A Chain of Evidence

  XVI

  LEROY ARRIVES ON THE SCENE

  When I reached home Lawrence had left, Miss Pembroke had retired, andLaura was in the library, waiting for me.

  "It doesn't seem possible," she said, as I flung off my coat and threwmyself into an easy chair, "that so much could have happened in one day.Only think, Otis, when we arose this morning we didn't know MissPembroke to speak to, and now she is asleep in our guest room!"

  "Where is Charlotte?" I said.

  "She wanted to go to spend the night with some friends, so I let her go.We are responsible, you know, for her appearance if called for, and Iknow the girl well enough to know she'll never get very far away fromher beloved Miss Janet."

  "Have you questioned Charlotte at all?"

  "Yes; and what do you think Otis? She believes that Miss Pembroke killedher uncle!"

  "Did she say so?"

  "Not in so many words; indeed, she scarcely owned up to it. But you knowcolored people are as transparent as children, and by talking in aroundabout way I discovered that she suspects Janet, only because shecan't see any other solution of the mystery. She doesn't seem to blameher at all, and even seems to think Janet justified in putting the oldman out of the way."

  "Of course she has no intelligence in the matter," I said; "but don'tyou see, Laura, that if she suspects Janet, but really knows nothingabout it, that proves Charlotte herself absolutely innocent even ofcomplicity?"

  "So it does, Otis. How clever you are to see that!"

  "Clever!" I said, somewhat bitterly. "I'm not clever at all. I may be alawyer, but I'm no detective."

  "Why don't you employ a detective, then?"

  "It isn't my place to do so. But I feel sure that a professionaldetective, from the clues we have, could find the murderer at once."

  "Well, it wouldn't be Janet Pembroke," said Laura, with conviction."I've been alone with that girl most of the evening, and she's no moreguilty than I am. But, Otis, she does know more than she has told. Sheeither knows something or suspects something that she is keepingsecret."

  "I have thought that, too. And, as her counsel, she ought to beperfectly frank with me."

  "But isn't there a law or something," asked Laura, "that people are notobliged to say anything that may incriminate themselves?"

  "But you don't think her a criminal," I said quickly.

  "No," said Laura, with some hesitation; "but she is so queer in someways, I can't make her out. Mr. Lawrence stayed here chatting some timeafter you left, and once or twice I thought Janet suspected him; andthen, again, she said something that showed me positively that shedidn't."

  "There it is again, Laura: if Janet _suspects_ George, she can't beguilty herself."

  "That's so," said Laura, her face brightening. "But then," she added,"they both may know something about it."

  Ah, this was my own fear! "Laura," I said suddenly, "do you think thosetwo cousins are in love with each other?"

  "Not a bit of it," said Laura decidedly. "Mr. Lawrence is very muchinterested in Miss Millicent Waring, though I don't know that he isreally in love with her. But I think he is rather piqued by herindifference. He seems to have a loyal fondness for Janet, but nothingmore than would be expected from a good first-class cousin."

  "And she?" I asked, trying hard not to appear self-conscious.

  "Oh, she cares for George in the same way. He's her only relative now,you know. But she told me herself she had never cared especially for anyman. She's peculiar, you know, Otis; but I do think she shows a greatdeal of interest in you."

  "Do you really?" I exclaimed, looking up to find my sister smiling at mein a mischievous fashion.

  "Oh, you dear old goose!" she cried. "Do you suppose I can't see thatyou're already over head and ears in love with Janet Pembroke, and havebeen ever since the first day we came into the Hammersleigh?"

  "By Jove! that's so," I cried. "Laura, you know more about my affairsthan I do. I thought my affection for that girl dated from this morning,but I see now you are right. I have loved her from the first moment Isaw her."

  "And you can win her, if you go about it right," said my sister, withher little air of worldly wisdom that always amused me.

  "I hope so," I said fervently. "As soon as this dreadful affair isfinished up, and Janet has decided upon her temporary home, I think wetoo want to get away from this place."

  "Yes," said Laura, with a sigh; "I hate to move, but I'd hate worse tostay here."

  In response to the urgent summons Leroy came back to New York the nextmorning.

  From his office he telephoned to Janet immediately upon his return,saying that he would come up to see her in the afternoon, and askingthat George Lawrence should also be present.

  As Janet was now staying with us, the interview was held in ourapartment. Although Mr. Pembroke's body had been removed to a mortuaryestablishment, Janet could not bear the thought of going back to her ownrooms, and moreover, the girl was very glad to remain under the cheeringinfluences of Laura's kindness and friendliness. And so, as Laurainsisted upon it, Janet directed Mr. Leroy to come up that afternoon.

  This being arranged, Laura also telephoned me at my office, and I wenthome in ample time to receive our caller.

  As Miss Pembroke's lawyer I had, of course, a right to be present, andas George Lawrence was there too, it seemed more like an officialinterview than a social call.

  Leroy came in, looking exceedingly handsome and attractive. Indeed, Ihad forgotten what an unusually good-looking man he was. He had thatcombination of dark eyes and hair slightly silvered at the temples,which is so effective in middle age.

  Though not at all effusive in his manner, he seemed deeply moved, andgreeted Janet with an air of gentle sympathy. His manner, however, didnot meet a response in kind. Janet's air was cold and haughty and shemerely gave him her finger tips, as if the very touch of his hand weredistasteful to her.

  George Lawrence was a little more cordial in his reception of thelawyer, but it was plain to be seen that neither of the cousins feltvery friendly toward him.

  Mr. Leroy acknowledged courteously his introduction to Laura and myself,and then he requested to be told the details of the tragedy.

  He listened attentively while we told him all about it, now and thenasking a question, but expressing no opinions. His face grew very grave,indeed to me it seemed almost sinister, and a little mysterious.

  We had not yet finished relating the case, when our door-bell rang andMr. Buckner was announced.

  Buckner was the District Attorney, and after receiving the Coroner'sreport he had come to make some further inquiries.

  I had never seen the man before, as I rarely had to do with a criminalcase, but I liked his attitude and manner at once. He was exceedinglystraightforward and business-like. He asked questions and conducted hisinquiries as if it were merely a continuation of the inquest.

  He had of course learned from the coroner all that he knew about thecase, and now he seemed to hope and expect that he would get newevidence from Leroy.

  However, Graham Leroy was not a satisfactory person to get evidencefrom. He answered the District Attorney's questions, directly andconcisely, but he gave little or no information of any importance.

  Leroy had not seemed especially interested in hearing of the clues whichI had collected from Mr. Pembroke's bedroom, but after a time Iconcluded to try the effect of showing him the key which I had in mypocket.

  "Good Heavens!" he exclaimed, with a start, "where did you get that?"

  The result of my sudden move was all I could have desired. Leroy's calmwas shaken at last; his interest was aroused, and the strange expressionthat showed on his saturnine face proved that he was greatly agitated atthe sight of that key. It seemed to me that fear possessed him, or thatat any rate he was startled by some unpleasant thought.

  The District Attorney, who had been apprised by the Coroner of mytracing of the key, turned to Leroy with a hint of accusation in hismanner.

  "You recognize that
key, Mr. Leroy?" he said.

  "I do," returned Leroy, and though he spoke in quiet tones, he haddifficulty in concealing his agitation.

  "Is it yours?"

  "It is not mine, but it was in my possession."

  "Whose is it?"

  "It belongs to Mrs. Altonstall, a client of mine. She gave it to me, toget some papers for her from a safety deposit box."

  "And you lost it?"

  "I did."

  "When did you have it last, to your knowledge?"

  "I had it on Wednesday. I went to Utica, Wednesday night, and nextmorning I missed the key. I concluded that I must have left it at myoffice, but when I returned there I could not find it, and I feltconsiderable alarm, for one does not like to lose the key of a client'sbox."

  "No," said Mr. Buckner, grimly; "it is not a good thing to do. And wheredo you think you lost it?"

  "I've no idea; but as it was in my pocket, and I must have pulled it outunintentionally, and dropped it unknowingly, it may have happened in thetrain or on the street or anywhere. Where was it found?"

  "This is the key of which we told you; the key that was found in Mr.Pembroke's bed yesterday morning."

  "What! Impossible!" cried Leroy and his face turned white and his darkeyes fairly glared. "How could Robert Pembroke have come into possessionof that key?"

  "We don't assume, Mr. Leroy, that Mr. Pembroke ever had this key in hispossession. As it was found in the bed, not under the pillow, but besidethe body of the dead man, we think it seems to indicate at least apossibility that it was dropped there by the murderer as he leaned overhis victim."

  This came so near to being a direct accusation, that I fully expectedLeroy to exclaim with anger. But instead, though his face grew evenwhiter than before, he said very quietly: "Am I to understand that as animplication that I may be guilty of this crime?"

  Though uttered in low even tones, the words expressed horror at thethought.

  "You are to understand," replied Mr. Buckner, "that we ask you for afrank and honest explanation of how your key, or rather your client'skey, happened to be where it was found."

  "I cannot explain it," said Leroy, and now he had entirely controlledhis agitation, and his face was like an impassive marble mask.

  "You cannot or you will not?"

  "I cannot. I have not the remotest idea where I lost that key, but by nopossibility could I have lost it in Mr. Pembroke's bedroom, because Iwas not there."

  "When were you last in Mr. Pembroke's room?"

  "I was there Tuesday evening, and I may possibly have dropped the keythere then."

  "But you said you remembered having it Wednesday morning."

  "I might be mistaken about that; perhaps it was Tuesday morning that Ipositively remember having it."

  Clearly Leroy was floundering. His words were hesitating, and though itwas evident that his brain was working quickly, I felt sure he wastrying to conceal his thoughts, and not express them.

  "Supposing then that you may have dropped this key in Mr. Pembroke'sbedroom when you were calling on him Tuesday evening, you would not belikely to have dropped it in the bed, would you?"

  "Certainly not. I saw Mr. Pembroke in his room only a few moments, afterhaving already made a longer call in the drawing-room."

  The involuntary glance which Leroy shot at Janet and the color whichflamed suddenly in the girl's face, left me in no doubt as to thepurport of the call he had made in the drawing-room on Tuesday evening.I knew as well as if I had been told, that he had been asking Janet tomarry him; I knew that his interview with Mr. Pembroke afterward hadprobably related to the same subject; and though I was glad that hissuit had not been successful, yet I felt jealous of the whole episode.However, I had no time then to indulge in thoughts of romance, for theDistrict Attorney was mercilessly pinning Leroy down to an exact accountof himself.

  "Had the bed been turned down for the night, when you were in Mr.Pembroke's room on Tuesday evening?"

  "I didn't notice especially, but I have an indistinct impression thatthe covers had been turned back."

  "In that case it would have been possible for you to drop the key in thebed without knowing it, but very far from probable. Did you lean overthe bed for any purpose?"

  "No; of course I did not. But perhaps if I did drop the key in the room,and Mr. Pembroke found it, knowing it to be a valuable key, he may haveput it under his pillow, for safety's sake."

  "That again is possible; but improbable that he would have done it twonights, both Tuesday and Wednesday nights! Moreover, Mr. Leroy, you saidat first that you were sure you had the key Wednesday morning. And notuntil you inferred that you were suspected of implication in thisaffair, did you say that it might have been Tuesday morning you had it.Now, can you not speak positively on that point?"

  Leroy hesitated. Though his face rarely showed what was passing in hismind, yet though at this moment no one who saw him could doubt that theman was going through a fearful mental struggle. Indeed, he sat silentfor so long, that I began to wonder whether he intended to answer thequestion or not. Lines formed across his brow and his stern lipsfastened themselves in a straight line. He looked first at Janet andthen at George, with a piercing gaze. Finally he shook his head with asudden quick gesture, as if flinging off a temptation to prevaricate,which was almost too strong to be resisted.

  "I can speak positively," he said, and the words seemed to be fairlyforced from him. "I had that key last to my knowledge on Wednesdaymorning, when I made use of it at the Sterling Safety Deposit Company."