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Opal Serpent

<h2>CHAPTER XXII</h2> FURTHER EVIDENCE After all, Hurd did not send Jessop to town as he threatened to do. Evidently the captain had told him all he knew, and appeared to be innocent of Krill's death. But, in spite of his apparent frankness the detective had an idea that something was being kept back, and what that something might be, he determined to find out. However, his thoughts were turned in another direction by a note from Beecot addressed to him at "The Red Pig," asking him to come at once to the Jubileetown Laundry. "I believe we have discovered the person who stole the opal brooch from me," wrote Paul, "and Deborah has made a discovery connected with Norman which may prove to be of service." Wondering what the discovery might be, and wondering also who had taken the brooch, Hurd arranged that Jessop and Hokar should remain at Christchurch under the eyes of two plain-clothes officials. These managed their duties so dexterously that Matilda Junk was far from guessing what was going on. Moreover, she informed the detective, who she thought was a commercial gent, that she intended to pay a visit to her sister, Mrs. Tawsey, and demanded the address, which Hurd gave readily enough. He thought that if Matilda knew anything—such as the absence of Mrs. Krill from the hotel during the early part of July—Deborah might induce her to talk freely. [Pg 255] Hokar had proved a difficult subject. Whether he was too grateful to Mrs. Krill to speak out, or whether he really did not understand what was asked of him, he certainly showed a talent for holding his tongue. However, Hurd saw well enough that the man was afraid of the Sahib's law, and when matters came to a crisis would try and prove his innocence even at the cost of implicating others. Therefore, with an easy mind the detective left these two witnesses being watched at Christchurch and repaired to town, where Aurora informed him of the interview with Hay. Billy approved of the way in which his sister had managed matters. "I guessed that Hay was the man who put Mrs. Krill on the track of her husband," he said, with satisfaction; "but I wasn't quite sure how he spotted the man." "Oh, the one eye identified him," said Aurora, who was eating chocolate as usual, "and Norman's fainting at the sight of the brooch confirmed Hay's belief as to who he was. I wonder he didn't make a bargain with Norman on his own." Hurd shook his head. "It wouldn't have paid so well," said he, wisely. "Norman would have parted only with a small sum, whereas this murder will bring in Hay a clear five thousand a year when he marries the girl. Hay acted cleverly enough." "But I tell you Hay has nothing to do with the murder." "That may be so, though I don't trust him. But Mrs. Krill might have strangled her husband so as to get the money." "What makes you think she did?" asked Aurora, doubtfully. "Well, you see, from what Jessop says, Mrs. Krill is devotedly attached to Maud, and she may have been anxious to revenge her daughter on Krill. He acted like a brute and fastened the child's lips [Pg 256] together, so Mrs. Krill treated him in the same way." "Hum," said Miss Qian, reflectively, "but can you prove that Mrs. Krill was in town on the night of the murder?" "That's what I'm going to find out," said Hurd. "All you have to do is to keep your eyes on Hay—" "Oh, he won't cut, if that's what you mean. He thinks everything is square, now that I've got those boys to stop chattering. He'll marry Maud and annex the money." "He may marry Maud," said Hurd, emphatically, "but he certainly won't get the five thousand a year. Miss Norman will." "Hold on," cried Aurora, shrewdly. "Maud may not be Lemuel Krill's child, or she may have been born before Krill married the mother, but in any case, Sylvia Norman isn't the child of a legal marriage. Krill certainly committed bigamy, so his daughter Sylvia can't inherit." "Well," said Hurd, "I can't say. I'll see Pash about the matter. After all, the will left the money to 'my daughter,' and that Sylvia is beyond doubt, whatever Maud may be. And I say, Aurora, just you go down to Stowley in Buckinghamshire. I haven't time to look into matters there myself." "What do you want me to do there?" "Find out all about the life of Mrs. Krill before she married Krill and came to Christchurch. She's the daughter of a farmer. You'll find the name in this." Hurd passed along a copy of the marriage certificate which Mrs. Krill had given to Pash. "Anne Tyler is her maiden name. Find out what you can. She was married to Krill at Beechill, Bucks." Miss Qian took the copy of the certificate and departed, grumbling at the amount of work she had [Pg 257] to do to earn her share of the reward. Hurd, on his part, took the underground train to Liverpool Street Station, and then travelled to Jubileetown. He arrived there at twelve o'clock and was greeted by Paul. "I've been watching for you all the morning," said Beecot, who looked flushed and eager. "Sylvia and I have made such a discovery." Hurd nodded good-humoredly as he entered the house and shook hands with the girl. "Miss Norman has been doing some detective business on her own account," he said, smiling. "Hullo, who is this?" He made this remark, because Mrs. Purr, sitting in a corner of the room with red eyes, rose and dropped a curtsey. "I'm called to tell you what I do tell on my Bible oath," said Mrs. Purr, with fervor. "Mrs. Purr can give some valuable evidence," said Paul, quickly. "Oh, can she? Then I'll hear what she has to say later. First, I must clear the ground by telling you and Miss Norman what I have discovered at Christchurch." So Mrs. Purr, rather unwillingly, for she felt the importance of her position, was bundled out of the room, and Hurd sat down to relate his late adventures. This he did clearly and slowly, and was interrupted frequently by exclamations of astonishment from his two hearers. "So there," said the detective, when finishing, "you have the beginning of the end." "Then you think that Mrs. Krill killed her husband?" asked Paul, dubiously. "I can't say for certain," was the cautious reply; "but I think so, on the face of the evidence which you have heard. What do you say?" "Don't say anything," said Sylvia, before Paul [Pg 258] could reply. "Mr. Hurd had better read this paper. It was found by Deborah in an old box belonging to my father, which was brought from Gwynne Street." She gave the detective several sheets of blue foolscap pinned together and closely written in the shaky handwriting of Aaron Norman. Hurd looked at it rather dubiously. "What is it?" he asked. "The paper referred to in that unfinished scrap of writing which was discovered behind the safe," explained Paul. "Norman evidently wrote it out, and placed it in his pocket, where he forgot it. Deborah found it in an old coat, she discovered in a box of clothes brought from Gwynne Street. They were Norman's clothes and his box, and should have been left behind." "Debby won't hear of that," said Sylvia, laughing. "She says Mrs. Krill has got quite enough, and she took all she could." "What's all this writing about?" asked Hurd, turning over the closely-written sheets. "To save time you had better give me a précis of the matter. Is it important?" "Very I should say," responded Paul, emphatically. "It contains an account of Norman's life from the time he left Christchurch." "Hum." Hurd's eyes brightened. "I'll read it at my leisure, but at the present moment you might say what you can." "Well, you know a good deal of it," said Paul, who did the talking at a sign from Sylvia. "It seems that Norman—we'd better stick to the old name—left Christchurch because he was afraid of being accused of murdering Lady Rachel." "Was she really murdered?" "Norman doesn't say. He swears he knows nothing about the matter. The first intimation he [Pg 259] had was when Jessop came down with the news after blundering into the wrong bedroom. But he hints that Mrs. Krill killed her." "Can he prove that?" "No. He can't give any proof, or, at all events, he doesn't. He declares that when his wife and daughter—" "Oh! does he call Maud his daughter?" "Yes! We can talk of that later," said Paul, impatiently. "Well, then, Norman says he went fairly mad. Jessop had bolted, but Norman knew he would not give the alarm, since he might be accused himself of killing Lady Rachel. Maud, who had seen the body, wanted to run out and call the neighbors." "How old does Norman say she was?" "About fifteen; quite old enough to make things unpleasant." "Then she can't inherit the money," said Hurd, decisively. "No," cried Beecot, quickly, "both Sylvia and I think so. But to go on with Norman's confession. He would not let Maud go. She began to scream, and he feared lest she should alarm the neighbors. He tied a handkerchief across her lips, but she got free, and again began to scream. Then he cruelly fastened her lips together with the opal brooch." "Where did he get that, if innocent?" "He declared that he spied it on the floor of the sitting-room, near his wife's feet, and then hints that she strangled Lady Rachel to get it and turn it into money as she was desperately in need of cash for Maud. Mrs. Krill idolized the child." "I know that," snapped Hurd. "Go on." "When Norman fastened the child's lips together, Mrs. Krill threw herself on him in a rage. He knocked her insensible, and then ran away. He walked through the night, until, at dawn, he came to a distant railway station. There he took a ticket [Pg 260] and went to London. He concealed himself until there was no chance of his being discovered, and besides, saw the verdict of the jury in the newspapers. But he was determined he would not go back to his wife, because she threatened him." "In what way?" "Ah," said Paul, while Sylvia shuddered, "in a strange way. When he fastened the child's lips together, Mrs. Krill said that she would do the same to him one day and with the same brooch." Hurd uttered an exclamation. "So that was why she wanted the brooch so much?" he exclaimed eagerly. "Yes. And she told Hay she wanted it though she did not reveal her reason. She said if she got the brooch he would be allowed to marry Maud, with whom Hay was deeply in love. Hay stumbled across me by accident, and I happened to have the brooch. The rest you know." "No," said Hurd, "I don't know how the brooch came into the possession of Mrs. Krill again, to use in the cruel way she threatened." "Well," said Sylvia, quickly, "we aren't sure if Mrs. Krill did get the brooch." "The evidence is against her," said Hurd; "remember the threat—" "Yes, but wait till you hear Mrs. Purr," said Paul, "but just a moment, Hurd. You must learn how Norman laid the foundations of his fortune." "Ah, I forget! Well?" and the detective settled himself to listen further. "He was hard up and almost starving for a long time after he came to London," explained Paul, "then he got a post in a second-hand bookshop kept by a man called Garner in the Minories. He had a daughter, Lillian—" "My mother," put in Sylvia, softly. "Yes," went on Beecot, quickly, "and this girl [Pg 261] being lonely fell in love with Norman, as he now called himself. He wasn't an attractive man with his one eye, so it is hard to say how Miss Garner came to love him. But she married him in the end. You'll find everything explained at length in the paper we gave you. Then old Garner died, and Lillian inherited a considerable sum of money, together with the stock. Her husband removed the books to Gwynne Street and started business. But with the money he began to trade in jewels, and you know how he got on." "That's all plain enough," said Hurd, putting the confession of Norman into his pocket. "I suppose the man dreaded lest his first wife should turn up." "Yes! And that's why he fainted when he saw the brooch. Not knowing that Jessop had removed it from Maud's mouth and pawned it—" "I'm not so sure of that," said Hurd, quickly. "Bart overheard him talking of Stowley and the pawnbroker there." "Well," said Paul, with a shrug, "he says nothing about it in the confession. Perhaps he did trace the brooch to the Stowley shop, but if so, I wonder he did not get it, seeing he wanted it. But when he saw it in my possession, he thought I might know of Mrs. Krill and might put her on the track. Hence his fainting. Later, he learned how I became possessed of it, and tried to buy it. Then came the accident, and I really believed for a time that Hay had stolen it." "Aurora says he swore he did not." "And he didn't," said Paul, going to the door. "Mrs. Purr!" "You don't mean to say that old woman prigged it?" asked Hurd. "No. But she warned me against that boy Tray on the day Deborah was married. Later, I asked her what she meant, and she then told me that she [Pg 262] had learned from Tray's grandmother, a drunken old thief, how the boy brought home the opal brooch, and—" Here Mrs. Purr, who had entered and was dropping curtseys to the majesty of the law, as represented by Hurd, thought an undue advantage was being taken of her position. She wished to talk herself, and interrupted Paul, in a shrill voice. "Granny Clump, she is," said Mrs. Purr, folding her hands under her apron. "Tray's gran'mother, as 'is name is Tray Clump, I swear on my Bible oath. A wicked old woman as is famous for drink—" "I've heard of her," said the detective, remembering; "she's been up heaps of times." "And grows no better," wailed Mrs. Purr, bibulously, for she had been strengthening herself for the interview with frequent libations of gin. "Oh, what a thing strong drink is, sir! But Granny Clump, bein' ill with the lungses, and me bein' 'elpful in sich cases, 'aving bin a nuss, when young, as I won't deceive you by denying, called on me to be a good Smart 'un. And I wos, though she swore awful, saying she wanted gin an' jellies, an' could 'ave 'ad them, if that limb—so did she name Tray, gentlemen both—'ad only 'anded to 'er the rich brooch he brought 'ome, just afore he went to earn a decent livin' at the lawr orfice, which 'is name is Pash—" "Ha," said Hurd, thoughtfully, "I'll see the boy." "You can see him now," said Beecot, unexpectedly. "When I learned this from Mrs. Purr and knew you were coming, I sent a message to Pash's office for the boy. He came up quite unsuspectingly, but he refused to speak. I shut him up in a back room, and Deborah has been watching him—" "An' the languige of that blessed limb!" exclaimed Mrs. Purr, raising her hands. [Pg 263] "Bring him in," said Hurd. "Miss Norman, if the boy uses bad language, you needn't stay." Sylvia, having heard what Tray could do in this way, needed no further hint. She left the room gladly, and told Deborah to bring along her prisoner. Shortly, the noise of kicking and strong language was heard coming nearer, and Deborah, with a red face and a firm mouth, appeared at the door, holding aloft a small boy who was black in the face with rage. "There," said Deborah, flinging Tray in a heap at the detective's feet, "if me an' Bart 'ave sich a brat, I 'ope he dies in his cradle, instead of growing to a galler's thief in th' use of words which make me shudder, let alone my pretty. Ugh!" she shook her fist at Tray. "You Old Bailey viper, though young at that." "Here," said Tray, rising, much dishevelled, but with a white face, "let me go. I'll 'ave the lawr of you." "I'll attend to that, my lad," said Hurd, dryly. "Now, then, where did you get that brooch?" "Sha'n't tell," snapped the boy, and put his tongue out. Hurd gave him a smack with an open hand on the side of his face, and Master Clump began to blubber. "Assalting me—oh, won't you ketch it," he raged in his puny wrath. "My master's a law-cove, and he'll 'ave y' up before the beak." "You answer my questions," said Hurd, sternly, "or you'll get another clout. You know who I am well enough. Make a clean breast of it, you imp, or I'll lock you up." "If I make a clean breast will you let me cut?" asked Tray, beginning to whimper, but with a cunning gleam in his eyes. "I'll see, when I know what you have to say." Tray looked round the room to see if there was [Pg 264] any way of escape. But Paul guarded the closed window and Deborah, itching to box his ears, stood before the door. Before him was the stern-faced detective with whom Tray knew well enough he dare not trifle. Under these circumstances he made the best of a bad job, and told what he knew although he interpolated threats all the time. "Wot d'y want with me?" he demanded sulkily. "Where did you find that brooch?" "I prigged it from Mr. Beecot's pocket when he wos smashed." "Did Mr. Hay tell you to steal it?" "No, he didn't." "Then how did you know the brooch was in my pocket?" asked Paul. "I was a-dodgin' round the shorp," snapped Tray, "and I 'eard Mr. Norman an' Mr. Beecot a-talkin' of the brooch; Mr. Beecot said as he 'ad the brooch in 'is pocket—" "Yes, I certainly did," said Paul, remembering the conversation. "Well, when the smash come, I dodged in and prigged it. T'wos easy 'nough," grinned Tray, "for I felt it in 'is bres' poket and collared it. I wanted to guv it t' th' ole man, thinkin' he'd pay fur it, as he said he would. But arter the smash I went 'ome t' m' grann' and hid the brooch. W'en I wos a-lookin' at it at night, I sawr 'er a-lookin' at it, and she grabbed it. I cut away with m'own property, not wishin' to be robbed by the ole gal." "What did you do then?" Tray wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve. "I 'eard that Mr. Norman wos dead—" "Yes, and you told Jessop so in the office. How did you know?" "'Cause I went to the shorp in th' mornin' to sell the brooch to th' ole man. He was a goner, so I [Pg 265] cut to Mr. Pash, as wos his lawyer, and said I'd sell 'im the brooch." "What?" cried Hurd, rising. "You gave the brooch to Mr. Pash?" "Yuss. He said he'd 'ave me up for stealin', and wouldn't guv me even a bob fur it. But he said I'd be his noo orfice boy. I thought I'd be respectable, so I went. And now," ended Master Clump in a sullen manner, "you knows all, and I ain't done nothin', so I'm orf." Deborah caught him by the tail of his jacket as he made a dart at the door and swung him into the middle of the room. Hurd laid hands on him. "You come along with me," he said. "I'll confront you with Pash." Tray gave a howl of terror. "He'll kill me," he shouted, "as he killed the old cove. Yuss. He did it. Pash did it," and he howled again. [Pg 266] Table of Contents <hr style="width: 65%;" /> <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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