the clue of the twisted candle-第22节

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〃Open　the　window；〃　said　T。　X。；　〃the　heat　here　is　intolerable。　　Be　very　careful；　Mansus。　　By　the　way；　is　the　window　fastened？〃

〃Very　well　fastened；〃　said　the　superintendent　after　a　careful　scrutiny。

He　pushed　back　the　fastenings；　lifted　the　window　and　as　he　did；　a　harsh　bell　rang　in　the　basement。

〃That　is　the　burglar　alarm；　I　suppose；〃　said　T。　X。；　〃go　down　and　stop　that　bell。〃

He　addressed　Fisher；　who　stood　with　a　troubled　face　at　the　door。　When　he　had　disappeared　T。　X。　gave　a　significant　glance　to　one　of　the　waiting　officers　and　the　man　sauntered　after　the　valet。

Fisher　stopped　the　bell　and　came　back　to　the　hall　and　stood　before　the　hall　fire；　a　very　troubled　man。　　Near　the　fire　was　a　big；　oaken　writing　table　and　on　this　there　lay　a　small　envelope　which　he　did　not　remember　having　seen　before；　though　it　might　have　been　there　for　some　time；　for　he　had　spent　a　greater　portion　of　the　evening　in　the　kitchen　with　the　cook。

He　picked　up　the　envelope；　and；　with　a　start；　recognised　that　it　was　addressed　to　himself。　　He　opened　it　and　took　out　a　card。　There　were　only　a　few　words　written　upon　it；　but　they　were　sufficient　to　banish　all　the　colour　from　his　face　and　set　his　hands　shaking。　　He　took　the　envelope　and　card　and　flung　them　into　the　fire。

It　so　happened　that；　at　that　moment；　Mansus　had　called　from　upstairs；　and　the　officer；　who　had　been　told　off　to　keep　the　valet　under　observation；　ran　up　in　answer　to　the　summons。　　For　a　moment　Fisher　hesitated；　then　hatless　and　coatless　as　he　was；　he　crept　to　the　door；　opened　it；　leaving　it　ajar　behind　him　and　darting　down　the　steps；　ran　like　a　hare　from　the　house。

The　doctor；　who　came　a　little　later；　was　cautious　as　to　the　hour　of　death。

〃If　you　got　your　telephone　message　at　10。25；　as　you　say；　that　was　probably　the　hour　he　was　killed；〃　he　said。　　〃I　could　not　tell　within　half　an　hour。　　Obviously　the　man　who　killed　him　gripped　his　throat　with　his　left　hand　…　there　are　the　bruises　on　his　neck　…　and　stabbed　him　with　the　right。〃

It　was　at　this　time　that　the　disappearance　of　Fisher　was　noticed；　but　the　cross…examination　of　the　terrified　Mrs。　Beale　removed　any　doubt　that　T。　X。　had　as　to　the　man's　guilt。

〃You　had　better　send　out　an　'All　Stations'　message　and　pull　him　in；〃　said　T。　X。　　〃He　was　with　the　cook　from　the　moment　the　visitor　left　until　a　few　minutes　before　we　rang。　　Besides　which　it　is　obviously　impossible　for　anybody　to　have　got　into　this　room　or　out　again。　　Have　you　searched　the　dead　man？〃

Mansus　produced　a　tray　on　which　Kara's　belongings　had　been　disposed。　　The　ordinary　keys　Mrs。　Beale　was　able　to　identify。　There　were　one　or　two　which　were　beyond　her。　　T。　X。　recognised　one　of　these　as　the　key　of　the　safe；　but　two　smaller　keys　baffled　him　not　a　little；　and　Mrs。　Beale　was　at　first　unable　to　assist　him。

〃The　only　thing　I　can　think　of；　sir；〃　she　said；　〃is　the　wine　cellar。〃

〃The　wine　cellar？〃　said　T。　X。　slowly。　　〃That　must　be　…　〃　he　stopped。

The　greater　tragedy　of　the　evening；　with　all　its　mystifying　aspects　had　not　banished　from　his　mind　the　thought　of　the　girl　…　that　Belinda　Mary；　who　had　called　upon　him　in　her　hour　of　danger　as　he　divined。　　Perhaps　…　he　descended　into　the　kitchen　and　was　brought　face　to　face　with　the　unpainted　door。

〃It　looks　more　like　a　prison　than　a　wine　cellar；〃　he　said。

〃That's　what　I've　always　thought；　sir；〃　said　Mrs。　Beale；　〃and　sometimes　I've　had　a　horrible　feeling　of　fear。〃

He　cut　short　her　loquacity　by　inserting　one　of　the　keys　in　the　lock　…　it　did　not　turn；　but　he　had　more　success　with　the　second。　The　lock　snapped　back　easily　and　he　pulled　the　door　back。　　He　found　the　inner　door　bolted　top　and　bottom。　　The　bolts　slipped　back　in　their　well…oiled　sockets　without　any　effort。　　Evidently　Kara　used　this　place　pretty　frequently；　thought　T。　X。

He　pushed　the　door　open　and　stopped　with　an　exclamation　of　surprise。　　The　cellar　apartment　was　brilliantly　lit　…　but　it　was　unoccupied。

〃This　beats　the　band；〃　said　T。　X。

He　saw　something　on　the　table　and　lifted　it　up。　　It　was　a　pair　of　long…bladed　scissors　and　about　the　handle　was　wound　a　handkerchief。　　It　was　not　this　fact　which　startled　him；　but　that　the　scissors'　blades　were　dappled　with　blood　and　blood；　too；　was　on　the　handkerchief。　　He　unwound　the　flimsy　piece　of　cambric　and　stared　at　the　monogram　〃B。　M。　B。〃

He　looked　around。　　Nobody　had　seen　the　weapon　and　he　dropped　it　in　his　overcoat　pocket；　and　walked　from　the　cellar　to　the　kitchen　where　Mrs。　Beale　and　Mansus　awaited　him。

〃There　is　a　lower　cellar；　is　there　not！〃　he　asked　in　a　strained　voice。

〃That　was　bricked　up　when　Mr。　Kara　took　the　house；〃　explained　the　woman。

〃There　is　nothing　more　to　look　for　here；〃　he　said。

He　walked　slowly　up　the　stairs　to　the　library；　his　mind　in　a　whirl。　　That　he；　an　accredited　officer　of　police；　sworn　to　the　business　of　criminal　detection；　should　attempt　to　screen　one　who　was　conceivably　a　criminal　was　inexplicable。　　But　if　the　girl　had　committed　this　crime；　how　had　she　reached　Kara's　room　and　why　had　she　returned　to　the　locked　cellar！

He　sent　for　Mrs。　Beale　to　interrogate　her。　　She　had　heard　nothing　and　she　had　been　in　the　kitchen　all　the　evening。　　One　fact　she　did　reveal；　however；　that　Fisher　had　gone　from　the　kitchen　and　had　been　absent　a　quarter　of　an　hour　and　had　returned　a　little　agitated。

〃Stay　here；〃　said　T。　X。；　and　went　down　again　to　the　cellar　to　make　a　further　search。

〃Probably　there　is　some　way　out　of　this　subterranean　jail；〃　he　thought　and　a　diligent　search　of　the　room　soon　revealed　it。

He　found　the　iron　trap；　pulled　it　open；　and　slipped　down　the　stairs。　　He；　too；　was　puzzled　by　the　luxurious　character　of　the　vault。　　He　passed　from　room　to　room　and　finally　came　to　the　inner　chamber　where　a　light　was　burning。

The　light；　as　he　discovered；　proceeded　from　a　small　reading　lamp　which　stood　by　the　side　of　a　small　brass　bedstead。　　The　bed　had　recently　been　slept　in；　but　there　was　no　sign　of　any　occupant。　　T。　X。　conducted　a　very　careful　search　and　had　no　difficulty　in　finding　the　bricked　up　door。　　Other　exits　there　were　none。

The　floor　was　of　wood　block　laid　on　concrete；　the　ventilation　was　excellent　and　in　one　of　the　recesses　which　had　evidently　held　at　so　time　or　other；　a　large　wine　bin；　there　was　a　prefect　electrical　cooking　plant。　　In　a　small　larder　were　a　number　of　baskets；　bearing　the　name　of　a　well…known　caterer；　one　of　them　containing　an　excellent　assortment　of　cold　and　potted　meats；　preserves；　etc。

T。　X。　went　back　to　the　bedroom　and　took　the　little　lamp　from　the　table　by　the　side　of　the　bed　and　began　a　more　careful　examination。　Presently　he　found　traces　of　blood；　and　followed　an　irregular　trail　to　the　outer　room。　　He　1ost　it　suddenly　at　the　foot　of　stairs　leading　down　from　the　upper　cellar。　　Then　he　struck　it　again。　He　had　reached　the　end　of　his　electric　cord　and　was　now　depending　upon　an　electric　torch　he　hid　taken　from　his　pocket。

There　were　indications　of　something　heavy　having　been　dragged　across　the　room　and　he　saw　that　it　led　to　a　small　bathroom。　　He　had　made　a　cursory　examination　of　this　well…appointed　apartment；　and　now　he　proceeded　to　make　a　close　investigation　and　was　well　rewarded。

The　bathroom　was　the　only　apartment　which　possess　anything　resembling　a　door　…　a　two…fold　screen　and　…　　as　he　pressed　this　back；　he　felt　some　thing　which　prevented　its　wider　extension。　　He　slipped　into　the　room　and　flashed　his　lamp　in　the　space　behind　the　screen。　　There　stiff　in　death　with　glazed　eyes　and　lolling　tongue　lay　a　great　gaunt　dog；　his　yellow　fangs　exposed　in　a　last　grimace。


About　the　neck　was　a　collar　and　attached　to　that；　a　few　links　of　broken　chain。　　T。　X。　mounted　the　steps　thoughtfully　and　passed　out　to　the　kitchen。

Did　Belinda　Mary　stab　Kara　or　kill　the　dog？　　That　she　killed　one　hound　or　the　other　was　certain。　　That　she　killed　both　was　possible。




CHAPTER　XV


After　a　busy　and　sleepless　night　he　came　down　to　report　to　the　Chief　Commissioner　the　next　morning。　　The　evening　newspaper　bills　were　filled　with　the　〃Chelsea　Sensation〃　but　the　information　given　was　of　a　meagre　character。

Since　Fisher　had　disappeared；　many　of　the　details　which　could　have　been　secured　by　the　enterprising　pressmen　were　missing。　　There　was　no　reference　to　the　visit　of　Mr。　Gathercole　and　in　self…defence　the　press　had　fallen　back　upon　a　statement；　which　at　an　earlier　period　had　crept　into　the　newspapers　in　one　of　those　chatty　paragraphs　which　begin　〃I　saw　my　friend　Kara　at　Giros〃　and　end　with　a　brief　but　inaccurate　summary　of　his　hobbies。　　The　paragraph　had　been　to　the　effect　that　Mr。　Kara　had　been　in　fear　of　his　life　for　some　time；　as　a　result　of　a　blood　feud　which　existed　between　himself　and　another　Albanian　family。　　Small　wonder；　therefore；　the　murder　was　everywhere　referred　to　as　〃the　political　crime　of　the　century。〃

〃So　far；〃　reported　T。　X。　to　his　superior；　〃I　have　been　unable　to　trace　either　Gathercole　or　the　valet。　　The　only　thing　we　know　about　Gathercole　is　that　he　sent　his　article　to　The　Times　with　his　card。　　The　servants　of　his　Club　are　very　vague　as　to　his　whereabouts。　　He　is　a　very　eccentric　man；　who　only　comes　in　occasionally；　and　the　steward　whom　I　interviewed　says　that　it　frequently　happened　that　Gathercole　arrived　and　departed　without