The Riddle of the Purple EmperorHanshew, Thomas W.
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The Riddle of the Purple Emperor
Hanshew, Thomas W.
Cleek, Hamilton (Fictitious character) -- Fiction; Detective and mystery stories
"I followed Edgar," said Miss Wynne, speaking unwillingly enough, a wave
of scarlet surging over her face at the significance of the words. "I
saw him go up to the door, and I slipped in. It was open--unlatched,
that is. But Miss Cheyne was furious at his appearance and I heard her
drive him out again and lock the door afterward. Knowing her, I was
afraid of her tongue if I should dare to reveal myself, so I crept away,
and directly it was quiet, I got out into the grounds. I heard the shot,
but did not attach any importance to it. Indeed, when later I heard the
wheels of your motor driving away I put it down to a burst tire. It was
not until a week or so later when Bobby told me he was in trouble with
heavy racing debts that I thought of Miss Cheyne again. Then in sheer
desperation I thought I would ask her to lend me a little money. And
that was the opening of the mystery to me, for I knew directly I saw her
that a trick was being played; that it was not Miss Cheyne herself. I
soon found out that it was a man by the trick of throwing----"
"Throwing!" interrupted Lady Brenton suddenly. "How could you tell by
throwing, Miss Wynne?"
"I tossed her the roll of papers I had brought," said Miss Wynne,
quietly. "And she brought her knees together instead of spreading them
apart to make a lap as any woman would. It was then I guessed the truth.
I taxed him with it, and the man revealed himself then as Sammy Blake,
the tipster. I was helpless then, because Bobby was in this very man's
power----"
Her voice broke a little and Cleek slid his fingers into one of his
pockets and drew forth something which he held up for her to see.
"By reason of these, eh?" he interposed, stretching out a soiled
envelope toward her. A little cry broke from her lips, and Bobby Wynne,
springing to his feet, gasped in relieved amazement.
"My I. O. U.'s," he cried, exultantly, as Cleek handed them to him. "He
always promised to give them to me, but he never did."
"I found them in his pocketbook," said Cleek, then turned once more to
Miss Jennifer and gave her an understanding nod.
"You need hardly say that you succeeded in getting money from Blake," he
said, "for not even your whole garden full of hyacinths would have
produced the £50 you gave your brother. That was the first thing that
put me on the right track."
She stared at him in astonishment.
"How did you know?" she said, quickly. "But you are perfectly right. I
had to account for the money somehow, and so I told him I had sold my
flowers. And I blackmailed Blake! It was an awful thing to do but I was
desperate. And I never thought of any harm coming to Lady Margaret, for
he swore that she was in London, waiting for Sir Edgar at the Hotel
Central. That is why I wired, afterward, so as to make up for it----"
"Wired?" cried Sir Edgar. "Do you mean to tell me it was you who sent me
on that wild-goose chase to London?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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