The Secret Of Chimneys Part 14

'What was it you wanted to see, Mr Fish?' asked the detective.

The American walked gently into the room, and looked with much interest at the dark patch on the floor.

'I am interested in crime, Mr Battle. It is one of my hobbies. I have contributed a monograph to one of our weekly periodicals on the subject "Degeneracy and the Criminal".'

As he spoke, his eyes went gently round the room, seeming to note everything in it. They rested just a shade longer on the window.

'The body,' said Superintendent Battle, stating a self-evident fact, 'has been removed.'

'Surely,' said Mr Fish. His eyes went on to the panelled walls. 'Some remarkable pictures in this room, gentlemen. A Holbein, two Van Dycks, and, if I am not mistaken, a Velazquez. I am interested in pictures - and likewise in first editions. It was to see his first editions that Lord Caterham was so kind as to invite me down here.'

He sighed gently.

'I guess that's all off now. It would show a proper feeling, I suppose, for the guests to return to town immediately?'

'I'm afraid that can't be done, sir,' said Superintendent Battle. 'n.o.body must leave the house until after the inquest.'

'Is that so? And when is the inquest?'

'May be tomorrow, may not be until Monday. We've got to arrange for the autopsy and see the coroner.'

'I get you,' said Mr Fish. 'Under the circ.u.mstances, though, it will be a melancholy party.'

Battle led the way to the door.

'We'd best get out of here,' he said. 'We're keeping it locked still.'

He waited for the other two to pa.s.s through, and then turned the key and removed it.

'I opine,' said Mr Fish, 'that you are seeking for fingerprints?'

'Maybe,' said the superintendent laconically.

'I should say too, that, on a night such as last night, an intruder would have left footprints on the hardwood floor.'

'None inside, plenty outside.'

'Mine,' explained Anthony cheerfully.

The innocent eyes of Mr Fish swept over him.

'Young man,' he said, 'you surprise me.'

They turned a corner, and came out into the big wide hall, panelled like the council chamber in old oak, and with a wide gallery above it. Two other figures came into sight at the far end.

'Aha!' said Mr Fish. 'Our genial host.'

This was such a ludicrous description of Lord Caterham that Anthony had to turn his head away to conceal a smile.

'And with him,' continued the American, 'is a lady whose name I did not catch last night. But she is bright - she is very bright.'

With Lord Caterham was Virginia Revel.

Anthony had been antic.i.p.ating this meeting all along. He had no idea how to act. He must leave it to Virginia. Although he had full confidence in her presence of mind, he had not the slightest idea what line she would take. He was not long left in doubt.

"Why, it's Mr Cade,' said Virginia. She held out both hands to him. 'So you found you could come down after all?'

'My dear Mrs Revel, I had no idea Mr Cade was a friend of yours,' said Lord Caterham.

'He's a very old friend,' said Virginia, smiling at Anthony, with a mischievous glint in her eye. 'I ran into him in London unexpectedly yesterday, and told him I was coming down here.'

Anthony was quick to give her her pointer.

'I explained to Mrs Revel,' he said, 'that I had been forced to refuse your kind invitation - since it had really been extended to quite a different man. And I couldn't very well foist a perfect stranger on you under false pretences.'

'Well, well, my dear fellow,' said Lord Caterham, 'that's all over and done with now. I'll send down to the Cricketers for your bag.'

'It's very kind of you, Lord Caterham, but -'

'Nonsense, of course you must come to Chimneys. Horrible place, the Cricketers - to stay in, I mean.'

'Of course you must come, Mr Cade,' said Virginia softly.

Anthony realized the altered tone of his surroundings. Already Virginia had done much for him. He was no longer an ambiguous stranger. Her position was so a.s.sured and una.s.sailable that anyone for whom she vouched was accepted as a matter of course. He thought of the pistol in the tree at Burnham Beeches, and smiled inwardly.

'I'll send for your traps,' said Lord Caterham to Anthony. 'I suppose, in the circ.u.mstances, we can't have any shooting. A pity. But there it is. And I don't know what the devil to do with Isaacstein. It's all very unfortunate.'

The depressed peer sighed heavily.

'That's settled, then,' said Virginia. 'You can begin to be useful right away, Mr Cade, and take me out on the lake. It's very peaceful there and far from crime and all that sort of thing. Isn't it awful for poor Lord Caterham having a murder done in his house? But it's George's fault really. This is George's party, you know.'

'Ah!' said Lord Caterham. 'But I should never have listened to him!'

He a.s.sumed the air of a strong man betrayed by a single weakness.

'One can't help listening to George,' said Virginia. 'He always holds you so that you can't get away. I'm thinking of patenting a detachable lapel.'

'I wish you would,' chuckled her host. 'I'm glad you're coming to us, Cade. I need support.'

'I appreciate your kindness very much, Lord Caterham,' said Anthony. 'Especially,' he added, 'when I'm such a suspicious character. But my staying here makes it easier for Battle.'

'In what way, sir?' asked the superintendent.

'It won't be so difficult to keep an eye on me,' explained Anthony gently.

And by the momentary flicker of the superintendent's eyelids he knew that his shot had gone home.

Chapter 14.

MAINLY POLITICAL AND FINANCIAL.

Except for that involuntary twitch of the eyelid, Superintendent Battle's impa.s.sivity was unimpaired. If he had been surprised at Virginia's recognition of Anthony, he did not show it. He and Lord Caterham stood together and watched those two go out through the garden door. Mr Fish also watched them.

'Nice young fellow, that,' said Lord Caterham.

'Very nice for Mrs Revel to meet an old friend,' murmured the American. 'They have been acquainted some time, presoomably?'

'Seems so,' said Lord Caterham. 'But I've never heard her mention him before. Oh, by the way, Battle, Mr Lomax has been asking for you. He's in the blue morning-room.'

'Very good, Lord Caterham. I'll go there at once.'

Battle found his way to the blue morning-room without difficulty. He was already familiar with the geography of the house.

'Ah, there you are, Battle,' said Lomax.

He was striding impatiently up and down the carpet. There was one other person in the room, a big man sitting in a chair by the fireplace. He was dressed in very correct English shooting clothes which nevertheless sat strangely upon him. He had a fat yellow face, and black eyes, as impenetrable as those of a cobra. There was a generous curve to the big nose and power in the square lines of the vast jaw.

'Come in, Battle,' said Lomax irritably. 'And shut the door behind you. This is Mr Herman Isaacstein.'

Battle inclined his head respectfully.

He knew all about Mr Herman Isaacstein, and though the great financier sat there silent, whilst Lomax strode up and down and talked, he knew who was the real power in the room.

'We can speak more freely now,' said Lomax. 'Before Lord Caterham and Colonel Melrose, I was anxious not to say too much. You understand, Battle? These things mustn't get about.'

'Ah!' said Battle. 'But they always do, more's the pity.'

Just for a second he saw a trace of a smile on the fat yellow face. It disappeared as suddenly as it had come.

'Now, what do you really think of this young fellow - this Anthony Cade?' continued George. 'Do you still a.s.sume him to be innocent?'

Battle shrugged his shoulders very slightly.

'He tells a straight story. Part of it we shall be able to verify. On the face of it, it accounts for his presence here last night. I shall cable to South Africa, of course, for information about his antecedents.'

'Then you regard him as cleared of all complicity?'

Battle raised a large square hand.

'Not so fast, sir. I never said that.'

'What is your idea about the crime, Superintendent Battle?' asked Isaacstein, speaking for the first time.

His voice was deep and rich, and had a certain compelling quality about it. It had stood him in good stead at board meetings in his younger days.

'It's rather too soon to have ideas, Mr Isaacstein. I've not got beyond asking myself the first question.'

'What is that?'

'Oh, it's always the same. Motive. Who benefits by the death of Prince Michael? We've got to answer that before we can get anywhere.'

'The Revolutionary party of Herzoslovakia -' began George.

Superintendent Battle waved him aside with something less than his usual respect.

'It wasn't the Comrades of the Red Hand, sir, if you're thinking of them.'

'But the paper - with the scarlet hand on it?'

'Put there to suggest the obvious solution.'

George's dignity was a little ruffled.

'Really, Battle, I don't see how you can be so sure of that.'

'Bless you, Mr Lomax, we know all about the Comrades of the Red Hand. We've had our eye on them ever since Prince Michael landed in England. That sort of thing is the elementary work of the department. They'd never be allowed to get within a mile of him.'

'I agree with Superintendent Battle,' said Isaacstein. 'We must look elsewhere.'

'You see, sir,' said Battle, encouraged by this support, 'we do know a little about the case. If we don't know who gains by his death, we do know who loses by it.'

'Meaning?' said Isaacstein.

His black eyes were bent upon the detective. More than ever, he reminded Battle of a hooded cobra.

'You and Mr Lomax, not to mention the Loyalist party of Herzoslovakia. If you'll pardon the expression, sir, you're in the soup.'

'Really, Battle,' interposed George, shocked to the core.

'Go on, Battle,' said Isaacstein. 'In the soup describes the situation very accurately. You're an intelligent man.'

'You've got to have a king. You've lost your king - like that!' He snapped his large fingers. 'You've got to find another in a hurry, and that's not an easy job. No, I don't want to know the details of your scheme, the bare outline is enough for me, but, I take it, it's a big deal?'

Isaacstein bent his head slowly.

'It's a very big deal.'

'That's brings me to my second question. Who is the next heir to the throne of Herzoslovakia?'

Isaacstein looked across at Lomax. The latter answered the question, with a certain reluctance, and a good deal of hesitation: 'That would be - I should say - yes, in all probability Prince Nicholas would be the next heir.'

'Ah!' said Battle. 'And who is Prince Nicholas?'