CHAPTER LI.
VERNET AT HEADQUARTERS.
After Mr. Follingsbee's departure, the Chief of the detectives took uphis work just where he had laid it down to receive his visitor.
Ringing the bell he summoned the bright-eyed boy who waited without, andsaid, as soon as the lad appeared in the doorway:
"You know where to look for Vernet, George?"
"Yes, sir."
"Go to him as soon as possible; tell him I wish to see him at hisearliest leisure; and you may wait a reasonable time, if he is out."
When George had bowed and departed on his mission, the Chief opened hisdoor and entered the outer office.
"Has Carnegie been in to-day?" he asked of a man seated at a deskbetween two tall windows.
"Not yet, sir."
"Ah, then he will probably come soon. Send him in to me, Sanford."
"Very well, sir."
Others were seated about the room. He nodded silently to these, and wentover to one of the windows near the desk occupied by the man he hadaddressed as Sanford.
For a few moments he seemed engaged with something going on in thestreet below, then he moved a step nearer, and leaned over Sanford'sdesk.
"Find a pretext for coming to my room presently," he said in a low tone.Then he took a careless survey of the letters and papers upon the desk,glanced out of the window once more, and went back to his den.
One or two of the loungers made some slight comment upon this quietentrance and exit of their Chief.
But Sanford wrote on diligently for many minutes, folding and unfoldinghis letters and deeply absorbed in his task. Then something seemed todisturb him. He uttered an impatient syllable midway between a word anda grunt; read and re-read the contents of a sheet spread out before him;referred once and again to his book; and then, seemingly, gave it up,for he laid down his pen--at a less serious interruption, he would havestuck it behind his ear. He slid reluctantly off his stool, glanced oncemore over the troublesome sheet, and then, folding it carefully, carriedit with a rueful face to the inner office.
Once within this apartment, the look of rueful reluctance vanished. Heslipped the troublesome document into his breast-pocket, and smiled ashe seated himself in the chair indicated by his superior.
"Sanford," began the latter, "I want to ask about your officeregulations, rather your habits. Our boys do much of their letterwriting there, eh?"
"They do some of it; yes sir."
"There is always stationery at the desk for their use?"
"Certainly, sir." Sanford's none too expressive face began to lengthen atrifle.
"Does any one not connected with the office, but who happens in uponsome errand or some matter of business, ever find it convenient to writeat the table or the desks?"
"I don't think any one ever did so, except in cases where the writingwas done at our requests, or in some way in the interests of business."
"That is what I thought. Now, Sanford, our paper, that which is intendedsolely for business purposes and which has our letter head--is thataccessible to any one in the office?"
"No, sir," said Sanford, a trifle coldly; "your orders were otherwise."
"Very good, Sanford. I am not about to find fault with you, my boy, buttell me if any one--any one connected with the office, I mean, who isthere habitually, and is not supposed to need watching--could not one ofour own people get possession of a sheet or two of our business tablets,if he tried?"
"If you mean our own fellows," said Sanford slowly, "I suppose there arehalf a dozen of our boys who could steal that paper from under my verynose, if they liked, even if I stood on guard. But no stranger hasaccess to my desk, and there's no other way of getting it from _that_office."
"Well," responded his Chief, "it's also the only way of getting it frommine. Nevertheless, Sanford, somebody has possessed himself of a sheetor two, and used it for fraudulent purposes."
Sanford stared, but said nothing.
"Now,"--the chief grew involuntarily more brisk and business-like--"wemust clear this matter up. You can give me samples of the handwriting ofevery one of our men, can't you?"
"I suppose I can, sir, of one sort or another; letters, reports--"
"Samples of any sort will do, Sanford. Let me have them as soon aspossible."
Sanford arose, hesitated, and then said:
"If you would trust me, sir, I might--but you have sent for Carnegie?"
"Yes; it's about this business. What were you going to say, Sanford?"
"I know all their hands so well, sir, I was about to offer my services,but--"
"It's a good idea; thank you, thank you. I think I'll give you both achance at it. Now, bring me the specimens, Sanford. We will talk thisover again."
In half an hour, Carnegie presented himself. He was a small, old man,with a shrewd face and keen, intelligent eye.
"I've got some work for you, Carnegie," began the Chief, waiving allceremony. "It's of the kind you like, too."
"Ah!" Carnegie dropped his hat upon a chair, rubbed his hands softlytogether and smiled upon his patron, looking as if at that instant readyand anxious to pounce upon any piece of work that was "of the kind heliked."
"It's a forgery on this office," went on the Chief, as quietly as if hehad said, it's an invitation to tea. "And you'll have a variety ofhandwritings to gloat over; Sanford is looking them up."
"Ah!" said Carnegie, and that was all. Some men could not have said morein a folio.
As Carnegie passed out of the Chief's office, the boy, George, enteredit. He had found Mr. Vernet, and that gentleman would present himselfright away.
And he did, almost at the heels of his herald; scrupulously dressed,upright, handsome, and courteous as usual.
Perfectly aware as he was that his Chief had not summoned him therewithout a motive, and tolerably sure that this motive was out of theregular business routine, his countenance was as serene as if he wereentering a ball-room, his manner just as calm and courtly.
"I hope I have not interfered with any man[oe]uvre of yours, Van," saidthe Chief, smiling as he proffered his hand.
"Not at all, sir. I was just in and preparing for an hour or two ofrest." And Vernet pressed the outstretched hand. "I am glad of thisopportunity, sir."
"The fact is--" began the Chief, after Vernet had ensconced himself inthe chair opposite his own--"the fact is, I want to talk over thisEnglishman's business a little, in a confidential way."
"Yes?" The change that crossed Vernet's face was scarcely perceptible.
"You see, just between us, I have no report from Stanhope, and none fromyou. And I want, very much, to get some new idea on the subject, soon."
Vernet scanned his face for a moment, then:
"You have heard something," he said, withdrawing his gaze slowly.
The Chief laughed. This answer, put not as a question, but as astatement of a fact, pleased him.
"Yes," he said, "I have heard something. The Englishman is coming back.I have a letter from him. It is somewhat mysterious, but it says that heis on his way here, accompanied by one John Ainsworth."
"John Ainsworth?"
"Supposed to be the father of the child mentioned in the advertisementfrom Australia,"
"Yes; I see."
"Well, I _don't_ see anything clearly, except this: These two men willcome down upon us presently; they will want to hear something new--"
"Their affair is twenty years old; do they expect us to get to thebottom of it in five weeks?"
"Well, not that exactly, but I think they will expect us to haveorganized--to have hit upon some theory and plan of action."
"Oh," said Vernet, "as to that, I have my theory--but it is for myprivate benefit as yet. As to what I have done, it is not much, but itis--"
"Something? a step?"
"Yes; it is a step. I have found, or I know where to find, one of theten men who composed that Marais des Cygnes party."
"Good! I call that more than a step."
"I may as we
ll tell you that I have worked through a 'tracker.' You knowhow much I am interested in that other affair."
"The Sailor business? yes."
"It seemed to me," continued Vernet, "that I might succeed there bydoing the hard work myself, and that this other matter, in its presentstage, might be worked out by an intelligent 'inquirer.' So I adoptedthis plan. I think my murder case is almost closed. I hope to have myhand upon the fellow soon. Then I can give all my time to this othercase."
"So!" gazing admiringly at the handsome face opposite him. "I'm glad ofyour success, Van. I suppose, at the right time, you will let me intothe 'true inwardness' of the Sailor business?"
"I should have been under obligation to do that long ago, if you had notbeen so good as to leave it all to my discretion."
"True. Well, I find that it's not unsafe to leave these things to youand Stanhope. You both work best untrammelled. Has this fellow given youmuch trouble?"
Vernet smiled. "Plenty of it," he said. "But in playing his last trick,he bungled. He had dodged me beautifully, and had left me under theimpression that he had sailed for Europe."
"Ah!"
"Of course I wired to the other side. He had sailed in company with alady, handsome and young. He was also good-looking and a young man."
"Well?"
"When the two arrived on the other side, they turned out to be--an oldman aged sixty-five, and a child, aged ten."
"Oh!" said the Chief, as though he enjoyed the situation; "a cleverrascal!"
"Well, I know where to look for him now--when I need him. I want to rundown an important witness; then I shall make the arrest."
"Good! We will have the particulars at that time. And now about thisEnglishman's case; put what your 'tracker' has done into a report--or doyou intend to work in the dark, like Stanhope?"
"Ah, what is Stanhope about?"
"I don't know. He took his time; has not been seen or heard of here forfour weeks."
Vernet tapped the desk beside him, and looked thoughtfully at his_vis-a-vis_.
"Stanhope's a queer fish," he said abstractedly; "a queer fish." Then,rising, he added: "I will send my report to-morrow."
"Very good."
"And I shall not follow Stanhope's example. Once I am fairly enteredinto the case, I shall send my reports regularly."
"I'm glad of that," said his Chief, rising and following him to thedoor. "Under the circumstances, I'm glad of that."
Dangerous Ground; or, The Rival Detectives Page 52