CHAPTER XI. THE DRUG SYNDICATE
At six-thirty that morning Margaret Halley was aroused by her maid--thelatter but half awake--and sitting up in bed and switching on the lamp,she looked at the card which the servant had brought to her, and readthe following:
CHIEF INSPECTOR KERRY, C.I.D. New Scotland Yard, S.W.I.
"Oh, dear," she said sleepily, "what an appallingly early visitor. Isthe bath ready yet, Janet?"
"I'm afraid not," replied the maid, a plain, elderly woman of theold-fashioned useful servant type. "Shall I take a kettle into thebathroom?"
"Yes--that will have to do. Tell Inspector Kerry that I shall not belong."
Five minutes later Margaret entered her little consulting-room, whereKerry, having adjusted his tie, was standing before the mirror in theovermantle, staring at a large photograph of the charming lady doctorin military uniform. Kerry's fierce eyes sparkled appreciatively as hisglance rested on the tall figure arrayed in a woollen dressing-gown, themasculine style of which by no means disguised the beauty of Margaret'sathletic figure. She had hastily arranged her bright hair withdeliberate neglect of all affectation. She belonged to that ultra-modernschool which scorns to sue masculine admiration, but which cannotdispense with it nevertheless. She aspired to be assessed upon anintellectual basis, an ambition which her unfortunate good looksrendered difficult of achievement.
"Good morning, Inspector," she said composedly. "I was expecting you."
"Really, miss?" Kerry stared curiously. "Then you know what I've comeabout?"
"I think so. Won't you sit down? I am afraid the room is rather cold. Isit about--Sir Lucien Pyne?"
"Well," replied Kerry, "it concerns him certainly. I've been incommunication by telephone with Hinkes, Mr. Monte Irvin's butler, andfrom him I learned that you were professionally attending Mrs. Irvin."
"I was not her regular medical adviser, but--"
Margaret hesitated, glancing rapidly at the Inspector, and then downat the writing-table before which she was seated. She began to tap theblotting-pad with an ivory paper-knife. Kerry was watching her intently.
"Upon your evidence, Miss Halley," he said rapidly, "may depend the lifeof the missing woman."
"Oh!" cried Margaret, "whatever can have happened to her? I rang up aslate as two o'clock this morning; after that I abandoned hope."
"There's something underlying the case that I don't understand, miss. Ilook to you to put me wise."
She turned to him impulsively.
"I will tell you all I know, Inspector," she said. "I will be perfectlyfrank with you."
"Good!" rapped Kerry. "Now--you have known Mrs. Monte Irvin for sometime?"
"For about two years."
"You didn't know her when she was on the stage?"
"No. I met her at a Red Cross concert at which she sang."
"Do you think she loved her husband?"
"I know she did."
"Was there any--prior attachment?"
"Not that I know of."
"Mr. Quentin Gray?"
Margaret smiled, rather mirthlessly.
"He is my cousin, Inspector, and it was I who introduced him toRita Irvin. I sincerely wish I had never done so. He lost his headcompletely."
"There was nothing in Mrs. Irvin's attitude towards him to justify herhusband's jealousy?"
"She was always frightfully indiscreet, Inspector, but nothing more.You see, she is greatly admired, and is used to the company of silly,adoring men. Her husband doesn't really understand the ways of theseBohemian folks. I knew it would lead to trouble sooner or later."
"Ah!"
Chief Inspector Kerry thrust his hands into the pockets of his jacket.
"Now--Sir Lucien?"
Margaret tapped more rapidly with the paper-knife.
"Sir Lucien belonged to a set of which Rita had been a member during herstage career. I think--he admired her; in fact, I believe he had offeredher marriage. But she did not care for him in the least--in that way."
"Then in what way did she care for him?" rapped Kerry.
"Well--now we are coming to the point." Momentarily she hesitated, then:"They were both addicted--"
"Yes?"
"--to drugs."
"Eh?" Kerry's eyes grew hard and fierce in a moment. "What drugs?"
"All sorts of drugs. Shortly after I became acquainted with Rita IrvinI learned that she was a victim of the drug habit, and I tried to cureher. I regret to say that I failed. At that time she had acquired ataste for opium."
Kerry said not a word, and Margaret raised her head and looked at himpathetically.
"I can see that you have no pity for the victims of this ghastly vice,Inspector Kerry," she said.
"I haven't!" he snapped fiercely. "I admit I haven't, miss. It's badenough in the heathens, but for an Englishwoman to dope herself isdownright unchristian and beastly."
"Yet I have come across so many of these cases, during the war andsince, that I have begun to understand how easy, how dreadfully easy itis, for a woman especially, to fall into the fatal habit. Bereavement orthat most frightful of all mental agonies, suspense, will too often leadthe poor victim into the path that promises forgetfulness. Rita Irvin'scase is less excusable. I think she must have begun drug-taking becauseof the mental and nervous exhaustion resulting from late hours andover-much gaiety. The demands of her profession proved too great forher impaired nervous energy, and she sought some stimulant which wouldenable her to appear bright on the stage when actually she should havebeen recuperating, in sleep, that loss of vital force which can berecuperated in no other way."
"But opium!" snapped Kerry.
"I am afraid her other drug habits had impaired her will, and shaken herself-control. She was tempted to try opium by its promise of a new andnovel excitement."
"Her husband, I take it, was ignorant of all this?"
"I believe he was. Quentin--Mr. Gray--had no idea of it either."
"Then it was Sir Lucien Pyne who was in her confidence in the matter?"
Margaret nodded slowly, still tapping the blotting-pad.
"He used to accompany her to places where drugs could be obtained, andon several occasions--I cannot say how many--I believe he went with herto some den in Chinatown. It may have been due to Mr. Irvin's discoverythat his wife could not satisfactorily account for some of theseabsences from home which led him to suspect her fidelity."
"Ah!" said Kerry hardly, "I shouldn't wonder. And now"--he thrust out apointing finger--"where did she get these drugs?"
Margaret met the fierce stare composedly.
"I have said that I shall be quite frank," she replied. "In my opinionshe obtained them from Kazmah."
"Kazmah!" shouted Kerry. "Excuse me, miss, but I see I've been wearingblinkers without knowing it! Kazmah's was a dope-shop?"
"That has been my belief for a long time, Inspector. I may add that Ihave never been able to obtain a shred of evidence to prove it. I am sokeenly interested in seeing the people who pander to this horrible viceunmasked and dealt with as they merit, that I have tried many times tofind out if my suspicion was correct."
Inspector Kerry was writhing his shoulders excitedly. "Did you evervisit Kazmah?" he asked.
"Yes. I asked Rita Irvin to take me, but she refused, and I could seethat the request embarrassed her. So I went alone."
"Describe exactly what took place."
Margaret Halley stared reflectively at the blotting-pad for a moment,and then described a typical seance at Kazmah's. In conclusion:
"As I came away," she said, "I bought a bottle of every kind of perfumeon sale, some of the incense, and also a box of sweetmeat; but they allproved to be perfectly harmless. I analyzed them."
Kerry's eyes glistened with admiration.
"We could do with you at the Yard, miss," he said. "Excuse me for sayingso."
Margaret smiled rather wanly.
"Now--this man Kazmah," resumed the Chief Inspector. "Did you ever seehim again?"
"Never. I have been trying for months and months to find out who he is."
Kerry's face became very grim.
"About ten trained men are trying to find that out at the presentmoment!" he rapped. "Do you think he wore a make-up?"
"He may have done so," Margaret admitted. "But his features wereobviously undisguised, and his eyes one would recognize anywhere. Theywere larger than any human eyes I have ever seen."
"He couldn't have been the Egyptian who looked after the shop, forinstance?"
"Impossible! He did not remotely resemble him. Besides, the man to whomyou refer remained outside to receive other visitors. Oh, that's out ofthe question, Inspector."
"The light was very dim?"
"Very dim indeed, and Kazmah never once raised his head. Indeed, exceptfor a dignified gesture of greeting and one of dismissal, he nevermoved. His immobility was rather uncanny."
Kerry began to pace up and down the narrow room, and:
"He bore no resemblance to the late Sir Lucien Pyne, for instance?" herapped.
Margaret laughed outright and her laughter was so inoffensive and somusical that the Chief Inspector laughed also.
"That's more hopeless than ever!" she said. "Poor Sir Lucien had strong,harsh features and rather small eyes. He wore a moustache, too. But SirLucien, I feel sure, was one of Kazmah's clients."
"Ah!" said Kerry. "And what leads you to suppose Miss Halley, that thisKazmah dealt in drugs?"
"Well, you see, Rita Irvin was always going there to buy perfumes, andshe frequently sent her maid as well."
"But"--Kerry stared--"you say that the perfume was harmless."
"That which was sold to casual visitors was harmless, Inspector. But Istrongly suspect that regular clients were supplied with something quitedifferent. You see, I know no fewer than thirty unfortunate women inthe West End of London alone who are simply helpless slaves tovarious drugs, and I think it more than a coincidence that upon theirdressing-tables I have almost invariably found one or more of Kazmah'speculiar antique flasks."
Chief Inspector Kerry's jaw muscles protruded conspicuously.
"You speak of patients?" he asked.
Margaret nodded her head.
"When a woman becomes addicted to the drug habit," she explained, "shesometimes shuns her regular medical adviser. I have many patients whocame to me originally simply because they dared not face their familydoctor. In fact, since I gave up Army work, my little practice hasthreatened to develop into that of a drug-habit specialist."
"Have you taxed any of these people with obtaining drugs from Kazmah?"
"Not directly. It would have been undiplomatic. But I have tried tosurprise them into telling me. Unfortunately, these poor people are ascunning as any other kind of maniac, for, of course, it becomes a formof mania. They recognize that confession might lead to a stoppage ofsupplies--the eventuality they most dread."
"Did you examine the contents of any of these flasks found ondressing-tables?"
"I rarely had an opportunity; but when I did they proved to containperfume when they contained anything."
"H'm," mused Kerry, and although in deference to Margaret, he had deniedhimself chewing-gum, his jaws worked automatically. "I gather that Mrs.Monte Irvin had expressed a wish to see you last night?"
"Yes. Apparently she was threatened with a shortage of cocaine."
"Cocaine was her drug?"
"One of them. She had tried them all, poor, silly girl! You mustunderstand that for a habitual drug-taker suddenly to be deprived ofdrugs would lead to complete collapse, perhaps death. And during thelast few days I had noticed a peculiar nervous symptom in Rita Irvinwhich had interested me. Finally, the day before yesterday, sheconfessed that her usual source of supply had been closed to her. Herwords were very vague, but I gathered that some form of coercion wasbeing employed."
"With what object?"
"I have no idea. But she used the words, 'They will drive me mad,' andseemed to be in a dangerously nervous condition. She said that she wasgoing to make a final attempt to obtain a supply of the poison which hadbecome indispensable to her. 'I cannot do without it!' she said. 'But ifthey refuse, will you give me some?'"
"What did you say?"
"I begged of her, as I had done on many previous occasions, to placeherself in my hands. But she evaded a direct answer, as is the way ofone addicted to this vice. 'If I cannot get some by tomorrow,' she said,'I shall go mad, or dead. Can I rely on you?'"
"I told her that I would prescribe cocaine for her on the distinctunderstanding that from the first dose she was to place herself under mycare for a cure."
"She agreed?"
"She agreed. Yesterday afternoon, while I was away at an important case,she came here. Poor Rita!" Margaret's soft voice trembled. "Look--sheleft this note."
From a letter-rack she took a square sheet of paper and handed it tothe Chief Inspector. He bent his fierce eyes upon the writing--large,irregular and shaky.
"'Dear Margaret,'" he read aloud. "'Why aren't you at home? I am wildwith pain, and feel I am going mad. Come to me directly you return, andbring enough to keep me alive. I--', Hullo! there's no finish!"
He glanced up from the page. Margaret Halley's eyes were dim.
"She despaired of my coming and went to Kazmah," she said. "Can youdoubt that that was what she went for?"
"No!" snapped Kerry savagely, "I can't. But do you mean to tell me, MissHalley, that Mrs. Irvin couldn't get cocaine anywhere else? I know fora fact that it's smuggled in regularly, and there's more than onereceiver."
Margaret looked at him strangely.
"I know it, too, Inspector," she said quietly. "Owing to the lackof enterprise on the part of our British drug-houses, even reputablechemists are sometimes dependent upon illicit stock from Japan andAmerica. But do you know that the price of these smuggled drugs haslatterly become so high as to be prohibitive in many cases?"
"I don't. What are you driving at, miss?"
"At this: Somebody had made a corner in contraband drugs. The mostwicked syndicate that ever was formed has got control of the lives of,it may be, thousands of drug-slaves!"
Kerry's teeth closed with a sharp snap.
"At last," he said, "I see where the smart from the Home office comesin."
"The Secretary of State has appointed a special independent commissionerto inquire into this hellish traffic," replied Margaret quietly. "Iam glad to say that I have helped in getting this done by therepresentations which I have made to my uncle, Lord Wrexborough. But Igive you my word, Inspector Kerry, that I have withheld nothing from youany more than from him."
"Him!" snapped Kerry, eyes fiercely ablaze.
"From the Home Office representative--before whom I have already givenevidence."
Chief Inspector Kerry took up his hat, cane and overall from the chairupon which he had placed them and, his face a savage red mask, bowedwith a fine courtesy. He burned to learn particulars; he disdained toobtain them from a woman.
"Good morning, Miss Halley," he said. "I am greatly indebted to you."
He walked stiffly from the room and out of the flat without waiting fora servant to open the door.
PART SECOND--MRS. SIN