The Four Faces: A Mystery

by William Le Queux

  CHAPTER XXVII

  THE FOUR FACES

  They were quietly dressed, inoffensive-looking men, one a good dealyounger than the other. Judged by their clothes and general appearancethey might have been gentlemen's servants or superior shop-assistants.Directly they saw that I was not alone, the elder, whose age was fiftyor so, said, in a tense voice:

  "We wish to see you alone, Mr. Berrington. Our business is quiteprivate."

  "You can talk openly before this gentleman," I answered, for, at aglance from me, Albeury had remained in the room. "What do you want tosee me about?"

  "In private, please, Mr. Berrington," he repeated doggedly, not heedingmy question.

  "Either you speak to me in this gentleman's presence," I answered,controlling my irritation, "or not at all. What do you want?"

  They hesitated for barely an instant, and I thought my firmness haddisconcerted them, when suddenly I saw them exchange a swift glance. Theyounger man stepped quickly back to the door, which was close behindhim, and, without turning, locked it. As he did so his companion sprangto one side with a sharp cry. Albeury had him covered with a revolver.The younger man had already slipped his hand into his pocket, when Isprang upon him.

  Though some years have passed since I practised ju-jitsu, I have notforgotten the different holds. In a moment I had his arms locked behindhim--had he attempted to struggle then he must have broken his wrists.Turning, I saw that Albeury had the other man still at his mercy withthe revolver--not for an instant did he look away from him.

  I was about to call loudly to Simon to call the police, when the elderman spoke.

  "Stop!" he gasped, just above a whisper. "You have done us. Give us achance to escape and well help you."

  "Help me! How?" I said, still gripping my man tightly. "What have youcome for? What did you want?"

  "We're under orders--so help me, we are!" he exclaimed huskily. "We hadat any cost to see you."

  "And for that you bribed my man, or tried to?"

  "Yes--to let us see you alone."

  Albeury's arm, extended with the cocked revolver, was as rigid as arock. The muzzle covered the man's chest. Again the man glanced swiftlyat the detective, then went on, speaking quickly:

  "If you'll let us go, we'll tell everything--anything you want to know!"

  I glanced an inquiry at Albeury. Though his gaze was still set upon hisman, he caught my look.

  "Right--we'll let you go," he said, without moving, "if you'll tell useverything. Now speak. Why are you here?"

  "We're under orders," the man repeated. "We were not to leave this flatwith him alive in it," he jerked his chin at me. "If we do we shall bekilled ourselves when The Four Faces know. But you've done us. We'vegot to escape now somehow, if you'll let us, and our only way is to giveyou information that'll help you to get the whole gang arrested. You'vediscovered a code we use, and you've tampered with it, and that'swhat's done it."

  "Done what?"

  "Got The Four Faces down on you, and made them set on killing you."

  "Whom do you mean by 'The Four Faces'?"

  "Why, the men and women--you know them; Gastrell, Stapleton, and therest--the gang known as The Four Faces."

  "Why are they known as 'The Four Faces'?"

  "Because there are four heads, each being known as 'The Fat Face,' 'TheLong Face,' 'The Thin Face,' and 'The Square Face.' And each head hasfour others of the gang directly under his or her orders."

  "And Gastrell and Stapleton are 'faces'?"

  "Yes."

  "But Gastrell is dead."

  "Dead? Gastrell? Impossible!"

  "Yes. Go on."

  For some moments astonishment held him dumb.

  "Gastrell and the rest of them will be at Eldon Hall, in Northumberland,the day after to-morrow," he said at last, "for the coming of age ofCranmere's son. The house is to be looted--cleaned out. Everything isarranged--the plan is perfect--as all the arrangements of The Four Facesalways are--it can't fail unless--"

  "Yes?"

  "Now that you know, you can warn Cranmere. You must warn him to be verycareful, for if they get wind there's suspicion about they'll drop itand you won't catch them. You know the robberies and other thingsthere've been, and nobody's been caught--they've not even beensuspected. Now's your chance to get them all--the first real chancethere's ever been. But you mustn't show up, mind that. This house iswatched--to see when we come out. Nor you nor your man must go out ofthis flat till the gang's been caught, every one of them--it's the dayafter to-morrow they'll be at Eldon Hall. They're expecting a gigantichaul there, including all the Cranmere diamonds--they're worth thousandson thousands. You're both known by sight, and if you're seen about we'rejust as bad as dead."

  He stopped abruptly, then went on:

  "And you mustn't answer if anybody rings or knocks. And you mustn'tanswer the telephone. You understand? Nobody must answer it. It's got tobe supposed you're both in here, dead--you and your man. They've got tothink we done it. There's no one else living in this flat, weknow that."

  "I can't warn Lord Cranmere if I don't go out of here."

  "He can"--he indicated the detective. "He can go out at any time. Theydon't know he's in here. If we'd known you'd anybody with you we'd havecome another time. Your man said you were alone--quite alone, hesaid--and, well, we thought the fifty quid had squared him."

  Still holding my man tightly in the ju-jitsu grip, I again spoke quicklyto the detective.

  "Isn't he lying?" I asked. "Is it safe to let them go?"

  "Quite safe," he answered, without an instant's hesitation. "I know themboth. This fellow has been four times in jail--the first time wasseventeen years ago--he got fourteen months for burglary; the secondtime was thirteen years ago, for attempted murder, when he got fiveyears; the third was eleven years ago; the fourth was nine years back.He's got half a dozen aliases or more, and your man--let me see, yes,he's been once in jail: ten years for forgery, went in when he waseighteen and not been out above three years. It's safe to let themgo--quite safe--they've spoken straight this time, couldn't helpthemselves."

  While Albeury was speaking I had seen the men gasp. They were staring athim now with a look of abject terror. But still I held my man.

  "I don't like to risk it," I expostulated. "The whole tale may be aplant."

  "It's not, Mr. Berrington. I tell you they're straight this time,they've got to be to save their skins. I could put the 'Yard' on to themright away--but it wouldn't serve our purpose, the gang wouldthen escape."

  His revolver still covered the elder man's chest.

  "Hand out your gun," he said sharply, "and empty out your pockets--bothof you."

  Soon everything the men's pockets had contained lay upon the floor.Among the things were three pistols, two "jemmies," some curious littlebottles, and some queer-looking implements I couldn't guess the use of.Just then a thought occurred to me.

  "But they'd have robbed this flat," I said, "if what they say is true."

  "You are mistaken," Albeury answered. "They didn't come for robbery, buton a more serious errand--to put an end to you. I know the methods ofthis gang pretty well, I can assure you. You would have been found dead,and your man dead too most likely, and the circumstances attending yourdeath would all have pointed to suicide, or perhaps to accidental death.But we've not much time to spare. Come."

  He turned to the men.

  "Come over here, both of you," he said sharply, and signalled to me torelease my man. I did so. To my surprise, both men seemed cowed. Insilence, and without attempt at violence, they followed Albeury acrossto the escritoire. At that moment it was that the bell of the flat rangloudly. Without stirring, we stood expectantly waiting. I had unlockedthe door of the room, and presently Simon entered.

  "Mr. Osborne would like to see you, sir," he said in his usual tone ofdeference. "When I told him you had visitors he said he wouldn't comein. He's waiting at the door, sir."

  "Jack! Splendid!" I exclaimed. "The very man we want to see--yo
u haveheard me speak of Mr. Osborne, Albeury, and you know plenty about him."I turned to Simon. "Show him in here at once," I said. "If he stillhesitates, say I want particularly to see him."

  It seemed quite a long time since last I had met Osborne--on the nightwe had gone together, with poor Preston, to Willow Road, and hadafterwards been followed by Alphonse Furneaux. I had felt so annoyedwith Jack for becoming enamoured of Jasmine Gastrell after all we hadcome to know about her that I had felt in no hurry to renew myfriendship with him. But now circumstances had arisen, and things hadchanged. If he were still infatuated with the woman, we should, betweenthe lot of us, I thought, quickly be able to disillusion him.

  He looked rather serious as he entered, and glanced from one to anotherof us inquiringly. I introduced Albeury to him; as I mentionedAlbeury's name I saw the two scoundrels start. Evidently he was wellknown to them by name, and probably by repute.

  "As I was passing, I looked in," Osborne said, "as we haven't run acrosseach other for such a long time, but I don't know that I've got anythingin particular to say to you, and you seem to be engaged."

  "But I have something particular to say to you," I answered quickly,coming at once to the point, as Simon left the room and shut the doorbehind him. "You've made pretty much of a fool of yourself with thatGastrell woman, Jack," I went on, with difficulty restraining theindignation I felt. "You are largely responsible for terrible thingsthat have happened during the past few days--including the murder ofGeorge Preston."

  "Murder? The newspapers said it was suicide."

  "Of course they did--it was arranged that they should. Now listen,Jack," I continued seriously. "We are on the eve of what may prove to bea tremendous tragedy, of an event that in any case is going to make anenormous sensation--nothing less than the capture, or attempted capture,of the whole of the notorious and dangerous gang that a short time agoyou appeared to be so desperately anxious to bring to justice. These twomen," I indicated them, "belong to the gang in the sense that they areemployed by it; but they have now turned King's evidence."

  In a few words I outlined to him exactly what had happened. As I stoppedspeaking, Albeury interrupted.

  "And if you will now listen, Mr. Osborne," he said, "you will hear acomplete statement of facts which should interest you."

  With that he pulled a notebook out of his pocket, opened it, laid itflat on the escritoire and seated himself, producing his fountain pen.Both men stood beside him.

  Rapidly he cross-questioned them, writing quickly down in shorthandevery word they spoke. Almost endless were the questions he putconcerning the whole gang. One by one the name of each member of it wasentered in the notebook, followed by an address which, the men declared,would find him--or her. The number of members, we thus discovered,amounted to over twenty, of whom no less than eight were women. JasmineGastrell's career was described in detail, also Connie Stapleton's,Doris Lorrimer's, Bob Challoner's, Hugesson Gastrell's, and the careersof all the rest in addition. The names of some of these were known tous, but the majority were not. Incidentally we now found out thatHugesson Gastrell had never been in Australia, nor yet in Tasmania, andthat the story of his having been left a fortune by an uncle was whollywithout foundation. The natural son of well-to-do people in Yorkshire,he had been launched penniless on the world to make his way as best hecould, and the rapidity with which he had increased his circle ofacquaintance among rich and useful people from the time he had become amember of the gang had been not the least remarkable feature in hisextraordinary career.

  I shall never forget that cross-examination, or the rapidity with whichit was conducted. In the course of a quarter of an hour many mysterieswhich had long puzzled us were revealed, many problems solved. The womanwhose stabbed and charred body had been found among the _debris_ of thehouse in Maresfield Gardens burnt down on Christmas Eve was, it seemed,another of Gastrell's victims; he had stabbed her to death, and thehouse had been fired with a view to destroying all traces of the crime.Questioned further, the elder of the two scoundrels went on to statethat he had been in the house in Maresfield Gardens on the night thatOsborne and I had called there, just before Christmas, the night we haddriven up there from Brooks's Club on the pretext of Osborne's havingfound at the club a purse which he believed--so he had told the womanGastrell--to have been dropped by Hugesson Gastrell. Other members ofthe gang had been in the house at the time, the man said,--just beforewe entered they had been in the very room into which Jasmine Gastrellhad shown us when she had at last admitted us, which of course accountedfor the dirty tumblers I had noticed on the table, and the chair thathad felt hot when I sat in it. She had first opened the door to us, theman continued, under the impression that we were additional members ofthe gang whom she expected--our rings at the door had accidentallycoincided with the rings these men would have given. Then, at oncediscovering her mistake, and recognizing Osborne's voice, she had deemedit prudent to admit us, thinking thus to allay any suspicion her unusualreception might otherwise arouse in us.

  He told us, too, that the great cobra kept by Gastrell--he had owned itfrom the time it was a tiny thing a foot long--had once or twice beenused by him in connection with murders for which he had beenresponsible--it was far from being harmless, though Gastrell haddeclared to us that night that it couldn't harm anybody if it tried.Indeed, it seemed that his first intention had been to let it attack us,for he feared that our having recognized him might arouse our suspicionand indirectly lead to his arrest, and for that reason he had, while wewere left in darkness in the hall, opened the aperture in the wallthrough which it was allowed to pass into the room into which JasmineGastrell had then admitted us. But a little later, deeming that thecrime might be discovered in spite of all the precautions that he wouldhave taken to conceal it, he had suddenly changed his mind, unlocked thedoor, and come to our rescue at the last moment.

  The mysterious affair in Grafton Street had been arranged--they went onto say when threatened by Albeury with arrest if they refused to telleverything--by Hugesson Gastrell and two accomplices, the two men withwhom Osborne had entered into conversation on the night of Gastrell'sreception in Cumberland Place, and it was a member of the gang, whosename I had not heard before--the sole occupant of the house at thetime--who had questioned Osborne in the dark. Upon the unexpectedarrival of the police at Grafton Street this man had clambered through askylight in the roof, crawled along the roofs of several houses, andthere remained hidden until nightfall, when he had escaped down a"thieves' ladder," which is made of silk rope and so contrived that uponthe thief's reaching the ground he can detach it from the chimney-stackto which it has been fastened. Jasmine Gastrell herself it was who hadsent Dulcie the telegram signed with my name, her intention being todecoy me into the Grafton Street house, where I should have sharedOsborne's unpleasant experience. It was Gastrell who had murderedChurchill. Who had murdered Preston on board the boat, they declaredthey didn't know, nor could they say for certain who had inserted in thenewspaper the cypher messages disentangled by Dick, for Gastrell,Stapleton, Jasmine Gastrell, and other leaders of the gang were in thehabit of communicating with their crowd of confederates by means ofsecret codes. Incidentally they mentioned that Connie Stapleton was inreality Gastrell's wife, and that Jasmine was his mistress, thoughHarold Logan, found in the hiding-hole at Holt, had been madly inlove with her.

  "There," I said, turning to Jack Osborne as Albeury ended hiscross-examination, "now you've got it all in black and white. And that'sthe woman you've been fooling with and say you're going to marry--notmerely an adventuress, but a criminal who has herself instigated commonburglaries and has connived at and been an accessory to murders! Youmust be mad, Jack--stark, staring. For Heaven's sake get over yourabsurd infatuation."

  "It's not 'infatuation' on my side only, Mike," he answered, with acurious look that came near to being pathetic. "Jasmine is in love withme--she really is. It sounds absurd, I know, under the circumstances,but you know what women are and the extraordinary attachments t
heysometimes form--yes, even the worst of them. She's promised to startafresh, lead a straight life, if only I'll marry her; she has indeed,and, what's more, she'll do it."

  I heard Albeury snort, and even the scoundrels, who had stood by lookingon and listening, grinned.

  "In forty-eight hours she'll be arrested and sent to jail," I saidcalmly. "Don't be such an utter idiot, Jack!"

  He sprang to his feet.

  "Jasmine arrested!" he cried. "My God, she shan't be! I'll go to hernow! I'll warn her! I'll--"

  "You'll do nothing of the sort," Albeury interrupted. "We've a trap setfor the whole crew, more than twenty of them in all, and if you warnthat woman she'll tell the rest and then--"

  "Well, what?"

  "Our plan will be defeated--more than that, the whole lot of us in thisroom will be murdered as sure as I'm sitting here. You've heard thetruth about this gang from these two men. You know what a desperatecrowd they are; what they'd be like if they get their backs against thewall you ought to be able to guess. Mr. Osborne, unless you pledge yoursolemn word that you'll not warn Jasmine Gastrell, I shall be forced toretain you here. Mr. Berrington has told you that I am an internationalpolice detective. I have, under the circumstances, the power toarrest you."

  Osborne was evidently terribly upset. For a minute he sat, thinkingdeeply. A glance showed how madly in love he obviously was with thewoman. Looking at him, I wondered whether what he had said could by anypossibility be true--that Jasmine Gastrell had really lost her heart tohim. The idea, at first thought, seemed absurd, even grotesque,and yet--

  Suddenly Jack looked up.

  "Supposing," he said, speaking with great deliberation, "I pledge mysolemn word that I won't warn her of what you intend to do, or give herany reason to suspect that such a plot exists, and that I undertake totake her abroad with me and keep her there for one year from now--Ishall marry her at once--will you undertake that she shall leave thecountry unmolested, and be left unmolested?"

  I looked inquiringly at Albeury.

  "Yes," he said at once. "I agree to that--we both agree to it; that'sso, Mr. Berrington?"

  I nodded. A thing I liked about Albeury was that he made up his mindalmost instantly--that he never hesitated a moment.

  "All the same, Mr. Osborne," he added quickly, "you must pardon mysaying that I consider you barely sane. It's no business of mine, Iknow, but do for God's sake think what you are doing before you bindyourself for life to such a woman--think of it, _for life!_"

  "That's all right," Jack answered quietly. "Don't distress yourself. Iknow exactly what I am doing, and--"

  He paused, looking hard at Albeury.

  "From now onward," he said slowly, "Jasmine Gastrell will be a whollydifferent woman. I am going away with her at once, Albeury; to-morrow,at latest--we may even leave to-night. We shall not return to Englandfor a year--that I promise you. For a year I shall see neitherBerrington nor you nor any of my friends. But in a year's time you andBerrington and I, and Jasmine too, will meet again, and then--"

  The telephone in the flat rang loudly. Albeury sprang up. An instantlater he was in the hall, preventing Simon from answering the call.Quickly he returned, while the bell continued ringing.

  "What's your code--Morse?" he said sharply to the men.

  "No--secret," the elder man answered.

  "Quick, then--go; if it's not for you, say so."

  Carefully the man Albeury had cross-questioned unhooked the receiver. Heheld it to his ear, and an instant later nodded. Then, with the pencilwhich hung down by a string, he tapped the transmitter five times, withmeasured beat.

  Still holding the receiver to his ear, he conversed rapidly, by means oftaps, with his confederates at the other end. From where we stood, closeby, the taps at the other end were faintly audible. For nearly fiveminutes this conversation by code continued. Then the man hung up thereceiver and faced us.

  "I done it," he said. "Now me and my pal can get away from here atonce--and both of you," indicating Albeury and Osborne. "We shall meetour pals who've watched this house--we shall meet them in TottenhamCourt Road in half an hour. I've told them we've done out Mr. Berringtonand his man. They think you both dead. It's a deal, then?"

  "What's 'a deal'?" I asked.

  "That you and your man stick in here until after the gang has beentaken."

  "Yes, that's understood."

  "And that you won't answer any bell, or knock, nor any telephone, norshow any sign of life till after they've been took?"

  "Of course. That's all arranged."

  "Then we'll go, and--and good luck to you."

  A few moments later we heard them going down the stairs. At once Albeurycalled Osborne and myself into the room we had just left. Then he rangfor Simon.

  Everything was quickly settled. Albeury was to go at once to ScotlandYard and make arrangements for the arrest of the gang at Eldon Hall onthe following day but one; the arrival of the large body of detectivesthat would be needed would have, as he explained, to be planned with thegreatest secrecy. After that he would catch the night express to thenorth, and, on the following morning, himself call at Eldon Hall to seeLord Cranmere. He would not alarm him in the least, he said. He wouldtell him merely that there were suspicions of a proposed attemptedrobbery, and ask leave to station detectives.

  "And I'm to stay here with Simon, I suppose," I said despondently,"until everything is finished."

  "Not a bit of it," he answered. "Simon will stay here, and with him adetective who will arrive to-night at midnight. We may need you at EldonHall, and you must be there."

  "Meet you there? But I have promised those men that--besides, supposingthat I am seen."

  "As far as those scoundrels are concerned," he answered, "all they careabout is to save their wretched skins. You won't be seen, that I'llguarantee, but none the less you must be there--it's absolutelynecessary. A closed car will await you at the Bond Street Tube stationat three o'clock to-morrow morning. Ask the driver no questions--he willhave his orders."

  Some minutes later Albeury left us. Osborne had already gone. I toldSimon, who had been taken into our confidence, to pack a few necessariesin a small bag for me, and then, seated alone, smoking a cigar for thefirst time since my return, I allowed my thoughts to wander.