CHAPTER TWENTY
THE PARSLETT AFFAIR
At a quarter past ten o'clock on the morning following Ayscough'srevelation to Zillah, the detective was closeted with a man from theCriminal Investigation Department at New Scotland Yard in a privateroom at the local police station, and with them was the superiorofficial who had been fetched to the pawnshop in Praed Streetimmediately after the discovery of Daniel Multenius's body by AndieLauriston. And this official was stating his view of the case to thetwo detectives--conscious that neither agreed with him.
"You can't get over the similarity of the markings of those rings!" hesaid confidently. "To my mind the whole thing's as plain as apikestaff--the young fellow was hard up--he confessed he hadn't a pennyon him!--he went in there, found the shop empty, saw those rings,grabbed a couple, was interrupted by the old man--and finished him offby scragging him! That's my opinion! And I advise getting a warrant forhim and getting on with the work--all the rest of this business belongsto something else."
Ayscough silently glanced at the man from New Scotland Yard--who shookhis head in a decided negative.
"That's not my opinion!" he said with decision. "And it's not theopinion of the people at headquarters. We were at this affair nearlyall yesterday afternoon with that little Jew fellow, Rubinstein, andthe young Scotch gentleman, Mr. Purdie, and our conclusion is thatthere's something of a big sort behind old Multenius's death. There's aregular web of mystery! The old man's death--that book, which Levendaledid not leave in the 'bus, in spite of all he says, and of hisadvertisements!--Levendale's unexplained disappearance--the strangedeath of this man Parslett--the mystery of those platinum studs droppedin the pawnbroker's parlour and in Mrs. Goldmark's eatinghouse--no!--the whole affair's a highly complicated one. That's my viewof it."
"And mine," said Ayscough. He looked at the unbelieving official, andturned away from him to glance out of the window into the street. "MayI never!" he suddenly exclaimed. "There's young Lauriston coming here,and Purdie with him--and a fellow who looks like an American. I shouldsay Lauriston's got proof about his title to those rings--anyway, heseems to have no fear about showing himself here--case of walkingstraight into the lions' den, eh?"
"Bring 'em all in!" ordered the superior official, a little surlily."Let's hear what it's all about!"
Purdie presently appeared in Ayscough's rear, preceding his twocompanions. He and the detective from New Scotland Yard exchanged nods;they had seen a good deal of each other the previous day. He noddedalso to the superior official--but the superior official looked atLauriston.
"Got that proof about those rings?" he enquired. "Of course, if youhave--"
"Before Mr. Lauriston says anything about that," interrupted Purdie, "Iwant you to hear a story which this gentleman, Mr. Stuyvesant Guyler,of New York, can tell you. It's important--it bears right on thisaffair. If you just listen to what he can tell--"
The two detectives listened to Guyler's story about the platinum studswith eager, if silent interest: in the end they glanced at each otherand then at the local official, who seemed to be going through aprocess of being convinced against his will.
"Just what I said a few minutes ago," muttered the New Scotland Yardman. "A highly complicated affair! Not going to be got at in fiveminutes."
"Nor in ten!" said Ayscough laconically. He glanced at Guyler. "Youcould identify this man Purvis if you saw him?" he asked.
"Why, certainly!" answered the American. "I guess if he's the man whowas seen in that eating-house the other day he's not altered any--ornot much."
The man at the desk turned to Purdie, glancing at Lauriston.
"About those rings?" he asked. "What's Mr. Lauriston got to say?"
"Let me tell," said Purdie, as Lauriston was about to speak. "Mr.Lauriston," he went on, "has been to Peebles, where his father andmother lived. He has seen an old friend of theirs, Mrs. Taggart, whoremembers the rings perfectly. Moreover, she knows that they were givento the late Mrs. Lauriston by a Mr. Edward Killick, a London solicitor,who, of course, will be able to identify them. As to the marks, I thinkyou'll find a trade explanation of that--those rings and the rings inMultenius's tray probably came from the same maker. Now, I find, onlooking through the directory, that this Mr. Edward Killick has retiredfrom practice, but I've also found out where he now lives, and Ipropose to bring him here. In the meantime--I want to know what you'regoing to do about Mr. Lauriston? Here he is!"
The superior official glanced at the New Scotland Yard man.
"I suppose your people have taken this job entirely in hand, now?" heasked.
"Entirely!" answered the detective.
"Got any instructions about Mr. Lauriston?" asked the official. "Youhaven't? Mr. Lauriston's free to go where he likes, then, as far aswe're concerned, here," he added, turning to Purdie. "But--he'd farbetter stay at hand till all this is cleared up."
"That's our intention," said Purdie. "Whenever you want Mr. Lauriston,come to me at my hotel--he's my guest there, and I'll produce him. Nowwe're going to find Mr. Killick."
He and Lauriston and Guyler walked out together; on the steps of thepolice-station Ayscough called him back.
"I say!" he said, confidentially. "Leave that Mr. Killick businessalone for an hour or two. I can tell you of something much moreinteresting than that, and possibly of more importance. Go round to theCoroner's Court--Mr. Lauriston knows where it is."
"What's on?" asked Lauriston.
"Inquest on that man Parslett," replied Ayscough with a meaning nod."You'll hear some queer evidence if I'm not mistaken. I'm going theremyself, presently."
He turned in again, and the three young men looked at each other.
"Say!" remarked Guyler, "I reckon that's good advice. Let's go to thiscourt."
Lauriston led them to the scene of his own recent examination by Mr.Parminter. But on this occasion the court was crowded; it was withgreat difficulty that they contrived to squeeze themselves into acorner of it. In another corner, but far away from their own, Lauristonsaw Melky Rubinstein; Melky, wedged in, and finding it impossible tomove, made a grimace at Lauriston and jerked his thumb in the directionof the door, as a signal that he would meet him there when theproceedings were over.
The inquest had already begun when Purdie and his companions forcedtheir way into the court. In the witness-box was the dead man'swidow--a pathetic figure in heavy mourning, who was telling the Coronerthat on the night of her husband's death he went out late in theevening--just to take a walk round, as he expressed it. No--she had noidea whatever of where he was going, nor if he had any particularobject in going out at all. He had not said one word to her about goingout to get money from any one. After he went out she never saw himagain until she was fetched to St. Mary's Hospital, where she found himin the hands of the doctors. He died, without having regainedconsciousness, just after she reached the hospital.
Nothing very startling so far, thought Purdie, at the end of thewidow's evidence, and he wondered why Ayscough had sent them round. Butmore interest came with the next witness--a smart, bustling,middle-aged man, evidently a well-to-do business man, who entered thebox pretty much as if he had been sitting down in his own office, toring his bell and ask for the day's letters. A whisper running roundthe court informed the onlookers that this was the gentleman who pickedParslett up in the street. Purdie and his two companions pricked theirears.
Martin James Gardiner--turf commission agent--resident in PortsdownRoad, Maida Vale. Had lived there several years--knew the districtwell--did not know the dead man by sight at all--had never seen him,that he knew of, until the evening in question.
"Tell us exactly what happened, Mr. Gardiner--in your own way," saidthe Coroner.
Mr. Gardiner leaned over the front of the witness-box, and took thecourt and the public into his confidence--genially.
"I was writing letters until pretty late that night," he said. "Alittle after eleven o'clock I went out to post them at the nearestpillar-box. As I went down the steps of
my house, the deceased passedby. He was walking down Portsdown Road in the direction of CliftonRoad. As he passed me, he was chuckling--laughing in a low tone. Ithought he was--well, a bit intoxicated when I heard that, but as I wasfollowing him pretty closely, I soon saw that he walked straightenough. He kept perhaps six or eight yards in front of me until we hadcome to within twenty yards or so of the corner of Clifton Road. Then,all of a sudden--so suddenly that it's difficult for me to describeit!--he seemed to--well, there's no other word for it than--collapse.He seemed to give, you understand--shrank up, like--like a concertinabeing suddenly shut up! His knees gave--his whole body seemed toshrink--and he fell in a heap on the pavement!"
"Did he cry out--scream, as if in sudden pain--anything of that sort?"asked the Coroner.
"There was a sort of gurgling sound--I'm not sure that he didn't say aword or two, as he collapsed," answered the witness. "But it was sosudden that I couldn't catch anything definite. He certainly never madethe slightest sound, except a queer sort of moaning, very low, from thetime he fell. Of course, I thought the man had fallen in a fit. Irushed to him; he was lying, sort of crumpled up, where he had fallen.There was a street-lamp close by--I saw that his face had turned aqueer colour, and his eyes were already closed--tightly. I noticed,too, that his teeth were clenched, and his fingers twisted into thepalms of his hands."
"Was he writhing at all--making any movement?" enquired the Coroner.
"Not a movement! He was as still as the stones he was lying on!" saidthe witness. "I'm dead certain he never moved after he fell. There wasnobody about, just then, and I was just going to ring the bell of thenearest house when a policeman came round the corner. I shouted tohim--he came up. We examined the man for a minute; then I ran to fetchDr. Mirandolet, whose surgery is close by there. I found him in; hecame at once, and immediately ordered the man's removal to thehospital. The policeman got help, and the man was taken off. Dr.Mirandolet went with him. I returned home."
No questions of any importance were asked of Mr. Gardiner, and theCoroner, after a short interchange of whispers with his officer,glanced at a group of professional-looking men behind the witness-box.
"Call Dr. Mirandolet!" he directed.
Purdie at that moment caught Ayscough's eye. And the detective winkedat him significantly as a strange and curious figure came out from thecrowd and stepped into the witness-box.