The Mask: A Story of Love and Adventure
Page 18
CHAPTER XVIII
"This way," whispered Dick, as he darted swiftly from door to door,"keep close behind me, and stick to the wall, or he'll see you."
But Francois was so utterly fagged after his long walk from theElevated road, carrying his heavy suitcase, that he worried aboutnothing save his own discomfort. Unable to find a taxi, he had beencompelled to tramp the entire distance, and the fatigue of it had madehim peevish. He could have saved himself at least a mile if he hadtaken a more direct road, but Keralio's orders were explicit. He mustalways follow a circuitous route so as to throw possible pursuers offthe scent. There was no disobeying the orders of the chief, so on hetrudged, looking neither to right nor left, up one street, downanother, now crossing an empty lot, now darting through a narrow alley,through the wastes and dreariness of Bronxville.
As he approached his journey's end, he accelerated his pace, goingalong so fast that it was as much as Dick and Steell could do to keepup with him. The night was dark and foggy, and at times they could notsee him for the mist. But as he came within the glare of each lamppost, they could make out his lithe figure, scurrying along as if thedevil himself were at his heels.
"Let's get up closer," gasped Dick, who was winded from the long chase."I guess their den is in this neighborhood. He'll slip in somewhereand we'll lose him if we keep so far away."
"No--he may see us," whispered Steell cautiously. "We can make him outall right."
They increased their pace a little. The valet was less than two blocksaway, and once he actually stopped and looked around as if to see if hewas followed. Quickly Steell and Dick darted under a doorway, and,seeing nothing to arouse his suspicion, Francois went on.
The lawyer was taking no chances to-night. It was too good a game tospoil. That they were on the right trail at last he was morallycertain. Ray's experience had given him the first clue. After that itwas easy. For two days Dick had shadowed the valet, and seen himchanging crisp $10 bills in half a dozen different places. The lawyercould have had him arrested at once, but he was after bigger game. Itwas not enough to arrest Francois. He was only the tool. They mustget the man higher up, the man who employed him. That man, the lawyerfelt equally confident, was Keralio. He was the master counterfeiter.The first step to take was to find out where the counterfeiting wasdone, where Keralio had his plant, and the only way to do this was tofollow the valet to his master's secret den.
For several days they had shadowed the Frenchman constantly, untilto-night they were rewarded by seeing him start with a suit case in thedirection of the Bronx. They quickly gave chase, the lawyer confidentof results. It was not part of his plan, however, to hurry matters ordo things prematurely. To-night they would merely reconnoiter. Theywould content themselves by watching the premises, seeing who came andwent, and trying to obtain a glimpse of the interior. If the evidencewas incriminating enough to make a raid successful, it would always betime enough to call in the police. Keralio, he was also wellconvinced, had something to do with the missing diamonds, and possiblythe present investigation would throw some light on the mysterysurrounding Kenneth himself. He had made no mention of his suspicionsto Helen, but he could not help feeling that in some way, yet to bediscovered, his old comrade had become involved with a band of crooks.How otherwise explain his acquaintance with Keralio, an utter strangerof dubious antecedents. How explain the loss of the diamonds? Theexplanation Kenneth had given was decidedly fishy. Parker did notbelieve a word of it--in fact, frankly expressed, his opinion was thathis vice-president had disposed of the gems. Had he himself not seenKenneth driving about the Bronx with Keralio at an impossible hour?Had not Helen discovered Francois conversing on intimate terms with hismaster? It all looked decidedly bad; only time could unravel it all.It was a fearful thing to suspect a man of Kenneth's standing, buteverything pointed to his being involved in a vast network of crime.
He was aroused from his reflections by an exclamation of warning fromhis companion.
"Quick--there he goes!" whispered Dick.
The valet had suddenly made a sharp turn to the right, and was lost toview. But quick as he was, Dick was quicker. The young man was alittle ahead of the lawyer, and, putting on a spurt of speed, hereached the corner just in time to see the Frenchman and suitcasedisappear into a grimy, dilapidated looking tenement at the end of ablind alley.
"We've run the fox to earth," whispered Steell exultantly.
"Could any melodrama wish for a more appropriate _mise-en-scene_?"grinned Dick.
"Come opposite, and find out what we can see from the outside."
Crossing the street they took up positions in the shadow of a doorway.
The house which the Frenchman had entered was all dark and apparentlytenantless, except on the top floor where lights could be faintly seenbehind hermetically sealed shutters. Straining his ears, Steellthought he could hear the steady hum of machinery in motion. With anexclamation of satisfaction, he turned to his companion:
"We've got 'em, Dick, we've got 'em. Do you hear the presses going?"
The young man listened. The sound was plainly audible, but it was amuffled sound, as if the walls and windows were padded with mattressesto prevent any sounds of the operations within from reachinginquisitive, outside ears.
"Let's go upstairs," whispered Steell.
Recrossing the road, they entered the house and began to grope theirway up the narrow, winding staircase. They could make only slowprogress, not only because of the absence of light, but owing to therotten condition of the stairs. Indescribably filthy and littered withall sorts of rubbish and broken glass, in some places the boards hadbroken through entirely, leaving gaping holes, which were so manydangerous pitfalls. Twice the lawyer came near breaking his neck.
At last they reached the top, both out of breath from the long andperilous climb.
"Hush--there it is!" whispered Dick pointing at the end of a narrowhall to a door from underneath which issued a faint glimmer of light.
Cautiously, noiselessly, treading on tiptoe, the lawyer and hiscompanion crept along the passage until they came to the door. Theylistened. There was not a sound. Even the hum of machinery which theyhad heard in the street, had ceased. Could the inmates have takenalarm?
All at once they heard people talking. Instantly, Steell recognizedthe voice of Keralio. He was questioning someone, no doubt the valet.They listened.
"Well, did you carry out my orders?"
"_Oui_, monsieur, ze last of ze ten-dollar bills has been passed. Ihave ze money here."
"I did not mean that," broke in Keralio impatiently. "I mean asregards the child----"
"_Oui_, monsieur. Didn't you receive my telegram. I brought the childfrom Philadelphia yesterday evening."
Steell, puzzled, turned to his companion.
"What child are they talking about?" he whispered.
"I have no idea. Some more mischief they're up to, I guess."
Again Keralio's voice was heard asking:
"Where is Handsome to-day? I told him to come. Why isn't he here?"
"He's drinking again, monsieur. When he's drunk you can't do anythingwith him. He's getting ugly about ze diamonds."
Steell nudged his fellow eavesdropper.
"Did you hear that?" he whispered. "He spoke of diamonds!"
Keralio was heard bursting into a peal of savage laughter.
"Getting ugly is he? What does he want?"
"He says you promised him half of ze proceeds when ze diamonds weresold, and that now you are trying to do him out of it---- He says he'ssick of ze whole thing and will squeal to ze police unless you do zeright thing."
Straining every nerve to hear, Steell glued his ear to the door.
Keralio burst out fiercely:
"Squeal, will he, the dog? I'd like to know what will become of himwhen the final reckoning's paid. Will he tell the police that he was adrunken adventurer in the South African mining camps before his twinbrother, Kennet
h Traynor, arrived at Cape Town? Will he tell thepolice that he set the steamer afire, murdered his own brother, and,profiting by the extraordinary resemblance, returned to New York,passing himself off as the man who went away. No, he won't tell allthat, will he? But I will. Did you bring the money? Let me see it."
The talking suddenly ceased, and was followed by a deep silence.Steell, staggered at this unexpected revelation, almost stumbled in hiseagerness to hear more. Turning to his companion, he exclaimed in ahorror-stricken whisper:
"My God! Did you hear that? It's even worse than I feared. They'vedone away with Kenneth. That man at the house is an impostor!"
"An impostor?" ejaculated Dick. "Impossible. Don't we all knowKenneth when we see him?"
"Nothing's impossible!" rejoined the lawyer hurriedly. "Kenneth had atwin brother--the resemblance was so extraordinary as children that noone knew them apart. The brother disappeared years ago. They thoughthim dead. Kenneth must have come across him in South Africa. Thisbrother killed him and took his place. It's all clear to me now.We're in a den of assassins!"
Inside the conversation began again.
"Hush! Listen!" whispered Steell.
The voice of Keralio was once more raised in angry tones.
"Didn't I tell you that I wanted the child brought here at once?"
"_Oui_, monsieur, but I could not. I had ze rest of ze money to getrid of and ze suitcase to carry. I will bring her in a taxi to-morrow."
"Where is she?"
"Safe in the care of the woman who runs my boarding house."
"When did you bring her from Philadelphia?"
"Yesterday afternoon."
"Did you have any trouble?"
"_Non_, monsieur. I didn't even have to go to ze house, although I hada plausible story all ready. I was going to say that Mrs. Traynor hadsent me to fetch Miss Dorothy because her mother wanted her home for zecoming marriage of Miss Ray. But it wasn't necessary to lie about it.I found ze child playing in ze street near the house. I merely toldher her mamma wanted her to come home, gave her some candy, and shefollowed me willingly enough."
"By this time the alarm has been given."
"_Sans doute_, monsieur. They probably telegraphed Mrs. Traynor lastnight that ze child was missing----"
The voices again stopped. Steell, his face white, and fists clenched,turned to his companion:
"Good Heavens, Dick, did you hear that? They've kidnapped Mrs.Traynor's little girl--no doubt, with the idea of demanding ransom.Thank God, we're in time to frustrate that crime----"
"Hush!" exclaimed his companion. "Listen!"
Keralio proceeded:
"Now you understand what you are to do. You bring the child hereto-morrow morning. Meantime, I have already written in a disguisedhand to Mrs. Traynor telling her that her child is safe--for thepresent, and that if she wants to see her she must come here to-morrowafternoon. I warned her that if she communicated with the police orinformed any of her friends, the child would be put to death before itwould be possible to effect a rescue. That ought to bring her here----"
"Would monsieur go as far as to kill----"
"Why not," demanded Keralio fiercely. "I permit nothing to stand inthe way of my will. That woman can save her child's life, but she mustpay the price I ask. She shall learn what it costs to dismiss me fromher house----"
The valet was heard to chuckle as he said:
"I don't love her any too much myself. She discharged me from heremploy the other day so haughtily I felt like a whipped cur."
Again there was silence, followed by a muffled hammering.
"They're taking the printing press apart," whispered Dick, who throughthe keyhole, had managed to get a glimpse of machinery. "If we don'tact quickly, they'll get away with all the evidence. Hadn't we bettergo and call the police?"
For answer, the lawyer put his fingers to his lips with a warninggesture, and beckoning the young man to follow, retraced his steps ontiptoe along the narrow, dark hall and down the filthy, windingstaircase. Not a word was spoken by either man until they reached thestreet. Once in the open air, the lawyer turned and said:
"Dick, we've uncovered as black a plot as was ever hatched in hell. Ifwe don't queer the game and put them all in the chair it won't be myfault. We can't bring poor Kenneth back to life, but we can and willrevenge his cowardly murder. It will be a positive joy to me to seethat arch-scoundrel Keralio electrocuted."
"What do you propose to do?" asked his companion. "Hadn't we bettercall Mrs. Traynor on the telephone and warn her before it's too late?"
The lawyer was silent for a few moments. Then meditatively, he said:
"No, that would be a mistake. No doubt, by this time, she has receivedKeralio's anonymous letter. She is probably frantic with anxiety overthe news of her child's disappearance, and will respond eagerly to anyclue that promises to take her to her child. If we warned her shewould pay no heed. She might pretend to, but only to pacify us.Afraid that punishment might be visited on the child, she would obeythe warning not to talk, and she will come here to Keralio's flatto-morrow at the time the letter stated. Of course, she has no ideaKeralio wrote the letter. But even if she had, it would make nodifference. I know her. She would run any risk to save her child."
"I think you're right," replied Dick, "but how, then, will you helpher? There is no knowing what Keralio's object is in enticing herhere--you can be sure it's nothing good."
"Precisely--that's why we, too, must be on hand, together with a strongforce of detectives. We'll get them all. There will be no possibleescape. We'll surround the house with men. They'll be caught likerats in a trap."
The lawyer turned to go.
"Where are you bound now?" asked Dick.
"To police headquarters!"