The Crime Club

by W. Holt-White

  CHAPTER IV

  THE RED-HAIRED WOMAN

  Westerham stood still gazing stupidly at the girl and holding out thejewels towards her.

  When he had recovered from his great surprise he moved a step nearer toher.

  "Madam," he said, "permit me to insist that you shall take these thingsback."

  Without a word the girl stretched out her hand and took the jewels fromhim. She hid them quickly in the folds of her cloak, and all the whilethe expression of amaze and fear on her face did not abate.

  At last she pointed to the man lying beneath the tree.

  "You have not killed him?" she asked, in a low voice.

  For answer, Westerham turned again and knelt at the fat man's side. Heinserted his hand skilfully over the unconscious man's heart, and thenrose to his feet again.

  "No," he said, almost with a laugh. "Just knocked him out; that is all.He will be all right directly, and I fancy he will be glad to walk awaywithout assistance. I imagine he is not a character who would care formuch fuss and attention at this time of the night."

  Again Westerham drew near to the girl and peered gravely and keenly,but at the same time with all deference, into her face.

  "I think," he said quietly, "that it will be better for you to walkaway while we are still undisturbed. If you will allow me, I willaccompany you to the gates of the park. If I may be permitted to sayso, it is hardly fitting that a lady in your position, carrying so muchproperty about with her, should be strolling around here unattended."

  His tones were so kind and so cheering, and suggested such a delicatesense of humour at the whole situation, that Lady Kathleen smiled backat him.

  "At least," she said, and now she almost laughed herself, "you are avery sturdy escort."

  Westerham said not another word except, "This is the way," and then,guiding the girl through the trees, he reached the main path and helpedLady Kathleen to step over the low iron railing; thence he piloted herthrough a throng of quite incurious people to Hyde Park Corner.

  She walked beside him without saying anything at all, apparentlysatisfied to be in his charge; and she made no demur when, on reachingthe street, Westerham hailed a passing taxicab.

  The man drew up at the kerb, and opening the door, Westerham assistedthe girl to enter.

  Then he leant forward into the darkness of the cab and said earnestly:

  "I trust you will permit me to see you safely on your road. Apparentlyone never knows what may happen in London, and, believe me, I have nowish you should suffer a second adventure such as the one through whichyou have just passed."

  "Thank you," said Lady Kathleen in a scarcely audible voice. "If youwill see me as far as Trafalgar Square I shall be glad."

  Giving the order "Trafalgar Square!" Westerham entered the cab.

  They drove in complete silence along Piccadilly, down St. James'sStreet, and through Pall-Mall, and rapidly approached the Nelsonmonument. As the lights of the Grand Hotel came into view, Westerhamleaned towards the girl and said very gravely:

  "Do you think Trafalgar Square is near enough to your home? Had I notbetter tell the man to put you down at the corner of Downing Street?"

  The girl gave a quick gasp, and then a stifled cry.

  Westerham could see her eyes shining in the dimly-lit little vehicle.

  "What do you know?" she cried.

  "If you mean," answered Westerham, "what do I know of the fat man andthe jewels and your mission in Hyde Park--nothing. I give you my wordI know nothing at all. But I do know you are Lady Kathleen Carfax, andthat your father is Prime Minister of England, and that, without anyhigh-flown sentiments, it is at least my duty to see you reach home insafety."

  Obedient to Westerham's instructions, the cabman had pulled up at thekerb beneath the monument.

  "If you are sure," said Westerham, "that you would rather alight here,of course I must defer to your wishes. But at least permit me to followyou at a respectful distance down Whitehall. I cannot tell why, but Ifeel uneasy about the last stages of your journey."

  Turning towards him, the girl held out her hand impulsively.

  "Thank you," she said. "Thank you. I cannot tell you how much I thankyou. You are evidently a gentleman. I ask you as a gentleman not tomention to anyone in the world what you have seen or heard to-night.Believe me," she added with a catch in her voice, "that to-night'sdoings concern the honour of the best, and, as I think, the greatest,man in this country. I mean my father."

  Westerham bowed.

  "You may trust me absolutely," he said. "I give you my word of honourthat not one single word of this shall pass my lips. But may I saysomething else? May I be allowed to make an offer of help? I havemoney, I have many resources at my command. I would willingly pledgemyself to serve you in any way. I should be only too proud, too glad,to help."

  "No, no!" cried the girl, sharply, and with a note almost of agony inher voice.

  The distress in the girl's tones was so real that Westerham made nofurther effort to persuade her.

  He opened the door of the taxicab and assisted Lady Kathleen to stepout.

  Then, having paid the cabman, he turned to her side again.

  "If you will allow me," he said, "I will at least see you across theroad," and he made this suggestion with some justification, for thelate after-theatre traffic was now streaming westwards.

  At the top of Whitehall he turned, and lifting his hat, stood waitingfor Lady Kathleen to take leave of him. Once more she stretched out herhand impulsively, and he took it in his own.

  "Thank you," she said, in the same low, earnest voice, "thank you againand again."

  "So far as I am concerned," said Westerham, "You may rely on myabsolute silence--if only," he added with a little smile, "becausethere is really no one in London with whom I'm on speaking terms."

  Lady Kathleen nodded her head and searched his face with her seriouseyes. Then she turned and walked quickly away.

  As for Westerham, he ran quickly across to the further side of theroadway that he might watch Lady Kathleen's progress to Downing Street,for he was still fearful that she might meet with further molestation.He saw, however, that she reached the corner of the famous little_cul-de-sac_ in safety, and, moreover, that she was saluted by anapparently surprised and startled policeman.

  As Westerham walked back to Walter's Hotel he was in a most perplexedstate of mind. Was it possible that he had stepped suddenly into themidst of some tragic mystery? Was it possible that it was real andactual sorrow and horror that had made the eyes of the girl in thepicture--the eyes of the girl who had drawn him back to England--sowistful and so beckoning?

  That a girl in Lady Kathleen Carfax's position might be suffering someprofound grief, or might be the centre of some bit of distressingfamily history, might well be conceived. But what should take thedaughter of the Prime Minister of England to Hyde Park after dark, andwhat extraordinary combination of inappropriate events could possiblycause her to seek the silence of such a man as he had left insensible?

  Melun? It was possible that he was connected with the mystery.Westerham now remembered the man's cynical and confident smile when hehad so unwisely boasted to him that he proposed to marry Lady Kathleen.

  If Melun were really implicated in this business, then the methodsof his villainy must be far more complicated than Westerham hadanticipated. Only a very extraordinary conspiracy indeed could possiblyhave taken the Prime Minister's daughter into the park at such an hour.

  From Westerham's own personal experience Melun was a very prince ofblackmailers. Indeed, he had not troubled to deny the accusation whenWesterham had made it. But even the nimble imagination of Westerhamhad not foreseen the possibility of blackmailing the Prime Minister,at whose back were all the forces of the law, including a discreet andsilent and swiftly-acting Scotland Yard.

  Westerham sat far into the night, turning all these things over in hismind; and the more he pondered over them the more convinced he becamethat Melun must be in some way im
plicated, if indeed he were not theoriginator of the whole business.

  It was, however, upon what matter Melun could possibly blackmail LordPenshurst that caused Westerham the most perplexity.

  Obviously it was not some minor question of personal honour whichinvolved the necessity of maintaining some sordid and disgracefulsecret, or obviously Lord Penshurst's daughter would not be risking herpersonal safety, and to a great extent her reputation, by making such avisit to the park.

  No; evidently the matter involved some great State secret, concerningwhich the Prime Minister had sought the confidence and assistance ofhis daughter. Yet Westerham could not altogether understand how thismight be, because he could not conceive any matter of State which itwould not be better to trust to the Secret Service than to a young girl.

  Whatever it might be, the mystery embraced Lady Kathleen; and with thesingle-hearted desire to assist her, Westerham determined, whether itpleased her or not, that he would range himself on her side.

  To do this, however, it would be necessary to discover what the mysterywas, and he was still far from the solution when he fell asleep.

  On the morrow he rose early, and sat till lunch-time in thereading-room holding a paper before him, but in reality setting upand then demolishing a thousand and one theories to account for LadyKathleen's plight.

  He had sent for Melun, and while he waited for him he debated withhimself as to whether or not he should tax the captain with complicityin the matter. Finally he decided against such a course, seeing that anaffair of such a magnitude as that in which Lady Kathleen was entangledmust of a certainty outweigh in value even the great financialinducements with which he had sought to attach Melun to himself.

  Finally Sir Paul resolved to cease his exploration of London andbegin his exploration of the devious paths of Captain Melun, with theturnings and twistings of which he was still unacquainted.

  It was quite possible that for the better conduct of his campaignagainst the Prime Minister Melun might require a certain amount ofready money, and in return for that ready money the captain might beled into showing Westerham sufficient of his life to enable the baronetto grasp and understand the mystery of Lady Kathleen.

  When at last Captain Melun came up after lunch Westerham greeted himcoldly--so coldly that the captain raised his eyebrows.

  "It seems," he said, "that you are not in a very good humour. Is Londonbeginning to bore you?"

  Sir Paul looked at him sharply. "No," he said, thoughtfully, "not inthe least, though I confess that I have to some extent exhausted itsordinary attractions. Now I propose to plunge a little deeper into itssecrets and its mysteries. In this direction I am, of course, lookingto you to help me."

  The captain nodded. "Quite so," he agreed, "but I hope you realise thatup to the present I have had nothing but your promises of favours tocome--and times are hard."

  For answer, the baronet took out his pocket-book and counted out tenone-hundred-pound notes upon the table.

  "This," he said, "should be a sufficient guarantee of my good faithfor the present. Mark you, I have had some experience of your kindbefore, and I do not propose to pay down a lump sum for services whichyou may subsequently find it inconvenient to render.

  "Now I will come to the point at once. I don't propose to spend athousand pounds for nothing--and when I say nothing, I mean forthe privilege of knowing you alone. I am desirous of making theacquaintance of your friends and colleagues at once."

  Melun laughed, showing his fine teeth. "I have not the slightestobjection," he said, "and, as a matter of fact, you have chosen aparticularly convenient day, for it is on Wednesdays that the heads ofmy business meet to discuss a few personal matters.

  "To-day I will not disguise from you the fact that the discussion willbe yourself. I have made known some details of your offer--but notall of them, because my friends are not so gifted with imaginationas myself, and I must confess that your proposal is regarded withconsiderable suspicion."

  The captain moved aside and looked thoughtfully out of the window for afew moments; then he turned round on his heel sharply.

  "I will be perfectly frank with you," he said with an amazingly goodattempt at breezy honesty. "All of my friends are not particularly nicepeople, and if they had any idea that you were likely to play themfalse, not even the consideration of tapping your vast wealth wouldrestrain them from putting you out of the way."

  "There is such a thing," said Westerham, lightly, "as killing thegoose which lays the golden eggs."

  "Yes," said the captain, gravely, "but even a supply of golden eggs maybe retained at too dear a price.

  "However," he went on with an air of gaiety, "this is rather tooserious a matter to consider to-day. I simply intended to throw out akindly hint."

  "I'm sure you are very good," said Westerham with a fine sarcasm. "Ihad not looked for you to be so completely considerate."

  "I am sorry," said the captain, "to ask you to a meal which goes illwith your present position, but, truth to tell, as the evening isalways a busy time with us, we find it more convenient to discuss ourplans over high tea."

  He took out his watch and looked at it thoughtfully. "If we start nowwe shall be at Herne Hill at about five o'clock--that will suit usadmirably." "Very well," said the baronet, picking up his hat, "I amready to go when you are."

  At the hall door Sir Paul stopped and looked out into the street, andwas in the act of hailing a passing cab when the captain stayed hishand.

  "Oh, no," he said, with a quiet laugh; "we take no cabs to Herne Hillfrom here. You will find it far more convenient to take a tram whenthere is a possibility that your movements are being followed withattention."

  Without another word he led the way down the Embankment, and on toWestminster Bridge, where the two men took a car to the Elephant andCastle.

  From this point the captain took an omnibus, and twenty minutes laterthey were in the pretty and innocent and homely suburb of Herne Hill.

  Stepping ahead with quick and unhesitating strides, Melun led the wayup a long avenue, and turned into the gate of a pleasant garden, inwhich there stood a substantial red-brick house.

  On his ringing the bell the door was opened by a German man-servant,and a moment later they were shown into a prettily-furnisheddrawing-room of the suburban type.

  From a seat by the fire there arose an elderly lady dressed in decorousblack silk. This was the hostess, Mrs. Bagley. Her face was broad andflat, and she had a pair of little black eyes that danced and glinted.Her grey hair was neatly parted beneath a black lace cap. Altogethershe looked a particularly respectable middle-aged British matron. Heraspect, indeed, was so completely precise and prim, that when he turnedfrom shaking hands with her, Sir Paul was almost taken aback at theutter contrast which the other woman in the room presented to Mrs.Bagley.

  The other woman must in her time have been out of the common beautiful.She was beautiful even now, though her eyes were very tired and herface when in repose was hard and set. Her hair would have at oncearoused suspicion that it was dyed, for it was lustrous and brilliantas burnished copper. But the suspicion would have been withoutjustification, in the same way as would have been the notion that thevery pronounced colour on the woman's cheeks was artificial too.

  "Madame Estelle," said Melun, by way of introduction, and hisheavy-lidded eyes glanced quickly from the red-haired woman to SirPaul. He noted with considerable satisfaction that the baronet wasevidently much struck by the beauty of Estelle.

  The third occupant of the room was a tall young man of the mostunpleasant appearance.

  He had very light blue eyes, closely set together, and a large, red,hawk-like nose. His hands were large and red, with immense knuckles andbrutal, short, stubbed nails. Westerham took one of the huge red handswith a little shudder. It was cold and clammy and strong as a vice.

  "If ever," thought the baronet to himself, "I have touched the hand ofa murderer, I have touched one now."

  The tall young man sat down by
the window and carefully watched thebaronet with his narrow, light blue eyes. The quick gaze of the elderlymatron glinted and flashed all over Westerham's face. The captainlooked at him sidelong. The red-haired woman alone gazed at him openlyand frankly with eyes that were almost honestly blue.

  There was a little pause while conversation hung fire. There wasnothing for this curious collection of human beings to talk aboutexcept the baronet himself, and on this subject their tongues had to besilent as long as he remained.

  Suddenly the door opened, and a portly man with a sallow, greasy facecame quickly in. He stood still, with his hand on the panel of thedoor, and gave a short, quick gasp which caused the captain to look athim sharply.

  And schooled as he was against the betrayal of any feeling, Westerhamhimself nearly uttered an exclamation, for the man who had entered theroom so suddenly was the fat man out of whom he had knocked the sensethe night before.

  The fat man closed the door behind him gently, and came into the centreof the room.

  "Sir Paul," said Captain Melun, "allow me to present Mr. Bagley. Mr.Bagley is the manager of a branch of a great bank, and acts as ourfinancier."

  Mr. Bagley's sallow and greasy countenance broke into a hideouslyaffable smile. Westerham found himself shaking hands with the man whoheld Lady Kathleen's secret.

  The pause which followed this introduction became so embarrassingthat Mrs. Bagley suggested that they should go in to tea; and in acheerful dining-room Westerham found himself looking curiously at thecollection of tea and coffee pots, whisky decanters, bacon and eggs,and muffins and cakes, which were spread promiscuously on the cleanwhite tablecloth.

  The conversation turned on many things, but for the most part uponthe weather. When the little party had eaten and drunk their fill thecaptain rapped sharply on the table.

  There was complete silence, in which Melun rose, and having firstclosed the window he afterwards opened the door to satisfy himself thatno one listened without.

  He then returned to his seat at the table and spoke quickly and in alow voice.

  "I have told you," he said rapidly, "how I met Sir Paul."

  The baronet could not resist the luxury of a sardonic little smile.

  Melun saw it and winced, but went boldly on with his subject.

  "It is quite excusable," he said, "for the richest man on the earth todesire to indulge his whims, and if we can assist Sir Paul to humourhis, to his own advantage and ours, then so much the better for us all.The terms which Sir Paul has offered are generous to a degree, whilethe risks we run are slight. Sir Paul has not pressed us in any way. Hedesired in return for the money he was about to hand over to us to makethe acquaintance--of my friends. He has now met them, and I trust thathe is at least satisfied."

  Westerham bowed.

  "For the present, therefore," the captain continued, "there remainsnothing to be said and nothing to be done. We, of course, have severalthings to discuss, and I am sure that Sir Paul will not take it amissif we ask him to excuse us. It is quite impossible for him to take partin our counsels. There is no immediate hurry, but still we must talkmatters over before it is much later."

  Westerham rose to his feet. Truth to tell, he desired to shake off thedust of Herne Hill, not so much to enable Captain Melun's extraordinaryfriends to discuss their plans, but because he was sufficiently boredto wish to leave them.

  To Westerham's surprise, however, Mme. Estelle rose too.

  "My carriage is, I think, waiting for me," she said in an almost gentlevoice, "and if Sir Paul will allow me I will drive him back."

  Melun gave both the red-haired woman and the baronet a distinctly uglylook. He was, indeed, about to raise some objection when Mme. Estellespoke again.

  "I will see you to-morrow," she said, turning quickly towards him.

  Melun bit his lips, but said nothing, though he followed her and thebaronet out of the room and saw them to the carriage, which was awell-appointed, quiet little brougham drawn by a well-bred bay.

  Westerham was somewhat puzzled by all that had taken place, but he had,at any rate, quickly divined that Mme. Estelle stood in no particularfear of Melun, and both for reasons of vanity and policy he determinedto show her that he himself could, as a matter of fact, exercise someauthority over the evil-looking captain.

  Westerham thrust his head out of the carriage as it was driving awayand said sharply to Melun, "I shall expect you to-morrow at noon."

  For quite a while they drove north in silence. It was not, indeed,until they were passing through Regent Street that Mme. Estelle turnedto Westerham and spoke the first word.

  "Forgive my being so blunt," she said, "but I think you are playing anexceedingly dangerous game."

  "What it is possible for a woman to do is possible for me to do," saidWesterham.

  The woman sighed. "Ah, yes, possible," she said, "and yet with youand with me things are quite different. You have nothing to gain andeverything to lose--I have nothing to lose at all."

  They drove on again in silence--a long silence, during which Westerhamturned many things over in his mind, and the conclusion he came to wasthat it would be well to have this woman for his friend.

  They were driving past the graveyard of the St. John's Wood Chapel whenhe turned to her almost sharply and said, "Are you sure that I havenothing to gain?"

  Mme. Estelle turned and looked at him quickly, and her eyes werestartled; the brilliant colour had left her face.

  "What do you mean?" she cried. "You are Sir Paul, aren't you?"

  "Madam," said Westerham, almost gently, "I'm sorry if I startled you.Those who run great risks always imagine that the greatest object ofevery other person is to accomplish their downfall. I assure you thatno such motive prompted me in making the bargain I have made withMelun."

  "Then," said the woman, "you can have no aim unless it be mere idlecuriosity?"

  Westerham said nothing for the moment, but five minutes later, asthough he were resuming a conversation which had been abruptly brokenoff, he said, "I am not so sure."

  The carriage had now passed out of the Finchley Road into a quiet_cul-de-sac_, and had drawn up before a high wooden door let into agarden wall.

  Westerham assisted Mme. Estelle to alight. She asked him to ring thebell, which he did, and a second later the garden door opened by someunseen agency.

  When she had stepped into the garden, Mme. Estelle beckoned toWesterham to follow her, and he stepped into the garden and stoodbeside her.

  She closed the door to, glanced over her shoulder to see that she wasnot observed, and then caught Westerham by the coat.

  "Sir Paul," she cried in a low voice, "you are a young man. Do notdestroy your life for a piece of folly. Cut yourself adrift from thiswhile there is still time."

  Westerham took her hand and looked at her kindly. "Thank you," hesaid; "thank you very much. But I am not only moved by folly to go onwith this business. Some day I may explain to you. I do not know that Iparticularly care for going on, but there is no drawing back now."