The Herapath Property Part 19

I've often wondered what had become of him."

"And now you find out that he's up till recently been secretary to Jacob Herapath, M.P., and is just now doing dramatic criticism for the _Magnet_," observed Carver. "Well, Triffitt, what do you make of it?"

Triffitt, who had filled and lighted an old briarwood pipe, puffed solemnly and thoughtfully for a while.

"Well," he said, "n.o.body can deny that there's a deep mystery about Jacob Herapath's death. And knowing what I do about this Bentham or Burchill, and that he's recently been secretary to Jacob Herapath, I'd just like to know a lot more. And--I mean to!"

"Got any plan of campaign?" asked Carver.

"I have!" affirmed Triffitt with sublime confidence. "And it's this--I'm going to dog this thing out until I can go to our boss and tell him that I can force the hands of the police! For the police are keeping something dark, my son, and I mean to find out what it is. I got a quencher this morning from our news editor, but it'll be the last. When I go back to the office to write out this stuff, I'm going to have that extremely rare thing with any of our lot--an interview with the old man."

"Gad!--I thought your old man was unapproachable!" exclaimed Carver.

"To all intents and purposes, he is," a.s.sented Triffitt. "But I'll see him--and today. And after that--but you'll see. Now, as to you, old man.

You're coming in with me at this, of course--not on behalf of your paper, but on your own. Work up with me, and if we're successful, I'll promise you a post on the _Argus_ that'll be worth three times what you're getting now. I know what I'm talking about--unapproachable as our guv'nor is, I've sized him up, and if I make good in this affair, he'll do anything I want. Stick to Triffitt, my son, and Triffitt'll see you all serene!"

"Right-oh!" said Carver. "I'm on. Well, and what am I to do, first?"

"Two things," responded Triffitt. "One of 'em's easy, and can be done at once. Get me--diplomatically--this man Burchill's, or Bentham's, present address. You know some _Magnet_ chaps--get it out of them. Tell 'em you want to ask Burchill's advice about some dramatic stuff--say you've written a play and you're so impressed by his criticisms that you'd like to take his counsel."

"I can do that," replied Carver. "As a matter of fact, I've got a real good farce in my desk. And the next?"

"The next is--try to find out if there's any taxi-cab driver around the Portman Square district who took a fare resembling old Herapath from anywhere about there to Kensington on the night of the murder," said Triffitt. "There must be some chap who drove that man, and if we've got any brains about us we can find him. If we find him, and can get him to talk--well, we shall know something."

"It'll mean money," observed Carver.

"Never mind," said Triffitt, confident as ever. "If it comes off all right with our boss, you needn't bother about money, my son! Now let's be going Fleet Street way, and I'll meet you tonight at the usual--say six o'clock."

Arrived at the _Argus_ office and duly seated at his own particular table, Triffitt, instead of proceeding to write out his report of the funeral ceremony of the late Jacob Herapath, M.P., wrote a note to his proprietor, which note he carefully sealed and marked "Private." He carried this off to the great man's confidential secretary, who stared at it and him.

"I suppose this really is of a private nature?" he asked suspiciously.

"You know as well as I do that Mr. Markledew'll make me suffer if it isn't."

"Soul and honour, it's of the most private!" affirmed Triffitt, laying a hand on his heart. "And of the highest importance, too, and I'll be eternally grateful if you'll put it before him as soon as you can."

The confidential secretary took another look at Triffitt, and allowed himself to be reluctantly convinced of his earnestness.

"All right!" he said. "I'll shove it under his nose when he comes in at four o'clock."

Triffitt went back to his work, excited, yet elated. It was no easy job to get speech of Markledew. Markledew, as everybody in Fleet Street knew, was a man in ten thousand. He was not only sole proprietor of his paper, but its editor and manager, and he ruled his office and his employees with a rod of iron--chiefly by silence. It was usually said of him that he never spoke to anybody unless he was absolutely obliged to do so--certain it was that all his orders to the various heads were given out pretty much after the fas.h.i.+on of a drill sergeant's commands to a squad of well-trained, five-month recruits, and that monosyllables were much more in his mouth than even brief admonitions and explanations. If anybody ever did manage to approach Markledew, it was always with fear and trembling. A big, heavy, lumbering man, with a face that might have been carved out of granite, eyes that bored through an opposing brain, and a constant expression of absolute, yet watchful immobility, he was a trying person to tackle, and most men, when they did tackle him, felt as if they might be talking to the Sphinx and wondered if the tightly-locked lips were ever going to open. But all men who ever had anything to do with Markledew were well aware that, difficult as he was of access, you had only got to approach him with something good to be rewarded for your pains in full measure.

At ten minutes past four Triffitt, who had just finished his work, lifted his head to see a messenger-boy fling open the door of the reporter's room and cast his eyes round. A s.h.i.+ver shot through Triffitt's spine and went out of his toes with a final sting.

"Mr. Markledew wants Mr. Triffitt!"

Two or three other junior reporters who were scribbling in the room glanced at Triffitt as he leapt to obey the summons. They hastened to make kindly comments on this unheard-of episode in the day's dull routine.

"Pale as a fair young bride!" sighed one. "Buck up, Triff!--he won't eat you."

"I hear your knees knocking together, Triff," said another. "Brace yourself!"

"Markledew," observed a third, "has decided to lay down the sceptre and to instal Triff in the chair of rule. Ave, Triffitt, Imperator!--be merciful to the rest of us."

Triffitt consigned them to the nether regions and hurried to the presence. The presence was busied with its secretary and kept Triffitt standing for two minutes, during which s.p.a.ce he recovered his breath.

Then the presence waved away secretary and papers with one hand, turned its awful eyes upon him, and rapped out one word:

"Now!"

Triffitt breathed a fervent prayer to all his G.o.ds, summoned his resolution and his powers, and spoke. He endeavoured to use as few words as possible, to be lucid, to make his points, to show what he was after--and, driving fear away from him, he kept his own eyes steadily fixed on those penetrating organs which confronted him. And once, twice, he saw or thought he saw a light gleam of appreciation in those organs; once, he believed, the big head nodded as if in agreement. Anyhow, at the end of a quarter of an hour (unheard-of length for an interview with Markledew!) Triffitt had neither been turned out nor summarily silenced; instead, he had come to what he felt to be a good ending of his pleas and his arguments, and the great man was showing signs of speech.

"Now, attend!" said Markledew, impressively. "You'll go on with this.

You'll follow it up on the lines you suggest. But you'll print nothing except under my personal supervision. Make certain of your facts.

Facts!--understand! Wait."

He pulled a couple of slips of paper towards him, scribbled a line or two on each, handed them to Triffitt, and nodded at the door.

"That'll do," he said. "When you want me, let me know. And mind--you've got a fine chance, young man."

Triffitt could have fallen on the carpet and kissed Markledew's large boots. But knowing Markledew, he expressed his grat.i.tude in two words and a bow, and sped out of the room. Once outside, he hastened to send the all-powerful notes. They were short and sharp, like Markledew's manner, but to Triffitt of an inexpressible sweetness, and he walked on air as he went off to other regions to present them.

The news editor, who was by nature irascible and whom much daily worry had rendered more so, glared angrily as Triffitt marched up to his table. He pointed to a slip of proof which lay, damp and sticky, close by.

"You've given too much s.p.a.ce to that Herapath funeral," he growled.

"Take it away and cut it down to three-quarters."

Triffitt made no verbal answer. He flung Markledew's half-sheet of notepaper before the news editor, and the news editor, seeing the great man's sprawling caligraphy, read, wonderingly:--

"Mr. Triffitt is released from ordinary duties to pursue others under my personal supervision.

J. M."

The news editor stared at Triffitt as if that young gentleman had suddenly become an archangel.

"What's this mean?" he demanded.

"Obvious--and sufficient," retorted Triffitt. And he turned, hands in pockets, and strolled out, leaving the proof lying unheeded. That was the first time he had scored off his news editor, and the experience was honey-like and intoxicating. His head was higher than ever as he sought the cas.h.i.+er and handed Markledew's other note to him. The cas.h.i.+er read it over mechanically.

"Mr. Triffitt is to draw what money he needs for a special purpose. He will account to me for it.

J. M."

The cas.h.i.+er calmly laid the order aside and looked at its deliverer.

"Want any now?" he asked apathetically. "How much?"

"Not at present," replied Triffitt. "I'll let you know when I do."

Then he went away, got his overcoat, made a derisive and sphinx-like grin at his fellow-reporters, and left the office to find Carver.