Ashton-Kirk, Secret Agent

by John Thomas McIntyre

  CHAPTER XXVI

  THE TRUTH

  Ashton-Kirk, after Burgess led the prisoners away, turned to a telephoneand in a moment had the office.

  "A gentleman will probably ask to see me in a little while; if so, sendhim here."

  And as he turned toward Fuller, that young man said, in a dubious sortof way:

  "What do you think of that story which the girl just now told? Can therebe any truth in it?"

  "It is all truth," said Ashton-Kirk, quietly.

  "All truth!" Fuller opened his eyes to their widest extent. "Then youhave made up your mind Warwick is the murderer."

  Ashton-Kirk smiled.

  "As to that," said he, "we will allow him to speak for himself. I expecthim here at any moment."

  "Here!"

  "Yes," replied the secret agent. And then as a low knock sounded uponthe door, he added, "More than likely that is he now."

  In response to his "Come in," Philip Warwick entered. Closing the doorbehind him, he advanced slowly, and then paused facing Ashton-Kirk.

  "I believe," said he, quietly, "that you desire to see me."

  He was rather pale and obviously nervous; but for all that he made agood attempt to appear at ease.

  "It was very kind of you to come at this hour," said Ashton-Kirk. "Willyou sit down?"

  The young man did so.

  "I did not know just where you were putting up," proceeded Ashton-Kirk,"and so had to call up one hotel after another."

  "I was at the Carlton," said Warwick. "I got the call a half-hour ago.And now that I am here," with a squaring of his shoulders, "will youkindly be as brief as possible?"

  "Brevity suits me exactly," said Ashton-Kirk. "But before making abeginning, don't you think it advisable to secure the presence of onemore person? I think," significantly, "she has returned from VonStunnenberg's by this."

  For an instant Philip Warwick hesitated; then he went to the telephone;and in a very few minutes there came a knock upon the door. Fulleropened it, and Stella Corbin entered swiftly; with a cry she ran toWarwick, and he put his arms about her protectingly, while his eyesseemed to defy the secret agent.

  "And now," said the latter, after the girl had gained control ofherself, "suppose we make ourselves as comfortable as possible, and thencome at once to that which has brought us together."

  When all were seated, he resumed:

  "There are a great many points in this case which remain to be clearedup. Some of these," and his eyes searched their faces, "are things uponwhich you two only can throw a light."

  But the girl and the young man remained looking at him coldly and insilence. He smiled.

  "Your present attitude is not unfamiliar," said he to Miss Corbin. "Ithink," reflectively, "that I noted it first upon the day after themurder of your uncle when we met you upon the stairs. And," his browslifting in polite inquiry, "as you had just finished a somewhat earnestconversation with your neighbor Okiu, I've often wondered just how muchhe had to do with my loss of your confidence."

  "You are right," said Stella Corbin, steadily. "It was Mr. Okiu whofirst told me what many things have since convinced me is the truth. Hewas passing the window where I stood that morning and stopped to expresshis sympathy. We entered into a conversation and he told me of thepaper--I had never heard of it before--and he told me that you wereendeavoring to become possessed of it.

  "But I believed in you then, and replied that you had been engaged byMr. Warwick to clear up a mystery which surrounded my uncle. However, hesaid he knew your methods. You had no doubt in some insidious way causedyourself to be suggested to Mr. Warwick for the----"

  "Stella!" cried Warwick, in astonishment.

  "Is it so surprising that this should be true?" she asked turning tohim. "Have not much more surprising things happened of late?"

  Warwick made no reply to this, but directed a look toward the secretagent.

  "One would have thought," said the latter, composedly, "that Okiu'sbeing so manifestly an interested person would have weakened theplausibility of his story. But," and he smiled as he went on, "perhapshe did not divulge the real nature of the paper." He caught the lookthat came into her face, and added: "I see that he did not. A clever man_would_ not, and Okiu is really very clever."

  He paused for a few moments as though expecting either one or the otherto speak; but as they did not do so, remaining cold faced andunbelieving, he resumed:

  "I see that there is very little that I can say that will tend towardreestablishing our first friendly relationship. And this being thecase, we shall waste no more time upon the attempt." He took a note-bookfrom his pocket and turning over the leaves, said: "Here I have the mainpoints of the affair of Dr. Morse from the time of your visit to me,"nodding to Warwick, "until the time Miss Corbin removed the sought-fordocument from the candlestick in the library of the house on FordhamRoad."

  At this the girl started up with a little startled cry; but Warwick drewher back with a whispered warning.

  The secret agent smiled.

  "You seem surprised that I should know just where you found the paper,"he said. "Do you forget that I was in the house on the night that it wasdone?" There was another brief pause; then he went on: "However, intracing out this matter, I have come upon indications and have arrivedat conclusions which may surprise you still more." His turning of thepages of the note-book stopped, and with his finger marking a penciledentry, he said to Warwick: "This woman in New York--have you settledyour matters with her?"

  It was now the young man's turn to show discomposure. But it was for aninstant only.

  "A woman?" said he, inquiringly. "I don't think I understand."

  "Of course," said Ashton-Kirk, with a gesture, "it is your privilege toassume any attitude you choose; but I must say that I consider this onefaulty. There _is_ a woman! And she insists that she has some sort of alegal claim upon you. This you deny; and Miss Corbin believes you."

  "Mr. Warwick," exclaimed the girl, warmly, "has my utmost confidence."

  "Thank you," smiled Ashton-Kirk. "We will now consider the existence ofthe woman as having been admitted." He settled back in his chair, andwent on: "Some time ago Dr. Morse received a number of letters. Theywere brought to him by a second woman--one whom you," to Warwick, "didnot know."

  A quick look of surprise passed between the girl and the young man; butthey kept silent.

  "From that time," said Ashton-Kirk, easily, "there was a decided feelingbetween Dr. Morse and his secretary. Quarrels were frequent; he was notcareful as to his words and you resented his brutality. On the night ofthe murder he struck you," looking at Warwick. "He struck you in theface; and you," turning his eyes swiftly upon the girl, "saw the blowand were glad."

  "Glad!" the girl echoed the word. "Yes, I _was_ glad. Because I knewthat that would mark the end of your hesitancy," to Warwick. "I knewthat you would act--that you would not be content with merely denying."

  Ashton-Kirk nodded.

  "If you had read my notes," said he, tapping his book approvingly, "youcould not have made a statement more in accord with them." He looked atthem for a moment, and then went on: "Dr. Morse had made up his mindfinally to interview this woman. He had placed the letters in hishand-bag and was preparing for the trip when you," to Stella, "convincedhim that he was making a mistake, and succeeded in obtaining his consentthat Warwick make the journey with the letters instead. Am I right?"

  "You are," replied Warwick. "I had known this woman," in explanation."She heard of my intended marriage with Miss Corbin, claimed that shewas my wife and forged certain letters to substantiate her claim. Theentire matter was absurd, though Dr. Morse chose to regard it seriously.But at last he _did_ consent to giving me the letters, permitting me toseek out the woman and force her to tell the truth."

  "I see," said Ashton-Kirk. "It was while upon a landing of the backstairs that you were told that the letters were in the hand-bag in thelibrary, and you at once went to get them, meaning to catch the next NewYork train. Miss C
orbin went as far as the lower hall with you, thenreturned to her room. You entered the library. It was dark. A soundattracted you in the rear room. You went toward it, and as you gainedthe doorway you saw a woman with the bag in her hand step out of the lowwindow to the lawn."

  "You were there!" cried Warwick.

  "No," smiled Ashton-Kirk. "Some of the things which I have told you wereseen, or heard. Others I have gathered from signs. I have merelyconnected all of these by reasoning out what must have occurred to bringabout the results that followed."

  "I did see a woman step out upon the lawn," said Warwick, "and Ifollowed her."

  "Of course," said the secret agent. "You knew it was a woman who hadbrought the letters to Dr. Morse; and that you had not seen her is shownby the fact that you suspected that the woman with the bag was the same.You fancied that she had somehow learned of Dr. Morse's intention toturn the letters over to you; and in fear of what you might do andknowing that the letters were palpable forgeries, she had effected anentrance to the house and was trying to make off with them. If itoccurred to you that she had been exceedingly quick to gain herinformation, and had suspiciously little trouble getting into the house,you might have suspected the collusion of Dr. Morse. As you had adeep-seated aversion to him, this thought would have been naturalenough."

  "As a matter of fact," said Warwick, slowly, "what you say ispractically the truth. But," and there was a strong curiosity in hisvoice, "it is not possible that you have reasoned your way to this."

  Ashton-Kirk smiled.

  "Most things to which we are unaccustomed seem difficult," replied he."This particular conclusion was arrived at very simply. It is based uponthe fact that you did not give an alarm. Had you thought the woman was ahousebreaker, you would not have contented yourself with taking the bagfrom her and watching her make away." And as young Warwick was staring,deeply struck by this explanation, the secret agent continued: "But,tell me, what made you reenter by the window after she had gone?"

  "To have an understanding with Dr. Morse. But I got no further than theback room when I changed my mind. That would wait, but the railroadwouldn't. If I became involved in a quarrel with him I might miss thetrain."

  "Ah! I saw your tracks upon the window-sill, showing that you had gonein that way as well as come out. But your reasons puzzled me. You willobserve," smiling, "there are some things for which I _cannot_ supplythe answer."

  "I passed around the back of the house, just as the newspapers said,"spoke Warwick, "and leaped the fence. I did this to save time. I had noidea what the hour was, and did not wish to be late."

  "It was then that the Japanese saw you," said Ashton-Kirk. "Okiu sentone of his men to follow you, thinking something was in the wind. It wasthis man who was afterward found dead in your room at the New Yorkhotel."

  "He got into the room during my momentary absence," stated Warwick, whonow seemed not at all backward in rendering help. "I came upon him justas he had slashed the bag open and removed the letters. These I snatchedfrom him, and as he leaped at me I knocked him down. In a rage at hisdefeat he then killed himself, Japanese fashion, before my eyes. Knowingthat I should be held for an explanation of this, and not wishing tobecome involved in a delay at that time, I managed to slip from thehotel without being seen.

  "Later I saw the account of Dr. Morse's death in the newspapers andlearned that my sudden and secret departure had caused me to besuspected. But I determined not to make my whereabouts known until Icompleted the business which took me to New York. This I did veryeffectually after I found the woman I had sought; then I returned."

  "First," said Ashton-Kirk, "you communicated with Miss Corbin, madecertain arrangements with her on the telephone and then paid a visit.You had probably recognized the Japanese of the hotel room as one whomyou had seen about Okiu's. This had aroused a suspicion in you thatpossibly Okiu knew more of certain things than any one else."

  "What you have said is quite correct," said the young man, composedly."First I intended making an open visit to the Japanese, and made my wayto his house for that purpose. But I saw you entering at the front doorand changed my mind. Miss Corbin had spoken of you with some suspicionover the telephone. I thought it best to take no chances and at the sametime I wanted to learn more about the Japanese and your apparentintimacy with them. So I entered secretly from the rear of the house.However, I had not gone further than the first floor when I came uponyou in the dark."

  Ashton-Kirk laughed and touched the patch of plaster with a finger tip.

  "You strike a sharp blow," he said. "But tell me, what had Okiu to saywhen we burst through the door into the lighted apartment?"

  Warwick shook his head.

  "There was no one there. I saw that it would not do to leave you, so Ilifted you and carried you out of the house by the rear door. I meantto call attention to you, and after gaining the lawn behind the house ofDr. Morse, I heard some one opening a door. I placed you upon the groundand stepped back. It was Drevenoff who came out, and he found you almostinstantly."

  "I thank you," said Ashton-Kirk, "not only for that good service, butfor your willingness to speak." He turned to the girl and added:"Perhaps it would help matters greatly if you were equally willing.Believe me, Okiu had his reasons for implanting suspicion in your mindagainst me. He was quite right if he told you that I was searching forthe paper concealed in the scapular; I knew that it was in your uncle'spossession after my first visit to Fordham Road, and made up my mind tohave it. But murder is not my business. I gain my ends by other means."

  "Tell me," said the girl, and she bent a little toward him, "have yougained your end in this case?"

  "I have," returned the secret agent.

  She gave a little gasp.

  "It was you, then, who took the scapular from me at the embassy?"

  He laughed and shook his head.

  "No," he answered, "it was not. It came to my possession only about ahalf hour ago." He looked at her for a moment, and then went on: "Iwill not ask how it came into your possession, or rather how you knew ofits being in the candlestick, for I already know."

  "You know?" She arose, her face white.

  He nodded.

  "Yes;" and here his voice sank. "I also know who killed your uncle."

  Her hand went out, trembling; her face was so bloodless that Warwicksprang up, alarmed.

  "You are sure?" she asked, quaveringly.

  Again the secret agent nodded.

  "I am quite sure," he said