第13章 BOOK I:AS SEEN BY TWO STRANGERS(13)

"I do not see that I should gain much by doing so.The one discovery which would link this find of yours indissolubly with Miss Challoner's death,I have failed to make.If I am equally unsuccessful below -if I can establish no closer connection there than here between this cutter and the weapon which killed Miss Challoner,I shall have no cause to mention the matter.It will be too extraneous to the case.Do you remember the exact spot where you stooped,Miss Watkins?""No,no.Somewhere near those big chairs;I didn't have to step out of my way;I really didn't."Mr.Gryce's answering smile was a study.It seemed to convey a two-fold message,one for the mother and one for the child,and both were comforting.But he went away,disappointed.The clew which promised so much was,to all appearance,a false one.

He could soon tell.

VI

INTEGRITY

Mr.Gryce's fears were only too well founded.Though Mr.McElroy was kind enough to point out the exact spot where he saw Miss Watkins stoop,no trace of blood was found upon the rug which had lain there,nor had anything of the kind been washed up by the very careful man who scrubbed the lobby floor in the early morning.This was disappointing,as its presence would have settled the whole question.

When,these efforts all exhausted,the two detectives faced each other again in the small room given up to their use,Mr.Gryce showed his discouragement.To be certain of a fact you cannot prove has not the same alluring quality for the old that it has for the young.

Sweetwater watched him in some concern,then with the persistence which was one of his strong points,ventured finally to remark:

"I have but one idea left on the subject."

"And what is that?"Old as he was,Mr.Gryce was alert in a moment.

"The girl wore a red cloak.If I mistake not,the lining was also red.A spot on it might not show to the casual observer.Yet it would mean much to us.""Sweetwater!"

A faint blush rose to the old man's cheek.

"Shall I request the privilege of looking that garment over?

"Yes."

The young fellow ducked and left the room.When he returned,it was with a downcast air.

"Nothing doing,"said he.

And then there was silence.

"We only need to find out now that this cutter was not even Miss Challoner's property,"remarked Mr.Gryce,at last,with a gesture towards the object named,lying openly on the table before him.

"That should be easy.Shall I take it to their rooms and show it to her maid?""If you can do so without disturbing the old gentleman."But here they were themselves disturbed.A knock at the door was followed by the immediate entrance of the very person just mentioned.

Mr.Challoner had come in search of the inspector,and showed some surprise to find his place occupied by an unknown old man.

But Mr.Gryce,who discerned tidings in the bereaved father's face,was all alacrity in an instant.Greeting his visitor with a smile which few could see without trusting the man,he explained the inspector's absence and introduced himself in his own capacity.

Mr.Challoner had heard of him.Nevertheless,he did not seem inclined to speak.

Mr.Gryce motioned Sweetwater from the room.With a woeful look the young detective withdrew,his last glance cast at the cutter still lying in full view on the table.

Mr.Gryce,not unmindful himself of this object,took it up,then laid it down again,with an air of seeming abstraction.

The father's attention was caught.

"What is that?"he cried,advancing a step and bestowing more than an ordinary glance at the object thus brought casually,as it were,to his notice."I surely recognise this cutter.Does it belong here or -"Mr.Gryce,observing the other's,emotion,motioned him to a chair.

As his visitor sank into it,he remarked,with all the consideration exacted by the situation:

"It is unknown property,Mr.Challoner.But we have some reason to think it belonged to your daughter.Are we correct in this surmise?

"I have seen it,or one like it,often in her hand."Here his eyes suddenly dilated and the hand stretched forth to grasp it quickly drew back."Where -where was it found?"he hoarsely demanded."0God!am I to be crushed to the very earth by sorrow!"Mr.Gryce hastened to give him such relief as was consistent with the truth.

"It was picked up -last night -from the lobby floor.There is seemingly nothing to connect it with her death.Yet -"The pause was eloquent.Mr.Challoner gave the detective an agonised look and turned white to the lips.Then gradually,as the silence continued,his head fell forward,and he muttered almost unintelligibly:

"I honestly believe her the victim of some heartless stranger.Ido now;but -but I cannot mislead the police.At any cost I must retract a statement I made under false impressions and with no desire to deceive.I said that I knew all of the gentlemen who admired her and aspired to her hand,and that they were all reputable men and above committing a crime of this or any other kind.But it seems that I did not know her secret heart as thoroughly as I had supposed.Among her effects I have just come upon a batch of letters -love letters I am forced to acknowledge -signed by initials totally strange to me.The letters are manly in tone -most of them -but one -""What about the one?"

"Shows that the writer was displeased.It may mean nothing,but Icould not let the matter go without setting myself right with the authorities.If it might be allowed to rest here -if those letters can remain sacred,it would save me the additional pang of seeing her inmost concerns -the secret and holiest recesses of a woman's heart,laid open to the public.For,from the tenor of most of these letters,she -she was not averse to the writer."Mr.Gryce moved a little restlessly in his chair and stared hard at the cutter so conveniently placed under his eye.Then his manner softened and he remarked:

"We will do what we can.But you must understand that the matter is not a simple one.That,in fact,it contains mysteries which demand police investigation.We do not dare to trifle with any of the facts.