Читать книгу The Blue Daffodil - Fred M. White - Страница 6

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MEDWAY sat in the office of Deputy Commissioner Sir Giles Fairchild, discussing the strange case of John Garnstone.

"A big man in his way, Medway," Sir Giles said, "I might almost say an international character. For the present I am leaving the case entirely in your hands. So far there seems nothing to report. Now as to——"

Sir Giles broke off as a constable entered.

"Gentleman to see you, sir," he said. "Says it is very important. The Garnstone case, I think, sir."

"Indeed, Brooks. Then send him in at once."

There entered a tall dark man with clipped moustache and beard, a glass in his left eye. He bowed with the easy grace of a man accustomed to society.

"Sir Giles Fairchild, I think," he said, unerringly, picking out the superior man. "My name is Tanberg—Efan Tanberg. A Rumanian to be precise. Educated in this country, and of what you call independent means. Also a dealer in art treasures in an amateur way. Purely for a pastime, you understand. I had some dealings with the late John Garnstone."

Sir Giles showed signs of interest. Medway said nothing. "If you can tell us anything——"

"That is for you to judge, sir. I only heard about the case yesterday, as I have been out of Town. The papers say that the unfortunate man was not outside his flat on the night of his murder. If you are of the same opinion, then all I can say is that you are mistaken. On that tragic evening Mr. Garnstone met me by appointment in the lounge of the Regal Palace at nine o'clock on a small matter of business. He arrived in a small two-seater car which he said was his own, and was with me there until after the clock struck ten. The head waiter will confirm this as he knew Mr. Garnstone by sight."

"Interesting, decidedly interesting," Sir Giles murmured, with a glance at Medway, who nodded. "Have you any idea of the direction in which Mr. Garnstone went when he left you?"

"Ah, that I cannot say," the Rumanian replied. "But he said something about an appointment somewhere in the Minories with a Jew dealer who had picked up something out of the common. That was the last I saw of him."

"Very strange," Sir Giles murmured. "The caretaker under Mr. Garnstone's flat declares that he never left the place all the evening. Do you know the flat, sir?"

"No I don't," Tanberg replied. "Secluded, and fortified like a castle, I am told by dealers who have been there. But what I say is true, and others can confirm it. But that is not what I came here to speak about, singular as the whole thing is. In point of fact I want to get hold of something which belongs to me, and which I passed over for valuing purposes to Garnstone on night of his death. A gold and enamel cup set with gems and almost priceless. It is probably in his safe."

"Oh, you know he has a safe," Medway challenged.

"Why-er-yes," Tanberg stammered. "At least I presume so. A man like that handling precious articles almost every day is pretty sure to have one. Besides, didn't the papers say that the safe was intact? Not even open."

As a matter of fact the papers had said nothing of the kind for the simple reason that the information had been kept back from them, and only routine details had been furnished to the army of reporters seeking news.

"Probably they did," Medway agreed with some show of confusion, though he felt none. In his mind here was a man worth keeping an eye on. "Sorry I asked that question sir."

The Rumanian ignored him entirely.

"I suppose I can have my cup," he said to Sir Giles. "I shall be prepared to prove my claim, of course. Possibly the article is somewhere about the flat."

"In that case," Medway suggested, "why not come and see for yourself."

"My chief inspector here will give you every facility," Sir Giles said, smiling genially. "Any time you——"

"As a matter of fact I am just going that way, and you might like to accompany me," Medway interrupted.

There was nothing the stranger would like better. It was not for him to see the significant glance that passed between the two officers as he moved towards the door. It was pretty plain that here was a man to be watched. Not necessarily a criminal, but one who could tell things if necessary. Before the two reached the flat Medway had elicited the name of the place and street where Tanberg was living without the latter giving, as he thought, anything away.

Before they arrived at their destination, Brentford had come to the flat. Owing to one cause and another he had not seen Vera since the murder so that he was all the more anxious to meet her again. The inquest on Garnstone would be held on the morrow when both he and Vera would have to give evidence. In the meantime the body had been removed to a mortuary, and the flat was open to those who had business there.

One of these early days the safe would be dismantled and opened, but not yet. Meanwhile there was much to be done in the way of correspondence, and some attempt made to clear up the murdered man's affairs. There were no books since they were deposited in the safe every night, and handed out each morning when the day's business began. So that Vera was free to come and go as she liked, only nothing would ever persuade her to sleep in that building again.

Brentford found her pouring over a mass of correspondence in the small room used as an office. She rose quickly as he came towards her, and the next moment lay sobbing in his arms. For a few moments he made no effort to restrain her tears.

"You poor darling," he whispered presently, "what a cruel ordeal for you. And what a mystery! I should have said that no criminal could manage to gain entrance here. The police are just as puzzled as ourselves. Medway, who has the case in hand, came to see me this morning. I think he wanted to make sure of your movements on the night of the crime. Some person is suspected but I don't know whom. What's this I hear about the safe? Can't the key be found?"

"Not up to now," Vera explained. "All the poor man's key's were on a ring in his trousers pocket, but not one of them was anything like the key he treasured, and never left out of his possession. And yet I know he always kept it on that ring. It is as if he anticipated trouble."

"Looks very like it," Ronnie murmured. "It is more than possible that the police will have us under observation. Who are these men coming up the stairs?"

A moment later Medway and his companion came into the room. Medway advanced towards Vera.

"Come to trouble you again, Miss Goff," he smiled. "I have a gentleman here who knows something of Mr. Garnstone's later movements. This is Mr. Tanberg, Miss Goff. I may explain, sir, that Miss Goff is, or rather was, Mr. Garnstone's private secretary. She may be able to help you."

Vera looked the stranger steadily in the face. There was no sign of any kind from which she could draw a deduction. And, on his part he was evidently meeting the beautiful and fascinating woman for the first time. She could see admiration and something more in those dark eyes of his then he glanced away from her as if conscious that he was showing his feelings too much and spoke to her quite normally.

"I am very sorry to trouble you," he said. "But you see, I happened to meet Mr. Garnstone on the night of his death."

"Really?" Vera exclaimed. "But we have every reason to believe that he never left the flat. I went out myself somewhere about seven o'clock to dine with my friend Mr. Brentford here, and I returned somewhere around half-past twelve. The caretaker Gunter, who lives in the basement, is prepared to swear that, up to twelve o'clock, at any rate, Mr. Garnstone was in the flat."

"Nevertheless, he was in my company from nine till ten," the stranger said. "But we need not go into that—it is all part of the puzzle the police have to solve. What I came here to identify, if I can find it, is a gold cup that I gave Mr. Garnstone on the night of his death for the—er—purpose of valuation. If you have seen anything of it——"

Vera declared that nothing of any value outside the furniture of the flat had been discovered. Many things might, or might not, be in the safe but so far, there had been no effort made to open it.

"Oh, well, I suppose I must be satisfied for the present," Tanberg said. "No doubt it is inside the safe. I came along on the off chance of finding my cup, but I was not particularly sanguine. Please pardon my obtrusion."

With that, the stranger made Vera a graceful bow and left the flat, in company with Medway. The latter was not prepared to lose sight of his companion for the moment. And directly the door closed behind them Vera turned to her friend.

"I can't understand it," she said, showing every sign of agitation. "Mr. Garnstone away from the flat when we know he did not move all that evening. Gunter could not possibly be mistaken. But that is not the worst. I hope I didn't show any alarm when the stranger came in."

"Why should you?" Brentford asked.

"I had every reason," Vera murmured. "Have you forgotten already the man I pointed out to you in the restaurant? The man who came here just now called himself Tanberg, but he was Paul Manstar, the scoundrel who robbed and ruined us."