the clue of the twisted candle-第4部分

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　As　it　was；　she　turned　the　conversation　to　his　last　work；　the　big　mystery　story　which；　if　it　would　not　make　his　fortune；　would　mean　a　considerable　increase　to　his　income。

At　a　quarter　to　eleven　he　looked　at　his　watch；　and　rose。　　She　helped　him　on　with　his　coat。　　He　stood　for　some　time　irresolutely。

〃Is　there　anything　you　have　forgotten？〃　she　asked。

He　asked　himself　whether　he　should　follow　Kara's　advice。　　In　any　circumstance　it　was　not　a　pleasant　thing　to　meet　a　ferocious　little　man　who　had　threatened　his　life；　and　to　meet　him　unarmed　was　tempting　Providence。　　The　whole　thing　was　of　course　ridiculous；　but　it　was　ridiculous　that　he　should　have　borrowed；　and　it　was　ridiculous　that　the　borrowing　should　have　been　necessary；　and　yet　he　had　speculated　on　the　best　of　advice　…　it　was　Kara's　advice。

The　connection　suddenly　occurred　to　him；　and　yet　Kara　had　not　directly　suggested　that　he　should　buy　Roumanian　gold　shares；　but　had　merely　spoken　glowingly　of　their　prospects。　　He　thought　a　moment；　and　then　walked　back　slowly　into　the　study；　pulled　open　the　drawer　of　his　desk；　took　out　the　sinister　little　Browning；　and　slipped　it　into　his　pocket。

〃I　shan't　be　long；　dear；〃　he　said；　and　kissing　the　girl　he　strode　out　into　the　darkness。


Kara　sat　back　in　the　luxurious　depths　of　his　car；　humming　a　little　tune；　as　the　driver　picked　his　way　cautiously　over　the　uncertain　road。　　The　rain　was　still　falling；　and　Kara　had　to　rub　the　windows　free　of　the　mist　which　had　gathered　on　them　to　discover　where　he　was。　　From　time　to　time　he　looked　out　as　though　he　expected　to　see　somebody；　and　then　with　a　little　smile　he　remembered　that　he　had　changed　his　original　plan；　and　that　he　had　fixed　the　waiting　room　of　Lewes　junction　as　his　rendezvous。

Here　it　was　that　he　found　a　little　man　muffled　up　to　the　ears　in　a　big　top　coat；　standing　before　the　dying　fire。　　He　started　as　Kara　entered　and　at　a　signal　followed　him　from　the　room。

The　stranger　was　obviously　not　English。　　His　face　was　sallow　and　peaked；　his　cheeks　were　hollow；　and　the　beard　he　wore　was　irregular…almost　unkempt。

Kara　led　the　way　to　the　end　of　the　dark　platform；　before　he　spoke。

〃You　have　carried　out　my　instructions？〃　he　asked　brusquely。

The　language　he　spoke　was　Arabic；　and　the　other　answered　him　in　that　language。

〃Everything　that　you　have　ordered　has　been　done；　Effendi；〃　he　said　humbly。

〃You　have　a　revolver？〃

The　man　nodded　and　patted　his　pocket。

〃Loaded？〃

〃Excellency；〃　asked　the　other；　in　surprise；　〃what　is　the　use　of　a　revolver；　if　it　is　not　loaded？〃

〃You　understand；　you　are　not　to　shoot　this　man；〃　said　Kara。　　〃You　are　merely　to　present　the　pistol。　　To　make　sure；　you　had　better　unload　it　now。〃

Wonderingly　the　man　obeyed；　and　clicked　back　the　ejector。

〃I　will　take　the　cartridges；〃　said　Kara；　holding　out　his　hand。

He　slipped　the　little　cylinders　into　his　pocket；　and　after　examining　the　weapon　returned　it　to　its　owner。

〃You　will　threaten　him；〃　he　went　on。　　〃Present　the　revolver　straight　at　his　heart。　　You　need　do　nothing　else。〃

The　man　shuffled　uneasily。

〃I　will　do　as　you　say；　Effendi；〃　he　'said。　　〃But　…　〃

〃There　are　no　'buts；'　〃　replied　the　other　harshly。　　〃You　are　to　carry　out　my　instructions　without　any　question。　　What　will　happen　then　you　shall　see。　　I　shall　be　at　hand。　　That　I　have　a　reason　for　this　play　be　assured。〃

〃But　suppose　he　shoots？〃　persisted　the　other　uneasily。

〃He　will　not　shoot；〃　said　Kara　easily。　　〃Besides；　his　revolver　is　not　loaded。　　Now　you　may　go。　　You　have　a　long　walk　before　you。　You　know　the　way？〃

The　man　nodded。

〃I　have　been　over　it　before；〃　he　said　confidently。

Kara　returned　to　the　big　limousine　which　had　drawn　up　some　distance　from　the　station。　　He　spoke　a　word　or　two　to　the　chauffeur　in　Greek；　and　the　man　touched　his　hat。




CHAPTER　II


Assistant　Commissioner　of　Police　T。　X。　Meredith　did　not　occupy　offices　in　New　Scotland　Yard。　　It　is　the　peculiarity　of　public　offices　that　they　are　planned　with　the　idea　of　supplying　the　margin　of　space　above　all　requirements　and　that　on　their　completion　they　are　found　wholly　inadequate　to　house　the　various　departments　which　mysteriously　come　into　progress　coincident　with　the　building　operations。

〃T。　X。；〃　as　he　was　known　by　the　police　forces　of　the　world；　had　a　big　suite　of　offices　in　Whitehall。　　The　house　was　an　old　one　facing　the　Board　of　Trade　and　the　inscription　on　the　ancient　door　told　passers…by　that　this　was　the　〃Public　Prosecutor；　Special　Branch。〃

The　duties　of　T。　X。　were　multifarious。　　People　said　of　him　…　and　like　most　public　gossip；　this　was　probably　untrue　…　that　he　was　the　head　of　the　〃illegal〃　department　of　Scotland　Yard。　　If　by　chance　you　lost　the　keys　of　your　safe；　T。　X。　could　supply　you　（so　popular　rumour　ran）　with　a　burglar　who　would　open　that　safe　in　half　an　hour。

If　there　dwelt　in　England　a　notorious　individual　against　whom　the　police　could　collect　no　scintilla　of　evidence　to　justify　a　prosecution；　and　if　it　was　necessary　for　the　good　of　the　community　that　that　person　should　be　deported；　it　was　T。　X。　who　arrested　the　obnoxious　person；　hustled　him　into　a　cab　and　did　not　loose　his　hold　upon　his　victim　until　he　had　landed　him　on　the　indignant　shores　of　an　otherwise　friendly　power。

It　is　very　certain　that　when　the　minister　of　a　tiny　power　which　shall　be　nameless　was　suddenly　recalled　by　his　government　and　brought　to　trial　in　his　native　land　for　putting　into　circulation　spurious　bonds；　it　was　somebody　from　the　department　which　T。　X。　controlled；　who　burgled　His　Excellency's　house；　burnt　the　locks　from　his　safe　and　secured　the　necessary　incriminating　evidence。

I　say　it　is　fairly　certain　and　here　I　am　merely　voicing　the　opinion　of　very　knowledgeable　people　indeed；　heads　of　public　departments　who　speak　behind　their　hands；　mysterious　under…secretaries　of　state　who　discuss　things　in　whispers　in　the　remote　corners　of　their　clubrooms　and　the　more　frank　views　of　American　correspondents　who　had　no　hesitation　in　putting　those　views　into　print　for　the　benefit　of　their　readers。

That　T。　X。　had　a　more　legitimate　occupation　we　know；　for　it　was　that　flippant　man　whose　outrageous　comment　on　the　Home　Office　Administration　is　popularly　supposed　to　have　sent　one　Home　Secretary　to　his　grave；　who　traced　the　Deptford　murderers　through　a　labyrinth　of　perjury　and　who　brought　to　book　Sir　Julius　Waglite　though　he　had　covered　his　trail　of　defalcation　through　the　balance　sheets　of　thirty…four　companies。

On　the　night　of　March　3rd；　T。　X。　sat　in　his　inner　office　interviewing　a　disconsolate　inspector　of　metropolitan　police；　named　Mansus。

In　appearance　T。　X。　conveyed　the　impression　of　extreme　youth；　for　his　face　was　almost　boyish　and　it　was　only　when　you　looked　at　him　closely　and　saw　the　little　creases　about　his　eyes；　the　setting　of　his　straight　mouth；　that　you　guessed　he　was　on　the　way　to　forty。　In　his　early　days　he　had　been　something　of　a　poet；　and　had　written　a　slight　volume　of　〃Woodland　Lyrics；〃　the　mention　of　which　at　this　later　stage　was　sufficient　to　make　him　feel　violently　unhappy。

In　manner　he　was　tactful　but　persistent；　his　language　was　at　times　marked　by　a　violent　extravagance　and　he　had　had　the　distinction　of　having　provoked；　by　certain　correspondence　which　had　seen　the　light；　the　comment　of　a　former　Home　Secretary　that　〃it　was　unfortunate　that　Mr。　Meredith　did　not　take　his　position　with　the　seriousness　which　was　expected　from　a　public　official。〃

His　language　was；　as　I　say；　under　great　provocation；　violent　and　unusual。　　He　had　a　trick　of　using　words　which　never　were　on　land　or　sea；　and　illustrating　his　instruction　or　his　admonition　with　the　quaintest　phraseology。

Now　he　was　tilted　back　in　his　office　chair　at　an　alarming　angle；　scowling　at　his　distressed　subordinate　who　sat　on　the　edge　of　a　chair　at　the　other　side　of　his　desk。

〃But；　T。　X。；〃　protested　the　Inspector；　〃there　was　nothing　to　be　found。〃

It　was　the　outrageous　practice　of　Mr。　Meredith　to　insist　upon　his　associates　calling　him　by　his　initials；　a　practice　which　had　earnt　disapproval　in　the　highest　quarters。


〃Nothing　is　to　be　found！〃　he　repeated　wrathfully。　　〃Curious　Mike！〃

He　sat　up　with　a　suddenness　which　caused　the　police　officer　to　start　back　in　alarm。

〃Listen；〃　said　T。　X。；　grasping　an　ivory　paperknife　savagely　in　his　hand　and　tapping　his　blotting…pad　to　emphasize　his　words；　〃you're　a　pie！〃

〃I'm　a　policeman；〃　said　the　other　patiently。

〃A　policeman！〃　exclaimed　the　exasperated　T。　X。　〃You're　worse　than　a　pie；　you're　a　slud！　　I'm　afraid　I　shall　never　make　a　detective　of　you；〃　he　shook　his　head　sorrowfully　at　the　smiling　Mansus　who　had　been　in　the　police　force　when　T。　X。　was　a　small　boy　at　school；　〃you　are　neither　Wise　nor　Wily；　you　combine　the　innocence　of　a　Baby　with　the　grubbiness　of　a　County　Parson　…　you　ought　to　be　in　the　choir。〃

At　this　outrageous　insult　Mr。　Mansus　was　silent；　what　he　might　have　said；　or　what　further　provocation　he　might　have　received　may　be　never　known；　for　at　that　moment；　the　Chief　himself　walked　in。

The　Chief　of　the　Police　in　these　days　was　a　grey　man；　rather　tired；　with　a　hawk　nose　and　deep　eyes　that　glared　under　shaggy　eyebrows　and　he　was　a　terror　to　all　men　of　his　department　save　to　T。　X。　who　respected　nothing　on　earth　and　very　little　elsewhere。　He　nodded　curtly　to　Mansus。

〃Well；　T。　X。；〃　he　said；　〃what　have　you　discovered　about　our　friend　Kara？〃

He　turned　from　T。　X。　to　the　discomforted　inspector。

〃Very　little；〃　said　T。　X。　〃I've　had　Mansus　on　the　job。〃

〃And　you've　found　nothing；　eh？〃　growled　the　Chief。

〃He　has　found　all　that　it　is　possible　to　find；〃　said　T。　X。　〃We　do　not　perform　miracles　in　this　department；　Sir　George；　nor　can　we　pick　up　the　threads　of　a　case　at　five　minutes'　notice。〃

Sir　George　Haley　grunted。

〃Mansus　has　done　his　best；〃　the　other　went　on　easily；　〃but　it　is　rather　absurd　to　talk　about　one's　best　when　you　know　so　little　of　what　you　want。〃

Sir　George　dropped　heavily　into　the　arm…chair；　and　stretched　out　his　long　thin　legs。

〃What　I　want；〃　he　said；　looking　up　at　the　ceiling　and　putting　his　hands　together；　〃is　to　discover　something　about　one　Remington　Kara；　a　wealthy　Greek　who　has　taken　a　house　in　Cadogan　Square；　who　has　no　particular　position　in　London　society　and　therefore　has　no　reason