The Rayner-Slade AmalgamationFletcher, J. S. (Joseph Smith)
General
The Rayner-Slade Amalgamation
Fletcher, J. S. (Joseph Smith)
Detective and mystery stories
"No!" replied Chettle, with emphatic assurance. "No, sir! And I'll tell
you why. If your cousin had given this photo to Lydenberg, as he might,
of course, have given it to a mere passing acquaintance, because that
acquaintance took a fancy to it, or something of that sort, Lydenberg
would in all reasonable probability have just slipped in into his
pocket-book, or put it loose amongst his letters and papers. But, as we
see, however Lydenberg became possessed of this photo, he took unusual
pains and precautions about it. You see, he cut it down, most carefully
and neatly, to fit into the cover of his watch--he took the trouble to
carry it where no one else would see it, but where he could see it
himself at a second's notice--he'd nothing to do but to snap open that
cover. No, sir, your cousin didn't give that photo to Lydenberg. That
photo was sent to Lydenberg, Mr. Allerdyke--sent! And it was sent for one
purpose only. What? That he should be able to identify Mr. James
Allerdyke as soon as he set eyes on him!"
Allerdyke nodded his head--in complete understanding and affirmation. He
was thinking the same thing--thinking, too, that here was at least a
clue, a real tangible clue.
"Aye!" he said. "I agree with you. Then, of course, the one and only
thing to do is--"
"To find out who the person was that your cousin gave this particular
print to!" said Chettle eagerly. "Of course, it's a big field. So far as
I understand things, he'd been knocking round a good bit between the time
of your taking this photo and his death. He'd been in London, hadn't he?
And in Russia--in two or three places. How can we find out when and how
he parted with this? For give it to somebody he did, and that somebody
was a person who knew of the jewel transaction, and employed Lydenberg in
it, and sent the photo to Lydenberg so that he should know your cousin by
sight--at once. Mr. Allerdyke, the secret of these murders and thefts
is--there!"
Chettle replaced the watch in the cardboard box from which he had taken
it, produced a bit of sealing-wax from his pocket, sealed up the box, and
put it and the other things belonging to Lydenberg back in the small
trunk from which he had withdrawn them to show his companion. And
Allerdyke watched him in silence, wondering and speculating about this
new development.
"What do you want me to do?" he asked suddenly. "You've got some scheme,
of course, or you wouldn't have got me down here alone."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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