by Fergus Hume
CHAPTER XX
MANY A SLIP 'TWIXT CUP AND LIP
But Giles was not destined to go to London as quickly as he thought. Herushed out of Mrs. Parry's cottage, leaving that good lady in a state offrenzied curiosity, and walked rapidly through the village on the roadto his own house. On the way he dropped into "The Merry Dancer" to lookat an "A B C." Morris, still swelling with importance over hisillustrious guests, although these had now left, conducted him into thedeserted salon and gave him the guide. While Giles was looking up thefirst train, Morley, hot and dusty and short of breath, rushed into theroom.
"Upon my word, Ware, I think you must be deaf," he said, wiping hisperspiring forehead. "I've been running and calling after you for thelast five minutes."
"I was buried in my own thoughts," replied Ware, turning the pages ofthe guide rapidly, "wait a bit."
"I see you are going to London, Ware. What's up?"
By this time Giles noted the earliest train he could catch from BarnhamStation, and found he had over an hour to spare. He was not averse tospending a portion of it in Morley's company, for he had much to tellhim of what had happened. And the advice of the ex-detective wascertain to be good. "I am following Anne," he said.
"Miss Denham." Morley stared. "Then you know----"
"Yes, I know; I met her last night by accident. And you have known allthe time."
"Indeed, I know nothing," said the little man. "I was about to say thatyou know where she is?"
"Franklin did not tell you that she was with him, then?"
"Miss Denham--with Franklin--at the Priory?" Morley looked stupefied.
"She has been there all the time. I remember now. Franklin did not tellyou, because he knew that you would give her up to the police."
"He told me nothing," said Morley slowly, "and if he had I shouldcertainly have given her up to the police. Does he think her innocent?"
Giles shook his head gloomily. "He did, but circumstances have happenedwhich have led him to change his opinion. He believes now that she isguilty. But he would never have told you."
"Well, I suppose that is natural. After all she is his niece, andalthough he hates his brother Walter, he must have some love for Anne,or he would scarcely have taken her in. So she has gone away. Can youtell me where she is to be found?"
"Is it likely that I should?"
Morley laughed in his cheery manner. "No," he replied bluntly, "for Iknow she has gone to London, and that you are following her."
"Quite so. But London is a large place. You will not find her."
"I could if I followed you," said Morley promptly.
"I should not let you do that."
"Perhaps not. But if I chose I could circumvent you. All I have to do isto wire your description to Scotland Yard and you would be shadowed by adetective from the moment you left the Liverpool Street Station. But youneed not be afraid. I don't want to harm Miss Denham. If she crosses mypath I'll have her arrested, but I won't go hunting for her."
"I don't trust you, Morley," said Ware quietly.
"You ought to. I have put you on your guard against myself. If myintentions were bad, I should not have told you. But my detective daysare over, and Miss Denham can go scot-free for me. But I'll tell you onething, Ware. She will never be your wife."
"How can you prophesy that?" asked Giles sharply.
"Because you will never be able to prove her innocence. I believe her tobe guilty myself, and if she is not, the task of removing the suspicionis an impossible one. I have had many mysterious cases in my day, butthis is one of the most difficult."
"I don't agree with you," said Ware promptly. "The case is perfectlysimple. Her blackguard of a father killed Daisy and afterwards intendedto kill his brother George and thus get possession of the money. Annesaved him the first time, and to save him now from the hatred of Georgeshe has taken his guilt on her own shoulders."
"Who told you all this?"
"It's my theory. And I'll prove the truth of it, Morley, by huntingeverywhere for Walter Franklin. When I find him I'll wring a confessionout of him."
"I hope you will succeed," said Morley admiringly, "and you ought to foryour pluck. So far as I am concerned, I wash my hands of the wholeaffair. You need not think I'll hunt down Miss Denham. Besides," addedMorley, nodding, "I am going away."
"What!" Giles was astonished. "Are you leaving The Elms?"
"In a month's time," replied the little man. "My wife's doing, not mine.She has never got over a certain horror of the house since the murder ofthat poor girl. I shall sell every stick of furniture and take Mrs.Morley and the children to the United States. She wants to get away fromthe old life and begin a new one. So do I. Rather a late beginning at myage, eh, Ware?"
"What about your finances?"
"Oh, that's all right," said Morley, jubilantly. "I have settledeverything. An old aunt of mine has died and left me a couple ofthousand a year. I have paid every debt, and shall leave England withoutleaving a single creditor behind me. Then Mrs. Morley has her own money.We shall do very well in the States, Ware. I am thinking of living inWashington. A very pleasant city, I hear."
"I've never been there," replied Giles, making for the door, "but I amglad to hear that your affairs are settled. There is no chance oftrouble with Asher now."
Morley shook his head with a jolly laugh. "They won't send down anotherWalter Franklin, if that is what you mean," said he.
"They did not send him down. He came himself."
"Yes. I only spoke generally. Well, I'll be sorry to go, for I have madesome pleasant friends in Rickwell--yourself amongst the number. But mywife insists, so I must humor her. There's Franklin. I shall be sorry toleave him."
"Is he not going also?"
Morley looked astonished. "No. Why should he go? He has the Priory on aseven years' lease. Besides, he likes the place."
"He might go to escape his brother."
"I don't think Walter Franklin will dare to trouble George now. He isinnocent of actually committing this crime, but he certainly is anaccessory after the fact. He'll keep out of the way."
"Let us hope so for the sake of George. Well, Morley, I must be off."
Giles went home at top speed, and Morley remained at the inn to makeinquiries about the Hungarian Princesses. Although he was not now adetective, yet Morley still preserved the instinct which made him askquestions. He heard that the foreign ladies had driven to Westbury, andafterwards strolled round to the stables to see the new coachman. Helearned from him about the strange lady who entered the carriage on themoor. The man described her face, for it seemed that she had lifted herveil for a moment when alighting at the station. Morley took all thisin, and walked home jubilantly. He knew that Anne was with the PrincessKaracsay.
"If these were the old days," he said, "I'd wire to London to have thehouse of those Hungarian women searched. I wonder what they have to dowith the matter? Humph! Anne killed Daisy. Is it worth while to try andtrace her?"
This speech was made to Mrs. Morley, and the pale woman gave a decidednegative. "Let poor Anne go, Oliver," she said beseechingly; "I lovedher, and she had much good in her."
"Still, I'm all on fire to follow up the clue," said Morley.
"You promised to leave the detective business alone."
"Quite right; so I did," he answered. "Well, I'll do what you wish, mydear. Anne Denham can go free for me. I said the same thing to Ware,although he won't believe me. But I should like to know what thatPrincess Karacsay has to do with the matter."
He worried all that evening, and finally went to see Franklin about thematter. But he got scanty satisfaction from him. Franklin denied thatAnne had ever been in his house, and told Morley to mind his ownbusiness. If the ex-detective's wife had not been present, and if thisconversation had not taken place in her presence, Franklin might havebeen more easy to deal with. But the presence of a third party shut hismouth. So Morley could do nothing, and made no attempt to do anything.
Had Giles known of this i
t might have set his mind at rest, for he couldnot get out of his head that he was being followed. At the Liverpoolstation he alighted about ten o'clock, and looked everywhere in thecrowd to see if he was being observed. But his fears were vain, for hecould distinguish no one with any inquiring look on his face, or noteany person dogging his footsteps. He stepped into a cab and ordered theman to drive to St. John's Wood. But at Baker Street he alighted anddismissed the cab. He had only a hand-bag with him, and, carrying this,he took the underground train to High Street, Kensington. When hearrived there he drove in another cab to his old hotel, "The Guelph,"opposite the Park. When alone in his bedroom Giles smoked a complacentpipe. "If any one did try to follow me," he said to himself, "he musthave missed me when I took the underground railway."
It was close on half-past eleven when he ended his wanderings, too lateto call at the Westminster flat. But Giles thought that Olga would neverthink he had traced her flight with Anne, and would not do anythingtill the morrow, probably not before twelve o'clock. He was up early,and went off to New Scotland Yard to see Steel. He did not intend totell him about Anne, thinking that the detective might arrest her if heknew of her whereabouts. But he desired to know if Steel had discoveredanything in connection with the Scarlet Cross. Also, since Steel knewOlga so well, he might be able to explain why she had come down with hermother to Rickwell, and why the elder Princess had called on Franklin.He half thought that Olga, keeping her promise, had brought Anne toLondon to have her taken in charge by Steel. But on second thoughts hefancied that Olga would keep Anne as a hostage, and not deliver her upif he--Giles--agreed to become her husband. Thus thinking he went to seeSteel.
The detective was within, and saw Giles at once. He looked very pleasedwith himself, and saluted Ware with a triumphant smile.
"Well, sir," he said, "I have found out an astonishing lot of things."
"About the murder?" asked Ware apprehensively.
"No." Steel's face fell. "That is still a mystery, and I expect will beone until that woman--I mean that young lady--is found."
"Do you mean Miss Denham?" demanded Ware stiffly.
"Yes. Do you know where she is?"
Giles shook his head. He was not going to betray Anne to her enemy, asSteel in his detective capacity assuredly was. "I wish I did," he said."I have been at Rickwell trying to find out things. I'll tell you of mydiscoveries later. Meantime----"
"You want to hear about mine," cried the detective eagerly and full ofhis subject. "Well, the murder can wait. I'll get to the bottom ofthat, Mr. Ware. But I am now quite of your opinion. Miss Denham isinnocent. This man Wilson killed the girl."
"I knew that Walter Franklin was guilty," cried Ware.
"I said Wilson," was Steel's reply.
"I forgot; you don't know about Wilson alias Franklin. I'll tell youlater. Go on, Steel. I'm all attention."
"Oh! So his real name is Franklin. I never knew that," said Steel,drawing his hand down his chin. "Well, Mr. Ware, I have been to all theports in the kingdom, and I have learned that wherever that yacht--she'sa steam yacht--_The Red Cross_ has been, burglaries have been committed.At last I managed to lay my hand on a member of the gang, and made himspeak up."
"What gang?"
"A gang of burglars headed by the man I call Wilson and yourFranklin--the Scarlet Cross Society. They own that yacht, and steam fromport to port committing robberies. A splendid idea, and Wilson's own."
Then he unfolded to the astonished Giles a long career of villany on thepart of the said Wilson. The young man shuddered as the vile category ofcrime was unrolled. It was horrible that such a wretch as WalterFranklin should be the father of Anne. But for all her parent's vices,Giles never swerved from the determination to marry the girl. He was notone of those who think that the sins of the father should be visited onthe child.
"What is the name of the man who confessed all this?" asked Giles.
"Mark Dane."
Ware started. That was the name of the man Anne had mentioned as herfather's secretary. However, he said nothing, and when Steel requestedhim to tell all he knew about Wilson, he related everything save thathe was Anne's father. Steel listened attentively, chin on hand. WhenGiles finished he nodded.
"I'll go down and see this brother," he remarked. "If he hates the manwhom we think committed the crime so much, he will be anxious to assistus in securing him. I wonder why that governess helped Wilson, or ratherWalter Franklin, to escape? Of course, I believe that she is hisdaughter. Now don't look so angry, Mr. Ware. If you remember, when Italked with you at the Princess Karacsay's I said you could draw yourown inferences. That is what I meant." Here the detective stopped andpeered into Giles' face. "You don't appear to be so surprised as Ithought you would be."
"Are you sure that Miss Denham is Wilson's daughter?"
"No, I am not yet sure. But if I can make this Mark Dane speak further,I'll be certain. He knows all about the matter. Unfortunately he isgone. I caught him at Bournemouth, and after he told me a portion of thetruth he managed to get away. It's a long story how he fooled me. I'lltell it to you another time. But the worst of it is," resumed Steeldolefully, "that Dane will warn Wilson and he will get away. All thesame, now you have told me Wilson has a brother I may be able to findout something in that quarter. The brother is all right?"
"He is an honest man, if that is what you mean."
"H'm!" said Steel sceptically. "I don't see how there can be any honestmember of the Franklin family."
"Do you include Miss Denham?" asked Giles furiously.
"Well, sir, she sails under false colors."
"She can explain that."
"I hope she will be able to when I catch her."
"Steel, I won't stand this!" cried Ware, much agitated.
The detective thought for a moment. "See here, sir," he remarked, "wewon't discuss this matter until I have caught Dane."
"How do you hope to catch him?"
"I have laid a trap for him at the Princess Karacsay's flat," said Steelquietly. "Oh, don't look so astonished. This Dane was one of theattendants at some concert where the Princess sang. He fell in love withher, and has been bothering her with letters. I have arranged that heshall call at the flat. I'll be waiting for him."
"It's odd that the Princess should know about this man," said Ware.
Steel looked at him queerly. "It is odd," he said; "and to my mind it ismore than a coincidence. Princess Olga is a clever woman. I have to bevery careful with her."
"Do you mean to say that she knows anything?" asked Giles.
"I am sure she does. I believe she could explain the whole business; butI can't find out how she came to be connected with it. Well, Mr. Ware, Imust be off. When I see Dane and get the truth out of him, I'll see youagain. I hope, for your sake, that Miss Denham is not the daughter ofthis man, but from a few words let drop by Dane I fear she is. At allevents, sir, you can set your mind at rest about her being guilty ofmurder. She is innocent. The father did it."
Giles departed, much comforted by this statement. He knew well enoughthat Anne was the daughter of Wilson, alias Denham, alias Franklin, andhe shuddered again to think of his pure, good Anne being mixed up with aman who was hand and glove with the criminal classes and a criminalhimself. However, he put this matter out of his mind for the moment, anddrove to the Westminster flat. If Anne was there, he determined to takeher away to a place of safety, and defy Steel and Walter Franklin to dotheir worst.
He went up the stairs, and was told that Mademoiselle Olga was not athome. He was about to inquire after Anne, when the elder Princess,looking pale and anxious, appeared at the door of the drawing-room. Shebeckoned him in and shut the door.
"Have you seen Olga?" she inquired.
"No, Princess. Is she not with you?"
"She is not," wailed the woman, throwing herself on the couch. "Latelast night she went out with Anne. A summons came--some letter--and Annehad to go. Olga insisted on accompanying her. They said they would beback at midnight; but they ha
ve not reappeared. I am distracted, Mr.Ware. What shall I do? Where are they?"
"Who was the letter from?"
"I don't know. It was for Anne, and----"
"You call Miss Denham Anne," said Giles abruptly; "and you brought herhere. What do you know of her?"
"Everything," said the Princess, sitting up. "In spite of Olga I musttell you the truth. Anne Denham is my daughter!"
