THE MAN SHORT AND HIS STORY.
A light footstep sounded behind me, and scarcely had I time to thrust
the little object hastily back into my pocket when my well-beloved
entered in search of me.
"What do the police think, Ralph?" she asked eagerly. "Have they any
clue? Do tell me."
"They have no clue," I answered, in a voice which I fear sounded hard
and somewhat abrupt.
Then I turned from her, as though fully occupied with the
investigations at which I was assisting, and went past her, leaving
her standing alone.
The police were busy examining the doors and windows of the back
premises, kitchens, scullery, and pantry, but could find no evidence
of any lock or fastening having been tampered with. The house, I must
explain, was a large detached red brick one, standing in a lawn that
was quite spacious for a suburban house, and around it ran an asphalte
path which diverged from the right hand corner of the building and ran
in two parts to the road, one a semi-circular drive which came up to
the portico from the road, and the other, a tradesmen's path, that ran
to the opposite extremity of the property.
From the back kitchen a door led out upon this asphalted tradesmen's
path, and as I rejoined the searchers some discussion was in
progress as to whether the door in question had been secured. The
detective-sergeant had found it unbolted and unlocked, but the cook
most positively asserted that she had both locked and bolted it at
half-past ten, when the under housemaid had come in from her "evening
out." None of the servants, however, recollected having undone the
door either before the alarm or after. Perhaps Short had done so, but
he was absent, in search of the dead man's widow.
The police certainly spared no pains in their search. They turned the
whole place upside down. One man on his hands and knees, and carrying
a candle, carefully examined the blue stair-carpet to see if he could
find the marks of unusual feet. It was wet outside, and if an intruder
had been there, there would probably remain marks of muddy feet. He
found many, but they were those of the constable and detectives. Hence
the point was beyond solution.
The drawing-room, the dining-room, the morning-room, and the big
conservatory were all closely inspected, but without any satisfactory
result. My love followed us everywhere, white-faced and nervous, with
the cream chenille shawl still over her shoulders. She had hastily put
up her wealth of dark hair, and now wore the shawl wrapped lightly
about her.
That shawl attracted me. I managed to speak with her alone for a
moment, asking her quite an unimportant question, but nevertheless
with a distinct object. As we stood there I placed my hand upon her
shoulder--and upon the shawl. It was for that very reason--in order
to feel the texture of the silk--that I returned to her.
The contact of my hand with the silk was convincing. I turned from her
once again, and rejoined the shrewd men whose object it was to fasten
the guilt upon the assassin.
Presently we heard the welcome sound of cab wheels outside, and a few
minutes later young Mrs. Courtenay, wild eyed and breathless, rushed
into the hall and dashed headlong up the stairs. I, however, barred
her passage.
"Let me pass!" she cried wildly. "Short has told me he is worse and
has asked for me. Let me pass!"
"No, Mary, not so quickly. Let me tell you something," I answered
gravely, placing my hand firmly upon her arm. The police were again
re-examining the back premises below, and only Ethelwynn was present
at the top of the stairs, where I arrested her progress to the dead
man's room.
"But is there danger?" she demanded anxiously. "Tell me."
"The crisis is over," I responded ambiguously. "But is not your
absence to-night rather unusual?"
"It was entirely my own fault," she admitted. "I shall never forgive
myself for this neglect. After the theatre we had supper at the Savoy,
and I lost my last train. Dolly Henniker, of course, asked me to stay,
and I could not refuse." Then glancing from my face to that of her
sister she asked: "Why do you both look so strange? Tell me," she
shrieked. "Tell me the worst. Is he--is he _dead_?"
I nodded in the affirmative.
For a second she stood dumb, then gave vent to a long wail, and would
have fallen senseless if I had not caught her in my arms and laid her
back upon the long settee placed in an alcove on the landing. She,
like all the others, had dressed hurriedly. Her hair was dishevelled
beneath her hat, but her disordered dress was concealed by her long
ulster heavily lined with silver fox, a magnificent garment which her
doting husband had purchased through a friend at Moscow, and presented
to her as a birthday gift.
From her manner it was only too plain that she was filled with
remorse. I really pitied her, for she was a light-hearted, flighty,
little woman who loved gaiety, and, without an evil thought, had no
doubt allowed her friends to draw her into that round of amusement.
They sympathised with her--as every woman who marries an old man is
sympathised with--and they gave her what pleasures they could. Alas!
that such a clanship between women so often proves fatal to domestic
happiness. Judged from a logical point of view it was merely natural
that young Mrs. Courtenay should, after a year or two with an invalid
husband, aged and eccentric, beat her wings against the bars. She was
a pretty woman, almost as pretty as her sister, but two years older,
with fair hair, blue eyes, and a pink and white, almost doll-like
complexion. Indeed, I knew quite well that she had long had a host of
admirers, and that just prior to her marriage with Courtenay it had
been rumoured that she was to marry the heir to an earldom, a rather
rakish young cavalry officer up at York.
To restore her to consciousness was not a difficult matter, but after
she had requested me to tell her the whole of the ghastly truth she
sat speechless, as though turned to stone.
Her manner was unaccountable. She spoke at last, and to me it seemed
as though the fainting fit had caused her an utter loss of memory. She
uttered words at random, allowing her tongue to ramble on in strange
disjointed sentences, of which I could make nothing.
"My head! Oh! my head!" she kept on exclaiming, passing her hand
across her brow as though to clear her brain.
"Does it pain you?" I inquired.
"It seems as though a band of iron were round it. I can't think. I--I
can't remember!" And she glanced about her helplessly, her eyes with a
wild strange look in them, her face so haggard and drawn that it gave
her a look of premature age.
"Oh! Mary, dear!" cried Ethelwynn, taking both her cold hands. "Why,
what's the matter? Calm yourself, dear." Then turning to me she asked,
"Can nothing be done, Ralph? See--she's not herself. The shock has
unbalanced her brain."
"Ralph! Ethelwynn!" gasped the unfortunate woman, looking at us with
an expression of sudden wonder. "What has happened? Did I understand
you aright? Poor Henry is dead?"
"Unfortunately that is the truth." I was compelled to reply. "It is a
sad affair, Mary, and you have all our sympathy. But recollect he was
an invalid, and for a long time his life has been despaired of."
I dared not yet tell her the terrible truth that he had been the
victim of foul play.
"It is my fault!" she cried. "My place was here--at home. But--but why
was I not here?" she added with a blank look. "Where did I go?"
"Don't you remember that you went to London with the Hennikers?" I
said.
"Ah! of course!" she exclaimed. "How very stupid of me to forget. But
do you know, I've never experienced such a strange sensation before.
My memory is a perfect blank. How did I return here?"
"Short fetched you in a cab."
"Short? I--I don't recollect seeing him. Somebody knocked at my door
and said I was wanted, because my husband had been taken worse, so I
dressed and went down. But after that I don't recollect anything."
"Her mind is a trifle affected by the shock," I whispered to my love.
"Best take her downstairs into one of the rooms and lock the door.
Don't let her see the police. She didn't notice the constable at the
door. She'll be better presently."
I uttered these words mechanically, but, truth to tell, these
extraordinary symptoms alarmed and puzzled me. She had fainted at
hearing of the death of her husband, just as many other wives might
have fainted; but to me there seemed no reason whatsoever why the
swoon should be followed by that curious lapse of memory. The question
she had put to me showed her mind to be a blank. I could discern
nothing to account for the symptoms, and the only remedy I could
suggest was perfect quiet. I intended that, as soon as daylight came,
both women should be removed to the house of some friend in the
vicinity.
The scene of the tragedy was no place for two delicate women.
Notwithstanding Mrs. Courtenay's determination to enter her husband's
room I managed at last to get them both into the morning-room and
called the nurse and cook to go in and assist in calming her, for her
lapse of memory had suddenly been followed by a fit of violence.
"I must see him!" she shrieked. "I will see him! You can't prevent me.
I am his wife. My place is at his side!"
My love exchanged looks with me. Her sister's extraordinary manner
utterly confounded us.
"You shall see him later," I promised, endeavouring to calm her. "At
present remain quiet. No good can possibly be done by this wild
conduct."
"Where is Sir Bernard?" she inquired suddenly. "Have you telegraphed
for him? I must see him."
"As soon as the office is open I shall wire."
"Yes, telegraph at the earliest moment. Tell him of the awful blow
that has fallen upon us."
Presently, by dint of much persuasion, we managed to quiet her. The
nurse removed her hat, helped her out of her fur-lined coat, and she
sat huddled up in a big "grandfather" chair, her handsome evening gown
crushed and tumbled, the flowers she had worn in her corsage on the
previous night drooping and withered.
For some time she sat motionless, her chin sunk upon her breast, the
picture of dejection, until, of a sudden, she roused herself, and
before we were aware of her intention she had torn off her marriage
ring and cast it across the room, crying wildly:
"It is finished. He is dead--dead!"
And she sank back again, among the cushions, as though exhausted by
the effort.
What was passing through her brain at that moment I wondered. Why
should a repulsion of the marriage bond seize her so suddenly, and
cause her to tear off the golden fetter under which she had so long
chafed? There was some reason, without a doubt; but at present all was
an enigma--all save one single point.
When I returned to the police to urge them not to disturb Mrs.
Courtenay, I found them assembled in the conservatory discussing an
open window, by which anyone might easily have entered and left. The
mystery of the kitchen door had been cleared up by Short, who admitted
that after the discovery he had unlocked and unbolted it, in order to
go round the outside of the house and see whether anyone was lurking
in the garden.
When I was told this story I remarked that he had displayed some
bravery in acting in such a manner. No man cares to face an assassin
unarmed.
The man looked across at me with a curious apprehensive glance, and
replied:
"I was armed, sir. I took down one of the old Indian daggers from the
hall."
"Where is it now?" inquired the inspector, quickly, for at such a
moment the admission that he had had a knife in his possession was
sufficient to arouse a strong suspicion.
"I hung it up again, sir, before going out to call the doctor," he
replied quite calmly.
"Show me which it was," I said; and he accompanied me out to the hall
and pointed to a long thin knife which formed part of a trophy of
antique Indian weapons.
In an instant I saw that such a knife had undoubtedly inflicted the
wound in the dead man's breast.
"So you armed yourself with this?" I remarked, taking down the knife
with affected carelessness, and examining it.
"Yes, doctor. It was the first thing that came to hand. It's sharp,
for I cut myself once when cleaning it."
I tried its edge, and found it almost as keen as a razor. It was about
ten inches long, and not more than half an inch broad, with a hilt of
carved ivory, yellow with age, and inlaid with fine lines of silver.
Certainly a very dangerous weapon. The sheath was of purple velvet,
very worn and faded.
I walked back to where the detectives were standing, and examined the
blade beneath the light. It was bright, and had apparently been
recently cleaned. It might have been cleaned and oil smeared upon it
after the commission of the crime. Yet as far as I could discern with
the naked eye there was no evidence that it had recently been used.
It was the man's curious apprehensive glance that had first aroused my
suspicion, and the admissions that he had opened the back door, and
that he had been armed, both increased my mistrust. The detectives,
too, were interested in the weapon, but were soon satisfied that,
although a dangerous knife, it bore no stain of blood.
So I put it back in its case and replaced it. But I experienced some
difficulty in getting the loop of wire back upon the brass-headed nail
from which it was suspended; and it then occurred to me that Short, in
the excitement of the discovery, and ordered by Ethelwynn to go at
once in search of me, would not without some motive remain there,
striving to return the knife to its place. Such action was unnatural.
He would probably have cast it aside and dashed out in search of a
cab. Indeed, the constable on the beat had seen him rush forth
hurriedly and, urged by Ethelwynn, run in the direction of Kew Bridge.
No. Somehow I could not rid myself of the suspicion that the man was
lying. To my professional eye the weapon with which the wound had been
inflicted was the one which he admitted had been in his possession.
The story that he had unlocked the door and gone in search of the
assassin struck the inspector, as it did myself, as a distinctly lame
tale.
I longed for the opening of the telegraph office, so that I might
summon my friend Jevons to my aid. He revelled in mysteries, and if
the present one admitted of solution I felt confident that he would
solve it.