The Red-headed Man

by Fergus Hume

CHAPTER XIX

[ANOTHER PUZZLE]

Decidedly, this case was full of surprises; and Torry, with all his life-long experience, could recall no affair in connection with which so many unexpected things had happened. The reappearance of the long-lost bank notes was not the least of these strange occurrences. Both detective and secretary were so startled that they could only stare stupidly at the parcel lying before them on the table, and wait to hear what Captain Manuel had to say. The Spaniard sat down, and lost no time in detailing how the lost property had come again into his possession.

"Yes," said he, twisting his moustache, "it is really strange. I stay, as you know, Mr. Policeman, at the Guelph Hotel, Jermyn-street. Well, last night, on nine of the clock, a parcel--that parcel--was given to the porter of the house by a stranger, with a word to give it to me. I was amusing myself at the theatre, and not until midnight did I return to find this"--he pointed to the package--"in my room, on the table. I open it, I find the money of my society, so I am much astonished. All night I sleep not, but I wonder. This morning, I go to the office of Mr. Policeman, but he is out. Then I come to tell Mr. Vass that the lost money is with me, and I find Mr. Policeman is here. I enter, I tell my story, and--voilà tout, finished Manuel, with a French expression and French grace."

"How strange," said Vass, who appeared to be fascinated by Manuel's recital.

"Most extraordinary," chimed in Torry, with his eyes fixed on the parcel of bank notes. He was trying to fathom the meaning of this restoration of stolen property, but could not. The thought crossed his mind that Manuel might have stolen the money himself, and was playing the comedy of restoration to save himself from figuring as a corpse with a tomb-image beside him. But, then, the Captain had no need to become a thief, since the money continued always in his possession; and, if he had risked his neck to get it, he certainly would not thus tamely surrender his plunder. No! it was not Manuel who was the thief; but Torry could not conjecture who was. Nor could he fathom the motive of the thief in thus making restitution. It was inexplicable.

"What do you make of it, sir?" asked Manuel, looking at Torry's thoughtful face.

"I don't know what to make of it!" responded the detective.

"At all events," cried Vass eagerly, "this restitution shows that Mr. Grent did not take the money. As he is dead he could not have restored it."

"That is true," said Torry ironically; "but Grent might have been robbed of the money, and then his assassin, feeling compunction, might thus give it up."

Manuel sneered. "If that is all you have to say I think it foolish," he said. "A man would not commit two murders for money, and then give up what had cost him so dearly to gain."

"True again," said the detective thoughtfully. "Well, we must find some other explanation. We may arrive at one by making a few inquiries. You did not see the man who brought back the notes, Captain?"

"No! I amused myself as I remarked," said the Spaniard; "but to the porter I spoke of him."

"What did the porter say?"

"That this man possessed red hair and beard."

"Aha!" cried Torry, cracking his fingers, "the same disguise as that assumed by Grent. Was this man a gentleman?"

Manuel shrugged his shoulders. "But who can say," he replied, "this man had on a large coat, and a hat on his eyes. Only the beard and hair did the porter see."

"Still, his mode of speech?"

"Mr. Policeman, he said but four words. What could be known of his rank by four words?"

"What were the four words?"

"For Captain Manuel, this," repeated the Spaniard. "And then sir, this man gave the packet and departed."

"Humph! I wonder if he was the assassin."

"No!" cried Vass with energy. "The murderer would not run the risk of arrest. For my part," added the secretary emphatically, "I do not believe that the two crimes have anything to do with one another."

"In that case, it is strange that they should occur almost simultaneously."

"A coincidence!"

"That may be, Mr. Vass," said Manuel unrolling the parcel and shewing the notes. "But here we have something which is not a coincidence, and which I can explain not. These notes!"

"Well, sir!" asked Torry. "What about them? They are your bank notes."

"Not really; the numbers are different."

"Oh! oh! oh!" murmured the detective with interest, "it would seem that this assassin is a very ingenious fellow in hiding his trail. So the numbers are different!"

"Yes, every number I have a list here of the numbers marked on the bank notes I bestowed on Mr. Grent. Look for yourself, Mr. Policeman, there is no number in the notes equal to the numbers in the list. It is strange!"

"It is maddening!" cried Torry with vexation. "I do not believe we shall ever unravel this mystery. Let me see."

He took the list presented by Manuel, and compared the numbers on it with those of the bank notes; but not in one instance were they the same. There were twenty notes, each for five hundred pounds, in all ten thousand; but the numbers in every case were different.

"It is strange, as you say, Captain Manuel," observed Torry, frowning. "Five hundred pound bank notes are not easily changed; yet the assassin has changed twenty of them, and we cannot trace any one of the transactions."

"Why do you insist that the assassin changed the notes?" asked Vass, a trifle pettishly.

"Because I believe that these notes were the motive of this murder of Mr. Grent."

"In that case he would have had them in his possession on the night he was murdered; whereas----"

"Whereas, my dear Mr. Vass, you deny that he took them out of the private safe."

"I do," replied Vass stoutly. "They were there after Mr. Grent departed."

"Then whosoever took them must have possessed the key, since the safe was not broken open."

"I suppose so. But you can't suspect me, sir, Mr. Leighbourne saw, with me, that the notes were in the safe on Friday; and as I was ill for two or three days and absent from the bank, I could not have taken them. Also," continued Vass, defending himself with vigour. "If I had stolen them, I should have put Captain Manuel off with some excuse, and not having jeopardised my character and liberty by confessing that the money was gone."

"Quite so," assented Torry sweetly--he had been employed in copying the list of Captain Manuel, and the numbers of the notes into his pocket-book--"but permit me to observe, Mr. Vass that you talk too much. No one, so far as I know, has accused you of theft!"

The secretary turned red, and, with some confusion, sat down. Manuel, who had been listening with ill-concealed impatience, restored the notes and list to his pocket.

"So for as I am concerned," said he, putting on his hat, "my connection with these matters is at an end. The money of the society has been recovered, and I have no further interest in Mr. Grent or his death."

"Have you any interest in his niece, Captain?"

"Dios!" swore the Spaniard, reddening, "what has that to do with you?"

"Oh, nothing; but I understand that you are in love with Donna Maria."

"I may be, or I may not be," returned Manuel, in a haughty and offensive tone. "In any case it is not for common people to criticise the private affairs of their superiors;" and with a scathing glance the Captain strode out of the room.

"I owe you one for that, my good sir," thought Torry, rather mortified, the more so as Vass was smiling. However, his annoyance did not betray itself in his face, which was as suave and bland as ever. He turned sharply on the still smiling secretary.

"Is Mr. Leighbourne in his office?" he asked.

"Both of the Mr. Leighbournes are here. Which one do you inquire for?"

"The father. I wish to see him."

"What about?" stammered Vass nervously.

"That is my business. Go and ask if I can see him."

Vass did not like to be ordered about in this fashion, especially by an inferior, but as he was secretly afraid of the detective, he obeyed him without argument. The result was that in five minutes Torry found himself alone with Mr. Leighbourne, senior.

"You wish to see me, I believe," said the banker.

Torry looked at the portly old man, who resembled so closely his son, Frederick, and replied with all promptness. "Yes; I desire to ask you a few questions."

"You are the detective charged with the discovery of my late partner's murderer?"

"I am, and to assist me in doing so I wish to question you."

"By all means," replied Leighbourne graciously. "I am most anxious that the scoundrel should be caught and punished. He killed a good man."

"Ah! Do you consider that the late Mr. Grent was a good man, sir?"

"Most certainly; an excellent and upright gentleman."

"Had he no faults?"

"We all have faults," said Leighbourne enigmatically. "But are these the questions you wish to put to me?"

"Some of them. If you will permit me to conduct this examination in my own way I may arrive at some result."

"Very well, sir," said the banker with some stiffness, "I am at your service."

"Then tell me what you consider was Mr. Grent's gravest fault?"

"To my mind he was too speculative."

"Aha; he speculated!"

"Yes, and not in the safest way."

"He lost money?"

Leighbourne hesitated. "Yes he lost money," was his reply; "but I do not----"

"In fact," interrupted Torry sharply, "if Mr. Grent had lived he would have been a ruined man."

"How dare you say so?" cried Leighbourne, much agitated.

"Because it is true."

"I do not say so."

"Oh, I can guess the truth from what you don't say. Mr. Grent was ruined, and, seeing no way of recovering himself in England resolved to fly. In some way--I don't know how--he became possessed of ten thousand pounds which was in his private safe, and was prepared to fly with Miss Hargone to South America, when he was killed. Now, what do you say?"

"Say?" echoed Leighbourne, "that every word you have uttered is false."