The Man Who Knew Page 17

  CHAPTER XVII

  THE MAN CALLED "MERRILL"

  "If Wiseman did not think you were a murderer, I should regard him as anintelligent being," said Saul Arthur Mann.

  "Have they found Crawley?" asked Frank.

  "No, he got away. The chauffeur and the car were hired from a West Endgarage, with this story of a lunatic who had to be removed to an asylum,and apparently Crawley, or Smith, was the man who hired them. He evenpaid a little extra for the damage which the alleged lunatic might dothe car. The chauffeur says that he had some doubt, and had intended toinform the police after he had arrived at his destination. As a matterof fact, they were just outside Eastbourne when the accident occurred.""The Man Who Knew" paused.

  "Where did he say he was taking her?" he asked Frank.

  "He was told to drive into Eastbourne, where more detailed instructionswould be given to him. The police have confirmed his story, and he hasbeen released.

  "I have just come from May," said Frank. "She looks none the worse forher exciting adventure. I hope you have arranged to have her guarded?"

  Saul Arthur Mann nodded.

  "It will be the last adventure of that kind our friend will attempt," hesaid.

  "Still, this enlightens us a little. We know that Mr. Rex Holland has anaccomplice, and that accomplice is Sergeant Smith, so we may presumethat they were both in the murder. Constable Wiseman has been suitablyrewarded, as he well deserves," said Frank heartily.

  "You bear no malice," smiled Saul Arthur Mann.

  Frank laughed, and shook his head.

  "How can one?" he asked simply.

  May had another visitor. Jasper Cole came hurriedly to London at thefirst intimation of the outrage, but was reassured by the girl'sappearance.

  "It was awfully thrilling," she said, "but really I am not greatlydistressed; in fact, I think I look less tired than you."

  He nodded.

  "That is very possible. I did not go to bed until very late thismorning," he said. "I was so engrossed in my research work that I didnot realize it was morning until they brought me my tea."

  "You haven't been in bed all night?" she said, shocked, and shook herhead reprovingly. "That is one of your habits of life which will have tobe changed," she warned him.

  Jasper Cole did not dismiss her unpleasant experience as lightly as she.

  "I wonder what the object of it all was," he said, "and why they tookyou back to Eastbourne? I think we shall find that the headquarters ofthis infernal combination is somewhere in Sussex."

  "Mr. Mann doesn't think so," she said, "but believes that the car was tobe met by another at Eastbourne and I was to be transferred. He saysthat the idea of taking me there was to throw the police off the scent."

  She shivered.

  "It wasn't a nice experience," she confessed.

  The interview took place in the afternoon, and was some two hours afterFrank had interviewed the girl; Saul Arthur Mann had gone to Eastbourneto bring her back. Jasper had arranged to spend the night in town, andhad booked two stalls at the Hippodrome. She had told Saul Arthur Mannthis, in accordance with her promise to keep him informed as to hermovements, and she was, therefore, surprised when, half an hour later,the little investigator presented himself.

  She met him in the presence of her fiance, and it was clear to Jasperwhat Saul Arthur Mann's intentions were.

  "I don't want to make myself a nuisance," he said, "but before we goany further, Miss Nuttall, there are certain matters on which you oughtto be informed. I have every reason to believe that I know who wasresponsible for the outrage of last night, and I do not intend risking arepetition."

  "Who do you think was responsible?" asked the girl quietly.

  "I honestly believe that the author is in this room," was the startlingresponse.

  "You mean me?" asked Jasper Cole angrily.

  "I mean you, Mr. Cole. I believe that you are the man who planned thecoup and that you are its sole author," said the other.

  The girl stared at him in astonishment.

  "You surely do not mean what you say."

  "I mean that Mr. Cole has every reason for wishing to marry you," hesaid. "What that reason is I do not know completely, but I shalldiscover. I am satisfied," he went on slowly, "that Mr. Cole is alreadymarried."

  She looked from one to the other.

  "Already married?" repeated Jasper.

  "If he is not already married," said Saul Arthur Mann bluntly, "then Ihave been indiscreet. The only thing I can tell you is that your fiancehas been traveling on the Continent with a lady who describes herself asMrs. Cole."

  Jasper said nothing for a moment, but looked at the other oddly andthoughtfully.

  "I understand, Mr. Mann," he said at length, "that you collect facts asother people collect postage stamps?"

  Saul Arthur Mann bristled.

  "You may carry this off, sir," he began, "if you can--"

  "Let me speak," said Jasper Cole, raising his voice. "I want to ask youthis: Have you a complete record of John Minute's life?"

  "I know it so well," said Saul Arthur Mann emphatically, "that I couldrepeat his history word for word."

  "Will you sit down, May?" said Jasper, taking the girl's hand in his andgently forcing her to a chair. "We are going to put Mr. Mann's memoryto the test."

  "Do you seriously mean that you want me to repeat that history?" askedthe other suspiciously.

  "I mean just that," said Jasper, and drew up a chair for his unpleasantvisitor.

  The record of John Minute's life came trippingly from Mann's tongue. Heknew to an extraordinary extent the details of that strange and wildcareer.

  "In 1892," said the investigator, continuing his narrative, "he wasmarried at St. Bride's church, Port Elizabeth, to Agnes Gertrude Cole."

  "Cole," murmured Jasper.

  The little man looked at him with open mouth.

  "Cole! Good Lord--you are--"

  "I am his son," said Jasper quietly. "I am one of his two children. Yourinformation is that there was one. As a matter of fact, there were two.My mother left my father with one of the greatest scoundrels that hasever lived. He took her to Australia, where my sister was born sixmonths after she had left John Minute. There her friend deserted her,and she worked for seven years as a kitchen maid, in Melbourne, in orderto save up enough money to bring us to Cape Town. My mother opened a teashop off Aderley Street, and earned enough to educate me and my sister.It was there she met Crawley, and Crawley promised to use his influencewith my father to bring about a reconciliation for her children's sake.I do not know what was the result of his attempt, but I gather it wasunsuccessful, and things went on very much as they were before.

  "Then one day, when I was still at the South African College, my motherwent home, taking my sister with her. I have reason to believe thatCrawley was responsible for her sailing and that he met them on landing.All that I knew was that from that day my mother disappeared. She hadleft me a sum of money to continue my studies, but after eight monthshad passed, and no word had come from her, I decided to go on toEngland. I have since learned what had happened. My mother had beenseized with a stroke and had been conveyed to the workhouse infirmary byCrawley, who had left her there and had taken my sister, who apparentlyhe passed off as his own daughter.

  "I did not know this at the time, but being well aware of my father'sidentity I wrote to him, asking him for help to discover my mother. Heanswered, telling me that my mother was dead, that Crawley had told himso, and that there was no trace of Marguerite, my sister. We exchanged agood many letters, and then my father asked me to come and act as hissecretary and assist him in his search for Marguerite. What he did notknow was that Crawley's alleged daughter, whom he had not seen, was thegirl for whom he was seeking. I fell into the new life, and found JohnMinute--I can scarcely call him 'father'--much more bearable than Iexpected--and then one day I found my mother."

  "You found your mother?" said Saul Arthur Mann, a light dawning uponhim.

&n
bsp; "Your persistent search of the little house in Silvers Rents producednothing," he smiled. "Had you taken the bamboo ladder and crossed theyard at the back of the house into another yard, then through the door,you would have come to Number 16 Royston Court, and you would have beenconsiderably surprised to find an interior much more luxurious than youwould have expected in that quarter. In Royston Court they spoke ofNumber 16 as 'the house with the nurses' because there were always threenurses on duty, and nobody ever saw the inside of the house butthemselves. There you would have found my mother, bedridden, and,indeed, so ill that the doctors who saw her would not allow her to bemoved from the house.

  "I furnished this hovel piece by piece, generally at night, because Idid not want to excite the curiosity of the people in the court, nordid I wish this matter to reach the ears of John Minute. I felt thatwhile I retained his friendship and his confidence there was at least achance of his reconciliation with my mother, and that, before allthings, she desired. It was not to be," he said sadly. "John Minute wasstruck down at the moment my plans seemed as though they were going toresult in complete success. Strangely enough, with his death, my mothermade an extraordinary recovery, and I was able to move her to theContinent. She had always wanted to see Holland, France, and at thismoment"--he turned to the girl with a smile--"she is in the chalet whichyou occupied during your holiday."

  Mr. Mann was dumfounded. All his pet theories had gone by the board.

  "But what of your sister?" he asked at last.

  A black look gathered in Jasper Cole's face.

  "My sister's whereabouts are known to me now," he said shortly. "Forsome time she lived in Camden Town, at Number 69 Flowerton Road. At thepresent moment she is nearer and is watched night and day, almost ascarefully as Mr. Mann's agents are watching you." He smiled again at thegirl.

  "Watching me?" she said, startled.

  Saul Arthur Mann went red.

  "It was my idea," he said stiffly.

  "And a very excellent one," agreed Jasper, "but unfortunately youappointed your guards too late."

  Mr. Mann went back to his office, his brain in a whirl, yet such was hishabit that he did not allow himself to speculate upon the new andamazing situation until he had carefully jotted down every new fact hehad collected.

  It was astounding that he had overlooked the connection between JasperCole and John Minute's wife. His labors did not cease until eleveno'clock, and he was preparing to go home when the commissionaire whoacted as caretaker came to tell him that a lady wished to see him.

  "A lady? At this hour of the night?" said Mr. Mann, perturbed. "Tellher to come in the morning."

  "I have told her that, sir, but she insists upon seeing you to-night."

  "What is her name?"

  "Mrs. Merrill," said the commissionaire.

  Saul Arthur Mann collapsed into his chair.

  "Show her up," he said feebly.

  He had no difficulty in recognizing the girl, who came timidly into theroom, as the original of the photograph which had been sent to him byConstable Wiseman. She was plainly dressed and wore no ornament, and shewas undeniably pretty, but there was about her a furtiveness and anervous indecision which spoke of her apprehension.

  "Sit down," said Mr. Mann kindly. "What do you want me to do for you?"

  "I am Mrs. Merrill," she said timidly.

  "So the commissionaire said," replied the little man. "You are nervousabout something?"

  "Oh, I am so frightened!" said the girl, with a shudder. "If he knows Ihave been here he'll--"

  "You have nothing to be frightened about Just sit here for one moment."

  He went into the next room, which had a branch telephone connection, andcalled up May. She was out, and he left an urgent message that she wasto come, bringing Jasper with her, as soon as she returned. When he gotback to his office, he found the girl as he had left her, sitting on theedge of a big armchair, plucking nervously at her handkerchief.

  "I have heard about you," she said. "He mentioned you once--before wewent to that Sussex cottage with Mr. Crawley. They were going to bringanother lady, and I was to look after her, but he--"

  "Who is 'he'?" asked Mr. Mann.

  "My husband," said the girl.

  "How long have you been married?" demanded the little man.

  "I ran away with him a long time ago," she said. "It has been an awfullife; it was Mr. Crawley's idea. He told me that if I married Mr.Merrill he would take me to see my mother and Jasper. But he was socruel--"

  She shuddered again.

  "We've been living in furnished houses all over the country, and I havebeen alone most of the time, and he would not let me go out by myself ordo anything."

  She spoke in a subdued, monotonous tone that betrayed the nearness of abad, nervous breakdown.

  "What does your husband call himself?"

  "Why, Frank Merrill," said the girl in astonishment; "that's his name.Mr. Crawley always told me his name was Merrill. Isn't it?"

  Mr. Mann shook his head.

  "My poor girl," he said sympathetically, "I am afraid you have beengrossly deceived. The man you married as Merrill is an impostor."

  "An impostor?" she faltered.

  Mr. Mann nodded.

  "He has taken a good man's name, and I am afraid has committedabominable crimes in that man's name," said the investigator gently. "Ihope we shall be able to rid you and the world of a great villain."

  Still she stared uncomprehendingly.

  "He has always been a liar," she said slowly. "He lied naturally andacted things so well that you believed him. He told me things which Iknow aren't true. He told me my brother was dead, but I saw his name inthe paper the other day, and that is why I came to you. Do you knowJasper?"

  She was as naive and as unsophisticated as a schoolgirl, and it made thelittle man's heart ache to hear the plaintive monotony of tone and seethe trembling lip.

  "I promise you that you will meet your brother," he said.

  "I have run away from Frank," she said suddenly. "Isn't that a wickedthing to do? I could not stand it. He struck me again yesterday, and hepretends to be a gentleman. My mother used to say that no gentleman evertreats a woman badly, but Frank does."

  "Nobody shall treat you badly any more," said Mr. Mann.

  "I hate him!" she went on with sudden vehemence. "He sneers and sayshe's going to get another wife, and--oh!"

  He saw her hands go up to her face, and saw her staring eyes turn to thedoor in affright.

  Frank Merrill stood in the doorway, and looked at her withoutrecognition.

  "I am sorry," he said. "You have a visitor?"

  "Come in," said Mr. Mann. "I am awfully glad you called."

  The girl had risen to her feet, and was shrinking back to the wall.

  "Do you know this lady?"

  Frank looked at her keenly.

  "Why, yes, that's Sergeant Smith's daughter," he said, and he smiled."Where on earth have you been?"

  "Don't touch me!" she breathed, and put her hands before her, wardinghim off.

  He looked at her in astonishment, and from her to Mann. Then he lookedback at the girl, his brow wrinkled in perplexity.

  "This girl," said Mr. Mann, "thinks she is your wife."

  "My wife?" said Frank, and looked again at her.

  "Is this a bad joke or something--do you say that I am your husband?" heasked.

  She did not speak, but nodded slowly.

  He sat down in a chair and whistled.

  "This rather complicates matters," he said blankly, "but perhaps you canexplain?"

  "I only know what the girl has told me," said Mr. Mann, shaking hishead. "I am afraid there is a terrible mistake here."

  Frank turned to the girl.

  "But did your husband look like me?"

  She nodded.

  "And did he call himself Frank Merrill?"

  Again she nodded.

  "Where is he now?"

  She nodded, this time at him.

  "But, gre
at heavens," said Frank, with a gesture of despair, "you do notsuggest that I am the man?"

  "You are the man," said the girl.

  Again Frank looked appealingly at his friend, and Saul Arthur Mann sawdismay and laughter in his eyes.

  "I don't know what I can do," he said. "Perhaps if you left me alonewith her for a minute--"

  "Don't! Don't!" she breathed. "Don't leave me alone with him. Stayhere."

  "And where have you come from now?" asked Frank.

  "From the house where you took me. You struck me yesterday," she went oninconsequently.

  Frank laughed.

  "I am not only married, but I am a wife beater apparently," he saiddesperately. "Now what can I do? I think the best thing that can bedone is for this lady to tell us where she lives and I will take herback and confront her husband."

  "I won't go with you!" cried the girl. "I won't! I won't! You said you'dlook after me, Mr. Mann. You promised."

  The little investigator saw that she was distraught to a point where acollapse was imminent.

  "This gentleman will look after you also," he said encouragingly. "He isas anxious to save you from your husband as anybody."

  "I will not go," she cried, "If that man touches me," and she pointed toFrank, "I'll scream."

  Again came the tap at the door, and Frank looked round.

  "More visitors?" he asked.

  "It is all right," said Saul Arthur Mann. "There's a lady and agentleman to see me, isn't there?" he asked the commissionaire. "Showthem in."

  May came first, saw the little tableau, and stopped, knowinginstinctively all that it portended. Jasper followed her.

  The girl, who had been watching Frank, shifted her eyes for a moment tothe visitors, and at sight of Jasper flung across the room. In aninstant her brother's arms were around her, and she was sobbing on hisbreast.

  "Am I entitled to ask what all this means?" asked Frank quietly. "I amsure you will overlook my natural irritation, but I have suffered somuch and I have been the victim of so many surprises that I do not feelinclined to accept all the shocks which fate sends me in a spirit ofjoyful resignation. Perhaps you will be good enough to elucidate thisnew mystery. Is everybody mad--or am I the sole sufferer?"

  "There is no mystery about it," said Jasper, still holding the girl. "Ithink you know this lady?"

  "I have never met her before in my life," said Frank, "but she persistsin regarding me as her husband for some reason. Is this a new scheme ofyours, Jasper?"

  "I think you know this lady," said Jasper Cole again.

  Frank shrugged his shoulders.

  "You are almost monotonous. I repeat that I have never seen her before."

  "Then I will explain to you," said Jasper.

  He put the girl gently from him for a moment, and turned and whisperedsomething to May. Together they passed out of the room.

  "You were confidential secretary to John Minute for some time, Merrill,and in that capacity you made several discoveries. The most remarkablediscovery was made when Sergeant Smith came to blackmail my father. Oh,don't pretend you didn't know that John Minute was my father!" he saidin answer to the look of amazement on Frank Merrill's face.

  "Smith took you into his confidence, and you married his allegeddaughter. John Minute discovered this fact, not that he was aware thatit was his own daughter, or that he thought that your association withmy sister was any more than an intrigue beneath the dignity of hisnephew. You did not think the time was ripe to spring a son-in-law uponhim, and so you waited until you had seen his will. In that will he madeno mention of a daughter, because the child had been born after his wifehad left him, and he refused to recognize his paternity.

  "Later, in some doubt as to whether he was doing an injustice to whatmight have been his own child, he endeavored to find her. Had you knownof those investigations, you could have helped considerably, but as ithappened you did not. You married her because you thought you would geta share of John Minute's millions, and when you found your plan hadmiscarried you planned an act of bigamy in order to secure a portion ofMr. Minute's fortune, which you knew would be considerable."

  He turned to Saul Arthur Mann.

  "You think I have not been very energetic in pursuing my inquiries as towho killed John Minute? There is the explanation of my tolerance."

  He pointed his finger at Frank.

  "This man is the husband of my sister. To ruin him would have meantinvolving her in that ruin. For a time I thought they were happilymarried. It was only recently that I have discovered the truth."

  Frank shook his head.

  "I don't know whether to laugh or cry," he said. "I have certainly notheard--"

  "You will hear more," said Jasper Cole. "I will tell you how the murderwas committed and who was the mysterious Rex Holland.

  "Your father was a forger. That is known. You also have been forgingsignatures since you were a boy. You were Rex Holland. You came toEastbourne on the night of the murder, and by an ingenious device yousecured evidence in your favor in advance. Pretending to have lost yourticket, you allowed station officials to search you and to testify thatyou had no weapon. You were dropped at the gate of my father's house,and, as soon as the cab driver had disappeared, you made your way towhere you had hidden your car in a field at a short distance from thehouse.

  "You had arrived there earlier in the evening, and had made your wayacross the metals to Polegate Junction, where you joined the train. Asyou had taken the precaution to have your return ticket clipped inLondon, your trick was not discovered. You had regained your car, anddrove up to the house ten minutes after you had been seen to disappearthrough the gateway. From your car you had taken the revolver, and withthat revolver you murdered my father. In order to shield yourself youthrew suspicion on me and made friends with one of the shrewdest men,"he inclined his head toward the speechless Mr. Mann, "and through himconveyed those suspicions to authoritative quarters. It was you who,having said farewell to Miss Nuttall in Geneva, reappeared the sameevening at Montreux and wrote a note forging my handwriting. It was youwho left a torn sheet of paper in the room at Number 69 Flowerton Road,also in your writing.

  "You have never moved a step but that I have followed you. My agentshave been with you day and night ever since the day of the murder. Ihave waited my time, and that has come now."

  Frank heaved a long sigh, and took up his hat.

  "To-morrow morning I shall have a story to tell," he said.

  "You are an excellent actor," said Jasper, "and an excellent liar, butyou have never deceived me."

  He flung open the door.

  "There is your road. You have twenty thousand pounds which my fatherleft you. You have some fifty-five thousand pounds which you buried onthe night of the murder--you remember the gardener's trowel in the car?"he said, turning to Mann.

  "I give you twenty-four hours to leave England. We cannot try you forthe murder of John Minute; you can still be tried for the murder of yourunfortunate servants."

  Frank Merrill made no movement toward the door. He walked over to theother end of the room, and stood with his back to them. Then he turned.

  "Sometimes," he said, "I feel that it isn't worth while going on. It hasbeen rather a strain--all this."

  Jasper Cole sprang toward him and caught him as he fell. They laid himdown, and Saul Arthur Mann called urgently on the telephone for adoctor, but Frank Merrill was dead.

  "I knew," said Constable Wiseman, when the story came to him.

  THE END