CHAPTER VI
[THE SECRETARY]
Quite unaware of the clue his chance remark had given to his visitors, the banker touched an electric bell.
"Send Mr. Vass to me," he said when the clerk appeared; then turning towards Torry, he added: "Mr. Grent's private secretary will be here in a few minutes, he will be able to answer your questions better than I."
"Was Mr. Vass in the confidence of the deceased, sir?"
"Entirely. He was Mr. Grant's right hand. I may inform you as a proof of the confidence my poor friend put in him that Mr. Vass had, and has, the key of Mr. Grent's private safe. I will leave you alone with Vass, while I send a wire to my father in Paris, advising him of this tragedy." He paused a moment, then continued: "I may also add that Mr. Vass has been ill, and since Saturday has been confined to his bed; he returned only this morning to his work."
"Oh!" thought Mr. Torry, smiling blankly to conceal his real thoughts; "so Mr. Vass the confidential secretary, has been ill and absent, has he? Now I wonder what is the meaning of that."
Perhaps Mr. Torry was too suspicious, as he saw a meaning--an evil meaning--in everything. Leighbourne's explanation was a perfectly reasonable one; still, as Torry considered, it was uncalled for. Why should he take the trouble to explain the absence of the secretary? There was no need to do so. Darrel was also struck by the needless explanation, and thought that there was something doubtful about the affair. Altogether, the detective and his helper were both prejudiced against the secretary by that very innocent remark of Mr. Leighbourne's, made probably in all good faith.
Vass made his appearance in a few minutes, and proved to be a pale clean-shaven fellow of about twenty-eight. He wore spectacles, and had rather a dry, pedantic air, as one given to study and--comparative--seclusion.
"Mr. Vass," said Leighbourne when the clerk entered the room, "I have sent for you to give these gentlemen all information about poor Mr. Grent."
"Why poor Mr. Grent?" asked Vass, with mild surprise.
"I forgot you do not know. Well, I shall leave these gentlemen to explain. I must send the telegram recalling my father."
"You will come back?" said Torry, as the banker walked towards the door.
"If you wish me to," replied Leighbourne with frowning reluctance.
"I do wish it," said the detective decisively. "You must come with me to identify the body; and it is possible that you may be required to give your evidence at the inquest."
"Evidence--evidence!" cried the young man, passing his tongue over his dry lips. "What evidence can I give? I--I--I do not want to attend the inquest."
"You must, sir."
Leighbourne looked defiantly at the detective, and for a moment or so the pair eyed one another in silence, then the weaker of the two yielded. "If I must I must," said Leighbourne, sullenly. "I shall come back;" and he passed out, closing the door behind him with such unnecessary violence that it was plain he had departed in a bad temper.
While this dialogue was proceeding Darrel had kept his eye on the face of Vass. Although he had heard all that was said--and the words "body" and "inquest" must have piqued his curiosity--his expression was one of absolute unconcern. Only once did he betray any emotion, and that was when Leighbourne left him alone with the two strangers; but when Torry turned towards him, his face was again calm and composed. Frank wondered what could be the meaning of this well-acted comedy.
"Mr. Vass," said Torry, intent upon trying the effect of a sudden surprise. "I have to inform you that your master has been murdered."
Mr. Vass stepped back and threw up his hands. "Grent murdered!" he cried in a voice rendered shrill by excitement. "Great Heavens! When? Where?"
"In Mortality-lane near the Strand, on Sunday morning between twelve and one o'clock. He was stabbed to the heart."
The secretary received this news with unfeigned horror, and evidently having some womanish vein in his nature, burst into a fit of hysterical weeping.
In spite of what he had beheld, Darrel felt his suspicions melt away before this undeniable sorrow. In his own mind he decided that whatever Vass might know, the intelligence of his master's death was new to him, and had taken him completely by surprise.
Torry said nothing, but smiled approvingly when he beheld the outbreak of Vass. Perhaps the secretary perceived the composure with which his emotion was received by the strangers, and regained his nerve out of pride; but whatever was the cause, he shortly became calm, and expressed himself willing to answer any questions which might be put to him. With a sign to Darrel not to speak, Torry promptly availed himself of the offer.
"The cause of Mr. Grent's death," said he, "may be found in his past life; so I wish you to tell me all you know about him. Have you been his secretary long?"
"For over five years. He was the best and kindest and most generous of masters," replied Vass with much emotion.
"Hm'!" said Torry, who did not put much faith in this posthumous praise: "Your master was much respected?"
"Certainly. I never heard a word against him."
"He was married, I believe?"
"He was--to Donna Inez Sandoval, a Spanish-American lady; a native of Peru."
"How was it that Mr. Grent met her?"
"Ten years ago he voyaged to Peru for the sake of his health," rejoined Vass: "and I understand he met with Donna Inez at Lima. They were married there."
"In a Romish Church?"
"Certainly. Mr. Grent was a Roman Catholic, and his wife also."
"Are there any children?"
"No," said Vass, then added with some hesitation: "But Mr. Grent, finding himself childless, adopted the niece of his wife, Donna Maria Sandoval."
"How old is this lady?"
"Twenty years of age," replied the secretary, colouring--"and very beautiful."
Darrel noted the expression of his face, and the enthusiasm of his reply, which was rather in the tones of his voice than the substance of his remark. "Oh!" thought the novelist, "can this be the proverbial woman who has caused the trouble?"
"How long has Donna Maria been with Mr. Grent?"
"Two years, more or less."
"Of course, she speaks English?"
"Extremely well," answered Vass promptly. "She was taught by Miss Lydia Hargone, who was quite like a daughter of the house, and left only six weeks ago."
The nature of this reply seemed to strike Torry, for he made a note of this last name, but without comment, resumed his inquiries. "Mr. Grent lived at Wraybridge?"
"Yes. In Wray House, a large mansion on the banks of the Thames."
"Did he entertain much?"
"Largely. He was fond of company, and so was Donna Inez."
"Mrs. Grent, you mean?"
"I do," replied Vass tartly. "But she prefers to be addressed in the Spanish style."
"Do you know if Mr. Grent had any very intimate friends."
"One or two," said the secretary, with some little hesitation.
"Can you give me the names of the one or two?" asked Torry politely.
"Well, Mr. Roderick Blake for one. He is an Irishman."
"So I should judge from the name," said the detective drily! "and another friend, Mr. Vass?"
The man hesitated and finally came out with another Spanish name. "If you insist upon knowing," said he, with reluctance, "there was Captain Manuel?"
"Captain Manuel? Oh, indeed. Also from Peru?"
"Yes, he came over to see Donna Inez, who is a relative of his, and, for the last three months, has been a constant visitor at Wray House."
"May I ask a question?" said Darrel at this moment.
Torry threw an inquiring glance in the direction of his friend and nodded. "If you like," he said graciously, wondering at Darrel's meaning.
"In that case," said Frank, looking at the secretary, "I shall ask Mr. Vass if there are any love affairs at Wray House."
"Love affairs?" stammered Vass plainly taken aback. "I do not quite catch your meaning."
"Oh, that is your romance," cried Torry with a sly hit at Darrel's imagination.
The novelist shook his head. "Two young men--two young women," said he, solemnly. "It is not in nature that there should not be some love spring up between the four."
"Well, sir," said Vass, smiling a little, "I don't say but what you are not right. Captain Manuel is paying his address to Donna Maria, and I must admit that Miss Hargone is greatly admired by Mr. Blake."
"I thought so," said Darrel triumphantly, and signed to Torry to continue his examination, which the detective did without further remark.
"Do you know if Mr. Grent had any enemies?" he asked the secretary.
"So far as I know he had not one," replied Vass promptly. "Mr. Grent was singularly popular."
"When did you see him last?"
"On Friday at four o'clock. He then said good-bye to me as he was going to Italy the next day for four months. That was the reason; no one was alarmed at his absence."
"Probably, so far as the bank was concerned," replied Torry thoughtfully, "but in his own house?"
"Oh, I can explain that," said Vass, easily.
"Mr. Grent had chambers in town. Probably he took leave of his wife on Friday, and purposed to stay at his chambers until he left for the South. I dare say Donna Inez thinks that her husband is in Milan by now."
"Where are these chambers?"
"In Duke-street, St. James's, Mr. Grent lived there by himself, so there is no one likely to be alarmed at his absence."
"Had he not a valet?"
"No; the butler who kept the house attended to him, and as Mr. Grent came and went as the fit seized him, the man would think nothing of his not coming back to his rooms."
"H'm," said Torry, "I quite see all that. Did Mr. Grent take much money with him?"
"He drew a cheque for twenty pounds for immediate expenses, but when abroad he always used his cheque-book as more convenient than circular notes."
Torry was disappointed with the result of his inquiries. Certainly he had learnt a great deal relative to the social position and daily habit of the dead man, but he had discovered nothing likely to throw light on the mystery of the crime. He was to dismiss Vass with some discontent, when Darrel rose to his feet, and, for reasons of his own, produced the image of the Mummy. This he held towards Vass.
"Perhaps you can explain this?" he said imperatively.
To the surprise of both men the secretary gasped and turned pale, then quietly fainted away.