|
Main
- books.jibble.org
My Books
- IRC Hacks
Misc. Articles
- Meaning of Jibble
- M4 Su Doku
- Computer Scrapbooking
- Setting up Java
- Bootable Java
- Cookies in Java
- Dynamic Graphs
- Social Shakespeare
External Links
- Paul Mutton
- Jibble Photo Gallery
- Jibble Forums
- Google Landmarks
- Jibble Shop
- Free Books
- Intershot Ltd
|
books.jibble.org
Previous Page
| Next Page
Page 25
"Tell me about Marie," I said.
Gatton smiled grimly, took a drink from his glass, and then:
"She began of course as I had anticipated, by denying all knowledge of
the matter, but recognizing that she was in a tight corner, she
presently changed her tactics, and although every available plan was
tried to induce her to change her ground, she afterwards stuck to the
extraordinary story which we first extracted from her. Briefly it was
this:
"The late Sir Marcus had been paying unwelcome attention to Miss
Merlin for a long time, and Marie had instructions that he was to be
discouraged as much as possible. In fact I am pleased to say that your
theory of Miss Merlin's ignorance respecting the murder plot is borne
out by the testimony of her maid. On several occasions, it appears,
when he sent his card to the dressing-room, Marie returned equivocal
messages and did not even inform her mistress of Sir Marcus's visit.
This had been going on for some time when one night whilst Miss Merlin
was on the stage a telephone call came for Marie and a certain
proposal was made to her.
"It was this: if on the following night Sir Marcus should present
himself she was to tell him that Miss Merlin would take supper in his
company after the performance, but that he was to observe every
possible precaution. Marie, according to her account, at first
declined to entertain the proposal, but being informed that it was
merely intended to play a practical joke upon the baronet, she
ultimately consented. I may add that the promise of a ten-pound note
undoubtedly hastened her decision and it was on her receipt of the
amount by post on the following morning that she determined to carry
out her part of the bargain.
"Her instructions had been explicit. She was to tell Sir Marcus that
Miss Merlin would see him after the performance, then when he
presented himself, to inform him that her mistress had decided it
would be more prudent for him to proceed to the rendezvous alone,
where she would join him in a quarter of an hour. She was to give him
the door key (which had arrived with the money) and to direct him to
enter and wait in the room on the right of the hall. A cabman who knew
the address would be waiting at the stage door."
Gatton paused, puffing slowly at his pipe, then: "Unknown to Miss
Merlin," he continued, "this scheme was carried out. Sir Marcus
presented himself at ten o'clock and received Marie's message; he
returned about eleven and she told him, as she had been instructed,
that her mistress would join him in a quarter of an hour. Curiosity
respecting the joke which she believed was being played upon the
baronet prompted her to go outside the stage-door to see if there was
actually a cab waiting. There was, and she heard Sir Marcus ask the
man if he knew the address to which he was to drive.
"The cabman replied that he did, and Marie claims to know no more
about the matter, except that Sir Marcus drove off in the cab, and
that her mistress returned to her flat alone about a quarter of an
hour later. Next point. Inquiries for the cabman have been made at all
the ranks since early this morning, and he turned up at the Yard about
a couple of hours ago. His story is simple enough; some one called up
the rank where he chanced to be standing that evening, instructing him
to call for Sir Marcus at the stage-door of the New Avenue Theater and
to drive him to--"
He paused:
"Yes?"
"To the Red House!"
"At last we have it!" I cried excitedly.
"There is no doubt of it," answered Gatton; "the cabman drove him
there, and it was certainly at the Red House that he met his death.
Indeed the cabby appears to be the last witness who spoke to the
murdered man. He inquired his way to the Red House from a chance
pedestrian, a tramp, whom he met at the corner of College Road. He has
even described this person to us, but I don't think his evidence of
sufficient importance to justify our searching for him. On reaching
the Red House the cabman and his fare found it to be vacant. Sir
Marcus, however, who had a very brusk manner with his inferiors,
having paid the cabman, curtly dismissed him, and the man, who admits
having bargained for a double fare for the journey, because it was
such an out-of-the-way spot, drove away vaguely curious, but not so
curious as another might have been, since London cabmen are used to
strange jobs."
Previous Page
| Next Page
|
|