CHAPTER IX
EXPLAINS A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE
I SPRANG to the ground by the side of the death-car. It was standing bythe side of the road, just as I had left it, its silent owner sittingrigidly erect, still grasping the lever, and looking fixedly into thedarkness.
"Forrest! Forrest!" I shouted again.
All was silent as the grave.
It was very strange. He had promised to await my return. I looked at mywatch. Altogether half an hour had not elapsed since my departure. Yetmany things might happen in half an hour with such a spirit of deathabroad as I knew to be hovering around. I shivered.
The police sergeant was as much bewildered at Forrest's disappearance asmyself. On our way, I had explained more fully the circumstances underwhich we had discovered the crime which had been committed. He knew mycompanion by name and reputation, and he was quite at a loss to explainhis absence.
I scanned the road so far as it was revealed by our lights, halfexpecting yet dreading to see his prostrate form. But there was nothingvisible. Each taking a lamp from my car, the sergeant and I set out tosearch the hedges and ditches on each side of the road. We did soconscientiously for a hundred yards up and down the road, and on eachside, but found nothing.
When we got back to the car, the sergeant said to me--
"Perhaps Mr. Forrest has found a clue, and thought he would waste notime in following it up."
The suggestion seemed feasible enough, but just at that moment my glancefell on something at my feet which put the idea to flight. Lying on theroad was a large button. I picked it up. I saw at once that it had beentorn violently away from the garment to which it had been attached, fora piece of the cloth had come away with it, I looked at it narrowly--thecloth was of the same material as the overcoat Forrest had been wearing.
The button had been almost under the wheels of my car, so I backed theMercedes a few yards, and looked about for further traces. In the spacethus laid bare there lay a lamp smashed to pieces. I picked up theframe, and saw that it was one of the lamps taken from the other motor.Further search only revealed another button similarly attached to ashred of cloth like the first one I had found. That was all.
The sergeant looked at me and I at him. One thought was in both ourminds, and we gave utterance to it simultaneously.
"The Motor Pirate has been back again."
"You must have scared him away the first time, and on his return tocomplete the job he found the inspector here, and----"
The sergeant did not complete his sentence, but glanced apprehensivelyup and down the road.
"If he has returned, I don't see what he can have done with Forrest," Ireplied.
"Heaven knows!" the man replied, involuntarily lowering his voice. "I--Ibegin to believe that this Motor Pirate is--is the Devil."
"Nonsense, man!" I said sharply.
To tell the truth, my own nerves, in spite of the whisky, were in nonetoo firm a condition; and I knew it would be fatal to allow myself tobecome infected by the very obvious funk which had seized upon mycompanion. I felt, however, I must be doing something unless I wanted tosuccumb.
"Look here," I said, "you wait by the car a few minutes, while I go twoor three hundred yards further up the road, to see if I can find anyother traces."
"I--I would much rather you--you didn't leave me," stammered thesergeant. "It's bad enough for there to be only the two of us."
"Come, pull yourself together," I replied roughly. "There's nothing tobe afraid of."
"I don't think I can stand being left here alone," repeated thesergeant.
"Very well; you had better come along with me then," I replied.
He jumped into the car beside me with alacrity, and I started the motor,though not until I had arranged my revolver handily at my side. We wentfor a mile at our slowest pace in the direction of Stratford, andfinding nothing, we returned, and covered the same distance in thedirection of Towcester, with a similar result. Our progress was broughtto a termination by our meeting with a trap containing the doctor, whowas accompanied by a couple of constables. When we recognized who wasapproaching, the change that came over the demeanour of the sergeant wasastonishing. All his courage came back to him. He talked to me quiteeasily as we returned to the scene of the outrage with the trap keepingclose behind us; and when we pulled up, he took control of theproceedings as if he had never felt a moment's tremor in his life. Hemust have observed my astonishment, for he took me aside and said--
"I was a bit overcome just now, sir. You won't mention it before mymen."
"Certainly not," I answered. "I was only one degree better myself."
"That's enough to make any one feel creepy," he said, jerking his thumbtowards the silent figure.
We did nothing but stand about and talk in subdued tones, until thedoctor had completed his examination of the silent figure by the lightof my lamps. It did not last long.
"Death was instantaneous," he said, as he stepped down from the car."The bullet appears to have passed straight along the longitudinalsinus, and, as near as I can tell, he must have been dead about anhour."
"You would like to make a more extensive examination, I suppose,doctor?" said the sergeant.
"If a suitable place were available," he replied.
The sergeant mentioned an inn at a village not far distant, and, thedoctor acquiescing, arrangements were at once made for conveying thebody there, the sergeant and I setting out in advance to provide for itsreception.
I am not going into any further detail regarding the proceedings of thatnight. Indeed I can to-day scarcely recall them. I know that I waited atthe inn for a long while after the melancholy _cortege_ arrived, andthat I felt curiously dazed amidst all the bustle caused by the arrival.I remember eventually driving the sergeant back to Towcester, and makingto him a long statement, which he took down in writing.
By the time I had completed this statement day had dawned. I shall neverforget my impressions of that early morning as I rode home alone. Thebirds were twittering in the hedgerows, a soft white mist hung low downover the meadows, all nature was so serene and peaceful that it wasdifficult to imagine that the night which had passed had been so full ofhorror and mystery. I felt as one awakened from a dream. But on my way Ipassed the deserted motor-car. A constable was beside it, and I pulledup to speak to him.
"Seen nothing of Inspector Forrest, I suppose?" I asked.
"Nothing," he replied.
I gave him good morning and got on. I made similar inquiries at FennyStratford, and again at Dunstable, still without result. I comfortedmyself with the thought that at St. Albans I should certainly hear newsof him. But no. I found the police wild with excitement, but entirelywithout any information as to what had become of the missing detective.I found, however, that they did not share my forebodings as to anythingserious having happened to him. Their view was that he had discoveredsome clue, and was hard upon the track of the murderer. I had to givethem a complete history of the events of the night. But I got away atlast, and reached home as tired as I had ever been in my life.
I took a bath as hot as I could bear it, and went straight to bed. I wasdead beat, and I fell asleep instantly.
I awoke some time in the afternoon, and when I had got the sleep out ofmy eyes, and the events of the previous night came back to me, I feltinclined to curse myself for having thought of resting. I felt certainthat if it had been myself who was missing, Forrest would not have sleptuntil he had discovered something concerning my fate. I made a hastymeal while dressing, and ordered my car to be brought round. Directly itappeared I hurried off to St. Albans.
Nothing had been seen or heard there of Forrest, and once more I set outupon the road I had traversed the previous night. Again I rode as far asTowcester. I had a chat with the sergeant of police, and found that,though search parties had scoured the country round for miles, nointelligence had been obtained. I made arrangements to appear at theinquest on the following day, and returned to St. Albans. Still no news.
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I got home again about seven, sick at heart. I had counted so much uponForrest's assistance in the fulfilment of my vow; but that was only asecondary consideration now. I had grown to like him so much, that theidea that he had met with any mischance knocked me over completely. Iwent into my study and threw myself moodily into a chair. My man broughtme in some whisky, and hovered about until I told him to go.
"You were going to dine at Mr. Winter's to-night, sir, with Mr.Forrest," he reminded me.
The engagement had completely passed from my memory.
"I shall be unable to go, Wilson," I said.
"They haven't found Mr. Forrest, then, sir?" said the man respectfully.He was simply brimming over with curiosity.
"No. I'm afraid we shall never see him alive again," I groaned.
"Dear me! Not so bad as that, I hope, sir," he respondedsympathetically, as he still lingered.
"Not half so bad as that, Wilson," remarked a cheery voice just outsidethe door.
My man started, and I jumped to my feet with a shout of welcome.
"Forrest! Forrest!" I cried. "Come along in, man."
"Well, if I may?" replied Forrest's voice.
"If you may!" I answered. "Why--what the----!"
My astonishment at the appearance he presented as he entered the roomchoked my further utterance.
The man who entered was a veritable scarecrow. A man with a torn coatand rent trowsers, and a battered hat which barely held together uponhis head. He was covered from head to foot with mud. His face was dirty,unshaven, disreputable.
"Forrest? Is it indeed you?" I could not but ask, when my speechreturned to me.
"I don't ask you to recognize me until I have had a bath and a shave,"he replied. "But when I have sacrificed to Hygeia, I expect to bepresentable enough to dine with Mr. Winter to-night. I've been wonderingall day whether I should manage to get here in time. Meanwhile, theleast spot of whisky----"
I could not express my delight at his return, and unthinkingly I pouredout nearly a tumbler of the neat spirit, and felt almost hurt when hereturned all but one finger to the decanter.
"If you give me a dose like that, I shall certainly be unable toaccompany you," he said.
I could curb my curiosity no longer. I burst out with a string ofquestions.
"Where have you been? What has happened to you? Why did you disappear?How----"
He stopped me. "So that's why you gave me all that whisky. You wanted tomake me talk, eh?"
I laughingly disassociated myself from any such intention, and, puttingthe curb on my curiosity, I turned him over to Wilson to be valeted outof the semblance to a tramp.
The process took some time, and when he came downstairs inirreproachable evening clothes, there was no time for him to give me thehistory of his adventures unless we were to miss our dinner.
"And that," declared Forrest, "I absolutely refuse to do; for, with theexception of sixpenny worth of rum and a crust of bread and cheese,nothing has passed my lips since dinner last night."
"Then you will be glad to hear that the Winters are punctual people," Iremarked as we at once set out for my neighbour's house.
"I suppose," he said, as we reached our destination, "I may count uponyou not referring to the plight in which I returned to your place? Ishould not care for it to get abroad that the Pirate had got the betterof me on the first occasion of our meeting."
"Then you have seen him?" I cried eagerly.
"Seen him!" Forrest ejaculated in reply. "Seen him! After dinner youshall have a full, true and particular account of all that's happened.Until then--well, assume you know everything but are not at liberty todivulge anything."
I was as much at home in Winter's house as in my own, so I did nottrouble to ring and Forrest followed me in. I had forgotten that hisappearance was likely to create as great a sensation there as it hadcaused me. I entered the drawing-room first, Forrest being a littlebehind. Mrs. Winter, a fluffy-haired little woman with blue baby eyes,baby lips, and a most engaging little baby dimple, was the centre of theparty gathered there. The other women were Miss Maitland and Mrs.Winter's twin sister, who reproduced the hair, lips, eyes and dimplewith such exactness that it was always a puzzle to me how Winter hadmanaged to make up his mind between them. About them were gatheredColonel Maitland, Mannering, Winter himself, and another man whom he hadbrought down with him from town that day. The subject of conversation, Ilearned afterwards, had been entirely devoted to Forrest'sdisappearance, and when they caught sight of him the effect waselectrical. The ladies all jumped to their feet, the twin sistersscreamed in unison, the men stood stock still. Mannering appeared to bethe most astonished, for he turned pale and his lips became livid.Before any one could say a word, however, the door opened again and thebutler announced dinner in an impassive voice, which sent everybody intoconvulsions of laughter.
We filed into dinner a particularly merry party. Mrs. Winter hadarranged for me to take in Miss Maitland, and the fact that Manneringobviously resented the arrangement added a great deal to my good humour.The fact of Forrest being the lion of the evening did not disturb me atall. Indeed I was glad some one else had to parry the numberlessquestions put to him respecting his disappearance.
He fenced them remarkably well, though of course, when cornered, hecould always fall back upon the excuse of his mouth being closed by theofficial pledge of secrecy.
Needless to say, only one topic was mooted, and I should not havereferred to it had not the man whom Winter had brought from town saidsomething which, I found afterwards, had some bearing on future events.This person was a diamond merchant in his business hours, and after theladies had left us, he expressed the opinion that it was a good thingthe Motor Pirate confined his attentions to fellow motorists.
"If, for instance," he remarked, "he were to take it into his head tohold up the Brighton Parcels Mail to-morrow night, he would make one ofthe best-known firms in Hatton Garden feel very sick."
"How's that?" asked Mannering, carelessly. He had quite recovered fromthe temporary shock which Forrest's unexpected appearance had occasionedhim.
"Well, I heard they are sending off a particularly valuable collectionof stones by registered parcel post to-morrow," he answered.
"Seems a silly thing to do," commented Winter.
"I don't know about that," was the reply. "Their theory is that thechances of robbery are infinitely less than by any other method offorwarding. They have followed the practice for years, and hitherto havenever made a loss. You see, no one knows anything about it except theprincipal, who takes the packet to the post office. He registers it atSt. Martin's, and the packet is immediately placed amongst a number ofparcels of all sorts, shapes and sizes; and the chance of a casual thiefselecting that particular parcel, even if he had the chance, are atleast a hundred to one, while it is well known that the postal employeewho steals always lets the registered letter severely alone."
The subject was not pursued further, and soon after we joined theladies. The party broke up early, and I was not sorry, for I could seeForrest was tired and I wanted to get his story from him before heturned in. But when we were back in my snuggery, I found that heconsidered it necessary to report himself at St. Albans. I was on thetelephone, so I suggested its use, and he jumped at the idea. After somelittle difficulty we managed to get a message through to thepolice-station. Then settling down into an easy chair with a great sighof content, he reeled out an account of his adventures.