The Black Box Part 3

"Can't you see?" Lenora shrieked. "She's fainted! And the diamonds--the diamonds have gone!"

The fireman was already at the telephone. In less than a minute one of the managers from the office came running in. Lenora was das.h.i.+ng water into Ella's still, cold face.

"She's fainted!" she shrieked. "Fetch a doctor, some one. The diamonds have gone!"

The young man was already at the telephone. His hand shook as he took up the receiver. He turned to the elevator boy.

"Run across to number seventy-three--Doctor Morton's," he ordered. "Don't you let any one come in, fireman. Don't either of you say a word about this. Here, Exchange, urgent call. Give me the police-station--yes, police-station!... Don't be a fool, girl," he added under his breath. "You won't do any good throwing water on her like that. Let her alone for a moment.... Yes! Manager, Leeland Hotel, speaking. A murder and robbery have taken place in this hotel, suite number forty-three. I am there now.

Nothing shall be touched. Send round this moment."

The young man hung up the receiver. Lenora was filling the room with her shrieks. He took her by the shoulder and pushed her back into a chair.

"Shut up, you fool!" he exclaimed. "You can't do any good making a noise like that."

"She said she saw the door handle turn," Lenora sobbed. "I went to fetch Macdougal. He'd gone out. When I came back she was there--like that!"

"What door handle?" the manager asked.

Lenora pointed. The young man crossed the room. The lock was still in its place, the door refused to yield. As he turned around the doctor arrived.

He hurried at once to Ella's side.

"Hands still warm," he muttered, as he felt them.... "My G.o.d! It's the double knot strangle!"

He bent over Ella for several moments. Then he rose to his feet. The door from outside had been opened once more. A police inspector, followed by a detective, had entered.

"This is your affair, gentlemen, not mine," the doctor said gravely. "The young lady is dead. She has been cruelly strangled within the last five or ten minutes."

The Inspector turned around.

"Lock the outside door," he ordered his man. "Has any one left the room, Mr. Marsham?"

"No one," the manager declared.

"Who discovered her?"

"The maid."

Lenora rose to her feet. She seemed a little calmer but the healthy colour had all gone from her cheeks and her lips were twitching.

"Her ladys.h.i.+p had just come in from the Opera," she said. "She was sitting in her easy-chair. I was in the bedroom. She looked toward the handle of that door. She thought it moved. She called me. I tried it and found it fast locked. She sent for Mr. Macdougal."

"Macdougal," Mr. Marsham explained, "is a confidential servant of Lord Ashleigh's. He was sent over here with Lady Ella."

The Inspector nodded.

"Go on."

"I found Mr. Macdougal's door locked. He must have gone out. When I came back here, I found this!"

The Inspector made a careful examination of the room.

"Tell me," he enquired, "is this the young lady who owned the wonderful Ashleigh diamonds?"

"They've gone!" Lenora shrieked. "They've been stolen! She was wearing them when I left the room!"

The Inspector turned to the telephone.

"Mr. Marsham," he said, "I am afraid this will be a difficult affair. I am going to take the liberty of calling in an expert. h.e.l.lo. I want Number One, New York City--Mr. Sanford Quest."

4.

There seemed to be nothing at all original in the methods pursued by the great criminologist when confronted with this tableau of death and robbery. His remarks to the Inspector were few and perfunctory. He asked only a few languid questions of Macdougal and Lenora, who were summoned to his presence.

"You had left the hotel, I understand, at the time when the crime occurred?" he asked the latter.

Macdougal, grave and respectful, made his answers with difficulty. His voice was choked with emotion.

"I brought my mistress home from the Opera, sir. I rode on the box with Mrs. Delarey's chauffeur. After I had seen her safely in the hotel, I went up to my room for two minutes and left the hotel by the back entrance."

"Any one see you go?"

"The door-keeper, sir, and I pa.s.sed a page upon the stairs."

"Wasn't it rather late for you to go out?"

"My days are a little dull here, sir," Macdougal replied, "and my attendance is not required early in the morning. I have made some friends in the city and I usually go out to a restaurant and have some supper."

"Quite natural," Mr. Quest agreed. "That will do, thanks."

Macdougal turned towards the door. Lenora was about to follow him but Quest signed to her to remain.

"I should like to have a little conversation with you about your mistress," he said to her pleasantly. "If you don't mind, I will ask you to accompany me in my car. I will send the man back with you."

For a moment the girl stood quite still. Her face was already ghastly pale. Her eyes alone seemed to indicate some fresh fear.

"I will go to my rooms and put on my hat," she said.

Quest pointed through the half-open door.

"That will be your hat and coat upon the bed there, won't it?" he remarked. "I am sorry to hurry you off but I have another appointment. You will send, of course, for the young lady's friends," he added, turning to Mr. Marsham, "and cable her people."

"There is nothing more you can do, Mr. Quest?" the hotel manager asked, a little querulously. "This affair must be cleared up for the credit of my hotel."

Quest shrugged his shoulders. He glanced through the open door to where Lenora was arranging her coat with trembling fingers.

"There will be very little difficulty about that," he said calmly. "If you are quite ready, Miss Lenora. Is that your name?"