“The casinos must be aware of this.”
Emma nodded. “So much so that Tubby and Roger have reached an agreement with the casino, in which they are allowed to play but must limit their winnings to twenty pounds or less. Again you can see that it is not the money but the challenge of defeating a skilled opponent that is so important to my brother.”
“But their constant winning must have drawn the attention of other gamblers,” Joanna said. “I would expect the casinos to somehow limit your brother’s access to the gaming tables.”
“Oh, I can assure you they try. Since the owners cannot lawfully deny my brother and Roger entrance to their establishment, they have devised a method to keep them away from the tables. As soon as the casino operators see the faces of Tubby and Roger, they signal for employees who are mingling about to quickly take all the open seats at the table. Thus, none are available for the new arrivals. I forget the names by which these employees are called, but Tubby assures me they are present and perform their tasks on a moment’s notice.”
“They are referred to as bonnets,” Joanna informed.
“Yes! Exactly! How did you come by this information?”
“I read it in a magazine,” Joanna said. “Their usual role is to play at the table and bet heavily, using the casino’s money. They either win or lose large sums and act out their feigned emotions while doing so. These acts are said to draw crowds to the table and encourage others to bet.”
“That is word for word what Tubby once told me,” Emma said, and gave Joanna an admiring look. “It is extraordinary that you would know this.”
Joanna waved away the compliment and asked directly, “Does your brother drink a great deal at home or at the Admiralty?”
Emma shook her head, but this time slowly and carefully. “He never imbibes more than a glass or two of Scotch, and I have never seen him intoxicated.”
“Does he have any vices you disapprove of?”
“Only his occasional visits to the opium dens,” Emma said frankly.
“How often were these visits?”
“Quite infrequent, I believe,” Emma answered. “It only came up because I once noticed the peculiar aroma of burned maple on his jacket. He explained it was the smell of opium that resulted from a visit to the opium den. He apologized for the aroma, and since I never encountered it again, I assumed he did not revisit the opium den.”
“A reasonable assumption,” Joanna said, and leaned back in her chair. I could sense there was another question she wished to ask about the use of opium, but decided against it. “Tell me, Miss Ainsworth, has your brother in the past ever spent the night away?”
“Only on the rarest of occasions. When he does, he always calls to inform me and make certain the housekeeper will stay the night to look after my needs.”
“And to make certain you take your medicines,” my father added.
“Indeed, Dr. Watson,” Emma said, and held up her gnarled fingers. “Even with medication, these poor fingers can barely grasp the aspirin tablets I require on a continuing basis.”
“I know they give you some comfort.”
“They ease the pain, but unfortunately do little to prevent the unsightly deformities.” Emma attempted to make a pinching motion with her fingers, but was unable to do so. “I can no longer hold a chess piece, not even a king or queen, and am thus prevented from playing my favorite game with my brother, who is a chess master. I am convinced it is the heaviest toll this awful disease has taken from me.”
“Are you as talented at chess as your brother?” Joanna asked.
“Oh, heavens no! As a matter of fact, Tubby would have been promoted to grandmaster if he so desired,” Emma replied. “A number of England’s grandmasters will attest to Tubby’s remarkable ability at chess. They will tell you that my brother does not concern himself with titles, but only with the challenge of the game.”
“Has he actually defeated grandmasters?”
“I believe so from the reports of others, but Tubby would never make mention of it,” Emma said, then sighed regretfully and gazed down at her deformed fingers. “I only wish these hands would allow me to play once again with my dear brother.”
“There are now several glovelike devices that could help you in that regard,” my father suggested.
“I was unaware,” Emma said, and seemed to perk up at the helpful advice. “I shall inform Tubby when he—” She stopped in mid-sentence and sadly corrected herself. “If he returns home.”
Joanna rose and said, “You have provided information that may well be of assistance.”
“So you believe there is hope yet?” Emma asked.
“Only a glimmer,” Joanna replied honestly. “But rest assured we shall do our best to bring your brother home safely.”
We walked out into a gray, gloomy day and spoke no further until we were seated in our carriage. Joanna stared out at the dense fog that was gathering around us, as if the answer to our problem might lie within.
“I fail to see the glimmer of hope you mentioned,” my father said.
“Do not focus on the end, but concern yourself with the beginning,” Joanna told him. “There are links here, each of which has to be carefully examined and placed in its appropriate position.”
“Like pieces of a game puzzle?”
“Precisely. You see, an observer who has thoroughly understood one link in a series of events should be able to connect all the others, before and after.”
“But which is the one link that will lead to the others?”
“That is what we must determine.”
Our carriage rode away just as another sudden downpour began. The dour weather so matched my mood that I could not help but comment, “I am afraid time is very much against us. We have so little to go on and soon Ainsworth will be broken, and all will be lost.”
“And once they break him, he is a dead man,” my father said.
“Do not be so certain of that,” Joanna advised.
“Surely once they have the codes in their possession, they will have no further use for him.”
“Oh, I suspect that might not be the case.”
“Based on what?”
“The fact that Alistair Ainsworth is a chess master and the Germans are not.”
6
The Trail
We dined early at 221b Baker Street because Joanna had a surprise journey in store for us later that evening. After a superb dinner of roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, my father and I settled in front of a glowing fire while Joanna paced back and forth across the parlor, oblivious to my presence. The speed of her pacing seemed to correlate with the rate of her deductions, as she nodded at one conclusion and grumbled at another. She continued on for several minutes before reaching for another Turkish cigarette. But then she changed her mind and abruptly turned to us.
“There are three major links that point to the disappearance of Alistair Ainsworth,” Joanna proclaimed. “These are … the Admiralty pub, Laurent’s casino, and an opium den. Which do you consider the most promising?”
My father and I exchanged puzzled looks before I said, “But you stated earlier that Ainsworth was taken prisoner in a secluded location. None of the sites you mentioned measure up. In fact, they are often crowded with people who know one another.”
“That is so during the early hours of the evening, but the crowds thin later on. At that time the streets will be deserted, with only a straggler or two about. It is then that the moment is ideal for kidnapping.”
“I favor a casino, for they stay open until the wee hours of the morning,” my father proposed.
“They do indeed,” Joanna agreed. “But keep in mind the players in these gambling halls are for the most part well-to-do and would have their carriages waiting at the doorstep.”
“But the same would hold true for the Admiralty pub and most certainly for the opium dens, for the latter are located in the very worst section of London,” I argued. “Ainsworth’s carriage would be withi
n shouting distance.”
“True,” Joanna said. “So we can conclude that the location does not seem to favor one establishment over the other. Nevertheless, I favor the pub or the opium den, for after drinks or drugs one’s defenses would be impaired and thus make the taking easier.”
“But that alone would not exclude the casino,” I countered.
“Of course not, and that is why we must visit all three tonight.”
I gave the plan thought and a difficulty came immediately to mind. “We know the location of the Admiralty pub and Laurent’s casino, but finding the opium den Ainsworth visited is another matter. There are dozens of those establishments in East London, some of which are hidden from sight.”
“There is a way to narrow down the number,” Joanna said, unconcerned.
My father asked, “Would it not be easier to simply call Roger Marlowe, with whom Ainsworth presumably spent the evening, and inquire about the places they visited?”
“You are assuming Roger Marlowe is not involved in the kidnapping,” Joanna said.
“But he works for the intelligence unit,” my father asserted. “I am certain he was carefully vetted before being allowed in. In addition, he and Ainsworth are the closest of friends.”
“That does not exclude him,” Joanna said. “Recall that Marlowe spent years at the University of Heidelberg and was so well thought of he was offered a faculty position. Moreover, he speaks the language fluently and no doubt still has friends and contacts there.”
“Are you contending that he may have an allegiance to Germany?” my father cried out.
“I am saying that everyone is a suspect until proven otherwise,” Joanna said. “With of course the exception of Emma Ainsworth.”
“And Lady Jane Hamilton,” I opined.
“Do not be so quick there,” Joanna cautioned. “There is a history behind this woman that you may not be aware of.”
My father and I leaned forward to catch every word.
“Some is gossip, some is fact,” Joanna said carefully.
“How are we to distinguish between the two?” I asked.
“In this case it is the opinion of most that the truth outweighed the rumor,” Joanna said, then continued on with the story. “It was widely believed that Lady Jane had an affair with a handsome German diplomat some years ago while her husband was at sea in command of one of His Majesty’s warships. The affair ended with the return of her husband and the transfer of her lover to another part of the Continent.”
“Are you saying the affair continues?” I asked in a low voice.
“I am saying no one knows,” Joanna replied. “But the connection was there and may still exist.”
“And there was her involvement with Roger Marlowe who may have also come under German influence,” I noted.
“Was involved, you say?” Joanna asked in a questioning tone. “What makes you believe it has ended?”
“She stated their engagement was brief,” I recalled.
“That does not exclude a secret, ongoing romance,” Joanna said. “A married woman who has strayed once may well do so again, particularly with a former lover.”
“For which we have no proof,” I remarked.
“But the suspicion remains,” Joanna said. “And it thus should be kept in mind.”
“Which brings yet another unknown piece to the puzzle,” I grumbled. “We seem to be going off on tangents.”
“I too am not certain these confusing details bring us any closer to Alistair Ainsworth,” my father agreed. “If anything, they seem to be clouding the picture even more.”
“To the contrary, Watson,” Joanna said. “I believe a solution will shortly be at hand.”
“And how do you propose coming to such a resolution?”
“By employing my father’s deductive reasoning,” Joanna replied. “I shall take note of all the details and circumstances relating to a single event—namely the disappearance of Alistair Ainsworth—and put them together in their proper order. Once this is done, we shall be able to explain how the event occurred.”
“But where do we begin?”
“By discovering the major link that holds the key to our mystery,” Joanna responded. “Everything revolves around the site where the kidnapping occurred. That is where the link lies.”
“Pray tell, Joanna, why do you place such emphasis on the locale from which Ainsworth disappeared?”
“Because, if my assumptions are correct, it will lead us to the person who betrayed him.”
Before leaving our rooms, Joanna called Inspector Lestrade and asked that he join us at Laurent’s casino. The request was most unusual, for Joanna much preferred to follow her own line of investigation while Scotland Yard went about theirs. From experience she felt Lestrade, although tough and tenacious, could all too often be led astray and pursue avenues that were unproductive.
“Lestrade is so unimaginative,” Joanna said as our carriage passed the Marble Arch and turned onto Park Lane. “He searches for hidden clues when the most important ones lie before his very eyes.”
“Why then invite him to join us at Laurent’s?” I asked.
“Keep in mind, John, that Lestrade has police powers and we do not,” Joanna replied. “We could be denied entrance to the casino, but not with the inspector at our side. He can enter, investigate, and even obtain search warrants, all under the law. In addition, my questions will be answered more truthfully in Lestrade’s presence, for not to do so could be considered obstruction of justice. Thus at times Lestrade can be a most helpful ally. The powers he has also explain why he is so intimately associated with Lieutenant Dunn’s search for Alistair Ainsworth. Dunn’s Naval Intelligence unit is a division of His Majesty’s Secret Service, which has immense authority but no police powers. For this reason Dunn requires the inspector’s presence.”
“Do you believe Lestrade will bring Dunn along to the casino?” my father asked.
“I would think not,” Joanna replied. “A uniformed naval officer would be of no help at this point and might well serve as an unwanted distraction.”
Our carriage came to a stop at the elegant entrance to Laurent’s casino, whereupon a uniformed doorman rushed up to open our door. As we stepped out, Inspector Lestrade hurried over to us.
He tipped his derby and, after the amenities, asked, “Is there reason to believe the casino is involved?”
“That is to be determined,” Joanna said.
We entered a large front room that was brilliantly lighted. On one side stood a buffet covered with wine and liquors and behind that a smaller room given up to cold chicken, salads, and other dishes. Directly before us were long gaming tables covered with green cloth that were surrounded by players and governed by croupiers and dealers. Toward the rear were round card tables above which arose a cloud of tobacco smoke. The noise of loud conversations filled the air.
A short, rotund man wearing a well-fitted tuxedo rushed over to us. Behind the casino manager were two large, formidable men who blocked our view of the gaming room. They positioned themselves so that we could not see the throng of gamblers, nor could the gamblers see us. Their purpose, I assume, was to keep the well-known Inspector Lestrade out of sight, so as not to upset those at the tables. For obvious reasons, the presence of police was not welcomed at casinos.
“May I be of service, Inspector?” the casino manager asked.
“There are questions my associates believe you can answer,” Lestrade replied. “Please do so and keep in mind this is an official investigation.”
“Is this regarding activities of an employee within our casino?” the manager asked worriedly.
“It is regarding one of your players,” Joanna said, stepping forward. “We are told he frequents your establishment. His name is Alistair Ainsworth.”
“We are very much aware of Mr. Ainsworth, but have not seen him this week.”
“Is that unusual?”
“Quite so, madam. We count on him visiting the casino every M
onday night, for that is his custom.”
“As is his custom of winning.”
“He does well.”
“Not to exceed twenty pounds.”
“He has set limits,” the manager said, now alerted that Joanna already knew a great deal about Alistair Ainsworth, for this information would only be shared by those closest to the gambler. “This is mutually agreed upon.”
“But I suspect this agreement did not extend to his losses.”
The casino manager nodded ever so briefly, as if not willing to acknowledge the fact.
“Was Mr. Ainsworth accompanied by others while gambling?”
“Sometimes he was alone, but on most occasions Mr. Marlowe sat across from him.”
“Was the limit to include Mr. Marlowe’s winnings as well?”
“It was and for good reason,” the manager answered. “They had a method, we believe, in which they could mentally count cards and know which remained in the deck.”
“Cheating, were they?” Lestrade interrupted.
“They claimed it was simply luck, but we thought otherwise,” the manager said. “Is that the purpose of your visit tonight?”
Joanna ignored the question. “Was Mr. Ainsworth accompanied by anyone other than Mr. Marlowe?”
The manager thought for a moment. “On a number of occasions, a rather striking woman was with them.”
“Describe her in detail,” Joanna said at once.
“She was a large woman, not in girth, but about the upper torso, with a most attractive face and long, brown hair that flowed down to her shoulders. It was her hair that immediately grabbed one’s attention.”
Lady Jane Hamilton! My father and I exchanged knowing glances, for the manager had described the woman perfectly.
“Did she gamble?” Joanna asked.
“Never.”
“Did they leave together?”
“Always, and usually quite late.”
“To the best of your recollection, did Mr. Ainsworth associate with any others in the casino?”
“Not that I was aware.”
Joanna let the new information sink in, then looked over to my father and me. “Do either of you have questions?”
The Disappearance of Alistair Ainsworth Page 6