The Place of Dragons: A Mystery

by William Le Queux

  CHAPTER X

  CONTAINS A CLUE

  At once I knew that some startling incident had happened.

  Dr. Sladen, called by the police, entered the room a few momentsafterwards, whereupon I turned to him, and in order to allay any unduecuriosity, said--

  "My man has been taken ill, doctor. Exhaustion, I suppose. He's a greatwalker, and, unknown to me, has apparently been out for a night ramble."

  "Ah, yes," answered the quiet, old-fashioned medical man, peering at theinvalid through his glasses.

  Slowly he took Rayner's pulse, and then said--

  "Heart a little weak, I suppose. There's nothing really wrong--eh?"

  "I think not. He was talking to me only a few moments ago, and thensuddenly fainted. Been on a long ramble, I should think."

  "At night, eh?" asked the doctor in some surprise.

  "It is a habit of his to walk at night. He does the same thing inLondon--walks miles and miles."

  We dashed cold water into Rayner's face, gave him a smelling-bottlebelonging to one of the maids, and very soon he came round again,opening his eyes in wonder at his surroundings.

  "Here's Doctor Sladen," I said. "You feel better now, don't you,Rayner?"

  "Yes, sir," was his feeble reply.

  "Ah, you've been on one of your night rambles again," I saidreprovingly. "You over-do it, you know."

  Then Sladen asked him a few questions, and finding that he hadrecovered, shook my hand and left.

  The instant the door was closed upon the doctor Rayner sat up, and witha serious expression upon his face said--

  "Something has happened, sir. I don't know what. I'll tell you all Iknow. I went up to the railway arch as you directed, and lay down in thehedge to wait. After a long time the foreigner from the Overstrand Roadcame along, lit a cigar, and waited. He was wearing an overcoat, and Isuppose he must have waited a full half-hour, until, at last, thecyclist came. They had a brief talk. Then the cyclist left his cycleabout fifty yards from where I was in hiding, and both men set offtowards the town. I, of course, followed at a decent distance, and theydidn't hear me because of the rubber soles on my boots."

  "Well, what then?" I inquired impatiently.

  "They separated just against the _Albion_, and then followed one anotherpast the church, and to the left, behind this hotel, and along to thehouse where the dead man lived--the house you pointed out to me. Closeby they met another man who, in the darkness, I took to be a chauffeur.But I had, then, to draw back into a doorway to watch their movements.The chap I took to be a chauffeur, after a few words with the twoforeigners, came along in my direction, and passed within a yard of me,when of a sudden he turned and faced me. 'What are you doing here?' heasked quickly. 'Nothing,' was my reply. 'Then take that for yourinquisitiveness,' he said, and in a second I felt something over both mynose and mouth. It was only for a second, but I recollect I smelt astrong smell of almonds; and then I knew no more, nothing until I foundmyself here."

  "That's most extraordinary!" I exclaimed. "Then you don't know whatbecame of the three men?"

  "Not in the least, sir," Rayner replied. "I was so thoroughly takenaback, that I must have gone down like a log."

  "Then, that's all you know?"

  "Yes, sir."

  Scarcely had he finished relating his strange adventure than InspectorTreeton entered, and greeting me, explained how Rayner had been found bya constable, lying senseless, about three miles out of the town on theroad to Holt.

  By that I knew he must have been conveyed there, probably by amotor-car, driven by the chauffeur who had so mysteriously attacked him,apparently at the foreigners' orders. It was Jeanjean's work, no doubt.The Frenchman had seemingly eyes at the back of his head, and hadevidently detected that his actions were being spied upon.

  To the police inspector I made no mystery of the affair, merelyreplying, as I had to the doctor, that my manservant was in the habit oftaking long walks, long nocturnal rambles, and that he evidently hadoverdone it.

  "Doctor Sladen has already been here and seen him," I added. "He sayshe's quite right again."

  This satisfied the highly-esteemed local inspector, and presently heleft us, expressing the hope that Rayner would very soon be himself oncemore.

  "Well," I said to my man when the inspector had gone, "it's evident thatwhile you were unconscious they picked you up, put you in the car, andtipped you out upon the road outside the town. Perhaps they believed youto be dead."

  "Like enough, sir," he said, smiling grimly.

  "They evidently trapped you, Rayner," I said, laughing. "You were notsharp enough."

  "But, who'd have thought that the fellow could have come straight forme, and rendered me insensible in a tick--as he did?" asked my man as helay, still extended on the bed, a dirty, dishevelled figure. "I know Iwas caught, sir; those men were cleverer than I was, I admit."

  "Yes, Rayner," was my reply. "I don't blame you in the least. I'm onlyglad that your plight isn't worse. The men had a motor-car, it seems, attheir disposal somewhere, and they went in the direction of Holt."

  "That appears so, sir."

  "Why, I wonder? Bertini probably obtained his machine and followed thecar. They must have gone either through Wells and Fakenham, or EastDereham."

  "Back to Norwich, perhaps, sir. All roads from here seem to lead toNorwich."

  "But you say the incident happened close to Beacon House, where oldGregory lived--eh?"

  "Yes, sir."

  "Then they objected to you being present. Evidently something wasintended and you prevented it."

  "No. Perhaps I didn't prevent it. They prevented me instead."

  Rayner was a bit of a humorist.

  "Quite likely," I answered, smiling. But I was full of chagrin that Ihad been out all night, waiting on that lonely road, while thatmysterious affair had been in progress.

  "Well, at any rate, Rayner, you've had a very funny experience," I said,with a laugh.

  "And not the first, sir, eh?" he replied, stretching lazily on the bed."Do you recollect that funny case at Pegli, just outside Genoa? My word,those two assassins nearly did me in that night, sir."

  "And three nights later we gave them over to agents of the Department ofPublic Security," I said. "Yes, Rayner, you had a tough half-hour, Iknow. But you're an adventurer, like myself. As long as we solve amystery we don't regret the peril, or the adventure, do we?"

  "No, sir. I don't--as long as you give a guiding eye over it. But Itell you straight, sir, I don't like detectives. They're chumps, most of'em."

  "No. Don't condemn them," I said. "Rather condemn the blind and sillypolice system of England. The man who snares a rabbit gets a convictionrecorded against him, while the shark in the city pays toll to the Partyand becomes a Baronet. I'm no socialist," I added, "but I believe inhonesty in our daily life. Honesty in man, and modesty in woman, are thetwo ideals we should always retain, even in this age of degeneracy andirreligion."

  "I think the local police are blundering the whole of this affair,"Rayner went on. "Yet I can't make out by what means I was so suddenlyput out of action. That curious, strong smell of almonds puzzles me.It's in my nostrils now."

  "Your fancy, I expect," I said.

  At that moment came a knock at the door, and the tall young constableentered, the same man who had been on duty when I had gone up to inspectthe seat where Craig's body had been found.

  "The Inspector has sent me, sir," he exclaimed, saluting, "to say he'dlike to see you at once. He's just along the West Cliff--at BeaconHouse, where Mr. Craig lived in."

  "Certainly," I replied. "Tell him I will come at once."

  The constable disappeared, and turning to Rayner, I said: "I wonder whyTreeton wishes to see me in such a hurry? What has happened now?" Then,promising to return quickly, I went out.

  At Beacon House, I found Treeton standing in the front sitting-room, onthe ground-floor, talking seriously with the landlady.

  "Hulloa! Mr. Vidal," he exclaimed as I entered. "S
omething more hasoccurred in this house during the night. The place has been broken intoby burglars, who've got clean away with all old Mr. Gregory's collectionof jewellery."

  "Burglary," I repeated slowly; and then all that Rayner had told meflashed across my mind. I saw the reason for Jeanjean and his mysteriouscyclist companion being near the house, and also why Rayner, on beingdetected, had been rendered senseless.

  "Have you found any trace of the thieves?" I asked, having alreadydecided to keep my own information to myself.

  "Lots of traces," laughed Treeton. "Come and see for yourself."

  We ascended the stairs, followed by the excited landlady and herhusband.

  "This is really terrible," moaned the woman. "I wish we'd never set eyesupon the poor young man and his uncle. We heard nothing in the night,nothing. In fact, I didn't discover that the room had been opened untilan hour ago, when I was sweeping down the stairs. Then I noticed thatthe seals placed upon it had been broken, and the lock sawn right out.Why we didn't hear them, I can't think!"

  "Ah, you don't hear much when the modern burglar is at work," declaredTreeton. "They're far too scientific for that."

  He showed me the door, from which the lock had been cut away, saying--

  "They evidently got in by the window of the room downstairs, where we'vejust been, for it was found closed but not latched. They came up thesestairs, cut out the lock, as you see--and look at that!" he added as weentered the old man's room.

  The strong old sea-chest stood in the centre of the room. The lid, whichhad been nailed down, and sealed by the police, had been wrenched offand the box stood empty!

  "Look!" cried Treeton again. "Every scrap gone--and it must have been apretty bulky lot--a couple, or even three, sacksful at the least."

  I went to the two windows which overlooked the narrow street behind, andexamining the sills, saw marks where the paint had recently been rubbedaway.

  "Yes, I see," I remarked, "and they lowered the plunder to confederatesoutside."

  "But who could have known of the existence of the jewellery, here?"asked Treeton. "Only ourselves were aware of it. At the inquest allmention of it was carefully suppressed."

  "Somebody, of course, must have talked, perhaps unthinkingly, about it,and the news got round to the thieves," remarked the landlord.

  I remained silent. Had I not, from the first, marvelled that old Mr.Gregory should disappear and leave behind him that collection ofvaluables?

  "I've wired to Norwich, to Frayne, to come over at once, and see if hecan find any finger-prints," said the local inspector. "We've discoveredsomething here which the burglars left behind. Look at this."

  And from a corner of the room he picked up something and handed it tome.

  It was a woman's little, patent leather walking-shoe, with two whitepearl buttons as fastening. The size I judged to be threes, but, as itwas still fastened, it must have been too large for the wearer, whoapparently having dropped it, was unable for some reason to regain it,and so left it behind.

  "That's very strange!" I said, turning the little shoe over in my hand.It was not much worn, and of very good quality. "A woman has evidentlybeen here!"

  "Evidently, Mr. Vidal," replied the officer. "But surely a woman wouldnever have the pluck to do a job of this sort. Nine people slept in thishouse last night and never heard a sound."

  Truth to tell, I did not expect they would have done, now that I knewthe robbery had been engineered by Jules Jeanjean.

  "Very remarkable--very," I declared. "Probably Frayne, when he takes thefinger-prints, will find some clue," I added, laughing inwardly, for Iknew that those who had committed that robbery were far too clever toleave behind any traces of their identity. Besides, to actually lowerthe booty down into a public street showed a daring spirit which oneonly finds in the most expert criminals.

  I could not, however, account for the discovery of that little shoe. Hadit really been lost--or had it been placed there in order to mystify andmislead the police?

  The latter suggestion had, of course, never entered Treeton's head.

  "I wonder," I said to him, "if you would allow me to take this shoealong to the hotel? I want to take the exact measurements."

  "Certainly, Mr. Vidal," was his reply. "You'll send it round to me, atthe station, afterwards?"

  "In an hour you shall have it," I promised him. Then I placed the shoein my pocket, and made a tour of the room, touching nothing because ofFrayne's coming hunt for finger-prints.

  Jeanjean always wore gloves, skin-thin, rubber-gloves, which left notrace of his light touch. The curved lines of his thumb and forefingerwere far too well known in Paris, in London, in Berlin and Rome, wherethe bureaux of detective police all possessed enlarged photographs ofthem.

  Back in my room at the _Hotel de Paris_, I took from a drawer theplaster cast of the woman's footprints I had found near the spot whereCraig had been found.

  Then, carrying it down to the shore near the pier, I made a print withthe cast in the wet sand left hard by the receding tide.

  Afterwards, I took the tiny, patent leather shoe from my pocket, andplaced it carefully in the print.

  It fitted exactly.