CHAPTER XIV
THE SECRET AGENTS
Dr. Leslie looked at Haynes searchingly. "Who was it?" he asked. "MadameDupres?"
Haynes did not hesitate. "Yes," he nodded. "I had an appointment withher and told her that if I was late it would probably be that I hadstopped here."
The answer came so readily that I must confess that I was suspicious ofit.
"Did Madame Dupres know the Baroness Von Dorf?" asked Craig quickly.
"Yes, indeed," returned Haynes, then stopped suddenly.
"But they didn't travel in the same circle, did they?" asked Dr. Leslie,with the air of the cross-examiner who wished to place on record a factthat might later prove damaging.
"Not exactly," answered Haynes, with some hesitation.
"You knew her, of course?" added Craig.
Haynes nodded.
"I wonder if you could locate the Baroness," pursued Kennedy.
Haynes seemed to express no surprise at the obvious implication that shewas missing. "I have no objection to trying," he answered simply; then,with a glance at his watch, he reached for his hat and stick andexcused himself. "I'm afraid I must go. If I can be of any assistance,"he added, "don't hesitate to call on me. Delaney and I were prettyclosely associated in this deal and I feel that nothing is too much toask of me if it is possible to clear up the mystery of his death, ifthere is any."
He departed as quickly as he had come.
"I wonder what he dropped in for?" I remarked.
"Whatever it was, he didn't get it," returned Leslie.
"I'm not so sure of that," I said, remembering the brief telephoneconversation with Madame Dupres.
Kennedy did not appear to be bothering much about the question one wayor the other. He had let his cigar go out during Haynes' visit, but nowthat we were alone again he continued his minute search of the premises.
He opened a closet which evidently contained nothing but householdutensils and was about to shut the door when an idea occurred to him. Amoment later he pulled from the mystic depths an electric vacuum cleanerand dragged it over to the sun-parlor.
Without a word we watched him as he ran it over the floor and walls,even over the wicker stands on which the plants stood, and then over thefloor coverings and furniture of the other rooms that opened into theconservatory. What he was after I could not imagine, but I knew it wasuseless to ask him until he had found it or had some reason for tellingit.
Carefully he removed the dust and dirt from the machine and wrapped itup tightly in a package.
We parted from Dr. Leslie at the door of the apartment, promising tokeep in touch with him and let him know the moment anything happened.
At the first telegraph office Kennedy entered and sent off a longmessage to our friend Burke of the Secret Service in Washington, askinghim to locate the Baroness, if possible, in that city, and to give anyinformation he might have about either Haynes or Madame Dupres.
"It's still early in the evening," remarked Kennedy as we left thetelegraph office. "Suppose we drop around to the St. Quentin. Perhaps wemay run into our friends there."
The St. Quentin was a favorite resort of foreigners in New York, and I,at least, entered prepared to suspect everyone.
"Not all these mysterious-looking men and women," laughed Kennedy,noticing me as we walked through the lobby, "are secret agents offoreign governments."
"Still they look as if they might give you the 'high sign,'" I replied,"particularly if you flashed a bankroll."
"I don't doubt it," he agreed, his eye roving over the throng. "Isuspect that Scotland Yard and the Palais de Justice might be quitepleased to see some faces here rather than on the other side of theAtlantic."
He drew me into an angle and for some moments we studied the passingcrowd of diplomats and near-diplomats.
A moment later I saw Kennedy bow and, following the direction of hiseyes, looked up to a sort of mezzanine gallery. There were Haynes and amost attractive woman, talking earnestly.
"Madame Dupres," Craig whispered to me, aside.
She was tall, slender, gowned in the most modish manner, and had aforeign way about her that would have fascinated one even morecosmopolitan than a Texas veterinary.
Now and then someone would stop and chat with them and it seemed thatthey were on very good terms, at least with a certain group at the St.Quentin.
Kennedy moved out further into the lobby where he was more noticeable;then, with a sudden resolution, mounted the steps to the mezzanine floorand approached Haynes.
"Let me introduce Professor Kennedy, Madame Dupres," presented Haynes.
Kennedy bowed.
Whatever one's opinion of madame, he was forced to admit that she wasclever. It was evident, also, that she and Haynes were on very intimateterms, also.
"I hope that you will be able to clear up the mystery that thenewspapers have found in Mr. Delaney's death," she remarked. "Mr. Hayneshas told me that he met you tonight with Dr. Leslie. By the way, has hetold you his own theory?" she asked.
"We shall do our best," replied Kennedy, meeting her eye in asimpersonal a manner as it was possible, for it is always difficult todissociate a beautiful woman from a case like this and judge her not asa beautiful woman but on the merits of the case. "No, Mr. Haynes has nottold me his theory--yet."
"I'm very glad to have met you," she added, extending her daintilygloved hand to Kennedy, "and you may be sure that if there is any way inwhich I can be of service I shall expect you to call on me. Just now Ihope you will excuse me. I have some letters to get off--and I willleave you men to discuss Mr. Haynes' theory without being hampered by amere woman. Never mind, Harris," she added as Haynes made as if toescort her to the ladies' writing room.
As Madame Dupres passed down the steps there was no denying that shemade a splendid impression. Haynes watched her with a glance that wasalmost ravenous. There could be no doubt of her influence over him.
As she passed through the lobby she paused at the telegraph desk amoment, then went into the writing room.
"Yes, I think I have an explanation," began Haynes, when she was out ofsight. "I've been trying to figure out what could have killed Delaney.Of course I can only guess, but I don't think it is such a bad guess."
"What is it?" asked Craig.
"You remember the mercury vapor light?"
Kennedy nodded.
"Mercury vapor lights of that sort are a pretty good source ofultra-violet rays sometimes," went on Haynes. "Well, doubtless you knowthat various plants belonging to different families produce free prussicacid. They are really cyanogenetic plants. Light and the assimilationprocesses depending on light exert a favorable influence oncyanogenesis. For instance, a mixture of citric acid with a muchsmaller amount of potassium nitrite and a trace of bicarbonate of iron,if exposed to light, will generate hydrocyanic acid. That, I believe, iswhat actually happens in some plant tissues. Animals rarely touch suchplants. I believe that such a process might be aided rather thanretarded by ultra-violet rays. What do you think of it?"
Craig was following Dr. Haynes keenly. As for me, I was astounded by hisfrankness. I recalled what Kennedy had already said up in Delaney'sapartment, and watched his face covertly.
"Your explanation is plausible," was all that Craig said. "By the way,have you found out anything about the Baroness?"
"Not a word, yet," replied Haynes unhesitatingly. "She seems to be outof town."
"And madame--has she any idea where she is?"
Haynes shook his head. "You may rest assured," replied Haynes in a tonethat was meant to carry conviction, "that if we can find out we shall beonly too happy to do so--ourselves."
There was nothing to be gained by further inquiry here, and I couldimagine that Kennedy was burning with anxiety to get at work on his ownline of inquiry at the laboratory. After a few minutes of conversationwe excused ourselves and left the hotel.
Craig's air of abstraction was not such as to invite furtherquestioning, and I left him an hour or so lat
er in the laboratorysurrounded by his microscopes, slides, and innumerable test-tubes whichhe had prepared for some exceedingly minute investigation in which hisexact soul delighted.
How late he worked I do not know, for I did not hear him come into ourapartment. But he was up very early, in fact woke me up stirring aroundthe living room.
I had scarcely completed dressing, while he scanned the morning papersin a vain hope that some stray news item might shed some light on themystery in which we were now involved, when the whirr of our door buzzerannounced that we had an unusually early caller.
Kennedy opened the door and admitted a stranger. He was one of thosewell-groomed middle-aged men whose appearance denotes with what carethey seek by every means to retain youth that is fast passing. I couldimagine him calmly calculating even his vices.
"My name is Ames--Ashby Ames," he introduced. "Dr. Leslie, the coroner,has suggested that I see you."
Ames looked as if he had been traveling all night and had not had achance to freshen himself up in his haste.
"I've just heard about that trouble down at my apartment," he continued,"and, though I had planned a trip for my health to the southern resorts,I thought it best for me to come right back to New York. It's a beastlymess."
He had thrown his hat vindictively on the table, though his manner to uswas rather that of one seeking advice. "Why," he stormed, "this affairis the limit! I rent my apartment to an apparently reputable person. Andwhat do I find? It is not even a mere scandal. It is worse. The placeis closed and guarded--quarantined, as it were. I can't get back intomy own rooms!"
Kennedy smiled. "I can't blame you for feeling vexed, Mr. Ames," hesoothed, "but I'm sure I don't know what I can do for you more than I amdoing. We are making every effort to clear the thing up--and I have beenon the case, you must remember, less than twelve hours."
"Oh, I've no criticism of you," rejoined Ames, somewhat mollified. "Ididn't come here to criticise. I came only because I thought you mightlike to know that I was back in town, and because Dr. Leslie mentionedyour name. No, indeed--no criticism. Only," he added, "now that myvacation is spoiled and I am back in town, there is going to be someaction--that's all."
"It can't come too swiftly for me," encouraged Craig.
"I'm going to jump right into this beastly row," pursued Amesaggressively. "This morning I'm going to look these people up. They tellme that Baroness has been spending a good deal of time at my place. Pinebusiness--eh? She's disappeared. But I'll get after that Haynes and theMadame Dupres they tell me about--and I'll let you know if I find outanything."
He had not given Kennedy a chance to say anything, and in fact Kennedydid not seem to want to say anything yet.
"Just thought I'd drop in," concluded Ames, who hadn't taken a chair,but now extended his hand to us; "I think I'll drop into a Turkish bathand freshen up a bit. Keep in touch with me."
We shook hands and Ames departed, bustling out as he had bustled in.
Kennedy looked at me and laughed as the door closed. "If we have manymore people co-operating with us," he exclaimed, "we may resign and letthis case solve itself."
"I don't think that is likely," I replied.
"Not unless we hear from Burke," he agreed. "There is plenty for me todo in the laboratory--but I do wish Burke would wire."
The morning passed, and still there was no word from Burke.
"I think we might drop around to the St. Quentin for lunch," suggestedKennedy in the forenoon. "We might pick up some news there."
We had scarcely entered when we met Haynes pacing up and down the lobbyfuriously.
"What's the matter?" inquired Craig, eyeing him searchingly.
"Why," he replied nervously, sticking his thumbs into his waistcoatpockets and then plunging them into his trousers pockets as if it waswith the utmost difficulty he controlled those unruly members from doingviolence to somebody, "that fellow Ames from whom Delaney hired theapartment had just returned suddenly to town. I saw him talking toMadame Dupres in the hotel parlor. She seemed a bit nervous, so I wentin to speak to her. But she said everything was all right and that she'dmeet me out here in a few minutes. It's quarter of an hour now. I thinkhe's threatening her with something."
Haynes was evidently worried. I wondered whether he was afraid that Amesmight worm from her some secret common to the two, for I did not doubtthat Ames was a clever and subtle attorney and capable of obtaining agreat deal of information by his kind of kid-glove third degree.
"I should like to see both of them," decided Craig quickly.
Before Haynes could say anything more, he strode into the hotel parlor.Haynes and I followed a short distance behind.
There was an air of tense, suppressed excitement in the group, but ofall of us, I felt that Madame Dupres was the coolest.
"I see you've lost no time in getting busy," nodded Craig to Ames.
"No," he replied easily. "This is certainly a very interesting situationwhich madame here has just outlined to me."
Haynes came up just in time to catch the last words.
"I say, Ames," he almost roared, "you may be a clever lawyer, but youmust remember that you are also expected to be a gentleman. There arelimits to questioning a woman when she has not the advantage of having afriend to advise her."
For a moment I thought there was going to be a fight, but Kennedy movedunobtrusively between the two men. As for Madame Dupres, I felt thatreally she was a match for both of them.
Instead of getting mad, however, Ames merely laughed.
"Why, Haynes," he said quietly, "I don't think you ought to complain. Iunderstand that you, now representing Delaney's Texas syndicate, havealready signed the final contract for the deal with those whom MadameDupres represents and have received a certified check from them as afirst payment to bind the bargain."
Haynes turned almost livid, then recovering himself, glanced at MadameDupres.
"Why, Harris, I didn't think there was any secrecy about it now," shesaid, seeing the change in him. "If there is, I'm sorry."
"There isn't," replied Haynes, quickly recovering his composure. "Only Ijust didn't like to see a lawyer, an outsider, quizzing you, that'sall."
Jealousy was stamped in every line of Haynes' face. Ames said nothing,but it was impossible to escape the look of gratification which he shotat Kennedy as he brought out the startling new development.
Madame Dupres was clever enough to see that no good could come ofprolonging an interview for which now there was an excuse to break up.
"Take me in to lunch, Harris," she said, slipping her arm familiarlyinto his. "Good-morning, gentlemen."
Somehow I felt that she would have liked to add, "And if you see theBaroness, tell her I have beaten her to it."
Ames watched them depart with an air of cynical satisfaction, paused amoment, then in turn excused himself from us.
What did it mean? What was behind all this intrigue. Was it merely toget this cattle contract, big as that was?
We lunched together at the St. Quentin, and it was evident that MadameDupres was doing her best to smooth over the ruffled feelings of herlover.
Luncheon over, Kennedy plunged with redoubled energy into his laboratoryinvestigation. He said little, but I could tell from his manner that hehad found something that was very fascinating to him.