Ashton-Kirk, Criminologist

by John Thomas McIntyre

  CHAPTER II

  BAT SCANLON IS SURPRISED

  In the office, Bat Scanlon felt himself suddenly clutched by a creaturewho seemed at first to be all rich silks, soft furs, dazzling complexionand delicate perfume; but an instant later this impression failed; forhe knew that she was all eyes--great, brown, intelligent eyes--and avoice which made one's heart tremble when she spoke.

  "Oh, Bat, I'm glad you're in this big, cold city this morning," said thevoice, gratefully, while the long lashes held two great perilous tears."If you hadn't been, I don't know what I should have done."

  "Danny," said Bat to the red-haired boy, "go sweep up, or something."

  "Yes, sir," replied Danny, promptly, and was gone.

  Mr. Scanlon then saw that his unusual visitor was settled comfortably ina big, wide-armed chair, and he took a seat opposite her.

  "I don't wonder that you're feeling so," said he. "It's a sudden kind ofthing, isn't it? And do you know," there was an apologetic note in hisvoice, "this is the first morning I missed looking over the paper formonths. When you had me on the telephone a while ago I knew nothing atall about the matter."

  The girl shivered a little and drew her cloak around her shoulders.

  "As soon as _I_ heard of it, I knew what was to happen," she said, atrifle bitterly. "Nora Cavanaugh, celebrity, was to be dragged furtherinto the light. Nora Cavanaugh, who had just opened in a successfulplay--the woman whose pictures were in all the magazines--was the wifeof the murdered man! Instantly the police, who would be much betteremployed seeking a solution of the crime, must hunt out and torment mewith their questions; the newspapers must suddenly go mad with a desireto exploit my years of work and my personality as a background for asordid crime. My press agent, my manager, are quivering with anxietythat no shred of publicity be lost. My very maid is subtly suggestive asto ways in which value could be gained from the circumstances."

  "Too bad!" said Bat "It's a pretty messy kind of a job. But it's theregular thing. They are not picking specially on you." He sat looking ather for a moment in silence. Then he added: "Anyhow, in spite of allthis, there is one thing you might be thankful for, isn't there?"

  She drew in a long breath; her hands clasped tightly, and for a momenther eyes were closed.

  "You mean that Tom Burton is dead?" she whispered.

  "Yes," said the man.

  Again there was a silence, and this time it was broken by the girl.

  "I have never thought of him as dying," she said, and there wassomething like wonder in her voice. "He had gradually become settled inmy mind as a sort of incubus--I felt that I was to see him always,smiling, immaculate and unscrupulous--a sort of beast with whomcleanliness took the place of a soul."

  "You should have divorced him," said Bat. "It would have been theeasiest way."

  She shivered.

  "He knew I would never do that," she answered. "He knew I was foreverset against any such thing. My religion is against it; then," she gave alittle gesture of loathing, "the actress and the divorce court hadbecome associated in common jest; and I made up my mind that I would notadd to its truth."

  "He knew that, and he took advantage of it," said Bat.

  "Was there anything that promised him a profit that Tom Burton did nottake advantage of?" Her glorious eyes flashed and her head, superblycrowned with masses of bronze hair, was reared, the round, beautifullymoulded chin was held high with scorn. "Was there anything, no matterhow mean, that he wouldn't stoop to, so long as it enabled him to coddlehis vices and go on in his idle way of life?"

  Bat sat looking at the wonderfully beautiful and splendidly spiritedcreature; and he found himself wondering what had ever led her into amarriage with a man such as the one she had just described. And, asthough in answer to his thought, she went on:

  "But he had a way with him; his only study in life, so he told me once,had been women; and he knew how to get the better of them. When I firstmet him I was playing in a middle western city in a stock company whichgave two performances a day and paid a fairly respectable salary. It wasthe first good engagement I'd ever had; the following of the theatreliked me and I began to be talked about; the east, and the creating ofimportant parts did not seem so impossible as they had only a littlewhile before.

  "Maybe he heard some whisper of this; I don't know. But we becameacquainted; and I was carried away by him. Never had I met a man whoshowed so many brilliant sides of character; he could talk aboutanything, and in a way which indicated a mastery of the matter. Everyambition I cherished met with his approval; everything I longed forseemed within reach when he talked. It was a species of hypnotism, Bat;nothing else explains it."

  "How a fellow like that could so put it over on a woman like you, Nora,puzzles me," said Bat Scanlon, shaking his head.

  "It would puzzle any right sort of a man," said the girl. "Only a womanwould understand it thoroughly--or a man like Tom Burton. Well, it waswhile I was feeling that way about him, completely under his influence,that I married him. And in a week," here she arose, the cloak fallingfrom her shoulders as she flung out her arms in a gesture of despair, "Iknew just what I had done. The man was a cheap pretender; he'd never hadan honest thought in his life; he had familiarized himself with all mylittle weaknesses and aspirations before he met me; all his learning wasa sham; his good nature was a mask."

  "Some discovery for a week old bride to make," acknowledged Bat,frowning. "Some discovery."

  "He was a man who lived by his wits; it was common report that he'd beenexpelled from a club, somewhere, for cheating at cards. His first wifehad died a long time before through his studied neglect and badtreatment. He had heard of my good salary and increasing prospects, andso had made up his mind to attach himself, after the manner of allparasites, to one who promised to be a source of income."

  "Was it then that you left him?" asked the man.

  "It was." She bent her head, the white hands covered her face; herbosom, deep and wonderful as that of a young Juno, rose and fell withthe sobs that shook her. "I thought I should die at first. To think thatI, who had prized myself so, should come to that; made the victim ofsuch a cheap, tawdry trick! Once or twice I actually thought of killingmyself; but I suppose I am too normal for that. At any rate, withinanother week, I had thrown aside every tie I had, and they were notmany," with a little added break in the voice, over which she wasstruggling for control, "and so I came east."

  "But that wasn't the last you saw of Burton, though," said Bat, with agrimace of dislike.

  "While I was fighting to make a fresh way for myself, he did not disturbme," said the girl. "But no sooner had I scored than he reappeared; byevery device known to his kind he began to bleed me."

  "You did not allow that!" cried the man, surprised.

  "I did," with a gesture of meek acknowledgment. "He mastered me with hiscunning. Not a thing escaped him--every weakness, every shrinking,every faltering I had, seemed known to him; he kept me in an agony ofsuspense; rather than be hampered and embarrassed by him at every turn Itried to get rid of him by giving him money."

  "It would take near all the money in the world to drive away a coyotelike that," said Bat.

  "I soon found that out," said Nora Cavanaugh. "For from that time on Iwas haunted by him; he kept demanding of me, and I never had the moralcourage to refuse him until last night."

  "Last night!" Bat found himself staring at her. "Did you see him lastnight?"

  She looked at him suddenly, and there was a startled sort of look in thewide brown eyes, a fleeting expression of fear; and at the same time herhand went to her breast in a convulsive movement.

  "Yes," she said, and her voice had sunk to a whisper. "He came lastnight after I returned from the theatre. My maid had instructions not toadmit him, but he pushed her aside and came directly to my room."

  "You're right," said Bat Scanlon, glowering, "he _had_ a way with him.It's a pity you hadn't a brother--or some one--all these years to takecare of you. His study of women would have done
him little good if hehad had a man to meet."

  "He wanted money," said Nora. "He was wheedling and threatening byturns; he did everything he had ever done before, and more. I don't knowwhat gave me the resolution--perhaps it was the way he forced hispresence upon me--but anyhow, I refused him."

  "He went away empty handed," said Scanlon, gleefully. "Good!"

  "I gave him nothing," said Nora. "And I think he saw in my attitude whatthe future was to be; for when he left me he wore a look I had neverseen upon his face before."

  "Well," and the big trainer expelled a great breath, "it won't make muchdifference now what he thought; he'll never bother you again."

  "No," she repeated, "he'll never bother me again--never!" The beautifulvoice quavered and grew faint as she said this; and the hand was stillheld tightly against her breast.

  "What do you want me to do, Nora?" said the man. "A fellow who wasbrought up outside, as I have been, is not much at comforting a woman."

  "Bat," said the girl, and the hand left her breast and rested upon hisarm, "it has eased my heart just to hear you speak. You were always goodto me--always. But to-day you have given me courage--when I needed it sobadly." There was a little pause; she came closer to him, and now bothher hands were upon his arm, the two beautiful, capable hands, whosewhiteness had always amazed him; the faint perfume which always clungabout her was in his nostrils, and the brown eyes, so perfectly spaced,so wonderfully colored, were opened wide and regarding him steadily."There are two things I want you to do, Bat," she said, "and they arenot at all difficult. You are acquainted in the detective department,and I wish you would ask them not to bother me any more. If they do,"and here he felt the two white hands flutter and heard her breath drawnin sharply, "I shall break down with fright."

  "I'll fix it," the man assured her. "Leave it to me."

  "Thank you, Bat; you're the best creature in the world," she saidgratefully. "And, too, I want you to go to Stanwick. I would like you tosee what the police are doing--everything you can. They must have foundout something by this time. Ask questions and keep your eyes open. Andwhen you have it all, come to me at once and let me know."

  "Sure," said he, "I'll go right away."

  "Thank you." She drew the rich cloak about her and then held out herhand. "You're a dear, good fellow, Bat; I've always known that, but nowI'm surer of it than ever."

  "Why, Nora, it's not hard to do things for you," said he, as he held thehand for a moment.

  "And you'll hurry?" Her eyes were full of pleading. "You'll find outeverything you can--but you'll hurry, won't you?"

  "As soon as I've looked things over carefully," said he, "you'll hear meat your door."

  "Thank you, again," she said. "And good-bye."

  And as the door closed behind her, Bat Scanlon stood in the middle ofthe floor, his arms folded across his big chest.

  "Cop stuff," said he, to himself. "What do you think of that?"

  When he returned once more to the room in which he had left the others,Scanlon found Dennison buttoning up his top-coat.

  "I'll be in to-morrow," said the man; "and my togs will be sent aroundto-day."

  When he had departed, Scanlon looked at Ashton-Kirk.

  "I guess you'll have to take your work-out with the big Greek," said he."Stanwick's my next stop; and I'm going to get the first train."

  "Stanwick?" Ashton-Kirk's keen eyes regarded him inquiringly.

  "Funny thing, ain't it? Here I didn't know a thing about this murder,and then I get it piled in on me from two places. That was Tom Burton'swife just in to see me--Nora Cavanaugh."

  "Oh, yes, to be sure. She is--or was--his wife, wasn't she?"

  "She had a fine lot of excitement with her. Dennison ain't the only onewho saw Burton last night. He called on Nora after the show, and wantedmoney, as, it seems, he always did. But she refused him and he went awaysore."

  "He was an utter scamp," said Ashton-Kirk. "It's rather remarkable,though, how he managed to keep just outside the reach of the law."

  "Nora's been pestered by the cops, and she wants me to have them calledoff," said Bat. "And she's asked me to go out to Stanwick and see whatthey are doing there."

  "The police?"

  "Yes. I don't know just what it's all about; but Nora knows, and that'senough for me."

  Ashton-Kirk smiled as the big man went to a closet and took out a longcoat and a soft hat.

  "Miss Cavanaugh is fortunate in the control of such an obedient geni,"said he, quietly. "But good luck on your trip; and while you are gone,I'll grapple with the Greek, as you suggest."