Читать книгу The Framing of Inspector Denvers - Aidan de Brune - Страница 4

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MECHANICALLY, Martha repeated her statement:

"This man is not Luther Banke." She turned to face the lawyer. "Mr. Kempton, Where is Mr. Banke?"

The lawyer did not answer. He was staring moodily at the man seated at the desk, a frown on his florid face.

"Mr. Banke came into the office this morning very early," the girl, continued. "As you know, he has to pass through my room to get to his. On his way in he stopped at my desk and told me he would be ready to deal with the overseas mail within an hour. I replied that the details were awaiting him. He nodded and smiled. I know he has not left his Office since he entered it."

"Perhaps you did not see him leave," the solicitor suggested, his tones showing his uneasiness.

"If I had not seen him I should have heard him." Martha continued quickly. "The door between my office and the shop is fitted with an electric bell that 'rings' immediately the door is opened. You know that, Mr. Kempton; you have remarked on that bell to me."

"There may be other ways of leaving this office—" The man's uneasiness showed very plainly.

"There are no other ways out of Mr. Banke's office." The girl spoke quickly.

"Mr. Banke—" Alec Kempton paused, hesitating.

"Mr. Banke came in here this morning."

A slight flush stained the girl's cheeks.

"He spoke to me, as I have told you. I followed him in here. As I went back to my desk the bell on the door leading to the shop rang, and you entered my room. I came to this door and told Mr. Banke you were here. I held this door open for you to enter. You mentioned Mr. Banke's name as you entered. I heard you speak to him as you entered the room Martha paused and turned angrily on the man. Mr. Kempton, who is this man and what is he doing here? Where is Mr. Banke?"

For a long moment there was silence in the room. Then the man behind the desk rose to his feet and lazily stretched himself. "Interesting, isn't it, Kempton?" He yawned. "Seems to me this young lady has rather busted things, eh?"

"Me?" The man laughed. "Ask him?" He pointed to the solicitor.

Martha was bewildered. What did it all mean? She knew that Luther Banke had not left his office, yet he was not in it. She glanced about the room again. There Was no place there where a man could hide. With a swift, lithe movement she went to the windows and flung them open. The massive Ironwork protections were intact. Again she turned to face the room. The two men were regarding her curiously. Some silent message must have passed between them while her back had been turned to them. They appeared more at ease. For a moment the girl regarded them steadily, then went to the door.

"Where are you going, Miss Tayne?" asked Alec Kempton.

"To summon the police," the girl answered over her shoulder, half pausing on her way.

"I don't think you had better." The stranger spoke slowly, in a lazy drawl. "You might find yourself in trouble, y'know."

"Trouble!" Martha turned on the two men passionately. "Mr. Kempton, you know the trouble that can take place here. Why, in that shop is over fifty thousands pounds' worth of jewellery."

"Not to mention the Montgomery emeralds." The strange man spoke indifferently.

Again Martha did not reply to him. The Montgomery emeralds! Were they the key to the strange happenings of that morning? The emeralds were on her desk. Instinctively, she made a step toward her room, then stopped and laughed. The emeralds were well protected. No one could enter that suite of offices without ringing the bell attached to the door between her room and the shop—and that bell had not rung since she had left her desk. She went to the door, from whence she could see the long, narrow jewel-box on the corner of her desk. A little sigh of relief escaped her lips and she turned again to face the two men, still silently regarding her, curiosity showing in their faces.

"Mr. Kempton—"

She turned to re-enter the inner office. Her words brought the solicitor to action. In a couple of strides he reached the door, Martha retreating before him into the outer office. He turned swiftly and drew the door shut, turning the key in the lock. Withdrawing the key from the lock he laid it on the corner of Martha's desk.

"There is the key to Mr. Banke's room." Alec Kempton spoke in hurried, worried tones. "You are to retain it until Mr. Blake returns. Perhaps you will be able to supply him with a satisfactory explanation of your remarkable conduct this morning."

Martha hesitated a moment, then slipped quickly into her chair. The solicitor watched her for a moment, then with a shrug went to the door leading to the shop.

"A moment, Mr. Kempton." The girl spoke quietly. "What of the man you have locked in Mr. Luther Banke's office?"

"Well, what of him?" The little man answered defiantly.

"Is he to stay there until Mr. Luther Banke returns?"

Alec Kempton shrugged. "That is for you to say now," he replied, "Why do you ask?"

"Mr. Banke's private safes are in there." The girl spoke significantly.

"What of that?"

"Those safes hold a valuable collection of mounted and unmounted gems."

"You examined the windows and found them secure."

"I did not see Mr. Luther Banke leave his office."

"What do you 'mean by that?"

"Is there necessity for me to explain." Martha passed her hand over her brow wearily. She let the hand drop to art open drawer of her desk. Kempton waited a moment for the girl to speak, then took a step toward the girl's desk. Martha smiled, and her left hand slipped under the desk. There came the sound of metal clicking on metal. A startled look came in the little solicitor's eyes, and he glanced quickly toward the door.

"You are quite right, Mr. Kempton." Again the girl smiled. "I have a switch under my desk controlling the lock of that door. The sound you heard was the lock being shot home. Now, if you please, what of the man in Mr. Luther Banke's room?"

"What of him?" Again Alec Kempton gave question for question. He waited a moment, then shrugged.

"I have no time for your heroics." He moved to the door. "You will hear more of this when Mr. Luther Banke returns."

"The door is locked, Mr. Kempton."

"Then open it immediately!" The little solicitor turned furiously and went to the desk. He had not proceeded half-way when Martha Tayne's hand came out of the desk-drawer, holding a small automatic. "I prefer you by the door, Mr. Kempton."

"And I prefer the other side of the door." The man laughed harshly, yet the girl detected a note of nervousness in the laughter.

"Have you gone entirely mad, girl?":

"I would be mad to allow anyone In Mr. Luther Banke's office without knowing his business and how he got there." Martha spoke evenly. She waited a moment, watching the man before her keenly. Then her voice softened: "Mr. Kempton, you have been Mr. Luther Banke's legal adviser for a number of years—you were his legal adviser long before I came here. You know the strict rules governing this business. How many of them have been infringed this morning?"

Again the girl paused, but the man did not reply. "I have told you the shop contains over fifty thousand pounds' worth of stock; the safes in Mr. Banke's office contain several times that value. Here, on my desk—" Her armed hand rested for a moment on the emerald box. "Here are jewels valued at over ten-thousand pounds. When Mr. Luther Banke is absent, I am in sole charge—responsible for the safety of everything—"

Her voice trailed to silence. The man shifted uneasily, allowing his eyes to fall beneath the girl's level look. "Do you think I should let anything pass me that I do not thoroughly understand, and which I do not consider quite clear and honest. I have to use what discretion I possess. I cannot I dare not allow what has happened this morning to pass unchallenged."

"What do you suggest doing?" Alec Kempton spoke after a long silence.

"Call in the police." Martha answered promptly.

"Unless—"

"Unless, what?"

"Unless you are prepared to answer my questions?"

"What do you want to know?"

"First, who Is the man in Mr. Luther Banke's office?"

"Perhaps Mr. Alec Kempton would prefer me to answer that question." The girl swung round In her chair sharply at the sound of the voice from the direction of the inner office. She saw the door was now open and, on the threshold stood the man she had seen seated In her employer's chair. She glanced to the corner of her desk where she Had seen the solicitor deposit the key he' had taken from the door-lock. The key was there! She started at the strange man In mute astonishment.

"Interested?" The man laughed slightly. "No, Miss Tayne, I am not a magician. I unlocked the door—just that!" He smiled.

"But-" Martha's eyes again went to the corner of her desk.

"The—the key?"

"The key." The stranger laughed gently. He took from his waistcoat pocket a strangely-shaped key, tossing it in his hand. "Just so! The key. Mr. Kempton locked the door, I believe, confining me in the room, as he thought. I had no desire to stay there, alone, so I unlocked the door."

For some seconds he watched, the girl, a little twinkle in his eyes, then strolled across the room to where the solicitor stood.

"Coming, Alec?" His tones were studiously careless. "Right-o! Come on."

He caught the handle of the door. A glint of amusement shone in his fine eyes when he realised that the door was fastened. He looked toward the girl backing slowly until his back was pressed against the lintel.

"May I trouble you to unlatch the door, Miss Tayne," he said courteously.

"I shall not." The automatic clenched in the girl's fist tilted menacingly at the man.

"Then—" he smiled again. "I must manage it myself." He turned and for a few seconds carefully surveyed the door and Its frame.

"If you touch that door, I'll shoot,"' said Martha firmly; yet there' was a little quiver in her voice.

"Not necessary, I assure you!" Again he smiled. As he spoke three irregularly spaced knocks came at the door. Instinctively, Martha's hand went to the switch controlling the door-lock, and released it. The door swung open and Fred. Forde walked into the room.

"You rang, Miss Tayne?" The assistant spoke formally.

"I rang?" Martha, showed surprise. "No, Mr. Forde, I did not ring."

"But I did."

Martha looked toward the door, to see the strange man standing in the doorway, holding the door ajar. "Just a pin, Miss Tayne; a small thing, but very useful, sometimes. Lesson One—a pin will ring an electric bell, and produce a Mr. Forde."

Martha sprang to her feet, anger flaming in her eyes.

"Move and I fire." Determination was in her voice, her hand was steady. "Close that door! Tell me, who are you?"

"I?" The stranger's laugh rang through the room. "Why not? Young lady, my name is 'Cain'—and you spell it with an 'i'!"

His long arm swept out, catching the solicitor by the collar and drawing him before the door and through it. A moment and the door closed, leaving the girl alone in her office with the dumbfounded jeweller's assistant.