Number 70, Berlin: A Story of Britain's PerilLe Queux, William
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Number 70, Berlin: A Story of Britain's Peril
Le Queux, William
War stories; World War, 1914-1918 -- Fiction
"Boyle did. I was most careful to keep out of it," replied Rodwell,
with a cunning look. "Boyle happens to be a friend of Heaton-Smith, who
is in the Intelligence Department, and to him he gave information which
cast a very deep suspicion that while Jerrold was pretending to hunt out
spies, he was also engaged in collecting information. Indeed, we sent
our friend Klost to consult him as a patient in order to further colour
the idea that, in the doctor's consulting-room, he was receiving German
spies. Heaton-Smith, who has a perfect mania regarding espionage, took
it up at once, and had Jerome watched, while we on our part,
manufactured just a little thread of evidence, as we have done in the
present case. By it we succeeded in a warrant being issued for his
arrest. It would have been executed that night if--well, if he had not
committed suicide."
"Perhaps he knew a warrant was out against him?"
"I think he did," said Rodwell, with an evil smile.
"What causes you to think so?"
"Well, by the fact that Boyle, to whom he was unknown, rang him up that
evening at half-past seven and, posing as an anonymous friend, warned
him that there was a warrant out for him and that, as a friend, he gave
him an opportunity to escape."
"What did he reply to Sir Boyle?"
"He hardly replied anything, except to thank the speaker for his timely
information, and to ask who it was who spoke. Boyle pretended to be a
certain Mr Long, speaking from the National Liberal Club, and added,
`If you wish to write to me, my name is J.S. Long.' The doctor said he
would write, but could not understand the charge against him. Boyle
replied that it was one of war-treason, and added that the authorities
had got hold of some documents or other which incriminated him on a
charge of spying."
"What did he say?"
"Well, he declared that it was an infernal lie, of course," laughed
Rodwell.
The woman was again silent for a few moments.
"Its truth was plainly shown by his suicide," she remarked at last. "By
Jove, my dear Lewin, his death was most fortunate for you--wasn't it?"
"Yes. We had to play a trump card then--just as we now have to play
another against young Sainsbury," replied the man, his eyes narrowing.
"I must congratulate you both," said Mrs Kirby. "You've played your
cards well--if you're certain that he'll be convicted."
"My dear Molly, they can't help convicting him. The acknowledgment and
payment for reports, the request for more information, and the vague
references to certain matters in which our friends in Holland are so
keenly interested, all are there--addressed to him. Besides, he is
known to have been an intimate friend and assistant of the man Jerrold--
the man who committed suicide rather than face arrest and trial for
treason. No," Rodwell added confidently; "the whole affair is quite
plain, and conviction must most certainly follow."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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