CHAPTER XI
THE INSPECTOR INTERVIEWS CYRIL
Cyril felt the muscles of his face stiffen. He had for days beendreading some such question, yet now that it had finally come, it hadfound him completely unprepared. He must parry it if he could. He mustfight for her till the last ditch.
But how devilishly clever of Griggs to have deferred his attack until hewas able to catch his adversary off his guard! Cyril looked keenly but,he hoped, calmly at the Inspector. Their eyes met, but without the clashwhich Cyril had expected. The man's expression, although searching, wasnot hostile; in fact, there was something almost apologetic about hiswhole attitude. Griggs was not sure of his ground, that much wasobvious. He knew something, he probably suspected more, but there wasstill a chance that he might be led away from the trail.
Cyril's mind worked with feverish rapidity. He realised that it wasimperative that his manner should appear perfectly natural. But howwould an innocent man behave? He must first decide what his position,viewed from Griggs's standpoint, really was. He must have a definiteconception of his part before he attempted to act it.
The Inspector evidently knew that a young woman, who bore Cyril's name,had been taken ill on the Newhaven train. He was no doubt also awarethat she was now under the care of Dr. Stuart-Smith. But if theInspector really believed the girl to be his wife, these facts were inno way incriminating. Yet the man smelt a rat! He must, therefore, knowmore of the truth. No, for if he had discovered that the girl was notLady Wilmersley, Cyril was sure that Griggs would not have broached thesubject so tentatively. What then had aroused the man's suspicions? Ah,he had it! He had told every one who inquired about his wife that shewas still on the continent. Peter, also, obeying his orders, hadrepeated the same story in the servants' hall. And, of course, Griggsknew that they were both lying. No wonder he was suspicious!
"She is much better, thank you. But how did you hear of her illness? Ihave not mentioned it to any one." Cyril flattered himself that hisvoice had exactly the right note of slightly displeased surprise. Hewatched the Inspector breathlessly. Had he said the right thing? Yes,for Griggs's expression relaxed and he answered with a smile that wasalmost deprecating:
"I, of course, saw the report of the man who searched the train, and Iwas naturally surprised to find that the only lady who had taken herticket in Newhaven was Mrs. Cyril Crichton. In a case like this we haveto verify everything, so when I discovered that the gentleman who waswith her, was undoubtedly your Lordship, it puzzled me a good deal whyboth you and your valet should be so anxious to keep her Ladyship'spresence in England a secret."
"Yes, yes, it must have astonished you, and I confess I am very sorryyou found me out," said Cyril. He had his cue now. The old lie must betold once more. "Her Ladyship is suffering from a--a nervous affection."He hesitated purposely. "In fact--she has just left an insane asylum,"he finally blurted out.
"You mean that the present Lady Wilmersley--not the Dowager--?" TheInspector was too surprised to finish his sentence.
"Yes, it's queer, isn't it, that both should be afflicted in the sameway," agreed Cyril, calmly lighting a cigarette.
"Most remarkable," ejaculated Griggs, staring fixedly at Cyril.
"As the doctors believe that her Ladyship will completely recover, Ididn't want any one to know that she had ever been unbalanced. But Imight have known that it was bound to leak out."
"We are no gossips, my lord; I shall not mention what you have told meto any one."
"Thanks. But if the whole police department----?"
"They have got too much to do, to bother about what doesn't concernthem. I don't believe a dozen of them noticed that in searching thetrain for one Lady Wilmersley, they had inadvertently stumbled onanother, and as the latter had nothing to do with their case, theyprobably dismissed the whole thing from their minds. I know them!"
"But you--" suggested Cyril.
"Well, you see, it's different with me. It's the business of my men tobring me isolated facts, but I have to take a larger view ofthe--the--the--ah--possibilities. I have got to think ofeverything--suspect every one."
"Even me?" asked Cyril quickly.
"Your Lordship would have no difficulty in proving an alibi."
"So you took the trouble to find that out?"
"Of course, my lord."
"But why? I should really like to know what could have led you tosuspect me?"
"I didn't suspect you, my lord. I only thought of you. You see, LadyWilmersley must have had an accomplice and you must acknowledge that itwas a strange coincidence that your Lordship should have happened topass through Newhaven at that particular moment, especially as theNewhaven route is not very popular with people of your means."
"Quite so. As a matter of fact, I had no intention of taking it, but Imissed the Calais train."
"I see," Griggs nodded his head as if the explanation fully satisfiedhim. "Would you mind, my lord," he continued after a brief pause, "if,now that we are on the subject, I asked you a few questions? There areseveral points which are bothering me. Of course, don't answer, if youhad rather not."
"You mean if my answers are likely to incriminate me. Well, I don'tthink they will, so fire ahead," drawled Cyril, trying to express by hismanner a slight weariness of the topic.
"Thank you, my lord." Griggs looked a trifle abashed, but he persisted."I have been wondering how it was that you met her Ladyship in Newhaven,if you had no previous intention of taking that route?"
Cyril was ready with his answer.
"It was quite accidental. The fact is, her Ladyship escaped from anasylum near Fontainebleau over a fortnight ago. I scoured France for herbut finally gave up the search, and leaving the French detectives tofollow up any clue that might turn up, I decided almost on the spur ofthe moment to run over to England. I was never more astonished than whenI found her on the train."
"Why had she gone to Newhaven?" asked Griggs.
"I have no idea."
"Nor how long she stayed there?"
"No. She was rather excited and I asked no questions."
"Had she ever before visited Newhaven to your knowledge?"
"Never."
"Then she did not know the late Lord Wilmersley?"
"No."
"Was there any reason for this?" inquired the detective, looking keenlyat Cyril.
"I was never very friendly with my cousin, and we sailed for SouthAfrica immediately after our marriage. Neither of us has been home sincethen."
"I must find out where she spent the night of the murder," murmured theInspector. He seemed to have forgotten Cyril's presence.
"If you think her Ladyship had anything to do with the tragedy, I assureyou, you are on the wrong track," cried Cyril, forgetting for a momenthis pose of polite aloofness. "She has never been at all violent. It ischiefly her memory that is affected. Until the last few days what shedid one minute, she forgot the next."
"You think, therefore, that she would not be able to tell me how shespent her time in Newhaven?"
"I am sure of it."
"That is most unfortunate! By the way, how has she taken the news ofLord Wilmersley's murder?"
"She has not been told of it. She does not even know that he is dead."
"Ah!"
"I see I must explain her case more fully, so that you may be able tounderstand my position. Her Ladyship's mind became affected about sixmonths ago, owing to causes into which I need not enter now. Since herarrival in England her improvement has been very rapid. Her memory isgrowing stronger, but it is essential that it should not be taxed forthe present. The doctor assures me that if she is kept perfectly quietfor a month or so, she will recover completely. That is why I want herto remain in absolute seclusion. An incautious word might send her offher balance. She must be protected from people, and I will protect her,I warn you of that. Six weeks from now, if all goes well, you cancross-question her, if you still think it necessary, but at present Inot only forbid it, but I will do all in my power to prev
ent it. Ofcourse," continued Cyril more calmly, "I have neither the power nor thedesire to hamper you in the exercise of your profession; so if you doubtmy statements just ask Dr. Stuart-Smith whether he thinks her Ladyshiphas ever been in a condition when she might have committed murder. Hewill laugh at you, I am sure."
"I don't doubt it, my lord; all the same--" Griggs hesitated.
"All the same you would like to know what her Ladyship did on the nightof the murder. Well, find out, if you can. I assure you that althoughour motives differ, my curiosity equals yours."
"Thank you, my lord. I shall certainly do my best to solve the riddle,"said the Inspector as he bowed himself out.
Cyril sank wearily into a chair. The interview had been a great strain,and yet he felt that in a way it had been a relief also. He flatteredhimself that he had played his cards rather adroitly. For now that hehad found out exactly how much the police knew, he might possiblycircumvent them. Of course, it was merely a question of days, perhapseven of hours, before Griggs would discover that the girl was not hiswife; for the Inspector was nothing if not thorough and if he once begansearching Newhaven for evidence of her stay there, Cyril was sure thatit would not take him long to establish her identity. Oh! If he only hadGriggs fighting on his side, instead of the little pompous fool of aJudson! By the way, what could have become of Judson? It was now twofull days since he had left Geralton. He certainly ought to havereported himself long before this. Well, it made no difference one wayor the other. He was a negligible quantity. Cyril had no time to thinkof him now. His immediate concern was to find a way by which Priscillacould be surreptitiously removed from the nursing home, before thepolice had time to collect sufficient evidence to warrant her arrest.But how was it to be done? Cyril sat for half an hour staring at thesmouldering fire before he was able to hit on a plan that seemed to himat all feasible.
Going to the writing-table, he rapidly covered three sheets and thrustthem into an envelope.
"Peter," he called.
"Yes, sir," answered a sleepy voice.
"You are to take this letter at half-past seven o'clock to-morrowmorning to Mr. Campbell's rooms and give it into his own hands. If he isstill asleep, wake him up. Do you understand?"
"Yes, my lord."
"Very well. You can go to bed now----"
It was lucky, thought Cyril, that he had taken Guy into his confidence.He was a good chap, Guy was! How he must hate the whole business! For,notwithstanding his careless manner, he was _au fond_ a conventionalsoul. It was really comical to think of that impeccable person as areceiver of stolen property. What would he do with the jewels, Cyrilwondered. Ah, that reminded him of the bag. He must get rid of it atonce. Poking the fire into a blaze, he cautiously locked the two doorswhich connected his rooms with the rest of the house. Then, havingassured himself that the blinds were carefully drawn and that no one wassecreted about the premises, he knelt down before the empty fireplace inhis bedroom and felt up the chimney.
The bag was no longer there!
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