CHAPTER XVIII
[A STRANGE OCCURRENCE]
Educated by experience and the necessities of his profession, Torry was not a man who lost his temper easily; but when he left Wray House he was in as great a rage as he well could be. Never had he met with so obstinate a woman as Donna Maria, or one who knew better how to keep a secret. She steadily refused to explain the reason of her visit to Grent, or to reveal the conversation which had taken place between them. Threats she laughed at, persuasion she smiled at; and Torry, who flattered himself on his cunning, was forced to take his departure without gaining her confidence. He went as wise as he came. On arriving in town, he first had something to eat, after which he drove off to Darrel. The novelist informed him that Lydia had duly arrived, with a small box, and he had pointed her out to a detective procured from Scotland Yard. The man had followed her at once, and Darrel having discharged his mission, had returned home.
In return for this news Torry, not without some display of ill-temper, detailed his unsuccessful attempts to make Donna Maria confess. Darrel commiserated the detective, but could not forbear eulogising the girl, much to Torry's disgust.
"Upon my soul," said he grumbling, "I believe your sympathies are with her, merely because she has a pretty face."
"Pretty!" echoed Frank, indignantly. "If there is one word in English tongue which does not apply to Donna Maria Sandoval, that word is 'pretty.' Why, man, she is one of the most beautiful women in the world!"
"She is certainly the most obstinate," said Torry drily. "I am satisfied she knows something likely to lead to the detection of the criminal."
"Bah! that is your fancy!"
"It is my belief," insisted Torry seriously. "Also, I am certain that there is some connection between her and Vass."
"What do you mean?" cried Darrel, indignant that the slightest slur should be cast on the character of the woman he worshipped.
"Oh! you needn't get so angry," said Torry with a shrug. "I am convinced there is no love affair between them. I'm not so sure in your case."
"Never mind me," said the novelist, blushing; "go on with your explanation."
"It is very simple. Donna Maria and Vass have an understanding relative to this murder."
"You don't believe they know the assassin?" cried Darrel, aghast.
"I haven't got so far as that; but, they know something of the Blue Mummy Society, for the sight of the tomb-image had the same effect--even a worse one--on them as it had on Blake. And the society according to Blake, is responsible for the Grent and Brawn murders."
"By the hand of Manuel," said Frank, "and you deny his guilt?"
"Yes, I do," retorted the detective energetically. "But we argued that point before. Let it pass. To return to Vass and Donna Maria: it is strange that they should have met in the West End on the very day, so to speak of the murder."
"Accident!"
"Bah! I don't believe in these sort of accidents. Well, I have failed to extort the truth from the lady; perhaps the gentleman may be more amenable to reason. I shall see Vass to-morrow."
There was a short silence during which Darrel reflected seriously about the aspect of the case. In a moment or so he raised his head. "It seems to me," said he, "that while suspecting Donna Maria and Vass over-much you don't suspect Lydia Hargone sufficiently."
"I don't know so much about that," said Torry with a dry smile. "I am having her watched. She does not know that, and acting in fancy security, may betray herself. I explained this to Donna Maria."
"What do you think of this mantle affair?"
"Why, I incline to Miss Sandoval's views. I believe that Grent was in love with Lydia, and that for her own purposes--whatever they may be--she encouraged his folly so openly as to incur the suspicions of Donna Inez. Also, I believe that she promised to elope to Italy with Grent, but instead of going herself sent Julia. Grent, recognising the mantle, and not seeing the face, which--if you remember the cabman's evidence--was veiled, thought it was Lydia's. Then----" Torry stopped.
"Then?" queried Darrel impatiently.
"Faith, as Blake would say, you'll have to supply the rest of the story from your imagination; mine won't carry me further."
"Well," said Frank, humouring his fancy, "say that Julia had a lover, who followed her by stealth to this rendezvous, and killed Grent out of jealousy."
Torry shook his head. "That explains one death, but not the other. Besides," he added gravely, "I have questioned all the servants at Wray House, and I cannot find that Julia had any lover. No, no, this mystery is not to be explained by such simple means. What does Blake say?"
"He insists that Manuel is guilty, even in the face of your argument."
"He's a fool. What about Manuel?"
"I saw him to-day, and he declares that if the lost money is not found and restored there will be trouble from the society."
"He's a fool also. Does he think this is Peru, to assassinate innocent people with impunity? We have had enough of mysterious murders and enigmatic Blue Mummies. Well, good night, Mr. Darrel. I'll see Vass to-morrow and find out what he knows."
Torry went off briskly, confident that he would succeed easier with Vass than he had with Donna Maria. The secretary was a weak-minded man, the Spanish lady a strong-minded woman; so if the pair were confederates, as the detective suspected them to be, he determined to learn the secret of their partnership by examining the most easily terrified of the two. This was Vass, who was an effeminate, hysterical creature, hardly worthy to be called a man. He, if anyone, could be coerced into revealing the truth of the conspiracy.
Next day, shortly before twelve o'clock, Torry called at the Fleet-street bank, and requested an interview with Vass. The secretary appeared unwilling to grant one, but as he had no option in the face of the detective's authority, he was reluctantly compelled to accede to the request, and conducted his unwelcome visitor, into the private room of Mr. Grent. Torry, who had a retentive memory, recognised this famous apartment.
"Ah," said he playfully, "yonder is the private safe. What a pity it cannot speak and tell us the truth!"
"The truth?" repeated Vass unsteadily.
"About the stolen notes. Don't look so pale, sir; I know you did not steal them. But I wish I knew who did. The numbers have not been traced by any of your people?"
Vass shook his head. "No. We have made all inquiries, but we can learn nothing. Did you come to speak about the notes!"
"Not exactly. I came to ask you what you were doing in Piccadilly on the day Mr. Grent was murdered."
"He was murdered on Sunday. I was not in the West End on that day."
"Oh," said Torry noting the quibble, "you need not be so accurate as to time, my dear sir. I know as well as you do that Grent was murdered on Sunday morning after midnight, but for the sake of convenience I'll say Saturday. You were in the West End on Saturday."
"Who says I was?"
"Miss Sandoval."
"Donna Maria?"
"Yes; she met you in Piccadilly on the afternoon of Saturday."
"And why not, Mr. Torry. It was after office hours, and I have a right to go where I like. But if you wish me to explain I am quite willing to do so. I was in Piccadilly executing some business for Mr. Frederick Leighbourne."
This explanation was the same as that given by Donna Maria, so Torry deemed it to be the true one. He therefore abandoned this point, to take up another one, and introduced the latter by glancing round the room.
"You have a comfortable apartment here, Mr. Vass."
"It is the late Mr. Grent's private office," replied the secretary sullenly, "and I remain in it by the order of Mr. Leighbourne, senior, to sort out the papers of his dead partner."
"Did you sit here when Mr. Grent was away?"
"Always."
"Then, on the Saturday we speak of, you were sitting here?"
"I was."
"Aha," said Torry, with a satisfied nod. "Now, who came into the room when you were here?"
"Various people."
"Connected with the bank?"
"Mostly connected with the bank."
"Did Donna Maria Sandoval call?" asked Torry suddenly.
"Yes," said Vass quietly "She did. I see no reason to deny her visit; it was made openly and for a purpose."
"What purpose?"
Vass wriggled uneasily in his seat. "Am I obliged to answer that question, Mr. Torry?"
"Not unless you like; not unless Donna Maria came here for a purpose of which she was ashamed."
The detective said this purposely to insult Donna Maria, so that he might discover if Vass loved her, but the secretary never changed colour or lost his temper; so Torry was convinced that he had not given his heart to the beautiful Spaniard.
"Donna Maria never does anything to be ashamed of," he replied in calm tones. "If you wish to know the reason of her visit I can tell you. She came at the request of Mr. Grent, to get his travelling tickets."
"Oh, the tickets, the two tickets for Italy?"
"Yes. Mr. Grent left them here by mistake, and Donna Maria called for them. I found them, gave them to her, and I believe she visited her uncle in Duke-street to deliver them to him."
This, then, explained Miss Sandoval's visit to Duke-street, and the reason was apparently an innocent one; so innocent, indeed, that Torry wondered why the girl had not confessed it. "Unless," thought he, "This is a lying explanation arranged for between Donna Maria and Vass to quiet my suspicions."
He was about to ask a few questions with a view to discover if his suspicions were correct, when there was a knock at the door, and almost immediately it opened to admit Manuel. The Spaniard seemed greatly excited, and advanced towards Vass, but stopped short when he saw Torry.
"The policeman!" he said. "Aha, very good; so much the better. I wish to see you."
"What is the matter?" asked Torry and Vass together.
"Those notes."
"Yes, the ten thousand pounds."
Captain Manuel placed a package on the table. "Here are the bank-notes." he said in excited tones, "returned to me last night."