The Five Knots
Page 41
*CHAPTER XLI*
*VANISHED!*
It was as easy to leave the house as it had been to enter it. No soonerwere Uzali and his companion off the premises than Goatley appeared allexcitement.
"I could not make you hear," he said. "I whistled till I was afraid towhistle any longer. Jansen has gone away. He went up the street in atremendous hurry as if he had some most important business on hand."
"Oh, we know about that," Russell explained. "You have done a very goodevening's work and we shall not want you any more."
Russell hastened to overtake his companion who was striding down thestreet as if he wished to overtake Jansen. His manner was abrupt andirritable. He had little to say as Russell rejoined him.
"Has anything gone wrong?" the latter asked.
"Well, things are not as I expected," Uzali admitted. "And the worst ofit is we are bound to lose time in picking up information. We shallhave to go to my rooms to get _Bradshaw_. My dear friend, don't ask anyunnecessary questions. The loss of every moment annoys me. What anextraordinary thing it is that you never see a cab in the street whenyou want one."
At length they reached the flat where Uzali immediately consulted his_Bradshaw_. When he came to what he wanted, something like anexecration broke from his lips as he glanced at the clock on themantel-piece.
"We have missed the down express by ten minutes," he exclaimed. "If wehad been a quarter of an hour earlier we might have had the pleasure oftravelling in the same train as Mr. Jansen. But it can't be helped.Now here is the position of things. It is half past one. London is fastasleep, and we are thirty miles from Maldon Grange. What I want you totell me is this. How are we to get there in an hour and a half?"
Russell shook his head. He was bound to confess that the problem wasbeyond him. The feat could not be accomplished. Uzali glanced at himwith something like contempt in his narrow dark eyes.
"I thought it was always your boast," he said, "that day or night thisLondon of yours could produce anything you required. Don't you know anyplace that you could ring up on the telephone and get a motor-car?Mind, I don't care what I pay for it. The only stipulation is this--itmust be here in a quarter of an hour and I must drive it myself. Wecannot afford to have any curious outsiders in this business. Can youmanage that? I have plenty of ready cash and am prepared to put it downif you find the owners of the machine at all suspicious."
Russell thought for a moment. Surely the thing ought not to beimpossible. He might learn what he wanted at the nearest police or firestation. He strode out of the house and accosted the first policeman hemet. A judicious half-crown produced the desired information.
"Oh, that is an easy enough matter, sir," the officer said. "There areone or two livery-stable-keepers hereabouts who have been investing inmotors lately, and no doubt you could hire one, providing yourreferences are right. Come with me, sir, and I'll see what I can do."
The thing was not so easily achieved as the policeman had prophesied.The livery-stable-keeper listened suspiciously, but was won over by thesight of a five-pound note and an offer to pay for the hire before itleft the yard. At the end of half an hour Russell was back at Uzali'sflat with a smart-looking car, which was handed over on receipt oftwenty pounds in hard cash. All Uzali's irritation seemed to disappear.He threw himself heart and soul into the management of the car which,before long, was speeding Citywards.
"This isn't the way," Russell protested. "You ought to have taken theHampstead Road."
"And so I will," Uzali said gaily. "We are not going to Maldon Grangealone. I will take those countrymen of mine with me. They'll be allright in the bottom of the car. We'll just slip round to the back ofthe house in Gray's Inn Road and you shall go up to Jansen's room andhand them down to me as if they were sacks of flour. I admit there isan element of risk in the job, but it must be done. I can't get onwithout them."
The car stopped presently. It stood silent and motionless on the wasteground behind the little bird-shop, where, once more, Russell climbedinto the house and made his way into Jansen's sitting-room. He was notafraid of interruption. He walked towards the fire-place, then stoppedand rubbed his eyes. He had even cause for astonishment, for the littlemen had vanished, leaving no sign behind them.
"Extraordinary!" Russell muttered. "I wonder if this amazing tanglewill ever come straight. Now what can have become of those chaps? Threequarters of an hour ago they lay drugged into insensibility and now theyhave vanished. Well, I must look for them if I have to search the housefrom top to bottom."
Uzali was waiting impatiently in the yard when Russell reappeared afterthe lapse of nearly a quarter of an hour.
"Where have you been?" the former exclaimed. "And why have you comeempty-handed?"
"For the simple reason that there was nothing to bring," Russell saidgrimly. "Those fellows have vanished. Did I search the house? Why, ofcourse, I searched the house. But what was the good of doing that? Itwas only a waste of time. You saw what a state of insensibility theywere in. You must know it was impossible for them to get away withoutassistance. Somebody has been to the house and carted them off. If youwish it, I will go back and have another look."
Uzali shrugged his shoulders impatiently.
"Absolute waste of time," he said. "Let us get into the country as soonas we can. It is not worth while to run the risk of some policemancoming along and asking our business, and goodness knows there is enoughto do before daylight."
Russell stepped into the car without another word, and for some timethey flew silently through the London streets. When the open countrywas gained they took the risks of the road, travelling at as high aspeed as the car permitted. Uzali drove like a man who had beenaccustomed to cars all his life. Not once did he make a mistake, notonce did he swerve from the straight path. By the light of the acetylenelamps Russell could see his eyes glowing, his face gleaming withexcitement.
"You seem to like it," Russell murmured.
"There is nothing in the world so exhilarating," Uzali exclaimed, "andit is none the less fascinating because of the danger of it. If my eyewere to deceive me, if I were to swerve even as much as a hair'sbreadth, what should happen in consequence would have no interest forus. Given luck we shall be at Maldon Grange in time to spoil the plansof our friend Jansen."
The car pulled up at length under Russell's instructions, for the groundwas new to Uzali. They turned in through the lodge gates, going morecautiously, until they came to a thicket of trees in which they hid thecar.
They were in front of the house, which was all in darkness with theexception of two windows on the first floor. It wanted no greatforesight to infer that it was here where Samuel Flower was lying. Forsome time Uzali gazed up at the windows, as if hesitating what to donext.
"I wish I knew who was there," he muttered. "It is necessary that weshould get into the house and, what is more, we must do so withoutalarming the servants. It is a desperate chance, of course, but do youthink it possible that your friend, Dr. Mercer, is there? I meant to gothrough Oldborough to ascertain for myself, but in the excitement of themoment I forgot about it."
"It is possible," Russell said. "I don't suppose he would very muchcare for Miss Galloway to stay in a house like this at present. He mayhave induced Miss Galloway to go to his mother's whilst he remainedhere. But can't you invent some story about having lost your way. Weshall be able to find out then. Throw a handful of gravel at the windowand see what comes of it. It can't do any harm."
On the impulse of the moment Uzali stooped and raised a handful ofpebbles and tossed them gently at the window. The experiment wasrepeated twice before the blinds were pulled up and somebody looked outand demanded to know what was the matter. At the sound of the speaker'svoice Russell gave a cry of triumph.
"It is all right," he said. "What a tremendous slice of luck! It'sMercer himself. Wilfrid, come down and let us in. We must see yo
u fora few moments."