Detective and mystery stories; England -- Fiction; Murder -- Investigation -- Fiction
“I happened to be passing,” he said, as he entered in response to
Cargill's permission, “and I dropped in to see how you've been getting
on. Leg all right now?”
“It's a bit better,” Cargill replied. “Won't you sit down?”
“Got enough to read?” Sir Clinton inquired, stepping over a pile of
books which lay near Cargill's couch and picking up one of them. “I've
got one or two I can lend you.”
Wendover was taken completely by surprise; for, without altering the
tone of his voice, Sir Clinton bent suddenly forward and imprisoned
Cargill's wrists.
“See if you can find a pistol anywhere near, squire. It's as well to
be on the safe side.”
He whistled shrilly; and, before the Australian had recovered from the
surprise of the attack, two constables had rushed into the room and
made any attempt at a struggle impossible. Sir Clinton relaxed his
grip.
“I shouldn't kick about, if I were you, Cargill. All you'll succeed in
doing is to reopen that wound of yours. The game's up, you see; and
you may as well take it quietly. We've got some of your friends.”
Cargill's face showed an eagerness at the words.
“Has my brother got off?”
“You mean the pseudo-Derek, I suppose? Yes, he's gone to
ground”—Cargill's expression showed a relief which was quenched as Sir
Clinton continued—“in the same place as you put Paul Fordingbridge.”
Cargill's head sank at the news.
“I'm afraid I can't stay,” Sir Clinton said, with almost ironical
politeness. “You've given me such a lot of work to do, you know,
lately. I shan't trouble you with questions, because I think we shall
get all we want from your confederates. If you need anything we can
give you, please ask the constables for it. Good evening.”
In the corridor, Wendover broke into a flood of questions; but Sir
Clinton brushed them aside.
“There's time enough for that by and by,” he said brusquely. “I must
get to the bottom of this business first. We'll go along and ask if
Mrs. Fleetwood can see us for a moment or two.”
Wendover was glad to find, when they entered the Fleetwood suite, that
Cressida seemed to be getting over the worst of the shock. Her face
lighted up as she saw them come in, and she began at once to thank
them. Sir Clinton brushed the thanks aside.
“There's nothing in it,” he said. “I only wish we'd been sooner.”
At the words, Cressida's expression changed, as though some dreadful
thing had been recalled to her. Sir Clinton put his hand into his
pocket and drew out the glass syringe.
“What part did this thing play?” he asked gently.
The sight of it brought back all Cressida's terrors.
“Oh, you _were_ too late!” she exclaimed despairingly. “I'm still
dazed by it all, and that brings it back.”
Under Sir Clinton's sympathetic interrogation, she was soon able to
tell them of the ordeal she had gone through. When she had finished,
the chief constable bent forward and took up the hypodermic syringe
from the table.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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