All need for caution was gone now. Foyle had dropped his jemmy and his
hand closed over his pistol. Only as a last resource would he use it,
but if he had to--well, there could be no harm in having it handy. A
door slammed as the two detectives climbed the second flight of stairs.
Green flung himself against the one that had been indicated by Israels,
and the flimsy fastening gave way under the shock of his thirteen stone.
There was no one in the room. Savagely Heldon Foyle turned and caught
the handle of a second door. It turned, and they entered the room, empty
like the first, but with an open window looking out on a series of low
roofs a dozen feet below. And over the roofs a shadowy figure of a man
was clambering hurriedly. He could only dimly be seen.
Green clambered through on to the window-sill and dropped. He was
unlucky. A projecting piece of wood caught his foot, and he staggered
and lost time. Before he had recovered himself the fugitive was out of
sight, and the sound of his progress had ceased. Foyle called to him to
come back and, without waiting to see whether his orders were obeyed,
made his way back again to the first-floor landing. Israels was still
there, very white and shaky, as the superintendent struck a match.
"Where's that girl?" said the detective curtly. "The one who gave the
alarm."
"My daughter? She thought you were burglars. She didn't know."
"Where is she?"
Without waiting for a reply he entered the room whence she had emerged
and, striking another match, applied it to a gas-bracket. A fat woman
was sitting up in bed looking at him timorously. He paid no heed to her,
but stooped to look under the bed. When he straightened himself Green
had rejoined him.
"The girl gave us away," exclaimed Foyle. "Here, you, where is she
gone?" He shook the woman roughly by the shoulder. "Go to the bottom of
the stairs, Green, and see that no one slips in or out. Take that chap
outside down with you."
"My daughter?" exclaimed the woman helplessly. "She has gone to stay
with her aunt. We are respectable people. You frightened her. We don't
like the police coming here."
"Highly respectable," repeated Foyle under his breath. Aloud he said
menacingly, "We shall soon know whether you are respectable. Where does
the girl's aunt live?"
"Twenty-two Shadwell Lane," was the reply, glib and prompt.
Foyle looked for an instant penetratingly at her. Her eyes dropped. His
hand went to his pocket and he calmly lighted a cigar. Then he went
downstairs to where Green was on guard and politely apologised to
Israels. Casually he repeated the question he had put to the woman. Yes,
the Jew had seen his daughter go out. She said she was going to her
aunt. Her aunt lived at 48 Sussex Street.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account