The Orange-Yellow Diamond
Page 36
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
PILMANSEY'S TEA ROOMS
Two hours later, it being then a quarter-to-one o'clock, Purdie andLauriston got out of a taxi-cab at the north-end of Tottenham CourtRoad and walked down the right-hand side of that busy thoroughfare,keeping apparently careless but really vigilant eyes open for a firstglimpse of the appointed rendezvous. But Pilmansey's Tea Rooms requiredlittle searching out. In the midst of the big modern warehouses,chiefly given up to furniture and upholstery, there stood at that timea block of old property which was ancient even for London. Thebuildings were plainly early eighteenth century: old redbrick erectionswith narrow windows in the fronts and dormer windows in the high,sloping roofs. Some of them were already doomed to immediatedismantlement; the tenants had cleared out, there were hoardings raisedto protect passers-by from falling masonry, and bills and posters onthe threatened walls announced that during the rebuilding, businesswould be carried on as usual at some other specified address. ButPilmansey's, so far, remained untouched, and the two searchers saw thatcustomers were going in and out, all unaware that before evening theirfavourite resort for a light mid-day meal would attain a fame andnotoriety not at all promised by its very ordinary and commonplaceexterior.
"An excellent example of the truth of the old saying that you shouldnever judge by appearances, Andie, my man!" remarked Purdie, as theytook a quick view of the place. "Who'd imagine that crime, darksecrets, and all the rest of it lies concealed behind this?--behind thepromise of tea and muffins, milk and buns! It's a queer world, thisLondon!--you never know what lies behind any single bit of the wholemicrocosm. But let's see what's to be seen inside."
The first thing to be seen inside the ground floor room into which theystepped was the man from New Scotland Yard, who, in company withanother very ordinary-looking individual was seated at a little tablejust inside the entrance, leisurely consuming coffee and beefsandwiches. He glanced at the two men as if he had never seen them inhis life, and they, preserving equally stolid expressions with creditif not with the detective's ready and trained ability, passed furtheron--only to recognize Levendale and Stephen Purvis, who had foundaccommodation in a quiet corner half-way down the room. They, too,showed no signs of recognition, and Purdie, passing by them, steeredhis companion to an unoccupied table and bade him be seated.
"Let's get our bearings," he whispered as they dropped into theirseats. "Looks as innocent and commonplace within as it appearedwithout, Andie. But use your eyes--it ought to make good copy for you,this."
Lauriston glanced about him. The room in which they sat was a long,low-ceiling apartment, extending from the street door to a sort ofbar-counter at the rear, beyond which was a smaller room that wasevidently given up to store and serving purposes. On the counter wereset out provisions--rounds of beef, hams, tongues, bread, cakes,confectionery; behind it stood two men whom the watchers at once setdown as the proprietors. Young women, neatly gowned in black andwearing white caps and aprons, flitted to and fro between the counterand the customers. As for the customers they were of both sexes, andthe larger proportion of them young. There was apparently no objectionto smoking at Pilmansey's--a huge cloud of blue smoke ascended frommany cigarettes, and the scent of Turkish tobacco mingled with thefragrance of freshly-ground coffee. It was plain that Pilmansey's wasthe sort of place wherein you could get a good sandwich, good tea orcoffee, smoke a cigarette or two, and idle away an hour in lightchatter with your friends between your morning and afternoon labours.
But Lauriston's attention was mainly directed to the two men who stoodbehind the bar-counter, superintending and directing their neatassistants. Sly, smooth, crafty men--so they had been described by Mr.Mori Yada: Lauriston's opinion coincided with that of the Japanese, onfirst, outer evidence and impression. They were middle-aged, plump menwho might be, and probably were, twins, favouring mutton chop whiskers,and good linen and black neckcloths--they might have been strong,highly-respectable butlers. Each had his coat off; each wore a spotlesslinen apron; each wielded carving knives and forks; each was busy incarving plates of ham or tongue or beef; each contrived, while thusengaged, to keep his sharp, beady eyes on the doings in the room infront of the counter. Evidently a well-to-do, old-established business,this, and highly prosperous men who owned it: Lauriston wondered thatthey should run any risks by hiding away a secret opium den somewhereon their ancient premises.
In the midst of their reflections one of the waitresses came to thetable at which the two friends sat: Lauriston quicker of wit thanPurdie in such matters immediately ordered coffee and sandwiches anduntil they came, lighted a cigarette and pretended to be at ease,though he was inwardly highly excited.
"It's as if one were waiting for an explosion to take place!" hemuttered to Purdie. "Even now I don't know what's going to happen."
"Here's Ayscough, anyway," said Purdie. "He looks as if nothing wasabout to happen."
Ayscough, another man with him, was making his way unconcernedly downthe shop. He passed the man from New Scotland Yard without so much as awink: he ignored Levendale and Stephen Purvis; he stared blankly atPurdie and Lauriston, and led his companion to two vacant seats nearthe counter. And they had only just dropped into them when in came Mr.Killick, with John Purvis and Guyler and slipped quietly into seats inthe middle of the room. Here then, said Lauriston to himself, wereeleven men, all in a secret--and there were doubtless others amongstthe company whom he did not know.
"But where's Melky Rubinstein?" he whispered suddenly. "I should havethought he'd have turned up--he's been so keen on finding things out."
"There's time enough yet," answered Purdie. "It's not one. I don't seethe Jap, either. But--here's the Inspector--done up in plain clothes."
The Inspector came in with a man whom neither Purdie nor Lauriston hadever seen before--a quietly but well-dressed man about whom there was adistinct air of authority. They walked down the room to a table nearthe counter, ordered coffee and lighted cigarettes--and the two youngScotsmen, watching them closely, saw that they took a careful lookround as if to ascertain the strength of their forces. And suddenly, asLauriston was eating his second sandwich, the Inspector rose, quietlywalked to the counter and bending over it, spoke to one of thewhite-aproned men behind.
"The game's begun!" whispered Lauriston. "Look!"
But Purdie's eyes were already fixed on the Pilmanseys, whom herecognized as important actors in the drama about to be played. One ofthem slightly taller, slightly greyer than the other, was leaningforward to the Inspector, and was evidently amazed at what was beingsaid to him, for he started, glanced questioningly at his visitor,exchanged a hurried word or two with him and then turned to hisbrother. A second later, both men laid down their great knives andforks, left their counter, and beckoned the Inspector to follow theminto a room at the rear of the shop. And the Inspector in his turn,beckoned Ayscough with a mere glance, and Ayscough in his, made aninviting movement to the rest of the party.
"Come on!" said Purdie. "Let's hear what's happening."
The proprietors of the tea-rooms had led the Inspector and the man whowas with him into what was evidently a private room--and when Lauristonand Purdie reached the door they were standing on the hearth rug, sideby side, each in a very evident state of amazement, staring at adocument which the Inspector was displaying to them. They looked upfrom it to glance with annoyance, at the other men who came quietly andexpectantly crowding into the room.
"More of your people?" asked the elder man, querulously. "Look here,you know!--we don't see the need for all this fuss, not for yourinterrupting our business in this way! One or two of you, surely, wouldhave been enough without bringing a troop of people on to ourpremises--all this is unnecessary!"
"You'll allow us to be the best judge of what's necessary and whatisn't, Mr. Pilmansey," retorted the Inspector. "There'll be no fuss, nobother--needn't be, anyway, if you tell us what we want to know, anddon't oppose us in what we've got power to do. Here's awarrant--granted on certain information--
to search your premises. Ifyou'll let us do that quietly."
"But for what reason?" demanded the younger man. "Our premises, indeed!Been established here a good hundred years, and never a word againstus. What do you want to search for?"
"I'll tell you that at once," answered the Inspector. "We want a youngChinaman, one Chang Li, who, we are informed, is concealed here, andhas valuable stolen property on him. Now, then, do you know anythingabout him? Is he here?"
The two men exchanged glances. For a moment they remained silent--thenthe elder man spoke, running his eye over the expectant faces watchinghim.
"Before I say any more," he answered, "I should just like to know whereyou got your information from?"
"No!" replied the Inspector, firmly. "I shan't tell you. But I'll tellyou this much--this Chang Li is wanted on a very serious charge as itis, and we may charge him with something much more serious. We'vepositive information that he's here--and I'm only giving you soundadvice when I say that if he is here, you'll do well to show us wherehe is. Now, come, Mr. Pilmansey, is he here?"
The elder Pilmansey shook his head--but the shake was more one of doubtthan of denial.
"I can't say," he answered. "He might be."
"What's that mean?" demanded the Inspector. "Might be? Surely you knowwho's in your own house!"
"No!" said the elder man, "I can't say. It's this way--we've a certainnumber of foreigners come here. There are few--just a few--Chinese andJapanese--medical students, you know. Now, some time ago--a couple ofyears ago--some of them asked us if we couldn't let them have three orfour rooms at the top of the house in which to start a sort of littleclub of their own, so that they could have a place for their meetings,you understand. They were all quiet, very respectable young fellows--sowe did. They have the top floor of this house. They furnished andfitted it up themselves. There's a separate entrance--at the side ofthe shop. Each of them has a latch-key of his own. So they can go inand out as they like--they never bother us. But, as a matter of fact,there are only four or five of them who are members now--the othershave all left. That's the real truth--and I tell you I don't know ifMr. Chang Li might be up there or not. We know nothing about what theydo in their rooms--they're only our tenants."
"Let me ask you one question," said the Inspector, "Have either of youever been in those rooms since you let them to these people!"
"No!" answered the elder man. "Neither of us--at anytime!"
"Then," commanded the Inspector, "I'll thank you to come up with us tothem--now!"