo nature, their ability to
join things foreign to each other, is admirable. There is quite a
literature on the subject, and many men have given a great deal of study
to the improvement of these most necessary agents."
Beside the knife blade he also had resort to the pocket lens which
Scanlon had seen him use at Stanwick; then after he had slipped a
fragment of the hardened mortar into a fold of his pocketbook, he
reentered the room. And as he did so, Bat Scanlon once more saw the look
in his face which he had seen a few moments before, and which he had
failed to interpret.
"What next?" said the big man, rather helplessly, for the expression was
as mystifying now as before.
"That will be all, I think," said the investigator, cheerfully. "Thank
you," to the maid, as she led the way down the stairs. And as she opened
the street door for them, he added: "Please say to Miss Cavanaugh that
we are extremely obliged to her; and that our call has been far from
wasted, even though we were unfortunate enough to come when she was
out."
FOOTNOTES:
[1] For the details of the Campe case, see the volume entitled:
"Ashton Kirk, Special Detective."