A Royal Prisoner
CHAPTER XXVI
THE ACCUSING WAISTCOAT
"As a matter of fact, Monsieur Juve, did not the celebrated Vidocqbefore he was a detective begin life as a murderer?"
Wulf, book in hand and comfortably installed in a large armchair,addressed the question to Juve, who answered in brief monosyllables,without turning his head:
"That's true, Monsieur Wulf."
"And don't you think that every detective at one time or another has atendency toward crime, either as a thief or as an assassin?"
"That I cannot say."
* * * * *
What a day Juve had passed! Events had succeeded each other with suchstartling rapidity that the detective, in spite of his robust physique,began at length to feel the strain. As a matter of fact he had reallyhad no rest since his tragic awakening in the mortuary chapel atGlotzbourg. He had passed the following night in the train withoutclosing an eye. Upon his arrival he had been busy without interruptionuntil he found himself, at ten o'clock at night, in his little apartmentin the Rue Bonaparte with the grotesque Wulf as companion. While thelatter was tranquilly reading the adventures of Vidocq, Juve wasabsorbed in a strange task which occupied his entire attention.
He was minutely examining a queer-looking garment, a waistcoat of veryunusual cut. He turned to Wulf:
"Monsieur Wulf, you recognize this garment, don't you? There is no doubtthat it came from Jacob and Company, the Glotzbourg tailors?"
Wulf nodded.
"No doubt whatever. I've had too much experience in such matters to bemistaken.... Besides, the initials J. G. are on the buttons."
"Yes, yes--Jacob of Glotzbourg."
Juve now examined the lining with a magnifying glass, muttering thewhile:
"Ah, just as I expected!"
The pocket of the waistcoat had been distended by some large objectwhich had been forcibly introduced into it. The detective quickly tooksome modeling clay and made it into certain dimensions carefullymeasured, then with a stick he marked the surface of the ball intofacets, referring now and again to a book open before him. "Let's see,"he exclaimed, "the Hesse-Weimar diamond is two-thirds of a hen's egg insize, and weighs 295 carats, that is to say, larger than the Koh-i-noor,the famous Indian diamond, one of the crown jewels of England."
He now introduced his model into the pocket and found that it fitted thehole exactly.
"There! What do you say to that!" he cried.
"Why, you're very clever, Monsieur Juve," replied Wulf, "but I don't seehow that helps. Even if you prove that the King's diamond was kept for acertain time in the pocket of that waistcoat, still you don't know towhom the waistcoat belongs, and that's the most important point."
Juve, still engrossed in his examination, vouchsafed no reply, and Wulfwith folded arms stood contemplating him. Various problems were engagingJuve's thoughts, whose day had been exceedingly busy.
After being satisfied that Frederick-Christian was really back again atthe Royal Palace, the question arose as to what had become of him afterhis disappearance. A hurried visit to Fandor's lodgings disclosed thefact that the journalist, after a brief absence, had returned home foran hour and had then disappeared again.
"Upon my word," he thought, "he might at least have sent me some word.He must know how anxious I would be about him."
From Fandor's house Juve had gone direct to Susy d'Orsel's apartment. Itwas a theory of his that a good detective could never visit too oftenthe scene of a crime. Mechanically he went through the various roomsuntil he reached the kitchen.
"I have a feeling that something happened here," he muttered, "butwhat?"
A close examination of the floor showed distinct traces of feet in somefine coal dust. These traces proved to be those of a woman's shoes,small, elegant and well made. They could not possibly belong to MotherCitron nor to Susy d'Orsel, who, he recalled, had worn satin mules onthe night of the murder. The person who immediately presented herself toJuve's mind was Marie Pascal.
"The deuce!" he cried, "this becomes complicated. This coal dust andthese imprints were not here a few days ago, therefore some one has beenhere since and has evidently been at pains to lay a false trail!"
With the intention of examining the servants' staircase again, he lethimself out with a pass-key and began the descent. But so absorbed washe in his thoughts that unconsciously he went down one flight too manyand found himself in the cellar of the building. Juve, following hiscustom of never neglecting to search even the most unsuspicious places,lit his electric light and examined the room he had entered.
On either side of the cellar were ranged a number of doors, all securelypadlocked. These were evidently the private cellars of the tenants. Ashe threw his light on the floor, he could not repress a movement ofsurprise. Dropping on all fours, he began a close examination of theground.
"Now I begin to see daylight. For some time I have had the convictionthat Frederick-Christian, upon leaving Fandor made his escape by theservants' staircase, and thus left the house. But I could not understandwhy he had not returned to his hotel. My conclusion was wrong.Frederick-Christian, like myself, came down a flight too many and foundhimself, as I have, in this cellar. Evidently a scoundrel was waitingfor him here. The trampled ground, the shreds of silk torn from a highhat, all indicate clearly the struggle which took place. But the King,being drunk, was easily overpowered and bound. That is the reason he didnot reach his hotel."
One difficulty still troubled the detective. It had been shown that onthe night of December 31st, the third person, otherwise the King, whomFandor declared to be in the apartment, had been unable to escape bythe back stairs, since the door was locked and bolted. Then it came intoJuve's mind that the maid Justine in giving testimony had becomeembarrassed and finally had admitted that the key having been lost, shehad neglected to lock the door. This cleared up the dubious point andestablished in Juve's mind the complete explanation of what happened.
Fantomas, after killing Susy d'Orsel, had lurked on the stairs until theKing left the apartment. Then, locking the door, he had hurried afterhis victim and caught him at the moment he reached the cellar.
The detective's next move was to break into the apartment of the Marquisde Serac. By the aid of a ladder which he found in a corner, he climbedup and broke a windowpane and thus made his entrance. At first nothingin the apartment seemed worthy of suspicion. The rooms were elegant butcommonplace. The bureaus and wardrobes were locked, and gave out ahollow sound when rapped upon. As he did not have his burglar'sequipment with him, Juve decided to come back later and investigate. Hewas on the point of leaving when his foot caught in a garment, which hefound to be a waistcoat. He gave vent to an exclamation of surprise ashe picked it up and folding it into a bundle hid it under his overcoat.The Marquis de Serac had been under his suspicion for some time; nowthat suspicion was in a fair way to become a certainty. Were the Marquisand Fantomas one and the same?
Juve was inclined to answer in the affirmative....
* * * * *
The next step was to invite Wulf to dine with him, to show him thewaistcoat and prove beyond doubt that it had been made by a tailor ofGlotzbourg.
Juve's opinion had now become a solid conviction. Fantomas had worn thegarment, and had carried the diamond in the pocket of the waistcoat hefound in the Marquis de Serac's apartment. Hence the Marquis de Seracwas Fantomas.