by Tom Gallon
CHAPTER XIII
INSPECTOR TOKELY IS EMPHATIC
In one of the many rooms of that barrack-like building, which harboursso many guilty secrets, and is so learned in many shady ways of life,and is known to all and sundry as Scotland Yard, there worked—withlong intervals for mysterious disappearances into various parts of thecountry—a small man, with a hard, expressionless face, ornamented witha tuft of greyish hair on the chin.
This man had once had the extraordinary good fortune to pick up a vitalpiece of evidence—literally, to trip over it; for it was right in hisway, and he could not well avoid it. But it brought him into prominentnotice; it got him talked about; and, as he was wise enough to appearabsolutely impassive, when complimented by his superior officers, andeven by a great and bewigged Judge on the Bench, he gained greatercredit still; was spoken of with bated breath, by criminals acquainted,by experience, with some of the intricacies of the Yard; and sagelynodded over by those in authority. Then, one lucky chance followinganother, he rose up, by dint of that hard expressionless face, tosomething greater still; and, steering clear of blunders, and gettingother men with brains to secure information for him, blossomed at lastinto Inspector Tokely, of the Criminal Investigation Department.
Now, this same Inspector Tokely was a native of the small andunimportant village of Bamberton; had come up from it, indeed, as a rawyouth, to enter the police force in London. So that, when news came ofthe murder of poor Patience Miller, and a request that the matter mightbe investigated, Inspector Tokely, instead of sending a subordinate,determined to combine business with pleasure, and to see his nativeplace. Thus it came about that the great little man descended on thevillage, early on the afternoon preceding Philip’s night adventure inthe garden, and stirred the already startled community of yokels to itsdepths.
Reversing the copybook maxim, Inspector Tokely determined to takepleasure before business, and to flutter with envy the bosoms of hisformer acquaintances. Therefore he put up, with some ostentation, atthe Chater Arms; and took his expressionless face, with its dependenttuft, into the bar of that hostelry, when some half-dozen villagecelebrities were assembled in it. Old Betty Siggs, being busy at themoment, and not having set eyes upon him since his boyhood, failed tonotice his entry, or to recognise him other than as a casual visitor.The Inspector, looking down from his height of superior importance andcriminal experience on the mere hinds on whom Mrs. Siggs was attending,coughed vigorously to attract her attention, and dropped hisportmanteau with a bang upon the floor. Mrs. Siggs, smiling andpleasant, came across, and civilly enquired what she could do for him.
“I shall sleep here for a night—possibly two or three,” repliedTokely, in a loud voice, and with a side glance to note the effect ofwhat he said upon the mere hinds before-mentioned. “I am hereupon—upon business.”
“Indeed, sir,” said Mrs. Siggs, briskly. “It ain’t many commercialgents we gets down to Bamberton, sir—’cept by accident. Would you wishto ’ave a meal prepared, sir? P’raps you’d be so good as step this way,sir.”
“I should like something to eat, certainly,” replied the Inspector.“And I am not here on commercial business; quite the contrary. Mybusiness is connected with the—the Law.”
“Lor’!” exclaimed Mrs. Siggs, as she led the way into the littleparlour; this exclamation not being intended as an echo of theInspector’s last word, by any means. “I ’ope we shall be able to makeyou comfortable, sir, w’atever your business may be. This way, sir.P’raps you might like to take a little summink afore your meal, sir?”
Inspector Tokely gave the order for the “little summink,” as well asfor the meal, and then turned to Mrs. Siggs as she was leaving theroom. “One moment, my good woman,” he said.
Mrs. Siggs hesitated, with her hand on the doorknob, and looked at himcuriously—not at all prepossessed in his favour. The Inspector,leaning against the table, and putting his head a little on one side,conveyed into his hard features something as nearly approaching a smileas he was capable of.
“You don’t know me, I suppose?” he said.
Mrs. Siggs shook her head slowly, after looking him up and down for afew moments in some perplexity.
“I see you don’t,” said Tokely, grimly. “Do you remember a lad—a ladof superior intelligence, I might say—who used to be a sort ofunder-keeper up at the Hall—by name Tokely?” The Inspector smiled alittle more.
Mrs. Siggs, after a moment or two of frowning contemplation of thefloor, looked up at him with a brightening face. “To be sure I do,” shesaid. “When I was a gel about ’ere—remember ’im well, I do. Let me seenow”—Betty Siggs, immersed in recollections of the past, lost sight ofher visitor for a moment completely—“chuckle-headed chap ’e was—witha taste for spyin’ out things wot didn’t concern ’im——”
“He was nothing of the sort,” broke in Tokely, very red in theface. “He was a lad considerably above the average of rusticintelligence—and he made his way in the world, Ma’am, I shouldlike you to know—got his name in the papers, more than once——”
“Ah—lots o’ folks manages to do that, without meanin’ it,” said BettySiggs, with a little laugh. “I’ve knowed a man to do it by breakin’ awinder.”
“Never mind about that,” said the Inspector, testily. “The young manI’m talking about got on in the world, by sheer merit. _I_ am thatyoung man, Ma’am”—the Inspector tapped himself dramatically on thebreast—“now Inspector Tokely, of Scotland Yard!”
Betty Siggs went a little white about the region of her plump cheeks;clasped her hands; and faltered out—“Of—of Scotland Yard.”
“Criminal Investigation Department, Ma’am,” went on the Inspector,tapping himself on the breast again. “Have the goodness, Ma’am, to shutthat door.”
Mrs. Siggs put a hand out, to do as she was bidden, never taking hereyes for a moment from the face before her. Indeed, after shutting thedoor, she stood with her hand upon the knob, as though ready to pull itopen in an instant, and scream for assistance, if necessary.
“Now, Ma’am,” began Tokely, wagging his head and a forefinger at her,by way of caution—“I want to ask you a question or two; and I’lltrouble you to be very careful what you say, or what you don’t say. Ihave been commissioned to enquire into a case, touching a certainfemale of the name”—he pulled a pocketbook from his coat, and divedinto it for a moment—“of the name of Patience Miller. Now, this samePatience Miller——”
Betty Siggs suddenly threw up her hands, and clapped them over herears. Performing a species of little dance, entirely on her ownaccount, with her two feet, she shut her eyes, and calledout—“Stop—stop—it ain’t no use! If you puts me on the rack, anddraws me out till I’m as thin as the four-ale over the way (and therecan’t be anythink much thinner than _that_)—you won’t get nothink outof me. I know no more than anybody else—not so much, in fact—and whatI does know I ain’t agoin’ to tell.”
“So you defy the Law—do you?” roared Tokely—for, Betty Siggs stillkeeping her hands tightly pressed upon her ears, there was no other wayto make himself heard. But Betty Siggs did not wait to hear an accountof whatever terrors might be in store for her; watching heropportunity, she wrenched open the door, and darted through into thebar, where—judging by a confused murmur, which presently sprang up, ofheavy rustic tongues, leavened pretty strongly by her own shrillvoice—she immediately began to stir up war against Inspector Tokely.
Nor did the Inspector see her again for some time. His meal was servedto him by a very pretty black-eyed girl, who—evidently secretlyinstructed by Mrs. Siggs, returned evasive answers to his questions,and remained in the room as little as possible. The Inspector, havingrefreshed himself, at his country’s expense, to the very best of hisability—sallied forth again into the bar, with a general view, as hewould have expressed it, of “keeping an eye on things.”
There was no one in the bar; but, glancing through a side door, Tokelyha
d a view of a very snug inner room, where three persons were seated,in the glow of a small fire, very comfortably. One of these persons wasMrs. Siggs herself; the second, the black-eyed damsel who had waitedupon him; and the third, a man of some sixty years of age, with around, jolly, innocent face, half hidden by an enormous grey beard andmoustache, and faintly illuminated by a pair of sleepy good-temperedblue eyes.
This man was reading a newspaper, following the words and sentences ina sort of low comfortable growl, like the purring of a huge cat by thefire; Mrs. Siggs was stitching away busily, in a sharp energeticfashion, which denoted that her temper had been ruffled; the girl wassitting, with her eyes pensively fixed on the fire, and her handsclasped in her lap.
The room appeared so very comfortable, and the Inspector had so clearlymade up his mind to devote the remainder of that day to pleasure,leaving the more serious business of his visit until the morrow, thathe advanced his head a little into the room, and enquired whether hemight come in.
“You look so very cosy here, you know,” he said, “and I’m quite sureyou couldn’t be hard on a lonely man, who has nobody to talk to,” headded, in an appealing tone.
“Depends a good bit on what you want to talk about,” said Mrs. Siggsquickly, without glancing up from her work. “We don’t want no Law ’ere,my friend.”
The man who was reading the paper glanced up mildly, and pushed hischair back a little from the fire. “Them as comes in the way of trade,my angel,” he said as slowly and heavily as though he were spelling thewords out of the newspaper in his hand—“’as a right to come where theywill, if so be——”
“Oh—I dessay,” interrupted Mrs. Siggs, wrathfully. “W’y don’t you ’avethe ’ole Noah’s Ark in to tea, w’ile you’re about it, an’ ’am to cutthe bread and butter for ’em.”
Inspector Tokely, feeling that he had received as much encouragement ashe was likely to get, passed into the room, and sat down. After a fewmoments, he ventured to suggest a little refreshment for himself andhis host—even delicately hinting that Mrs. Siggs might be tempted topartake of a glass at his expense. Mrs. Siggs, relenting a little,passed into the bar to get what was required; and the visitor, feelingthe necessity for ingratiating himself as much as possible with themall, turned to the girl.
“Your mother, I suppose, Miss?” he asked, edging a little nearer to her.
The girl glanced at him for moment—nodded—and looked again at thefire.
“And a fine looking mother, too,” went on Tokely, feeling that it wasmore uphill work than he had anticipated. “You, sir”—he turned to theman with the newspaper—“ought to be proud of such a wife anddaughter.” This at a venture, for he knew nothing of the relationshipthey bore to each other.
“W’en I fust drawed near to Betty—t’ other side the earth—there was amatter of nine men—one on ’em nigh on to eighty—a makin’ eyes at ’er,an’ even goin’ so far as to sleep on ’er doorstep. I polished off asmany as I could get at, and spoke words of kind advice (as was throwedaway on ’im) to the old ’un—an’ drove ’er nigh a ’underd mile to see aparson. An’ she were then as fine a woman—or finer—than any in themparts.” He laid down his newspaper—picked it up again—and finishedhis remarks. “W’ich so she are now.”
It was at this moment that Betty Siggs came in from the bar, with alittle tray, on which stood some glasses and a jug of water; but she nosooner entered the room, than she stopped dead—uttered anexclamation—and let fall the tray and its contents.
Inspector Tokely had had his eyes fixed upon Mr. Siggs, so that healmost faced her as she came in; yet he could have sworn that, in thehalf glance he had of her, she had been looking straight over his head.Turning swiftly—so soon at least as he had got out of the way of theflowing liquids—he saw that, at the spot to which her eyes had beendirected, was a window, partly shrouded by a curtain. Looking at Mrs.Siggs again, however, he came reluctantly to the conclusion that hemust have been mistaken; for that excellent woman, with much laughterat her own carelessness, was picking up the glasses, and rearrangingthem on the tray.
“There’s a butter-fingers for you!” she exclaimed. “Never knowed myselfto do that before. It’s tryin’ to do too much at once; that’s wot itis. Howsever, it ain’t no use cryin’ over spilt milk—or spilt spirits;an’ I’m a keepin’ everybody waitin’ for their liquor.”
In a moment, she bustled out again, appearing to be in a much bettertemper than before—indeed, quite desirous of making herself pleasantto every one, and propitiating the guest as much as possible. On comingback, she was careful to a nicety about mixing his drink, and evensuggested he should taste it, to be sure that it was to his liking,before she proceeded to mix the others. Yet there was about all hermovements a certain fluttering anxiety which had not been there before.
“’Pon my word, Clara,” she exclaimed suddenly—“I never see sich a girlin all my days! Fancy lightin’ up the gas, an’ never drawin’ thecurtain even; wot could you ’ave bin a thinkin’ about?”
She bustled across to the window, and pulled the curtain sharply acrossit; yet seemed to look out of it for a moment, too, the Inspectorthought, before doing so. She came back to her seat—a seat which facedthat window—and gaily pledged the two men with her glass. Butimmediately afterwards, she got up, and moved towards the door.
“Toby, old boy—I wish you’d come and see to this ’ere tap for aminute,” she called out; and Toby Siggs got up heavily, and followedher.
Immediately Inspector Tokely rose also, and strolled—quitecasually, as it seemed—across the room. Coming to the window, hesaid—apparently for the benefit of Clara—“I wonder what sort of anight it is”—and jerked back the curtain again.
Outside the window, however, was nothing but black darkness; after amoment, the Inspector turned away, half making up his mind that he musthave been mistaken, and resumed his seat. At the same moment, Mr. andMrs. Siggs came in, evidently on the best possible terms with eachother, from the bar.
Now, it was a curious thing that Mrs. Siggs, after one glance at thebared window, made no further remark about it; nor did Mr. Siggs.Further than that, Toby Siggs suddenly developed an extraordinaryliking for the Inspector, and a mad desire to be convivial with him,quite out of keeping with his general character. For he slapped thatrespected man upon the back; forced his glass upon him; ran out intothe bar to fill it himself, the moment it was empty, insisting that itshould be at his expense; and altogether woke up wonderfully. More thanthat, the Inspector, after sipping his renewed glass, pronounced it tobe mighty good stuff—but rather stronger, he thought, than the last;however, he drank it, and it seemed to loosen his tongue in anextraordinary fashion.
He mentioned—as between friends—that he had a warrant in hispocket—to be used if necessary—against a certain person whom he wouldnot name; proclaimed himself a cautious man; but hinted at murder, anddarkly suggested that a certain person would find him a remarkablytough fellow to get over.
The Inspector had had his glass replenished for the fourth time, andwas so well pleased with himself, that he had begun to wag his head,and wink upon Mrs. Siggs, when another strange thing happened. Clara,who had been sitting all this time, looking, for the most part, at thefire, and occasionally at the Inspector, suddenly seemed to cry out;checked the cry with a fit of hysterical laughter, which may have beeninduced by some remark of Tokely’s; and ran—still laughing in thatstrange fashion—from the room.
The Inspector, after recovering from the little shock occasioned byClara’s behaviour, appeared to be falling asleep. Betty Siggs, with awatchful eye upon him, drew nearer to her husband.
“Toby,” she whispered breathlessly, stretching out a hand to draw himtowards her, and still keeping an eye upon Tokely—“’e’s come backagain. Clara must ’ave seed ’im.”
“Can’t think w’y ’e should be a ’angin’ about ’ere—a shovin’ ’is ’eadinto danger like this,” whispered Toby in reply. “’E’s ’ad a longstart—an’ might ’ave
bin miles away afore this. W’ere’s Clara gone?”
Betty Siggs made a hasty movement with her hand to silence him; forTokely was waking up again. At the same moment, a noise was heard inthe rear of the house, and the next instant a small door in the furthercorner of the room was thrust open, and Harry Routley burst in. He waswild looking, and in a fearful state of excitement; without pause, hebounded into the middle of the room, and faced the astonished Tokely,who had risen hurriedly to his feet. Betty Siggs must have seen that inhis face which appalled her, for she cried out suddenly, and coveredher eyes with her hands.
“Is there a man here,” cried Harry, looking round upon them all, “whowants to find the murderer of Patience Miller?”
Before any one could speak, and while the energy of the lad still heldthem dumb, a figure darted in at the open doorway, and caught him inits arms, and fell at his feet. It was Clara Siggs.
“Harry,” she cried, hiding her face against his leg, and stillclutching him desperately—“for the love of God, be silent! For thelove of all the good angels—don’t betray him!”
A sort of fierce struggle seemed to go on, for a moment, in the lad’sbreast; finally, looking down at her, he stooped, and caught her halfroughly by the arm, and released himself—stepping back a little, sothat she trailed over the floor after him.
“Harry! Harry!” was all she said, with a sort of sob in her voice.
“Is there a man here who wants the murderer of Patience Miller?” hecried again. “I’ve seen him, not a moment since; I know which way he’sgone. I found him talking with this—this girl. I’ll lead any man tohim; I’ll track him down anywhere. Who wants him?”
“I’m your man,” cried Tokely, advancing to him, sobered by the scene hehad witnessed. “Who’s the man?”
“Harry! Harry!” wailed the girl again, without rising, or looking up.
The lad seemed to choke down something in his throat, before he spoke.“Dandy Chater,” he said, after a moment’s pause.
“That’s my man,” cried Tokely, bringing his fist down heavily on thetable. “And for a thousand pounds I’ll have Dandy Chater to-night,before I sleep! Come on!”
Catching Harry by the arm, and snatching up his own hat, he hurriedwith him out of the still open door, and vanished in the darkness.
