The Crimson Blind - Fred M. White

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and without going to view the body gives a certificate of death. Now, I admit that all this sounds cheap and theatrical, but you can’t get over facts. The thing actually happened a little time ago in London, and there is no reason why it shouldn’t happen again.”

      “You suggest that I should do this thing?” the voice asked.

      “Pardon me, I did nothing of the kind,” Steel replied “You asked me to show you how my heroine gets herself out of a terrible position, and I am doing it. You are not without friends. The way I was called up tonight and the way I was brought here prove that. With the aid of your friends the thing is possible to you. You have only to find a lodging where people are not too observant and a doctor who is too busy, or too careless, to look after dead patients, and the thing is done. If you desire to be looked upon as dead—especially by a powerful enemy—I cannot recommend a more natural, rational way than this. As to the details, they may be safely left to you. The clever manner in which you have kept up the mystery to-night convinces me that I have nothing to teach you in this direction. And if there is anything more I can do—”

      “A thousand, thousand thanks,” the voice cried, passionately. “To be looked upon as ‘dead,’ to be near to the rascal who smiles to think that I am in my grave…. And everything so dull and prosaic on the surface! Yes, I have friends who will aid me in the business. Some day I may be able to thank you face to face, to tell you how I managed to see your plot. May I?”

      The question came quite eagerly, almost imploringly. In the darkness Steel felt a hand trembling on his breast, a cool, slim hand, with many rings on the fingers. Steel took the hand and carried it to his lips.

      “Nothing would give me greater pleasure,” he said. “And may you be successful. Good-night.”

      “Good-night, and God bless you for a real gentleman and a true friend. I will go out of the room first and put the lights up afterwards. You will walk away and close the door behind you. The newspaper cutting! Thanks. And once more good-night, but let us hope not good-bye.”

      She was gone. Steel could hear the distant dying swish of silk, the rustling of the portière, and then, with a flick, the lights came up again. Half-blinded by the sudden illumination Steel fumbled his way to the door and into the street. As he did so Hove Town Hall clock chimed two. With a cigarette between his teeth David made his way home.

      He could not think it all out yet; he would wait until he was in his own comfortable chair under the roses and palms leading from his study. A fine night of adventure, truly, and a paying one. He pressed the precious packet of notes to his side and his soul expanded.

      He was home at last. But surely he had closed the door before he started? He remembered distinctly trying the latch. And here the latch was back and the door open. The quick snap of the electric light declared nobody in the dining-room. Beyond, the study was in darkness. Nobody there, but—stop!

      A stain on the carpet; another by the conservatory door. Pots of flowers scattered about, and a huddled mass like a litter of empty sacks in one corner. Then the huddled mass resolved itself into the figure of a man with a white face smeared with blood. Dead! Oh, yes, dead enough.

      Steel flew to the telephone and rang furiously.

      “Give me 52, Police Station,” he cried. “Are you there? Send somebody at once up here—15, Downend Terrace. There has been murder done here. For Heaven’s sake come quickly.”

      Steel dropped the receiver and stared with strained eyes at the dreadful sight before him.

      IV. IN EXTREMIS

       Table of Contents

      For some time—a minute, an hour—Steel stood over the dreadful thing huddled upon the floor of his conservatory. Just then he was incapable of consecutive ideas.

      His mind began to move at length. The more he thought of it the more absolutely certain he was that he had fastened the door before leaving the house. True, the latch was only an ordinary one, and a key might easily have been made to fit it. As a matter of fact, David had two, one in reserve in case of accidents. The other was usually kept in a jewel-drawer of the dressing-table. Perhaps—

      David went quietly upstairs. It was just possible that the murderer was in the house. But the closest search brought nothing to light. He pulled out the jewel-drawer in the dressing-table. The spare latchkey had gone! Here was something to go upon.

      Then there was a rumbling of an electric bell somewhere that set David’s heart beating like a drum. The hall light streamed on a policeman in uniform and an inspector in a dark overcoat and a hard felt hat. On the pavement was a long shallow tray, which David recognised mechanically as the ambulance.

      “Something very serious, sir?” Inspector Marley asked, quietly. “I’ve brought the doctor with me.”

      David nodded. Both the inspector and the doctor were acquaintances of his. He closed the door and led the way into the study. Just inside the conservatory and not far from the huddled figure lay David’s new cigar-case. Doubtless, without knowing it, the owner had whisked it off the table when he had sprung the telephone.

      “‘Um,” Marley muttered. “Is this a clue, or yours, sir?”

      He lifted the case with its diamonds gleaming like stars on a dark night. David had forgotten all about it for the time, had forgotten where it came from, or that it contained £250 in bank-notes.

      “Not mine,” he said. “I mean to say, of course, it is mine. A recent present. The shock of this discovery has deprived me of my senses pretty well.”

      Marley laid the cigar-case on the table. It seemed strange to him, who could follow a tragedy calmly, that a man should forget his own property. Meanwhile Cross was bending over the body. David could see a face smooth like that of a woman. A quick little exclamation came from the doctor.

      “A drop of brandy here, and quick as possible,” he commanded.

      “You don’t mean to say,” Steel began; “you don’t—”

      Cross waved his arm, impatiently. The brandy was procured as speedily as possible. Steel, watching intently, fancied that he detected a slight flicker of the muscles of the white, stark face.

      “Bring the ambulance here,” Cross said, curtly. “If we can get this poor chap to the hospital there is just a chance for him. Fortunately, we have not many yards to go.”

      As far as elucidation went Marley naturally looked to Steel.

      “I should like to have your explanation, sir,” he said, gravely.

      “Positively, I have no explanation to offer,” David replied. “About midnight I let myself out to go for a stroll, carefully closing the door behind me. Naturally, the door was on the latch. When I came back an hour or so later, to my horror and surprise I found those marks of a struggle yonder and that poor fellow lying on the floor of the conservatory.”

      “‘Um. Was the door fast on your return?”

      “No, it was pulled to, but it was open all the same.”

      “You didn’t happen to lose your latch-key during your midnight stroll, sir?”

      “No, it was only when I put my key in the door that I discovered it to be open. I have a spare latch-key which I keep for emergencies, but when I went to look for it just now the key was not to be found. When I came back the house was perfectly quiet.”

      “What family have you, sir? And what kind of servants?”

      “There is only myself and my mother, with three maids. You may dismiss any suspicion of the servants from your mind at once. My mother trained them all in the old vicarage where I was born, and not one of the trio has been with us less than twelve years.”

      “That simplifies matters somewhat,” Marley said, thoughtfully. “Apparently

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