“To Miss Elise Shearman, from the prisoner, John Sainsbury.—Please tell Miss Shearman that I have been arrested as a spy, and am at Bow Street Police Station. Tell her not to worry. I have nothing to fear, and will be at liberty very soon. Some grave official error has evidently been made.” Then, handing the slip to the Detective Inspector, he said—
“If they will kindly ring up Mr Shearman’s in Hampstead”—and he gave the number—“and give that message, I shall be greatly obliged.”
“It shall be done,” replied the police official. “Have you anything else to say?”
“Only one thing, and of this statement I hope you will make a careful note: namely, that on the night when Dr Jerome Jerrold died so mysteriously, I was on my way to give him some most important information that I had gathered in the City only a few hours before—information which, when I reveal it, will startle the Kingdom—but he died before I could tell him. He died in my arms, as a matter of fact.”
Inspector Tennant was silent for a few moments. Then he asked—
“Did you ever reveal this important information to anyone else?”
“No. I did not. Only Jerrold would have understood its true gravity.”
“Then it concerned him—eh?”
“No. It concerned somebody else. I was on my way to consult him—to ask his opinion as to how I should act, when I found I could not get into his room. His man helped me to break in, and we found him dying. In fact, he spoke to me—he said he’d been shot—just before he expired.”
“Yes, I know,” remarked Tennant reflectively. “I happened to be present in court when the inquest was held. I heard your evidence, and I also heard the evidence of Sir Houston Bird, who testified as to suicide.”