Back Aa

Opal Serpent

<h2>CHAPTER XXIII</h2> WHAT PASH SAID In a smoking compartment, which the three had to themselves, Hurd resumed his examination of Tray. They were now on their way to Liverpool Street and thence the detective intended to convey the boy to Pash's office in Chancery Lane. Paul sat in one corner much excited over the turn events had taken. He began to think that the assassin of Aaron Norman would be found after all. More, he believed that Sylvia would yet inherit the five thousand a year she was entitled to, morally, if not legally. Hurd, in another corner, pulled Tray roughly towards him, and shook his finger in the lad's face. The boy was sulky and defiant, yet there was a trace of fear in his eyes, and the reason of this Hurd wished to learn. "You're a young liar," said Hurd, emphatically, "and not a clever one either. Do you think to play the fool with me?" "I've tole you all straight," grumbled Tray. "No, you haven't. Anyone can see that you've made a mistake. I leave it to Mr. Beecot yonder." "I was about to draw your attention to the mistake," said Paul; "you mean the discrepancy in time." Master Clump started and became more sulky than ever. He cast down his cunning eyes and shuffled with his feet while Hurd lectured him. "You know well enough," said the detective, sharply, "that the brooch was boned by you on the very evening when [Pg 267] the murder took place. It was then that Mr. Beecot met with his accident. Therefore, you could not have given the brooch to Mr. Pash the next morning, as it had been used on the previous night." "Sha'n't say anythin' more," retorted Tray, defiantly. "Oh, won't you?" cried Hurd, ironically, "we'll see about that. You told that lie about the time to account for your knowing of the murder before anyone else did." "No," said Tray, decidedly, "I did go to the shorp in th' mornin'." "That you may have done, but not to sell the brooch. Mr. Pash had taken it from you on the previous night." "He didn't," denied the boy. "Then in that case you've told a lie. Pash never had the brooch, and has nothing to do with the murder." "He did prig the brooch from me, and he did kill the ole cove." "Well, we'll see what Mr. Pash will say when you accuse him," said Hurd; "but I don't believe one word of it. It's my opinion that you gave that brooch to a third party on the same evening as you stole it. Now, then, who did you give it to?" "Mr. Pash," persisted Tray. "On the same evening?" There was no reply to this. Tray set his lips firmly and refused to speak. Hurd shook an admonitory finger again. "You can't play fast and loose with me, my lad," he said grimly; "if you didn't part with that brooch, you must be mixed up in the crime yourself. Perhaps you pinned the poor wretch's mouth together. It's just the sort of cruel thing a young Cain like you would do." "I didn't," said Master Clump, doggedly; "you [Pg 268] take me to master, and I'll tell him what I tells you. He's the one." Hurd shook the boy to make him talk more, but Tray simply threw himself on the floor of the carriage and howled. The detective therefore picked him up and flung him into a corner. "You stop there, you little ruffian," he said, seriously annoyed at the boy's recalcitrants; "we'll speak again when we are in Mr. Pash's office." So Tray curled up on the cushion, looked savagely at the detective and held his tongue. "What do you think will be the end of all this?" asked Paul, when Master Clump was thus disposed of. "Lord knows," replied Hurd, wiping his face. "I never had a harder case to deal with. I thought Hay had a hand in it, but it seems he hadn't, bad lot as he is, asking your pardon, Mr. Beecot, since you're his friend." "That I am not," disclaimed Beecot, emphatically; "there's a young lawyer I know, Ford is his name. I went to see him as to what chances Sylvia had of getting the money. He was at school with me, and remembered Hay. He said that Hay was dismissed from Torrington School for stealing." "Didn't you know that yourself." "No, I had left the school—I was ill at home with scarlet fever. But Hay apparently always has been a bad lot. He and that Krill pair are well matched, for I believe the mother is bad, even if the daughter Maud isn't. By the way her age—?" Hurd nodded. "I believe she was fifteen at the time of the death of Lady Rachel. If so, she can't be legitimate or may not be the daughter of Aaron Norman. However, I've asked my sister to look up Mrs. Krill's past life in Stowley, where she comes from." "But she wasn't married to Krill at Stowley?" "No. But she lived there as Anne Tyler. From [Pg 269] the certificate she was married to Krill at a small parish church twenty miles from Stowley, so Aurora will go there. But I want her to stop at Stowley first and learn all she can about Anne Tyler." "Beechill's the name of the parish in which she was married to Krill before she came to Christchurch," said Paul, musingly, "so I expect they lived there. Miss Qian might search also for the certificate of Maud Krill's birth." "I told her to, and, failing that, she's to search in Christchurch. We must get the certificate of birth somehow." "Hurd," said Paul, rather diffidently, "I hope you won't be annoyed, but I have already asked my friend Ford to give notice to Pash to produce the certificate." "Well," replied the detective, "you might have told me; but no great harm is done. What does Pash say?" "I don't know. Ford has not let me know yet. Here we are." This remark was caused by the stopping of the train at Liverpool Street Station. A number of people were returning from their employment in the city to the country, and the platforms were crowded. Hurd grasped Master Clump by the arm and marched him along. But in the confusion of finding his ticket at the barrier, he happened to let go, almost without thinking. In a moment Tray had darted through the barrier and was lost in the crowd. Hurd sprang after him, and left Paul to explain. He hurriedly did so, and then went out to see if the detective had caught the boy. Hurd was nowhere to be seen, neither was Tray. The crowd was increasing thick, and Beecot was at a loss what to do. After waiting for an hour without finding the pair, he thought he would go to Pash's office. It might be that Hurd, having caught Tray, [Pg 270] would take him there at once, leaving Beecot to follow. So Paul got on to the metropolitan railway and alighted at the Temple Station. Thence he walked up to the office in Chancery Lane. "Where's Tray?" asked Paul, of the one clerk in the outer room, who was writing for dear life. "I don't know, sir," said the clerk; "he went out this morning and hasn't been back all day. Mr. Pash is very angry with him." Apparently Hurd had not caught the boy yet, or if he had, did not intend to bring him to the office. "Can I see Mr. Pash?" asked Paul, thinking he might as well make some use of his time. The clerk inquired if the solicitor would see Beecot, and presently ushered him into the inner room, where Pash sat looking more like a monkey than ever. He did not appear at all pleased to see the young man, and sucked in his cheek with a crabbed air. "Well, Mr. Beecot, what can I do for you?" he snarled. "You might be civil in the first place," said Paul quietly, taking a chair. "You haven't behaved over well to Miss Norman and me." "Oh," said Pash, coolly, "have you come to reproach me with that?" "I never waste time," rejoined Paul, equally coolly. "I'll leave you to your conscience." Pash shrugged his shoulders and put his feet on the rungs of his chair. "I think my conscience can stand that," he said; "it's business, Mr. Beecot, business. By the way, I have received a request from Mr. Ford of Cheapside to produce the certificate of birth of Miss Krill. What is the meaning of that?" "I think you know very well, Mr. Pash." "I profess my ignorance," said Pash, ironically, [Pg 271] although he looked uneasy, and was apparently lying. "In that case you had better wait till you hear from Mr. Ford." "Are you employing Mr. Ford, may I ask?" Paul nodded. "On behalf of Miss Norman," said he, coldly. "Ah," sneered the monkey, "you think you'll get the money." "Wait till you hear from Mr. Ford," retorted Paul again, and enjoyed the baffled expression on Mr. Pash's wrinkled face. "By the way, sir, why did you not tell Hurd that Tray gave you the opal brooch?" Pash turned all the colors of the rainbow. "Does that brat I took into my office out of charity dare to say that he did." "He does, and what is more, Mr. Hurd is bringing him here to make the statement, face to face with you. I am determined to get to the bottom of this case, sir, for Miss Norman's sake. And the possession of the brooch forms an important link." "How so?" "The person who had that brooch on the evening of the sixth of July murdered Norman," said Paul, calmly. Pash jumped up and chattered like a baboon in a rage. "Do you mean to accuse me?" he demanded. "Take care—take care." "I don't accuse you. Tray does." "It's a lie—a lie—" "Don't excite yourself, Mr. Pash. You'll need all your wits to convince Hurd. Tray accuses you, and Hurd suspects you. I have nothing to do with the matter." "You put Hurd up to this," foamed Pash, hardly able to speak. "Pardon me. Hurd is working for the reward offered by your client. Don't you think it was [Pg 272] rather foolish of her to offer such a large reward, Mr. Pash, even though she did so to avert suspicion?" The solicitor changed color again. "I don't understand you." Paul shrugged his shoulders and rose to go. "Perhaps Mr. Hurd will explain," he said, and made for the door. Pash, with his monkey face much perplexed, sat hunched in his chair, biting his fingers. As Paul laid his hand on the knob, he called him back. "I can explain," he said nervously. "Not to me," said Paul, coldly. "I prefer to do so to you," said the lawyer, hurriedly. "Why to me particularly." "Because I don't think I have acted very well towards Miss Norman, and, as you are to marry her, you may be able to arrange—" "To make peace I suppose you mean," burst out Beecot; "no, Mr. Pash, you have acted like a scoundrel. You left that poor girl in the lurch as soon as you found that Miss Krill was—as you thought—legally entitled to the money." "What do you mean by hinting she isn't?" "Because you know very well what her age is," retorted Paul. "This matter will be shifted to the bottom, Mr. Pash, by my friend Ford, and if things are as I think they are, Miss Krill won't keep that money. You know very well—" "Miss Norman won't get the money either," snarled Pash, "I know that very well. Leastways," he added, "without my assistance." "More of your crooked ways," said Paul, indignantly. "Tell what you like to Hurd. I refuse to listen." As he spoke he opened the door and found himself facing Hurd who was red and hot. The detective stepped into the office, and as he passed Paul, [Pg 273] whispered, "Hold your tongue about the boy," then he turned to Mr. Pash. "Well, sir," he puffed, "I have had a job catching up Mr. Beecot. No doubt you know why I have come?" "No," said Pash, dryly; "I don't see Tray." "Tray will keep. I've got him safe under lock and key. Before bringing you face to face with him I thought it best to give you an opportunity of clearing yourself." "Of what?" asked Pash, in a brazen manner. Hurd looked at Beecot who spoke. "Mr. Pash knows very well that Tray accuses him of the crime," he said. "I told him so, and he professed his readiness to explain to you." "Ah," said Hurd, "shut the door, Mr. Beecot. No need to let all London know the truth." "I don't know it," said Pash, as Paul closed the door and returned to his seat. "Very good," rejoined the detective, calmly, "we'll assume for the sake of argument that you did not strangle Norman." "That I certainly did not." "Then you know who did. Come, sir," Hurd became stern; "this boy Tray says he gave the opal brooch to you. And I believe he did. You would not have taken him into your office—a boy off the streets, and with a bad character at that—unless you wanted to bribe him to hold his tongue." "I had no need to bribe," said Pash, gnawing his finger nails and rather cowed by this direct attack. "The boy did show me the opal brooch, and I took it from him to return to Norman." "When did you receive it?" asked Hurd, pulling out his book. "Be careful, Mr. Pash, I'll take down what you say." "I have nothing to conceal," said Pash, in quite an unnecessarily injured manner. "I had employed the boy on several errands, and he knew I was [Pg 274] Norman's lawyer. On the evening of the sixth of July—" "And the evening of the murder," said Hurd; "are you sure?" "I'll take my oath on it. The boy told me that Mr. Beecot had met with an accident and that a blue velvet case containing a brooch had fallen out of his pocket." "It was stolen," said Beecot, hastily. "Tray was not such a fool as to tell me that," replied the lawyer, dryly; "he said that he picked the case up out of the mud, and took it home to his garret. His grandmother, who is a notorious thief, wanted to get it, and pawn it for drink, but Tray ran away with it and came to me about five o'clock. He gave me the brooch and asked me to take charge of it, as he expected to get money for it from Aaron Norman who wanted it." "Tray overheard my conversation with Norman," said Paul, angrily, "and knew the brooch was mine—so did you, Mr. Pash." "Well," said the solicitor, coolly, "what of that? Norman was my client and wanted the brooch. I intended to keep it and then see you, so that a sale might be arranged. Norman spoke to me about the brooch several times and wanted it for reasons you may not know." "Oh, yes, we know," said Hurd, sardonically; "we know much more than you give us credit for, Mr. Pash. Well, you saw Norman about the jewel later that evening. I suppose you intend to tell us you gave him the brooch then." "I intend to tell nothing of the sort," retorted Pash, after a few moments' thought. "I see that things are coming to a crisis, and I would like to see Miss Norman reinstated in her rights." "Oh," said Paul, indignantly, "and you did your best to give the money to Maud Krill!" [Pg 275] "Because I believed she was legally entitled to it," explained Pash, lamely; "but since—no," he broke off, "I'll say nothing just now. I alone can put the matter right, and I refuse to do so unless I have Miss Norman's promise that I shall keep the business." Paul would have refused then and there, but Hurd, more astute, interrupted his angry speech. "We'll see about that later, Mr. Pash," he said, soothingly; "meanwhile, what did you do with the brooch?" "I laid it on the table there. The case was open, as I had been looking at it. I sent Tray out of the room and attended to my usual business. Several clients came and went, and I forgot about the opal serpent. Then I went to see my clerk outside about a deed. I was with him for some minutes. When I recollected the brooch before I went home—for I intended to take it with me—" "Stop," interrupted Hurd, "you were here till Aaron Norman came along with the jewels, so you must have missed the brooch before he came or he would have taken it, seeing it was exposed on the table." "My esteemed client did not come till seven," said Pash, annoyed at being detected in trickery. "He walked about with the bags of jewels for some time, not being able to make up his mind to give them to me, which he did for safe keeping." "Then he expected a visit from his wife?" "I can't say," said the solicitor, with an air of fatigue. "He certainly hinted that he wanted the jewels placed away safely in case someone connected with the opal brooch should come." "Perhaps Captain Jessop, who did come," said Paul, suddenly. "He didn't mention the name of Jessop," snapped Pash. "Had he hinted at a sailor I would have known who my nautical visitor was." "We know all about that," said Hurd, waving his [Pg 276] hand; "But if Norman came to you at seven, how did you manage to prevent him meeting his wife in this office?" "Oh, she was—What do you mean?" asked Pash, breaking off, and conscious that he was letting slip something he had rather had not been known. Hurd saw the slip and Pash's confusion and at once made every use of the opportunity. In fact, he played a game of bluff. Shaking his finger he approached the little lawyer. "Do you think I come here unprepared?" he asked, solemnly; "do you think I have not been to 'The Red Pig' at Christchurch and learned that Mrs. Krill knew of her husband's whereabouts, through Hay, long before the day she came to you with the lying story about the hand-bills? Hay has confessed his share in the business of a false introduction to throw Mr. Beecot off the scent, seeing that he was defending Miss Norman's interests. Do you think I don't know that this woman Krill came to see you, through Hay, whose lawyer you are? She was here on that fatal evening," said Hurd, making a bold shot, "how did you prevent her seeing Norman?" Pash was completely thrown off his balance by this volley of language and presumption of knowledge. "Mrs. Krill left at six," he gasped, backing to the wall. "And carried off the brooch?" "I'm not sure—I can't say—I did miss the brooch—" "After Mrs. Krill left?" "No, when Norman came. I intended to show him the brooch and found it gone." "Mrs. Krill left at six. Between six and seven did any other client come into the office?" "Yes—no—I can't say. Well," Pash broke down in despair seeing that his lies were not believed, "I think Mrs. Krill did steal the brooch." [Pg 277] "Quite so, and murdered her husband!" Hurd went to the door and took Beecot's arm. "I only hope you won't be brought up as an accessory before the fact, Mr. Pash," and disregarding the lawyer's exclamations he dragged Paul outside. In Chancery Lane he spoke. "I've bluffed him fine," he said, "that boy is lost. Can't see him anywhere. But we're getting at the truth at last." [Pg 278] Table of Contents <hr style="width: 65%;" /> <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

1 of 2

2 of 2

Update Required To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.