CHAPTER XXVII
PENETRATING A MYSTERY
About an hour after Mademoiselle Idiale's departure a note marked"Urgent" was brought in and handed to Laverick. He tore it open.It was dated from the address of a firm of stockbrokers, with twoof the partners of which he was on friendly terms. It ran thus:
MY DEAR LAVERICK,--I want a chat with you, if you can spare five minutes at lunch time. Come to Lyons' a little earlier than usual, if you don't mind,--say at a quarter to one.
J. HENSHAW.
Laverick read the typewritten note carelessly enough at first. Hehad even laid it down and glanced at the clock, with the intentionof starting out, when a thought struck him. He took it up and readit though again. Then he turned to the telephone.
"Put me on to the office of Henshaw & Allen. I want to speak to Mr.Henshaw particularly."
Two minutes passed. Laverick, meanwhile, had been washing his handsready to go out. Then the telephone bell rang. He took up thereceiver.
"Hullo! Is that Henshaw?"
"I'm Henshaw," was the answer. "That's Laverick, isn't it? Howare you, old fellow?"
"I'm all right," Laverick replied. "What is it that you want tosee me about?"
"Nothing particular that I know of. Who told you that I wanted to?"
Laverick, who had been standing with the instrument in his hand, satdown in his chair.
"Look here," he said, "Didn't you send me a note a few minutes ago,asking me to come out to lunch at a quarter to one and meet you atLyons'?"
Henshaw's laugh was sufficient response.
"Delighted to lunch with you there or anywhere, old chap,--you knowthat," was the answer, "but some one's been putting up a practicaljoke on you."
"You did not send me a note round this morning, then?" Laverickinsisted.
"I'll swear I didn't," came the reply. "Do you seriously mean thatyou've had one purporting to come from me?"
Laverick pulled himself together.
"Well, the signature's such a scrawl," he said, "that no one couldtell what the name really was. I guessed at you but I seem to haveguessed wrong. Good-bye!"
He set down the receiver and rang off to escape further questioning.Now indeed the plot was commencing to thicken. This was a deliberateeffort on the part of some one to secure his absence from his officesat a quarter to one.
With the document in his pocket and the safe securely locked,Laverick felt at ease as to the result of any attempted burglary ofhis premises. At the same time his curiosity was excited. Here,perhaps, was a chance of finding some clue to this impenetrablemystery.
There were thee clerks in the outer office. He put on his hat anddespatched two of them on errands in different directions. The lasthe was obliged to take into his confidence.
"Halsey," he said, "I am going out to lunch. At least, I wish itto be thought that I am going out to lunch. As a matter of fact, Ishall return in about ten minutes by the back way. I do not wishyou, however, to know this. I want you to have it in your mindthat I have gone to lunch and shall not be back until a quarter pasttwo. If there are visitors for me--Inquirers of any sort--actexactly as you would have done if you really believed that I wasnot in the building."
Halsey appeared a good deal mystified. Laverick took him evenfurther into his confidence.
"To tell you the truth, Halsey," he said, "I have just received abogus letter from Mr. Henshaw, asking me to lunch with him. Someone was evidently anxious to get me out of my office for an houror so. I want to find out for myself what this means, if possible.You understand?"
"I think so, sir," the man replied doubtfully. "I am not to beaware that you have returned, then?"
"Certainly not," Laverick answered. "Please be quite clear aboutthat. If you hear any commotion in the office, you can come in,but do not send for the police unless I tell you to. I wish tolook into this affair for myself."
Halsey, who had started life as a lawyer's clerk, and was distinctlyformal in his ideas, was a little shocked.
"Would it not be better, sir," he suggested, "for me to communicatewith the police in the first case? If this should really turn outto be an attempt at burglary, it would surely be best to leave thematter to them."
Laverick frowned.
"For certain reasons, Halsey, which I do not think it necessary totell you, I have a strong desire to investigate this matterpersonally. Please do exactly as I say."
He left the office and strolled up the street in the direction ofthe restaurant which he chiefly frequented. He reached it in amoment or two, but left it at once by another entrance. Within tenminutes he was back at his office.
"Has any one been, Halsey?"
"No one, sir," the clerk answered.
"You will be so good," Laverick continued, "as to forget that Ihave returned."
He passed on quickly into his own room and made his way into thesmall closet where he kept his coat and washed his hands. He hadscarcely been there a minute when he heard voices in the outsidehall. The door of his office was opened.
"Mr. Laverick said nothing about an appointment at this hour," heheard Halsey protest in a somewhat deprecating tone.
"He had, perhaps, forgotten," was the answer, in a totally unfamiliarvoice. "At any rate, I am not in a great hurry. The matter is ofsome importance, however, and I will wait for Mr. Laverick."
The visitor was shown in. Laverick investigated his appearancethrough a crack in the door. He was a man of medium height,well-dressed, clean-shaven, and wore gold-rimmed spectacles. Hemade himself comfortable in Laverick's easy-chair, and acceptedthe paper which Halsey offered him.
"I shall be quite glad of a rest," he remarked genially. "I havebeen running about all the morning."
"Mr. Laverick is never very long out for lunch, sir," Halsey said."I daresay he will not keep you more than a quarter of an hour ortwenty minutes."
The clerk withdrew and closed the door. The man in the chair waitedfor a moment. Then he laid down his newspaper and looked cautiouslyaround the room. Satisfied apparently that he was alone, he rose tohis feet and walked swiftly to Laverick's writing-table. With fingerswhich seemed gifted with a lightning-like capacity for movement, heswung open the drawers, one by one, and turned over the papers. Hiseyes were everywhere. Every document seemed to be scanned and asrapidly discarded. At last he found something which interested him.He held it up and paused in his search. Laverick heard a littlebreath come though his teeth, and with a thrill he recognized thepaper as one which he had torn from a memorandum tablet and uponwhich he had written down the address which Mademoiselle Idiale hadgiven him. The man with the gold-rimmed glasses replaced the paperwhere he had found it. Evidently he had done with the writing-table.He moved swiftly over to the safe and stood there listening for afew seconds. Then from his pocket he drew a bunch of keys. ToLaverick's surprise, at the stranger's first effort the great doorof the safe swung open. He saw the man lean forward, saw his handreappear almost directly with the pocket-book clenched in his fingers.Then he stood once more quite still, listening. Satisfied that noone was disturbed, he closed the door of the safe softly and movedonce more to the writing-table. With marvelous swiftness the noteswere laid upon the table, the pocket-book was turned upside down,the secret place disclosed--the secret place which was empty. Itseemed to Laverick that from his hiding-place he could hear the littleoath of disappointment which broke from the thin red lips. The manreplaced the notes and, with the pocket-book in his hand, hesitated.Laverick, who thought that things had gone far enough, stepped lightlyout from his hiding-place and stood between his unbidden visitor andthe door.
"You had better put down that pocket-book," he ordered quietly.
The man was upon him with a single spring, but Laverick, withoutthe slightest hesitation, knocked him prone upon the floor, wherehe lay, for a moment, motionless. Then he slowly picked himself up.His spectacles were broken--he blinked as
he stood there.
"Sorry to be so rough," Laverick said. "Perhaps if you will kindlyrealize that of the two I am much the stronger man, you will be sogood as to sit in that chair and tell me the meaning of yourintrusion."
The man obeyed. He covered his eyes with his hand, for a moment,as though in pain.
"I imagine," he said--and it seemed to Laverick that his voice hada slight foreign accent--"I imagine that the motive for my payingyou this visit is fairly clear to you. People who have compromisingpossessions may always expect visits of this sort. You see, oneruns so little risk."
"So little risk!" Laverick repeated.
"Exactly," the other answered. "Confess that you are not in theleast inclined to ring your bell and send for a constable to giveme in charge for being in possession of a pocket-book abstractedfrom your safe, containing twenty thousand pounds in Bank ofEngland notes."
"It wouldn't do at all," Laverick admitted.
"You are a man of common sense," declared the other. "It would notdo. Now comes the time when I have a question to ask you. Therewas a sealed document in this pocket-book. Where is it? Whathave you done with it?"
"Can you tell me," Laverick asked, "why I should answer questionsfrom a person whom I discover apparently engaged in a nefariousattempt at burglary?"
The man's hand shot out from his trouser-pocket, and Laverick lookedinto the gleaming muzzle of a revolver.
"Because if you don't, you die," was the quick reply. "Whetheryou've read that document or not, I want it. If you've read it, youknow the sort of men you've got to deal with. If you haven't, takemy word for it that we waste no time. The document! Will you giveit me?"
"Do I understand that you are threatening me?" Laverick asked,retreating a few steps.
"You may understand that this is a repeating revolver, and that Iseldom miss a half-crown at twenty paces," his visitor answered."If you put out your hand toward that bell, it will be the lastmovement you'll ever make on earth."
"London isn't really the place for this sort of thing," Lavericksaid. "If you discharge that revolver, you haven't a dog's chanceof getting clear of the building. My clerks would rush out afteryou into the street. You'd find yourself surrounded by a crowd ofbusiness men. You couldn't make your way through anywhere. You'dbe held up before you'd gone a dozen yards. Put down your revolver.We can perhaps settle this little matter without it."
"The document!" the man ordered. "You've got it! You must have it!You took that pocket-book from a dead man, and in that pocket-bookwas the document. We must have it. We intend to have it."
"And who, may I ask, are we?" Laverick inquired.
"If you do not know, what does it matter? Will you give it to me?"
Laverick shook his head.
"I have no document."
The man in the chair leaned forward. The muzzle of his revolver wasvery bright, and he held it in fingers which were firm as a rock.
"Give it to me!" he repeated. "You ought to know that you are notdealing with men who are unaccustomed to death. You have it aboutyou. Produce it, and I've done with you. Deny me, and you have nottime to say your prayers!"
Laverick was leaning against a small table which stood near the door.His fingers suddenly gripped the ledger which lay upon it. He heldit in front of his face for a single moment, and then dashed it athis visitor. He followed behind with one desperate spring. Once,twice, the revolver barked out. Laverick felt the skin of his templeburn and a flick on the ear which reminded him of his school-days.Then his hand was upon the other man's throat and the revolver layupon the carpet.
"We'll see about that. By the Lord, I've a good mind to wring thelife out of you. That bullet of yours might have been in my temple."
"It was meant to be there," the man gasped. "Hand over the document,you pig-headed fool! It'll cost you your life--if not to-day,to-morrow."
"I'll be hanged if you get it, anyway!" Laverick answered fiercely."You assassin! Scoundrel! To come here and make a cold-bloodedeffort at murder! You shall see what you think of the inside of anEnglish prison."
The man laughed contemptuously.
"And what about the pocket-book?" he asked.
Laverick was silent. His assailant smiled and shrugged his shoulders.
"Come," he said, "I have made my effort and failed. You have twentythousand pounds. That's a fair price, but I'll add another twentythousand for that document unopened."
"It is possible that we might deal," Laverick remarked, kicking therevolver a little further away. "Unfortunately, I am too much in thedark. Tell me the real position of the murdered man? Tell me why hewas murdered? Tell me the contents of this document and why it was inhis possession? Perhaps I may then be inclined to treat with you."
"You are either an astonishingly ingenuous person, Mr. Laverick,"his visitor declared, "or you're too subtle for me. You do notexpect me to believe that you are in this with your eyes blindfolded?You do not expect me to believe that you do not know what is in thatsealed envelope? Bah! It is a child's game, that, and we play asmen with men."
Laverick shook his head.
"Your offer," he asked, "what is it exactly?"
"Twenty thousand pounds," the man answered. "The document is worthno more than that to you. How you came into this thing is a mystery,but you are in and, what is more, you have possession. Twentythousand pounds, Mr. Laverick. It is a large sum of money. Youfind it interesting?"
"I find it interesting," Laverick answered dryly, "but I am not aseller."
The intruder moved his hand away from his eyes. His expression wasfull of wonder.
"Consider for a moment," he said. "While that document remains inyour possession, you walk the narrow way, your life hangs upon athread. Better surrender it and attend to your stocks and shares.Heaven knows how you first came into our affairs, but the sooneryou are out of them the better. What do you say now to my offer?"
"It is refused," Laverick declared. "I regret; to add," hecontinued, "that I have already spared you all the time I have atmy disposal. Forgive me."
He pressed a button with his finger. His visitor rose up in anger.
"You are not such a fool!" he exclaimed. "You are not going tosend me away without it? Why, I tell you that there won't be asafe corner in the World for you!"
Halsey opened the door. Laverick nodded toward his visitor.
"Show this gentleman out, Halsey," he ordered.
Halsey started. The noise of the revolver shot had evidently beenmuffled by the heavy connecting doors, but there was a smell ofgunpowder in the room, and a little wreath of smoke. The man roseslowly to his feet, still blinking.
"It must be as you will, of course. I wonder if you would be sogood as to let your clerk direct me to an oculist? I am,unfortunately, a helpless man in this condition."
"There is one a few yards off," Laverick answered. "Put on yourhat, Halsey, and show this gentleman where he can get some glasses."
His visitor leaned towards Laverick.
"It is your life which is in question, not my eyesight," he muttered."Do you accept my offer? Will you give me the document?"
"I do not and I will not," Laverick replied. "I shall not part withanything until I know more than I know at present."
The man stood motionless for a moment. His fingers seemed to betwitching. Laverick had a fancy that he was about to spring, butif ever he had had any thoughts of the kind, Halsey's reappearancechecked them.
"I am much obliged to you, Mr. Laverick," he said quietly. "Weshall, perhaps, resume this discussion at some future date."
With that he turned and followed Halsey out of the room. Laverickwent to the window and threw it wide open. The smoke floated out,the smell of gunpowder was gradually dispersed. Then he walkedback to his seat. Once more he locked up the notes. The documentwas safe in his pocket. There was a slight mark by the side of histemple, and his ear, he discovered, was bleeding. He rang the belland Halsey ente
red.
"Has our friend gone, Halsey?"
"I left him in the optician's, sir," the clerk answered. "He wasbuying some spectacles."
Laverick glanced at the floor, where the remains of thosegold-rimmed glasses were scattered.
"You had better send for a locksmith at once," he said. "Thegentleman who has been here had a skeleton key to my safe. We'llhave a combination put on."
"Very good, sir," Halsey answered.
"And, Halsey," his master continued, "be careful about one thing,for your own sake as well as mine. If that man presents himselfagain, don't let him come into my room unannounced. If you canhelp it, don't let him come in at all. I have an idea that hemight be dangerous."
The clerk's face was a study.
"If he presents himself here, sir," he announced stiffly, "I shalltake the liberty of sending for the police."
Laverick made no reply.