"if you would care to come in, sir, i'm sure lexman would be gladto see you," said t. x.; "it's very kind of you to take aninterest in the matter."the chief commissioner of police growled something about beingpaid to take an interest in everybody and strolled with t. x. downone of the apparently endless corridors of scotland yard.
"you won't have any bother about the pardon," he said. "i wasdining to-night with old man bartholomew and he will fix that upin the morning.""there will be no necessity to detain lexman in custody?" asked t.
x.
the chief shook his head.
"none whatever," he said.
there was a pause, then,"by the way, did bartholomew mention belinda mary!"the white-haired chief looked round in astonishment.
"and who the devil is belinda mary?" he asked.
t. x. went red.
"belinda mary," he said a little quickly, "is bartholomew'sdaughter.""by jove," said the commissioner, "now you mention it, he did -she is still in france.""oh, is she?" said t. x. innocently, and in his heart of hearts hewished most fervently that she was. they came to the room whichmansus occupied and found that admirable man waiting.
wherever policemen meet, their conversation naturally drifts to"shop" and in two minutes the three were discussing with someanimation and much difference of opinion, as far as t. x. wasconcerned, a series of frauds which had been perpetrated in themidlands, and which have nothing to do with this story.
"your friend is late," said the chief commissioner.
"there he is," cried t. x., springing up. he heard a familiarfootstep on the flagged corridor, and sprung out of the room tomeet the newcomer.
for a moment he stood wringing the hand of this grave man, hisheart too full for words.
"my dear chap!" he said at last, "you don't know how glad i am tosee you."john lexman said nothing, then,"i am sorry to bring you into this business, t. x.," he saidquietly.
"nonsense," said the other, "come in and see the chief."he took john by the arm and led him into the superintendent'sroom.
there was a change in john lexman. a subtle shifting of balancewhich was not readily discoverable. his face was older, themobile mouth a little more grimly set, the eyes more deeply lined.
he was in evening dress and looked, as t. x. thought, a typical,clean, english gentleman, such an one as any self-respecting valetwould be proud to say he had "turned out."t. x. looking at him carefully could see no great change, savethat down one side of his smooth shaven cheek ran the scar of anold wound; which could not have been much more than superficial.
"i must apologize for this kit," said john, taking off hisovercoat and laying it across the back of a chair, "but the factis i was so bored this evening that i had to do something to passthe time away, so i dressed and went to the theatre - and was morebored than ever."t. x. noticed that he did not smile and that when he spoke it wasslowly and carefully, as though he were weighing the value ofevery word.
"now," he went on, "i have come to deliver myself into yourhands.""i suppose you have not seen kara?" said t. x.
"i have no desire to see kara," was the short reply.
"well, mr. lexman," broke in the chief, "i don't think you aregoing to have any difficulty about your escape. by the way, isuppose it was by aeroplane?"lexman nodded.
"and you had an assistant?"again lexman nodded.
"unless you press me i would rather not discuss the matter forsome little time, sir george," he said, "there is much that willhappen before the full story of my escape is made known."sir george nodded.
"we will leave it at that," he said cheerily, "and now i hope youhave come back to delight us all with one of your wonderfulplots.""for the time being i have done with wonderful plots," said johnlexman in that even, deliberate tone of his. "i hope to leavelondon next week for new york and take up such of the threads oflife as remain. the greater thread has gone."the chief commissioner understood.
the silence which followed was broken by the loud and insistentringing of the telephone bell.
"hullo," said mansus rising quickly; "that's kara's bell"with two quick strides he was at the telephone and lifted down thereceiver.
"hullo," he cried. "hullo," he cried again. there was no reply,only the continuous buzzing, and when he hung up the receiveragain, the bell continued ringing.
the three policemen looked at one another.
"there's trouble there," said mansus.
"take off the receiver," said t. x., "and try again."mansus obeyed, but there was no response.
"i am afraid this is not my affair," said john lexman gathering uphis coat. "what do you wish me to do, sir george?""come along to-morrow morning and see us, lexman," said sirgeorge, offering his hand.
"where are you staying!" asked t. x.
"at the great midland," replied the other, "at least my bags havegone on there.""i'll come along and see you to-morrow morning. it's curious thisshould have happened the night you returned," he said, grippingthe other's shoulder affectionately.
john lexman did not speak for the moment.
"if anything happened to kara," he said slowly, "if the worst thatwas possible happened to him, believe me i should not weep."t. x. looked down into the other's eyes sympathetically.
"i think he has hurt you pretty badly, old man," he said gently.
john lexman nodded.
"he has, damn him," he said between his teeth.
the chief commissioner's motor car was waiting outside and in thist. x., mansus, and a detective-sergeant were whirled off tocadogan square. fisher was in the hall when they rung the belland opened the door instantly.
he was frankly surprised to see his visitors. mr. kara was in hisroom he explained resentfully, as though t. x. should have beenaware of the fact without being told. he had heard no bellringing and indeed had not been summoned to the room.
"i have to see him at eleven o'clock," he said, "and i have hadstanding instructions not to go to him unless i am sent for."t. x. led the way upstairs, and went straight to kara's room. heknocked, but there was no reply. he knocked again and on thisfailing to evoke any response kicked heavily at the door.
"have you a telephone downstairs!" he asked.
"yes, sir," replied fisher.
t. x. turned to the detective-sergeant.
"'phone to the yard," he said, "and get a man up with a bag oftools. we shall have to pick this lock and i haven't got my casewith me.""picking the lock would be no good, sir," said fisher, aninterested spectator, "mr. kara's got the latch down.""i forgot that," said t. x. "tell him to bring his saw, we'llhave to cut through the panel here."while they were waiting for the arrival of the police officer t.
x. strove to attract the attention of the inmates of the room, butwithout success.
"does he take opium or anything!" asked mansus.
fisher shook his head.
"i've never known him to take any of that kind of stuff," he said.
t. x. made a rapid survey of the other rooms on that floor. theroom next to kara's was the library, beyond that was a dressingroom which, according to fisher, miss holland had used, and at thefarthermost end of the corridor was the dining room.
facing the dining room was a small service lift and by its side astoreroom in which were a number of trunks, including a very largeone smothered in injunctions in three different languages to"handle with care." there was nothing else of interest on thisfloor and the upper and lower floors could wait. in a quarter ofan hour the carpenter had arrived from scotland yard, and hadbored a hole in the rosewood panel of kara's room and was busilyapplying his slender saw.
through the hole he cut t. x. could see no more than that the roomwas in darkness save for the glow of a blazing fire. he insertedhis hand, groped for the knob of the steel latch, which he hadremarked on his previous visit to the room, lifted it and the doorswung open.
"keep outside, everybody," he ordered.
he felt for the switch of the electric, found it and instantly theroom was flooded with light. the bed was hidden by the open door.
t. x. took one stride into the room and saw enough. kara waslying half on and half off the bed. he was quite dead and theblood-stained patch above his heart told its own story.
t. x. stood looking down at him, saw the frozen horror on the deadman's face, then drew his eyes away and slowly surveyed the room.
there in the middle of the carpet he found his clue, a bent andtwisted little candle such as you find on children's christmastrees.
