Samuel Boyd of Catchpole Square: A Mystery
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CHAPTER LVII.
DETECTIVE LAMBERT CONTINUES HIS DIARY.
On Monday morning Detective Lambert, as recorded in his diary,received Joseph Pitou's letter from Milan--this time written inFrench, which, being duly translated by Mrs. Lambert, caused theEnglish detective profound astonishment and delight. It was in keepingwith the literary methods he pursued that he did not insert the letterin his diary, and gave no intelligible account of its contents.Neither would it have been in accordance with his methods to haveomitted mysterious reference to it:
"Letter from Joseph Pitou, commencing, 'My Very Dear and VeryIllustrious Compatriot and Brother-in-arms,' which I look upon asforeign bunkum. I don't object to the 'illustrious,' but we Englishwould have put it differently.
"If I were not so closely mixed up with the Catchpole Square Mystery Ishould regard friend Joseph's letter as being copied out of a romance.It reads like romance. But it isn't; it is a chapter, or severalchapters, out of real life. It is a feather in one's cap to beconnected with such a character--not friend Joseph, but the game weare hunting. Big game. The idea of coming face to face with it isenough to scare a timid man, but that kind of risk doesn't scare anEnglishman. I won't do friend Joseph the injustice to say it mightscare him.
"He sends me the portrait of Louis Lorenz. The mischief of it is thatLorenz's face is covered with hair--a fine crop which in the presentinstance, I do not admire. When a criminal is condemned to death inGallicia don't they shave him? A felon loses his rights as a citizen,and his moustachios and whiskers are the property of the State.
"My man is clean shaven, but the blue shade on his chin and cheeksshow that he has a fine stiff crop of his own. So have hundreds ofthousands of other men. Still it is a link, though not a strong one.
"The point of resemblance is in the forehead and eyes. I took as cleara view as possible of his face, and I did not fail to observe that,whether by accident or design, he sat with his back to the light.True, he did not shift his chair to place himself in that position,but for all that I decide it was design and not accident. He seldomraised his eyes; when he did he found me ready for him. Now, if it hadbeen Applebee who sat opposite him----"
And here, presumably, Lambert broke off to indulge in a laugh.
Near midnight on the same day he continued his diary, but there was noreference to Joseph Pitou or Louis Lorenz.
"At three o'clock called on Dr. Pye. An old woman opened the door.'Dr. Pye at home?' I asked. 'Not at home,' she answered. 'Take my cardup to him,' I said. 'Not at home,' she repeated, and jammed my leg inthe door. I remonstrated. 'Take your leg away,' she said. Seeingthat she was determined, and having no authority to enter the house, Itook my leg away, and she slammed the door in my face. Faithfulcreature--and well paid for her services, I'll swear. Told the liewith a face of brass, for a lie it was. Dr. Pye was at home. Where ismy maid from Norfolk? She was seen to leave the house on Saturdaymorning. Cab at the door. Small japanned box brought out, containingher wardrobe. Cab drove off with box on the roof and my Norfolk maidinside. I ought to have had more than one man on the watch, for then Ishould have known where the cab drove to. Most probably to a railwaystation, to take my maid to her native village. Norfolk has manyvillages. Why was Dr. Pye so anxious to be rid of her? Answer--becauseshe did not slam the door in my face, as the old woman did.
"With the exception of two visits from Mr. Ezra Lynn (from thedescription given of the man there could be no mistake it was he)there has been nothing discovered. These visits were made on Saturdaynight and last night. On each occasion he came at eight o'clock. OnSaturday night he remained two hours, last night he remained three.Dr. Pye has not been seen to leave the house. From the tradesmen whocall there nothing has been learned. The establishment is carried onon ready money lines. Everything sent home is paid for at theservants' entrance. As a ready money customer Dr. Pye bears a goodname in the neighbourhood.
"I was not content with one visit to Dr. Pye to-day. At five o'clock Ipresented myself again--on official business. The same old womanopened the door. 'Dr. Pye at home?' 'Not at home.' 'I must see him.''Not at home.' There was no chance of my putting my leg inside; thedoor was on the chain. 'I serve this notice upon him,' I said,thrusting the paper into the old woman's hand. 'It is an order for himto appear as a witness at the Bishop Street Police Court next Fridaymorning, the 22nd of March, at eleven o'clock, to give evidence in thecase of the murder of Samuel Boyd.' The woman took the notice, andleft me alone once more on the wrong side of the door.
"I have treated Mr. Rawdon, the contentious juryman, to a sight of meon three separate occasions. Not a word have I addressed to him; Ihave simply given him to understand in a silent manner that he isunder observation. He does understand it, and does not appear to bevery comfortable.
"Where is Mr. Dick Remington? He has not been seen by any of my peoplesince Thursday last. Has he been spirited away? Is there anyconnection between his disappearance and the disappearance of AbelDeath? To both questions I answer, no. The notice of his absence stillremains on the house in Catchpole Square. Applebee informs me that thedoor of that house has not been opened from the day the notice wasposted on it. He is keeping close watch upon the house, and I amkeeping close watch upon him. When he makes a move, or discoversanything, I shall be at hand. Things can't remain in this quiet statemuch longer. Some time this week there will be a flare up. Don't youthink so?"