“Indeed, Doctor. What did Mr. Blake have to say?”
“I suppose you have had the opportunity to speak with Inspector Hopkins, and he told you that Blake intended to visit.”
“Not at all, Watson, but I noticed the name of Mr. Blake’s tobacconist the other night, and I see several cigarette butts in the tray with the same markings. As you have noted, our circle of friends and acquaintances is quite small. Surely, it requires no leap of faith to deduce that he was here today.”
“I did not notice Blake’s choice in tobacco.”
“But I did,” said Holmes blandly. “What was the subject of his visit?”
I told to Holmes all that had been said during my meeting with Blake. He asked few questions, but he listened most intently.
“There is one thing that I have left out of my tale, Holmes. I was able to convince Blake that it was in the interests of himself and the others to attend a meeting with you this evening at eight.”
Holmes took a brief look at the clock and nodded his approval.
“Your actions have been really most fortuitous, Doctor, for you see, I have not been idle this day, either. I have discovered some information. I would like to speak with these gentlemen knowing these new facts. Believe me when I say that The League of Mendacious Men has lived up to their name. Not a single member was candid with us.”
Chapter Nine
I am afraid that my surprise must have shown plainly upon my face.
“You heard me correctly, Doctor,” said Holmes.
“Do you mean to say that they all told bald-faced lies?” I asked.
“No, nothing that overt. Let us say rather that most of the lies were ones of omission.”
“In other words, you accuse them of holding back information.”
“Not simply information, Doctor, but pertinent facts,” said Holmes. “Facts that may have a direct impact on motives for murder.”
“So you believe their actions to be deliberate.”
“I do, but possibly without sinister intent.”
“How would that be, Holmes?” I asked in protest. “Holding back material evidence certainly sounds like villainous conduct to me.”
“Watson, really. Most people concerned in a murder case simply wish to avoid involvement. They conceal evidence that might tend to incriminate them because they know that they are innocent, so they see no harm. I am certain that is the reason for most of the concealment.”
“All save at least one,” said I.
“Too true, Doctor. At least one person held back because he is guilty.”
“Then I take it that you are more certain than ever that the Judge and Wainwright did not murder each other.”
“Of that I am, Watson, and I shall see justice done in this case. That is my vow.”
As he spoke the words, I saw the fire in his eyes that burned only when he was on the hunt. I had my doubts about Holmes’s insistence that there was more to the killings than met the eye, but he had driven all doubt from my mind. If Holmes was certain, then I was as well.
“What shall we do now?” I asked.
Holmes again looked to the clock.
“As we have an hour before the arrival of our guests, I say that we see if Mrs. Hudson will serve us a cold supper on short notice. I have not eaten since this morning, and I am ravenous. Is that agreeable, Watson?”
I gave my hearty assent, and we were so served by our reliable landlady and cook. I was eager for news of what had occupied Holmes all day. He seemed quite content with his labours, but would give no particulars. This was in keeping with his nature, and I took no offense at his reticence. Holmes was an artist, and he enjoyed holding his own counsel until the unveiling. I was generally happy to serve as his aide and friend without forcing a confidence.
At the appointed hour the members of the League of Mendacious Men arrived as promised with one exception. The entire group looked years older since the last time I had seen them, save Blake. The Irishman looked as hale and as dashing as ever. Once everyone was seated, Holmes called attention to the absent member.
“I cannot help but notice that Captain Marbury is not in your company.”
“He refused to come, Mr. Holmes,” said Arthur Blake. “He said that he believes the two dead men killed each other. He further stated that he had no interest in finding the Judge’s killer even if Wainwright did not do it. I did my best to convince him to alter his thinking, but it was in vain.”
“We shall proceed without him,” said Holmes. He cleared his throat as if he intended to give a speech. “Gentlemen, I wish there to be no misunderstandings. I believe that a killer walks among the membership of your club.” Several people began to speak at once, but Holmes held up a hand to forestall their action. “I will answer all questions, but as I say, there must be no misunderstandings. That being the case, the suspect list is a short one. The list includes only the five men that were at the meeting of the League the night of the murders.”
“You’ve already made a mistake, Mr. Holmes,” said Wallace Hunter. “There were six men at the meeting who still live.”
“I perceive your point, Mr. Hunter, but I believe that we can exempt Dr. Watson from the list. I am of long acquaintance with the good doctor and can attest to his good character. I cannot say the same for the rest of your number. However, I have spent the day attempting to correct my lack of knowledge concerning you gentlemen. I do not believe it to be immodest to say that I have uncovered interesting nuggets of information on all of you, and of the absent Captain.”
Holmes halted his speech at this point and looked at each man in turn. If his silence was an attempt to goad one of his guests into speech, it succeeded.
“Mr. Holmes, knowing your reputation, I had hoped for better from you,” said Jonathan Sawyer. The man seemed positively piqued at Holmes. “I believe that this is a game that you are playing and that you actually have nothing.”
“That being your opinion, Mr. Sawyer, perhaps we should start with you.”
“I have nothing to hide, Mr. Holmes,” said the man.
I studied the bearded man, but could see no signs of guilt or nervousness from him. He peered at Holmes from behind his glasses and waited patiently for my friend to begin.
“There was a statement that Captain Marbury made concerning you and the Judge that went unexplained at the time.”
“Of what do you speak?”
“The Captain said that Judge Bainbridge had taken advantage of your good nature.”
“There is nothing to that,” said Sawyer. “The Judge was as a second father to me. He could not trespass on my good nature even were he so inclined.”
“So you say, and yet I discovered something odd today as part of my investigation. It would seem that Judge Bainbridge was living rent free in a large stately home that is actually owned by you.”
“Is that what you have the wind up about?” asked Sawyer. “I first met the Judge when I came to London. He and I became friends at once. He was a genial older man whom I admired as well as liked. However, he had undergone several financial setbacks just prior to our meeting. His home was crushed under a heavy mortgage.
“As I had been very successful in the diamond mines of South Africa, I made an arrangement with the Judge that I would purchase his home with the proviso that he would be able to remain in residence for a year. That was all that there was to the matter. There is nothing dark or mysterious about it.”
“But, Mr. Sawyer, the purchase was nearly ten years ago,” said Holmes with an arched eyebrow. “He remained in that home until his death.”
“It is true, Mr. Holmes,” conceded the man. “At the end of the first year the Judge was a bit ill, and I allowed him to remain in his home. Two years became three and so on. At a certain point it became an unsaid agreement that it was his to use during his lifetime. It was little enough in return for his good fellowship.”
“Still, it was a handsome outlay for friendship.”
The South African
shrugged his shoulders.
“I just felt a bit protective of the old boy. After all, he had lost his life savings by investing on the advice of a friend, so I thought a friend should help him.”
Jonathan Sawyer glared in the direction of Wallace Hunter. The bald investor sat primly in his chair and gave no appearance of concern. I had previously told Holmes that I found Hunter to be a thoroughly unimpressive man. Holmes had said that such men often have deep resentments. I wondered if that was true.
“Was it through your agencies that Judge Bainbridge lost his wealth, Mr. Hunter?” asked Holmes.
“I suspect that you are already aware of the answer to that question, Mr. Holmes,” he replied. “But no matter. It is true that Edward invested in a trading company in Brazil on my advice. The whole enterprise turned out to be a fraud. Every farthing invested was lost. Very sad of course.”
“More than sad, sir,” said Holmes. “It left Judge Bainbridge practically a pauper.”
“Please, sir, let us not think of Edward as if he were in one of Mr. Dickens’s novels. He was hardly facing debtors’ prison.”
“Oh, I agree that the Judge did not have any debt. The debt was yours, Mr. Hunter,” said Holmes.
“What?” squeaked the man. “It was an investment from the Judge, not a loan. I owed the man nothing. I lost as well, Mr. Holmes.”
“Still, my understanding is that the Judge filed a lawsuit against you in order to recover his lost funds.”
“It was a suit without foundation and Edward withdrew it in time.”
“It could have been revived, though, at any time,” said Holmes. “Perhaps with the aid of a wealthy patron he might have done so. However, the Judge was a proud man, and it is doubtless true that he did not wish to advertise his poverty.”
“Wealth is not everything,” said Hunter with bitterness. “I have lived a gilded life, and I can tell you it has brought me little happiness.”
The words were said with such sincerity that it was impossible to believe that it was not the truth. I suddenly saw Wallace Hunter as a very sad man. Holmes, perhaps sensing the vulnerability of his witness, spoke in a soft voice.
“I understand that you have no children, Mr. Hunter. I have no wish to be indelicate, but is it not true that your wife was once with child?”
“Yes,” said the man with a deep sigh. “It is no secret. Victoria contracted pneumonia while carrying our child, and as a result of the ailment she lost the baby.”
“What a tragedy, sir. You have my sympathy.”
“It is no matter; it was long ago.”
“Was it ever determined how the lady came to be ill?”
“What do you mean?”
“It is only that in Harold Wainwright’s story he told of becoming ill and kissing all the ladies on the ship as a cure. It is an established scientific fact that close contact with a person with pneumonia increases the likelihood of contracting the disease.”
“Are you suggesting that my wife became ill because someone with pneumonia kissed her? What a fantastic surmise.”
“It is true that it is mere surmise,” Holmes admitted. “Mr. Blake, isn’t it true that you were once a suitor for the hand of Victoria Hunter when she was as yet unmarried?”
“That is no revelation, Mr. Holmes,” said Blake. “She made the proper choice in marrying Wallace. I am not the marrying kind, you might say.”
“That is evident,” said Holmes wryly, “but can you tell me, sir, did you have pneumonia about the same time as Victoria Hunter?”
“That is a vile insinuation, sir,” said Blake with a controlled anger.
“I made no insinuation,” said Holmes innocently.
“I am forced to agree with Blake, Mr. Holmes,” said Wallace Hunter. “Were we asked here to be insulted? This area of questioning borders on slander.”
“Let me put this bluntly, gentlemen,” said Holmes. “These are the type of questions that the public is asking themselves. Do you really imagine that any stone will be left unturned by Scotland Yard? You are fortunate to be speaking to me on Baker Street rather than in the dock.”
I saw the shocked look on the faces of those assembled.
“But I thought that Inspector Hopkins was satisfied that the Judge and Wainwright were the only two guilty parties,” said Colonel Pelham.
“He is no longer so certain,” said Holmes.
“It is true, gentlemen,” said Blake. “I can attest to that. I have spoken with the Inspector myself. They are reopening the case.”
“You could have told us that when you asked us here, Blake,” said Sawyer. “Were you afraid we would not attend if we knew?”
A sudden pounding came at the door, interrupting any answer. Before I could rise, it was thrust open and the form of Captain Marbury filled the opening.
“I suppose you are all conspiring against me!” he shouted.
Chapter Ten
It was a moment before anyone responded to the Captain. Even from where I was seated, I could detect the strong odour of whiskey. It was evident that Captain Marbury was deep in his cups.
Colonel Pelham was first to his feet. The arctic explorer took Captain Marbury by the arm and led the unsteady seaman to a seat. The Captain was muttering something about bad faith, but took his seat nonetheless. He quickly helped himself to a whiskey from the sideboard.
“Don’t you think you have had enough this night, Captain?” asked Blake with a raised brow.
“I can handle my spirits, Blake. Of course as an Irishman, you wouldn’t understand that,” said Marbury and he cackled loudly as if he had said something quite humorous.
“Joseph, you are making rather a fool of yourself,” said Colonel Pelham. “As your friend, I ask you to remember the desperate straits we are in. Now is not the time for us to be losing our heads.”
The Captain looked thoughtful for a moment and then set his glass down.
“It is as you say, Colonel,” he said. “It is just that I began to think that since I was the only member of the League not to attend this meeting that I would become the subject of it.”
Blake smacked the table next to his chair with his hand.
“I remind you, Captain Marbury, that you were absent by choice,” he said. “I practically begged you to attend, but you refused and were unpleasant in your refusal.”
“Does that mean that you have not been constructing my gallows?” asked the Captain.
“What an absurd suggestion!” cried Jonathan Sawyer. “Had you been here, you would have seen Mr. Holmes roast all of us on a spit.”
“That is true,” said Hunter. “We have all had our time standing in the dock answering questions.”
“All except one,” said Blake with an impish smile. “Colonel Pelham, you have not yet had to give testimony.”
It occurred to me that Arthur Blake was correct. I believe that Holmes had been about to question the man when we were interrupted by the Captain’s dramatic entrance.
“That is so,” said the Colonel to Captain Marbury. “Watch, Joseph, and you will see Mr. Holmes attempt to involve me in these murders through near slander and innuendo.”
“Dear me. Is that the opinion you have formed of me, Colonel Pelham?” asked Holmes with a bit of a grin.
“I was simply trying to break the tension, Mr. Holmes. Please, let the tribunal continue.”
“Very well, sir. It is my understanding that you met Mr. Wainwright while in the United States.”
“Yes, I did. It was New York City actually, Mr. Holmes, but I already told of that meeting.”
“Yes, of course, but I am interested in the timing of the meeting.”
“The timing?” asked the Colonel, clearly puzzled.
“Yes, you see, you said that you met Mr. Wainwright after your speech. By the way, was the speech well attended?”
“I fail to see what that has to do with anything, but yes, the speech was well received. In fact, the entire speaking tour was a success.”
“Is
it also a fact that these speaking tours finance, in large part, your expeditions?”
It seemed to me that Holmes was straying rather far from the issue at hand. Colonel Pelham likewise seemed bewildered and slightly bemused by the entire line of questioning, but he answered readily enough.
“It is true that my speaking fees partly fund my expeditions, but I also have patrons who willingly back my efforts,” he said. “But to get back to Wainwright. Just what about the timing of our meeting troubles you?”
Holmes seemed lost in thought for a moment, but roused himself at the Colonel’s question.
“It is simply that I had supposed that the purpose of an interview is to drive public interest in your speech. The more interested the public, the more people willing to purchase admission to your appearance. Are you certain the interview was not conducted prior to your speech?”
“Is this the skeleton in the closet that you have uncovered, Mr. Holmes?” asked the man. “You are seriously interested in the timing of the interview?”
“I assure you that I am in earnest, sir.”
“Very well,” said Pelham with a shrug of his shoulders. “I believe the interview was after my New York appearance, but it was years ago.”
“Then you would be surprised if I tell you that the interview Mr. Wainwright had with you was published the day before your speech.”
“Do you have such knowledge, Mr. Holmes?” asked Pelham after a brief pause.
No,” conceded Holmes, “but I do have a telegram out to the paper Mr. Wainwright worked for asking that question. I have received no reply as of yet.”
“I do not understand this at all. Before or after, what possible difference could it make?”
“Possibly none, but I find it curious all the same.”
That answer clearly did not satisfy Colonel Pelham, who regarded Holmes with an expression somewhere between exasperation and fear.
“Now, as to you, Captain, I have several questions. Although you were tardy, I am glad to have you here,” said Holmes. “Your late appearance, though, has left you ignorant of our conversation. It is critical that you understand the point of my questions.”
The League of Mendacious Men (A Sherlock Holmes Uncovered Tale Book 10) Page 6
