_CHAPTER II_
_Quintus Oakes at Home_
It was, therefore, a great deal in the nature of a surprise when, a fewdays after parting with Moore, I received a note at my apartments bymessenger requesting me to call on Mr. Quintus Oakes that evening onprofessional business. It was written in a brisk, courteous style, butmade no mention of Dr. Moore. Was it possible that I was to meet Oakesthrough other channels? I realized that my profession of the law mightgive many opportunities for such an interview with him, so I ceased towonder, and started up Broadway just before the hour appointed. I turnedinto the long, dimly lighted side street near Long Acre Square, andfound that the number designated was a bachelor apartment house. It waswhere I had lost him the day of the fire.
Taking the elevator to the third floor, I was directed to the door andadmitted by a Japanese servant, a bright-eyed fellow of about twenty.He was dressed in our fashion and spoke English well--the kind of a chapthat one sees not infrequently nowadays in the service of men who haveseen the world, know how to live, and how to choose for personalcomfort. It was evident that I was expected, for I was at once led intothe front room and there met by Oakes himself. The instant he saw me, alook of recognition and mild surprise came over his face, and as heshook hands he said: "We have met before, at the fire the other day, Mr.Stone! Won't you please step into my sanctum? We can be more comfortablethere."
He led me through a short hall, into a large airy room, furnished ashalf-lounging room, half office. There was a large flat-top mahoganydesk in the centre, with a sofa and several upholstered chairs,evidently for use as well as ornament. On the walls were pictures ofvalue, views of foreign places, and oil paintings that a mere novicecould see were works of art. There was that in the room which suggestededucation and refinement.
A telephone was on the desk, and loose papers partly written upon boreevidence that the detective had been busy at work when I arrived.
At a motion from my host I seated myself in one of the large arm chairsfacing him, while he remained standing.
I saw that he was a man about thirty-eight or forty years old, straightas an arrow and splendidly proportioned. He was dressed in awell-fitting gray suit.
The light was from above, and Oakes's face showed well--the clear-cutnose and generous mouth of the energetic American.
He looked at me critically with deep-set, steady blue eyes, then smiledslightly in a well-controlled, dignified manner.
"Mr. Stone, I am very glad that you were able to come tonight. Makeyourself at home," he said.
I made an appropriate answer of some kind, and then Oakes took the seatnear me and began, without further ceremony:
"I have arranged that our friend Dr. Moore shall come here this evening;meanwhile, I will inform you briefly of the subject in hand."
"A few months ago Mandel & Sturgeon the attorneys, whom you doubtlessknow, consulted me regarding the unpleasant happenings at the mansion ofone Odell Mark, up-State, in the town of Mona.
"Now, Mandel & Sturgeon suggested, also, that you might care to helpunravel the matter, acting as their legal representative.
"I have completed my arrangements for starting on the case, and amparticularly glad to find that you are a friend of Dr. Moore and thatyou had expressed to him a desire to enter into some such affair. Iassure you, however, that Mandel & Sturgeon had previously spoken of youand that this offer was coming as a business proposition. The fact thatyou and Dr. Moore had spoken of such a trip is merely a coincidence."
He spoke with a well-modulated voice, and a fluency that told of theintelligence of the man. His eyes fixed me, but not in an embarrassingmanner; it was the habit of observation that prompted theirconcentration--that was obvious.
His forehead was high and slightly furrowed with two vertical wrinklesbetween the eyebrows. His face was mobile and expressive at times, thensuddenly calm. In my very brief observation I knew that he was able togovern its expression well.
In the days that were coming, I learned that in the presence of dangeror possible trickery that face became stony and immovable, a mask thattalked and commanded, while hiding the suppressed energy of the man.
The bell rang before Oakes could proceed with his statement, and Dr.Moore was shown in. His coming enlivened us both, and after a few wordsof greeting I found the opportunity, and said:
"Mr. Oakes, it is not exactly clear to me why Mandel & Sturgeonrecommended me as their representative. They have so many men in theiroffice whom they might use in that capacity."
"Doubtless you will hear from them yourself before we go, Mr. Stone.Meantime, I may explain. You were in their employ at one time, Ibelieve?"
"Yes, a great many years ago."
"They think that some legal matters might arise, where a man on the spotwould be of value, and it seems best that their representative with meshould be one not easily identified as working with them. You know, Mr.Stone, we are not advertising our mission."
"I have been in Mona as Mr. Clark, their agent, looking after theMansion and other property, and if I return there, it must be under somebusiness pretext, or people will suspect me. You, being an independentparty, not known as connected with the firm in any way, can accompany mein the role of a friend on an outing, or as a possible purchaser. Yousee, we are trying to solve a mystery, so the less attention we attractthe better."
"I see. So you have been there already, Mr. Oakes?"
"Yes, gentlemen. I will tell you about this affair very briefly now. Youwill learn more later, if you enter upon its solution with me.
"The Mansion was originally the property of George Mark, who died someyears ago, leaving it to his two sons, Winthrop and Odell. Both weresingle men at that time, but Odell married a couple of years ago andpersuaded his brother to sell his share of the property to him.Winthrop, who was the older, did not care to part with it, but finallydisposed of his interest to his brother, who immediately moved into theplace with his bride. The old servants were still in charge, andeverything had been kept up to a high standard of excellence, althoughno one had lived there since the old man died.
"Odell had travelled some, and lived mostly in the city, while Winthrophad been engrossed in amassing a large fortune in speculation. He hadresided in Mona, keeping his own place, saying he did not care for theMansion as a home after his father died."
"Then why did he not care to give up his interest to his brother?" askedMoore.
"That is as yet a mystery. But, as he was a great business man, it issupposed by some that he saw opportunities to convert the vast groundsinto town lots, and sell at a great advance some day when Mona shouldboom, as the town will sooner or later, owing to its natural advantages.He told many, however, that it was merely a sentiment with him, theplace having belonged in Colonial times to the family. Be that as itmay, however, he finally sold, and never would buy it back again, evenafter the mystery had made it practically valueless.
"His brother offered to sell it back for next to nothing, but Winthroponly laughed, and refused. This conduct seemed to dispose of thesupposition that he was in any way responsible for the occurrences therewhich had such a depressing effect in the value of the property."
"Then, if mixed up, he had a deeper motive," said I.
"Yes--if he has really been involved in the mystery at all. You mustremember, however," said Oakes, "that his story may be true. Havingdisposed of his share of the property, he may have seen no reason forbothering with it again, at least until it was clear of the depressingoccurrences which had lowered its value from half a million topractically nothing."
"Goodness! What were these mysteries?" said Moore, with a feignedshudder. "Evidently, they are unpopular."
Oakes proceeded slowly.
"They consist of a series of assaults on those who have occupied thehouse, and they are conducted in such a way that detection has beenimpossible.
"One evening Mrs. Mark was heard to shriek in her bedroom, and whenfound by her husband was insane from fright. In her ravings she
spoke ofa terrible thing choking her, and of a swishing sound. She neverregained her reason, and is now in an insane asylum. Alienists at firstthought that she had an experience common to those going mad--that shehad been subject to a delusion. But evidences were against this, as shehad in no way shown any signs of mental trouble before. While she wasbeing cared for at the Mansion, the two nurses in charge had similarexperiences. They reported hearing a tread on the stairs one night andof seeing a figure disappear into the dining-room. One stated up anddown that it was a woman.
"The patient was removed from the place. Then Mr. Odell Mark receivedsuch a scare one night that he packed up and left the Mansion for good.He was assaulted by an invisible party from behind, and only escapedafter a severe struggle. Whoever, or whatever, assaulted himdisappeared in an instant, and he swore that he heard the closing of adoor somewhere downstairs.
"Everything was done to keep the truth quiet, but of course it leakedout and the place has been regarded as haunted ever since. The servantsleft, save a few of the oldest, who live away from the Mansion under aseparate roof, and have never seen anything unusual."
"That sounds very thrilling," I said; "but the affair may all be foundedon nervous dread and hysteria."
"So I thought," said Oakes. "I went up there alone recently, however,and am glad to say that I got back alive."
"What! Did you see it?"
"No, gentlemen, I did not. There was nothing to see; but I learnedenough to know that murder stalks there in the Mansion--that the mysteryis a deep one, and my conduct nearly cost me my life.
"I have faced danger often, but I never faced an invisible violence, orhad such a fight for my life as I had at the Mansion about three weeksago."
Quintus Oakes was speaking earnestly, and we both were deeplyinterested. That the celebrated detective should have met such anexperience placed the tale outside the realm of fiction. He was a calmman, used to facing danger, and not one to be easily deceived orfrightened.
"Great Scott!" said Moore, "you must have had a fine time. Tell us aboutit. It must have been what the boys call a 'lalapazooza' of a time."
I had to smile at my friend, able and successful, and already aprofessional man of reputation, but ever fond of an occasional slangexpression as a relief from the care with which he was usually burdened.He was well to do, but had been no idler, and knew the meaning of hardwork.
"Yes," said Oakes, "I had a fine time."
At this moment the telephone on the desk rang, and Oakes reached forwardand placed the receiver to his ear. After a few words of business hereplaced it, but I felt a curious sensation of something missing,something unusual.
His hand had shot forward toward the hook and deposited the receiverthereon in one quick, instantaneous movement. The action had been soexact that the contact had given rise to no sound save the after-tinkleof the bell. Moore noticed it too, and looked at me, as much as to say:"How was that, for measuring distance?"
Then Oakes wheeled so as to face us again.
"Excuse me for the interruption. Now I will tell you my story in a fewwords."
Quintus Oakes: A Detective Story Page 2
