Author: Fred M. White
Category: Mystery
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CHAPTER IV
IN EXTREMIS
For some time--a minute, an hour--Steel stood over the dreadful thinghuddled upon the floor of his conservatory. Just then he was incapable ofconsecutive ideas.
His mind began to move at length. The more he thought of it the moreabsolutely certain he was that he had fastened the door before leavingthe house. True, the latch was only an ordinary one, and a key mighteasily have been made to fit it. As a matter of fact, David had two, onein reserve in case of accidents. The other was usually kept in ajewel-drawer of the dressing-table. Perhaps--
David went quietly upstairs. It was just possible that the murderer wasin the house. But the closest search brought nothing to light. He pulledout the jewel-drawer in the dressing-table. The spare latchkey had gone!Here was something to go upon.
Then there was a rumbling of an electric bell somewhere that set David'sheart beating like a drum. The hall light streamed on a policeman inuniform and an inspector in a dark overcoat and a hard felt hat. On thepavement was a long shallow tray, which David recognised mechanically asthe ambulance.
"Something very serious, sir?" Inspector Marley asked, quietly. "I'vebrought the doctor with me."
David nodded. Both the inspector and the doctor were acquaintances ofhis. He closed the door and led the way into the study. Just inside theconservatory and not far from the huddled figure lay David's newcigar-case. Doubtless, without knowing it, the owner had whisked it offthe table when he had sprung the telephone.
"'Um," Marley muttered. "Is this a clue, or yours, sir?"
He lifted the case with its diamonds gleaming like stars on a dark night.David had forgotten all about it for the time, had forgotten where itcame from, or that it contained L250 in bank-notes.
"Not mine," he said. "I mean to say, of course, it is mine. A recentpresent. The shock of this discovery has deprived me of my sensespretty well."
Marley laid the cigar-case on the table. It seemed strange to him, whocould follow a tragedy calmly, that a man should forget his own property.Meanwhile Cross was bending over the body. David could see a face smoothlike that of a woman. A quick little exclamation came from the doctor.
"A drop of brandy here, and quick as possible," he commanded.
"You don't mean to say," Steel began; "you don't--"
Cross waved his arm, impatiently. The brandy was procured as speedily aspossible. Steel, watching intently, fancied that he detected a slightflicker of the muscles of the white, stark face.
"Bring the ambulance here," Cross said, curtly. "If we can get this poorchap to the hospital there is just a chance for him. Fortunately, we havenot many yards to go."
As far as elucidation went Marley naturally looked to Steel.
"I should like to have your explanation, sir," he said, gravely.
"Positively, I have no explanation to offer," David replied. "Aboutmidnight I let myself out to go for a stroll, carefully closing the doorbehind me. Naturally, the door was on the latch. When I came back an houror so later, to my horror and surprise I found those marks of a struggleyonder and that poor fellow lying on the floor of the conservatory."
"'Um. Was the door fast on your return?"
"No, it was pulled to, but it was open all the same."
"You didn't happen to lose your latch-key during your midnightstroll, sir?"
"No, it was only when I put my key in the door that I discovered it to beopen. I have a spare latch-key which I keep for emergencies, but when Iwent to look for it just now the key was not to be found. When I cameback the house was perfectly quiet."
"What family have you, sir? And what kind of servants?"
"There is only myself and my mother, with three maids. You may dismissany suspicion of the servants from your mind at once. My mother trainedthem all in the old vicarage where I was born, and not one of the triohas been with us less than twelve years."
"That simplifies matters somewhat," Marley said, thoughtfully."Apparently your latch-key was stolen by somebody who has made carefulstudy of your habits. Do you generally go for late walks after yourhousehold has gone to bed, sir?"
David replied somewhat grudgingly that he had never done such a thingbefore. He would like to have concealed the fact, but it was bound tocome out sooner or later. He had strolled along the front and roundBrunswick Square. Marley shrugged his shoulders.
"Well, it's a bit of a puzzle to me," he admitted. "You go out for amidnight walk--a thing you have never done before--and when you come backyou find somebody has got into your house by means of a stolen latch-keyand murdered somebody else in your conservatory. According to that, twopeople must have entered the house."
"That's logic," David admitted. "There can be no murder without the slain_and_ the slayer. My impression is that somebody who knows the ways ofthe house watched me depart. Then he lured his victim in here underpretence that it was his own house--he had the purloined latch-key--andmurdered him. Audacious, but a far safer way than doing it out of doors."
But Marley's imagination refused to go so far. The theory was plausibleenough, he pointed out respectfully, if the assassin had been assuredthat these midnight rambles were a matter of custom. The point was ashrewd one, and Steel had to admit it. He almost wished now that he hadsuggested that he often took these midnight rambles. He regretted thefiction still more when Marley asked if he had had some appointmentelsewhere to-night.
"No," David said, promptly, "I hadn't."
He prevaricated without hesitation. His adventure in Brunswick Squarecould not possibly have anything to do with the tragedy, and nothingwould be gained by betraying that trust.
"I'll run round to the hospital and come and see you again in themorning, sir," Marley said. "Whatever was the nature of the crime, itwasn't robbery, or the criminal wouldn't have left that cigar-case ofyours behind. Sir James Lythem had one stolen like that at the lastraces, and he valued it at L80."
"I'll come as far as the hospital with you," said Steel.
At the bottom of the flight of steps they encountered Dr. Cross and thepoliceman. The former handed over to Marley a pocket-book and somepapers, together with a watch and chain.
"Everything that we could find upon him," he explained.
"Is the poor fellow dead yet?" David asked.
"No," Cross replied. "He was stabbed twice in the back in the region ofthe liver. I could not say for sure, but there is just a chance that hemay recover. But one thing is pretty certain--it will be a good longtime before he is in a position to say anything for himself. Good-night,Mr. Steel."
David went indoors thoughtfully, with a general feeling that somethinglike a hand had grasped his brain and was squeezing it like a sponge. Hewas free from his carking anxiety now, but it seemed to him that he waspaying a heavy price for his liberty. Mechanically, he counted out thebank-notes, and almost as mechanically he cut his initials on thegun-metal inside the cigar-case. He was one of the kind of men who liketo have their initials everywhere.
He snapped the lights out and went to bed at last. But not to sleep. Thewelcome dawn came at length and David took his bath gratefully. He wouldhave to tell his mother what had happened, suppressing all reference tothe Brunswick Square episode. It was not a pleasant story, but Mrs. Steelassimilated it at length over her early tea and toast.
"It might have been you, my dear," she said, placidly. "And, indeed, itis a dreadful business. But why not telephone to the hospital and ask howthe poor fellow is?"
The patient was better but was still in an unconscious condition.