Whilst Jimmy and Crouch were travelling at the rate of about forty miles
an hour upon the track of the Great Northern Railway,
Superintendent-detective Etheridge was traversing the country every bit
as rapidly, upon an almost parallel route.
Leaving Whitehall shortly after ten o'clock at night, he followed the
old Roman road which goes by the name of Watling Street that runs from
London to Chester. He knew what he was about; and he knew also that,
provided the Rolls-Royce car met with no mishap upon the road, he could
reach Liverpool before the "Baltic" sailed. He had already telegraphed
to the police both at that place and at Hull, giving a detailed
description of "Mr. Lewis Valentine" and Rudolf Stork. It was
discovered afterwards--and we have already said as much--that his
telegram reached Hull too late. Stork, with his usual luck, had arrived
in the nick of time, and before Detective-inspector Manning could trace
his whereabouts, he had embarked upon the "Marigold," and was well out
to sea in one of those dripping, impenetrable fogs, which are of such
common occurrence upon the Dogger Bank.
At Liverpool, however, the case was very different. The police in that
city were warned in time; and besides, it so happened that the
boat-train was delayed by the breaking down of an engine which
obstructed the main-line traffic for several hours. The great White
Star liner lay alongside her wharf, under steam, with her cargo all
aboard; but, long before the first batch of passengers had arrived, no
less than six detectives and plain-clothes policemen were in possession
of the gangways. A Mr. Lewis Valentine, registered as an American
citizen, of Minneapolis, appeared in the list of passengers; and the
police were already in possession of Etheridge's description of the man
he wanted.
In the meantime, the superintendent-detective himself was speeding
northward upon the famous road that in bygone days had conducted the
Roman legions to the strong fortified posts upon the frontier of Wales.
Etheridge knew the possibilities of the Rolls-Royce, which on many a
previous occasion had stood him in good stead. It was by means of this
car that he had captured Jack White, the famous Ealing murderer, and had
been able to run down Joss Hubbard, the anarchist, whose arrest he
brought about at the very moment when the criminal was setting foot upon
the cross-Channel boat at Dover.
Towards morning, it rained steadily--a fine, drizzling rain which soon
after daybreak turned to sleet. Even the main roads were covered with
mud and slush, whereas the country lanes were converted into quagmires.
Hour by hour, the Rolls-Royce tore northward. Its great staring lights
rushed through many a sleeping village. Its horn sounded repeatedly,
giving ample warning to the few people who happened to be abroad--for
the most part agricultural labourers going to their work in the small
hours of the morning--that one of His Majesty's servants had urgent and
important business to transact on behalf of the public safety.
In such a situation there was nothing novel as far as the
superintendent-detective was concerned. He knew exactly where he was
going, when he would get there, and what would--or what would
not--happen, when he did. Accordingly, he folded his arms, turned up
the collar of his fur coat, and lying well back in his seat, slept no
less soundly, though not quite so noisily, as Captain Crouch himself.
He woke up as the car was entering Liverpool, pulled out his watch, and
looked at the time. He had still three-quarters of an hour to spare; he
would arrive on board the "Baltic" before she was due to sail.
Leaving the Rolls-Royce at the dock gates, he walked along the
magnificent wharf owned by the White Star Company, where at the foot of
the gangway he was recognized by one of the local detectives. Though no
one, watching the two men's faces, would have imagined for a single
instant that they had known each other for years, Etheridge gathered all
the information he desired: namely, that the so-called "Mr. Valentine"
had not yet come on board.
He ascended the gangway to the main promenade deck, where, cigar in
mouth, he leaned upon the taffrail, surveying the crowd of dock
labourers, customs house officials and passengers that was assembled
under the wharf-shed.
Presently, a tall man approached who was wearing a heavy ulster, and who
addressed Etheridge as if he were talking to an absolute stranger,
though as a matter of fact he was no less a person than
Superintendent-detective McGowan of Liverpool who had worked with
Scotland Yard for years.
"I beg pardon, sir," said he, producing a cigarette from a morocco case,
"but would you be so good as to oblige me with a light?"
Etheridge rummaged in his pockets, produced a box of safety matches,
struck one, and held it in the hollow of both hands to screen the flame
from the wind. When he was quite assured that the light would not be
blown out, he leaned forward so that McGowan was not only able to light
his cigarette, but to whisper in his colleague's ear. The words he used
may, at first blush, seem somewhat vague; for all that, to the quick
intelligence of the London detective they conveyed all the information
he desired to know.
"D Forty-one," said McGowan, who then, having lighted his cigarette,
thanked Etheridge, and strolled carelessly away.
Etheridge walked casually along the deck until he came to one of the
lifts, where he asked the attendant to take him down to "D" deck. There,
as if looking for his own cabin, he wandered about, until he came to
number forty-one, which he promptly entered and where he seated himself
in a comfortable armchair.
Then, producing a copy of the morning paper which he had purchased at
the dock gates, he proceeded to read the news of the day. About the
Baron von Essling he troubled himself not in the least. He never gave
him a thought. He had gathered from McGowan that D41 was the number of
the cabin that had been booked by "Mr. Valentine." Sooner or later,
Valentine himself would arrive. Until that moment,
Superintendent-detective Etheridge was determined to give the whole of
his attention to the morning's news.
Suddenly, a steward entered, carrying a Gladstone bag. He appeared
somewhat surprised to see the cabin in possession of the detective, of
whose identity he had no idea.
"This is the wrong cabin, sir," said he.
"I think not," said the other. "It has been booked by a Mr. Valentine,
I believe. I have here a police warrant for his arrest."
The usual effect of a police warrant can only be described as
electrical. The steward allowed the Gladstone bag to fall from his
hand, and stood regarding the detective in amazement.
"What shall I do?" he asked.
"Mr. Valentine has come on board?" asked Etheridge, disregarding the
steward's question.
"He is on the promenade deck now."
"Then show him down to his cabin, and leave us together. You need not
trouble to remain at hand, as several of my assistants are on board the
ship, and besides, I am provided with these," he added, producing a Colt
revolver and a pair of handcuffs.
The steward went out, walking on tiptoe, with the demeanour of a man who
is conscious that he finds himself on dangerous ground. And no sooner
was the door closed than Etheridge flung himself at the Gladstone bag as
a hungry dog might tackle a bone. To undo the straps was the work of a
moment. Producing a skeleton key from his pocket, he succeeded in
opening the lock, and then turned out the complete contents of the bag
upon the floor.
He found nothing more suspicious than a suit of pyjamas, washing
materials and an extraordinary number of neckties of every conceivable
colour, tone and shade. He bundled these back into the bag with scant
ceremony; and no sooner had he done so than the door was opened, and
there entered a man wearing a tweed suit and one of those soft felt hats
which are so popular in the United States.
"I understood," said he, regarding Etheridge in surprise, "I understood
this was my cabin--D41."
At that moment, there entered another steward--a thick-set man with a
heavy, black moustache--who carried upon his back a large cabin-trunk,
upon the lid of which were inscribed the words: "LEWIS N. VALENTINE,
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN."
Now, Superintendent-detective Etheridge had already searched the
archives of Scotland Yard for a photograph of von Essling; and there was
no question but that this Mr. Lewis N. Valentine (of Minneapolis, Minn.)
bore a striking resemblance to the military attache, with the exception
of the trifling fact that von Essling wore a moustache and Valentine was
clean-shaven.
The steward set down the trunk in the middle of the cabin, and then went
out without a word, half closing the door. Etheridge and Valentine
stood face to face, regarding each other closely, the one wondering
whether he had found the right man, the suspicions of the other fully
aroused.
Etheridge had a method of his own that seldom failed. It was his custom
to confront suspected persons with the truth. On such occasions, it is
extremely difficult not to give one's self away; the most hardened
criminal is not capable of controlling his features or of finding
suitable words of explanation, when he suddenly finds himself face to
face with his own guilt. If "Valentine," or von Essling, were so
obliging as to betray his own identity, there was little doubt in the
detective's mind that the necessary proof would be forthcoming, when the
man's baggage was overhauled. However--as we shall see--Valentine
himself was possessed of considerable presence of mind. He was a
desperate man in a desperate situation, and was not likely to stick at
trifles.
"To the best of my knowledge," said Etheridge bluntly, "this cabin was
reserved for the Baron von Essling, a military attache to the German
Embassy in Washington, who has certainly no right to be in England at
the present time."
Valentine started. He was not sufficiently master of himself to prevent
it. He drew back a quick step, and stared hard at Etheridge. His lips
had parted, and the colour had vanished from his cheeks.
"What do you mean?" he exclaimed.
He got the better of his feelings in an instant, and feigned annoyance.
Etheridge, however, had already formed his own opinion, and was
determined to arrest the man, at once.
"If you're wise," said he, "you'll speak the truth. It's my duty to
warn you that anything you say may be used in evidence against you."
Very quietly, without ostentation or any show of violence, Valentine
drew a revolver from the hip pocket of his trousers, and directed the
barrel fair at the detective's heart.
"Hands up!" said he, almost in a whisper.
With an air of meekness and submission that was little short of amazing,
the superintendent-detective raised both hands above his head.
Valentine spoke again, this time more quickly, as if he were excited.
"Who you are," he cried, "I neither know nor care. But attempt to
betray me, attempt to leave this room until we have come to some mutual
understanding, and you do so at your peril. How you discovered my
identity, I don't pretend to know."
"Then," said Etheridge, whose hands were still held high above his head,
"then, you admit that you are von Essling."
"I admit nothing," rapped out the other.
"You have already done so," answered the detective. "And that is enough
for me."
And hardly had the words left his lips than Valentine was seized roughly
from behind and both arms were pinned to his sides. For a moment, he
struggled violently to free himself; and it was then that the revolver
went off, and the leaden bullet was driven deep into the flooring. With
an effort, he twisted round, to see who his adversary might be; and his
disgust and astonishment can better be imagined than described when he
found himself confronted by the same white-coated steward--the thick-set
man with the black moustache--who had carried his cabin trunk on board.
A second later, he was out of action, his hands fastened together behind
his back by means of a pair of handcuffs.
"That was smart work, Richards," observed the superintendent-detective,
turning to the steward. "I hope you were able to hear every word that
passed between us?"
"Every word, sir," said the steward, who, as a matter of fact, was one
of the detective's most trusted men, who had accompanied him from
London, sitting beside the driver in the eighty horse-power Rolls-Royce
car, which had come from Whitehall at the rate of forty miles an hour.