CHAPTER XXXVI
LAVERICK ACQUITTED
At mid-day on the following morning Laverick stepped down from thedock at Bow Street and, as the evening papers put it, "in companywith his friends left the court." The proceedings altogether tookscarcely more than half-an-hour. Laverick's solicitor first putShepherd in the box, who gave his account of Morrison's visit tothe restaurant, spoke of his hurried exit, and identified the knifewhich he had seen him snatch up. Cross-examined as to why he hadkept silent, he explained that Mr. Morrison had been a good customerand he saw no reason why he should give unsolicited evidence whichwould cost a man his life. Directly, however, another man had beenaccused, the matter appeared to him to be altogether different. Hehad come forward the moment he had heard of Laverick's ARREST, tooffer his evidence.
While the opinion of the court was still undecided, Laverick'ssolicitor called Miss Zoe Leneveu. A little murmur of interest ranthough the court. Laverick himself started. Zoe stepped into thewitness-box, looking exceedingly pale, and with a bandage over theupper part of her head. She admitted that she was the half-sisterof Arthur Morrison, although there was no blood relationship. Shedescribed his sudden visit to her rooms on the night of the murder,and his state of great alarm. She declared that he had confessedto her on the previous afternoon that he had been guilty of themurder in question.
Her place in the witness-box was taken by the Honorable DavidBellamy. He declared that the prisoner was an old friend of his,and that the twenty thousand pounds of which he had been recentlypossessed, had come from him for investment in Laverick's business.The circumstances, he admitted, were somewhat peculiar, and untilnegotiations had been concluded Mr. Laverick had doubtless feltuncertain how to make use of the money. But he assured the courtthat there was no person who had any claim to the sum of money inquestion save himself, and that he was perfectly aware of the useto which Laverick had put it.
Laverick was discharged within a very few minutes, and a warrantwas issued for the apprehension of Morrison. Laverick foundBellamy waiting for him, and was hurried into his motor.
"Well, you see," the latter exclaimed, "we kept our word! Thatdear plucky little friend of yours turned the scale, but in anycase I think that there would not have been much trouble about thematter. The magistrate had received a communication direct fromthe Home Secretary concerning your case."
"I am very grateful indeed," Laverick declared. "I tell you Ithink I am very lucky. I wish I knew what had become of MissLeneveu. The usher told me she left the court before we came out."
"I asked her to go straight back to her rooms," Bellamy said. "Youmust excuse me for interfering, Laverick, but I found her almost ina state of collapse last night in Jermyn Street. I was havingMorrison watched, and my man reported to me that he had left hisrooms in a state of great excitement, and that a young lady wasthere who appeared to be seriously injured."
"D--d scamp!" Laverick muttered.
"I did everything I could," Bellamy continued. "I fetched her atonce and sent her back to her house with a hospital nurse and someone to look after her. The wound wasn't serious, but the fellowmust have been a brute indeed to have lifted his hand against sucha child. I wonder whether he'll get away."
"I should doubt it," Laverick remarked. "He hasn't the nerve.He'll probably get drunk and blow his brains out. He's abroken-spirited cur, after all."
"You'll have some lunch?" Bellamy asked.
Laverick shook his head.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to go on and see Miss Leneveu."
"Put me down at the club, then, and take my car on, if you will."
Laverick walked up and down the pavement outside Zoe's littlehouse for nearly half-an-hour. He had found the door closed andlocked, and a neighbor had informed him that Miss Leneveu hadgone out in a cab with the nurse, some time ago, and had notreturned. Laverick sent Bellamy's car back and waited. Presentlya four-wheel cab came round the corner and stopped in front ofher house. Laverick opened the door and helped Zoe out. She wasas white as death, and the nurse who was with her was lookinganxious.
"You are safe, then?" she murmured, holding out her hands.
"Quite," he answered. "You dear little girl!"
Zoe had fainted, however, and Laverick hurried out for the doctor.Curiously enough, it was the same man who only a week or so agohad come to see Arthur Morrison.
"She has had a bad scalp wound," he declared, "and her nervoussystem is very much run down. There is nothing serious. Sheseems to have just escaped concussion. The nurse had better staywith her for another day, at any rate."
"You are sure that it isn't serious?" Laverick asked eagerly.
"Not in the least," the doctor answered dryly. "I see worsewounds every day of my life. I'll come again to-morrow, if you like,but it really isn't necessary with the nurse on the spot."
His natural pessimism was for a moment lightened by the fee whichLaverick pressed upon him, and he departed with a few moreencouraging words. Laverick stayed and talked for a short timewith the nurse.
"She has gone off to sleep now, sir," the latter announced. "Thereisn't anything to worry about. She seems as though she had beenhaving a hard time, though. There was scarcely a thing in the housebut half a packet of tea--and these."
She held up a packet of pawn tickets.
"I found these in a drawer when I came," she said. "I had to lookround, because there was no money and nothing whatever in the house."
Laverick was suddenly conscious of an absurd mistiness before hiseyes.
"Poor little woman!" he murmured. "I think she'd sooner have starvedthan ask for help."
The nurse smiled.
"I thought at first that she was rather a vain young lady," sheremarked. "An empty larder and a pile of pawn tickets, and a newhat with a receipted bill for thirty shillings," she added, pointingto the sofa.
Laverick placed some notes in her hands.
"Please keep these," he begged, "and see that she has everything shewants. I shall be here again later in the day. There is not theslightest need for all this. She will be quite well off for the restof her life. Will you try and engage some one for a day or two tocome in until she is able to be moved?"
"I'll look after her," the nurse promised.
Laverick went reluctantly away. The events of the last few days werebecoming more and more like a dream to him. He went to his clubalmost from habit. Presently the excitement which all London seemedto be sharing drove his own personal feelings a little into thebackground. The air was full of rumors. The Prime Minister and theForeign Secretary were spoken of as one speaks of heroes. Nothingwas definitely known, but there was a splendid feeling of confidencethat for once in her history England was preparing to justify herexistence as a great Power.