A STRANGE OCCURRENCE
Educated by experience and the necessities of his profession, Torry
was not a man who lost his temper easily; but when he left Wray House
he was in as great a rage as he well could be. Never had he met with
so obstinate a woman as Donna Maria, or one who knew better how to
keep a secret. She steadily refused to explain the reason of her visit
to Grent, or to reveal the conversation which had taken place between
them. Threats she laughed at, persuasion she smiled at; and Torry, who
flattered himself on his cunning, was forced to take his departure
without gaining her confidence. He went as wise as he came. On
arriving in town, he first had something to eat, after which he drove
off to Darrel. The novelist informed him that Lydia had duly arrived,
with a small box, and he had pointed her out to a detective procured
from Scotland Yard. The man had followed her at once, and Darrel
having discharged his mission, had returned home.
In return for this news Torry, not without some display of ill-temper,
detailed his unsuccessful attempts to make Donna Maria confess. Darrel
commiserated the detective, but could not forbear eulogising the girl,
much to Torry's disgust.
"Upon my soul," said he grumbling, "I believe your sympathies are with
her, merely because she has a pretty face."
"Pretty!" echoed Frank, indignantly. "If there is one word in English
tongue which does not apply to Donna Maria Sandoval, that word is
'pretty.' Why, man, she is one of the most beautiful women in the
world!"
"She is certainly the most obstinate," said Torry drily. "I am
satisfied she knows something likely to lead to the detection of the
criminal."
"Bah! that is your fancy!"
"It is my belief," insisted Torry seriously. "Also, I am certain that
there is some connection between her and Vass."
"What do you mean?" cried Darrel, indignant that the slightest slur
should be cast on the character of the woman he worshipped.
"Oh! you needn't get so angry," said Torry with a shrug. "I am
convinced there is no love affair between them. I'm not so sure in
your case."
"Never mind me," said the novelist, blushing; "go on with your
explanation."
"It is very simple. Donna Maria and Vass have an understanding
relative to this murder."
"You don't believe they know the assassin?" cried Darrel, aghast.
"I haven't got so far as that; but, they know something of the
Blue Mummy Society, for the sight of the tomb-image had the same
effect--even a worse one--on them as it had on Blake. And the society
according to Blake, is responsible for the Grent and Brawn murders."
"By the hand of Manuel," said Frank, "and you deny his guilt?"
"Yes, I do," retorted the detective energetically. "But we argued that
point before. Let it pass. To return to Vass and Donna Maria: it is
strange that they should have met in the West End on the very day, so
to speak of the murder."
"Accident!"
"Bah! I don't believe in these sort of accidents. Well, I have failed
to extort the truth from the lady; perhaps the gentleman may be more
amenable to reason. I shall see Vass to-morrow."
There was a short silence during which Darrel reflected seriously
about the aspect of the case. In a moment or so he raised his head.
"It seems to me," said he, "that while suspecting Donna Maria and Vass
over-much you don't suspect Lydia Hargone sufficiently."
"I don't know so much about that," said Torry with a dry smile. "I am
having her watched. She does not know that, and acting in fancy
security, may betray herself. I explained this to Donna Maria."
"What do you think of this mantle affair?"
"Why, I incline to Miss Sandoval's views. I believe that Grent was in
love with Lydia, and that for her own purposes--whatever they may
be--she encouraged his folly so openly as to incur the suspicions of
Donna Inez. Also, I believe that she promised to elope to Italy with
Grent, but instead of going herself sent Julia. Grent, recognising the
mantle, and not seeing the face, which--if you remember the cabman's
evidence--was veiled, thought it was Lydia's. Then----" Torry stopped.
"Then?" queried Darrel impatiently.
"Faith, as Blake would say, you'll have to supply the rest of the
story from your imagination; mine won't carry me further."
"Well," said Frank, humouring his fancy, "say that Julia had a lover,
who followed her by stealth to this rendezvous, and killed Grent out
of jealousy."
Torry shook his head. "That explains one death, but not the other.
Besides," he added gravely, "I have questioned all the servants at
Wray House, and I cannot find that Julia had any lover. No, no, this
mystery is not to be explained by such simple means. What does Blake
say?"
"He insists that Manuel is guilty, even in the face of your argument."
"He's a fool. What about Manuel?"
"I saw him to-day, and he declares that if the lost money is not found
and restored there will be trouble from the society."
"He's a fool also. Does he think this is Peru, to assassinate innocent
people with impunity? We have had enough of mysterious murders and
enigmatic Blue Mummies. Well, good night, Mr. Darrel. I'll see Vass
to-morrow and find out what he knows."
Torry went off briskly, confident that he would succeed easier with
Vass than he had with Donna Maria. The secretary was a weak-minded
man, the Spanish lady a strong-minded woman; so if the pair were
confederates, as the detective suspected them to be, he determined to
learn the secret of their partnership by examining the most easily
terrified of the two. This was Vass, who was an effeminate, hysterical
creature, hardly worthy to be called a man. He, if anyone, could be
coerced into revealing the truth of the conspiracy.
Next day, shortly before twelve o'clock, Torry called at the
Fleet-street bank, and requested an interview with Vass. The secretary
appeared unwilling to grant one, but as he had no option in the face
of the detective's authority, he was reluctantly compelled to accede
to the request, and conducted his unwelcome visitor, into the private
room of Mr. Grent. Torry, who had a retentive memory, recognised this
famous apartment.
"Ah," said he playfully, "yonder is the private safe. What a pity it
cannot speak and tell us the truth!"
"The truth?" repeated Vass unsteadily.
"About the stolen notes. Don't look so pale, sir; I know you did not
steal them. But I wish I knew who did. The numbers have not been
traced by any of your people?"
Vass shook his head. "No. We have made all inquiries, but we can learn
nothing. Did you come to speak about the notes!"
"Not exactly. I came to ask you what you were doing in Piccadilly on
the day Mr. Grent was murdered."
"He was murdered on Sunday. I was not in the West End on that day."
"Oh," said Torry noting the quibble, "you need not be so accurate as
to time, my dear sir. I know as well as you do that Grent was murdered
on Sunday morning after midnight, but for the sake of convenience I'll
say Saturday. You were in the West End on Saturday."
"Who says I was?"
"Miss Sandoval."
"Donna Maria?"
"Yes; she met you in Piccadilly on the afternoon of Saturday."
"And why not, Mr. Torry. It was after office hours, and I have a right
to go where I like. But if you wish me to explain I am quite willing
to do so. I was in Piccadilly executing some business for Mr.
Frederick Leighbourne."
This explanation was the same as that given by Donna Maria, so Torry
deemed it to be the true one. He therefore abandoned this point, to
take up another one, and introduced the latter by glancing round the
room.
"You have a comfortable apartment here, Mr. Vass."
"It is the late Mr. Grent's private office," replied the secretary
sullenly, "and I remain in it by the order of Mr. Leighbourne, senior,
to sort out the papers of his dead partner."
"Did you sit here when Mr. Grent was away?"
"Always."
"Then, on the Saturday we speak of, you were sitting here?"
"I was."
"Aha," said Torry, with a satisfied nod. "Now, who came into the room
when you were here?"
"Various people."
"Connected with the bank?"
"Mostly connected with the bank."
"Did Donna Maria Sandoval call?" asked Torry suddenly.
"Yes," said Vass quietly "She did. I see no reason to deny her visit;
it was made openly and for a purpose."
"What purpose?"
Vass wriggled uneasily in his seat. "Am I obliged to answer that
question, Mr. Torry?"
"Not unless you like; not unless Donna Maria came here for a purpose
of which she was ashamed."
The detective said this purposely to insult Donna Maria, so that he
might discover if Vass loved her, but the secretary never changed
colour or lost his temper; so Torry was convinced that he had not
given his heart to the beautiful Spaniard.
"Donna Maria never does anything to be ashamed of," he replied in calm
tones. "If you wish to know the reason of her visit I can tell you.
She came at the request of Mr. Grent, to get his travelling tickets."
"Oh, the tickets, the two tickets for Italy?"
"Yes. Mr. Grent left them here by mistake, and Donna Maria called for
them. I found them, gave them to her, and I believe she visited her
uncle in Duke-street to deliver them to him."
This, then, explained Miss Sandoval's visit to Duke-street, and the
reason was apparently an innocent one; so innocent, indeed, that Torry
wondered why the girl had not confessed it. "Unless," thought he,
"This is a lying explanation arranged for between Donna Maria and Vass
to quiet my suspicions."
He was about to ask a few questions with a view to discover if his
suspicions were correct, when there was a knock at the door, and
almost immediately it opened to admit Manuel. The Spaniard seemed
greatly excited, and advanced towards Vass, but stopped short when he
saw Torry.
"The policeman!" he said. "Aha, very good; so much the better. I wish
to see you."
"What is the matter?" asked Torry and Vass together.
"Those notes."
"Yes, the ten thousand pounds."
Captain Manuel placed a package on the table. "Here are the
bank-notes." he said in excited tones, "returned to me last night."