The Bond of Black Part 14

"But he often took ladies to the Gallery down at the House," I remarked, for Roddy was never so happy as when escorting two or three ladies over the House, or giving them tea on the long terrace beside the Thames. He was essentially a lady's man.

"Yes, sir. But there was one he used to describe to me, and he told me often that if she ever came I was to tell her that he had left London."

"What was she like?" asked the officer, p.r.i.c.king up his ears.

"Well," replied Ash, after some reflection, "as far as I could make out, she was about twenty or so; very good-looking, and generally dressed in black. Of course, I never saw her, for she never called."

The description he had given answered exactly to that of Aline. The mystery had become more complicated than I had antic.i.p.ated. The next fact to ascertain was the cause of death.

"Why have you made these inquiries regarding Monte Carlo?" the detective asked me. "Did he go there?"

"I believe so," I replied. "Of course, it is not proved, but I suspect that when he went to Aberdeen he afterwards went secretly to the Riviera."

"Why secretly?"

"Ah! that I'm unable to tell," I answered, resolved to keep the knowledge I possessed to myself. But pointing to the card in the frame of the mirror I explained that that was a gambling-card used only at Monte Carlo, and that the figures were in my friend's handwriting.

The officer took it down interestedly, carefully scrutinised it, asked several questions regarding it, and then replaced it in the position it had occupied.

All three of us went to the writing-table, and the officer quickly discovered the cheque-book. Opening it he found by the counterfoil that what Ash had said about his cheque for wages was correct, but, further, that another cheque had been torn out after his, and that the counterfoil remained blank.

"This is suspicious," the detective observed quickly. "It looks very much as if there's been a robbery. We must stop the cheque at the bank," and he scribbled down the number of the counterfoil.

"If a robbery has been committed, then my friend has been murdered," I said.

"That's more than likely," replied the officer. "The story Ash tells us is certainly remarkable, and increases the mystery. If we can find this lady who made the appointment at King's Cross, we should no doubt learn something which might throw some light on the affair. Personally, I am inclined to disbelieve the theory that death has been due to natural causes. In view of the facts before us, either suicide or murder seem much more feasible theories. Yet we must remember that a man who would deliberately send his man out before committing suicide would also fasten the door. You found it open."

This circ.u.mstance had not before occurred to me. Yes, a man who intended to take his own life would not have left the door open.

Ash, hearing our argument, at once declared that he had closed the door when he had gone out. Therefore, it seemed proved that Roddy had received a visitor during the absence of his valet.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

WITHIN GRASP.

Scarcely had we concluded our conversation when the police arrived, and removed the body to the mortuary, in order that the doctor might make his examination; then, there being nothing to detain me further in the dead man's chambers, I left in company with the detective, the latter having given Ash orders not to disturb a single thing in the rooms. If it were proved that the member for South-West Suss.e.x had actually been murdered, then another examination of the place would have to be made.

The more I reflected upon the puzzling circ.u.mstances, the more bewildering they became.

I called upon two men, close friends of Roddy's, and told them of the sad circ.u.mstances of his death; how he had died quite suddenly during his man's absence on a commission.

But I had no need to carry the distressing news, for as I pa.s.sed the corner of the Haymarket the men selling the evening papers were holding the contents bills, whereon were displayed the words in big type, "Mysterious Death of an M.P." Newspapers are ingenious enough not to give away their information by putting the name of the deceased, thereby compelling the public to pay their pennies in order to learn where the vacancy has been caused by the Avenger. Nowadays the breath is scarcely out of the body of a Parliamentary representative than the papers publish the figures of the previous elections and comment on the political prospects of the division.

I bought a paper, and there saw beneath the brief announcement of Roddy's death quite a long account of the political position in his const.i.tuency, the name of the opposition candidate, and the majority by which my friend had been elected. Poor Roddy's death did not appear so important to that journal as the necessity of wresting the seat from the Government.

Next afternoon the inquest was held at the St James's Vestry Hall, and was attended by more newspaper reporters than members of the public. I arrived early and had a chat with the detective Priestly, who had questioned Ash, but he told me that nothing further had been discovered.

The usual evidence of identification having been taken, I was called and described the finding of the body. Then the valet Ash was called in and related the story which he had already told the detective.

"You have no idea who this lady was whom your master desired to avoid?"

the Coroner asked him.

"No," answered the man.

"And as far as you are aware there was no reason for Mr Morgan taking his life?"

"None. He was exceedingly merry all the morning, whistling to himself, and once or twice joking with me when I waited on him at breakfast."

The doctor was then called, and having given his name and stated his professional qualifications, said--

"When I saw the deceased he was dead. I should think about half an hour had elapsed since respiration ceased. The room appeared in perfect order, and there was no sign whatever of foul play. On making a cursory examination I found one of the hands contracted, the fingers bent in towards the palm. This morning I made a post-mortem at the mortuary, and on opening the hand I discovered this within it," and from his vest pocket he took a piece of white tissue paper, which he opened.

Every neck was craned in Court to catch sight of what had been discovered, and I standing near him saw as he handed it to the Coroner that it was a tiny piece of soft black chiffon about half an inch square, evidently torn from a woman's dress.

The Coroner took it, and then remarked--

"This would appear to prove that the deceased had a visitor immediately before his death, and that his visitor was a lady."

"That is what I surmise," observed the doctor. "My examination has proved one or two things." There was a stir in Court, followed by a dead and eager silence.

"I found no external mark of violence whatsoever," the doctor continued in a clear tone, "and the clenched hand with the piece of muslin within did not point to death from any unnatural cause. The only external marks were two very curious ones which are entirely unaccountable. On each elbow I found a strange white scar, the remains of some injury inflicted perhaps a year ago. The eyes, too, were discoloured in a manner altogether unaccountable. On further examination, I found no trace whatever of any organic disease. The deceased was a strong athletic man, and was suffering from no known malady which could have resulted fatally."

"Did you make an examination of the stomach?" inquired the Coroner.

"I did. Suspecting suicide by poison, I made a most careful a.n.a.lysis, a.s.sisted by Dr Leverton, of King's College Hospital, but we failed to discover any trace of poison whatsoever."

"Then you cannot a.s.sign any cause for death in this instance?" observed the Coroner, looking up sharply in surprise.

"No," answered the doctor. "I cannot."

"Have you a theory that deceased died from the effects of poison?"

"Certain appearances pointed to such a conclusion," the doctor responded. "Personally, before making the post-mortem, I suspected prussic acid; but all tests failed to detect any trace of such deleterious matter."

"Of course," said the Coroner, who was also a medical man of wide experience, clearing his throat, as he turned to the jury, "the presence of poison can be very easily discovered, and the fact that the a.n.a.lyses have failed must necessarily add mystery to this case."

"Having failed to find poison," continued the doctor, "we naturally turned our attention to other causes which might result fatally."

"And what did you find?" inquired the Coroner eagerly, his pen poised in his hand.

"Nothing!" the witness answered. "Absolutely nothing."

"Then you are quite unable to account for death?"

"Utterly. Several of the circ.u.mstances are suspicious of foul play, but we have found not the slightest trace of it. The marks upon the elbows are very curious indeed--circular white scars--but they have, of course, nothing to do with Mr Morgan's sudden death," I recollected the portion of charred paper which I had picked up, the discovery of the glove-b.u.t.ton, and its connection with the tiny sc.r.a.p of black chiffon.

Yes, there was no doubt that he had had a visitor between the time that Ash went out to meet the mysterious woman at King's Cross and the moment of his death.

"The affair seems enveloped in a certain amount of mystery," observed the Coroner to the jury after the doctor had signed his depositions.

"You have the whole of the evidence before you--that of the valet, the friend of deceased who discovered him, the police who have searched the chambers, and the doctor who made the post-mortem. In summing up the whole we find that the unfortunate gentleman died mysteriously--very mysteriously--but to nothing the medical men have discovered could they a.s.sign the cause of death. It would certainly appear, from the fact that a portion of a woman's dress-tr.i.m.m.i.n.g was discovered in the dead man's clenched hand, that he had a secret visitor, and that she desired to escape while he wished her to remain. Yet there was no sign of a struggle in the rooms, and no one saw any person enter or leave. Again, we have it in evidence that deceased, at the hour of his death, sent a message to some unknown lady whom his valet had instructions to meet on the railway platform at King's Cross. This meeting had undoubtedly been pre-arranged, and the lady expected the unfortunate gentleman to keep it. Perhaps watching from a distance, and not seeing Mr Morgan, she did not approach the clock, and hence the valet did not give her the mysterious blank and unaddressed letter. After this, the suggestion naturally occurs whether or not this same lady visited Mr Morgan in the absence of his valet. She may have done, or may not. But in this Court we have nothing to do with theories. It is your duty, gentlemen of the jury, to say whether this gentleman actually died from natural causes, or whether by suicide or foul means. We must recollect that the police have discovered what may eventually throw some light on the affair, namely, the fact that a cheque is missing from deceased's cheque-book, leaving the counterfoil blank. By means of that cheque it is just possible that the ident.i.ty of the unknown person who visited Mr Morgan may be established. I think, gentlemen," continued the Coroner, after a pause, "I think you will agree with me that in these strange circ.u.mstances it would be unwise to go further into the matter. By exposing all the evidence the police have in their possession we might possibly defeat our inquiry; therefore I ask you whether you will return a verdict that the death of this gentleman has resulted from natural causes, or whether you think it wiser to return an open verdict of `Found dead,' and leave all further inquiries in the hands of the police."