It was difficult work going back into that room, and standing there
fumbling to get a light. But I accomplished it at last, and once more
went upon my knees beside the dead man, and began to fumble dreadfully
in his pockets for the tickets. They were easily found, because the man
seemed to have nothing else of any value in his pockets at all; he had
carried out what he had promised, in that he had destroyed all marks of
identification. So with the tickets in my hand I sat down on a chair
(still keeping him well in view, lest he should dreadfully come to life
again), and thought about what I had to do.
I fitted the thing together like a puzzle. Murray Olivant on the sea, on
board the Eaglet; Murray Olivant so far accounted for, for some
considerable time at least. On the other hand, Murray Olivant here as an
unknown man--dead by an unknown hand. The first thing to be done
obviously was to get rid of the tickets. For the present I thrust them
into my own pocket, meaning to destroy them at the first opportunity.
Then I went carefully through the rooms, to be certain that there was
nothing by which Olivant could be identified. I found, as I had
expected, that there was no scrap of clothing anywhere that was marked;
everything was of that newer cheaper kind that he had purchased for the
better carrying out of his trick. I had left the most dreadful task to
the last; and that was to examine the knife.
I had not the courage to pull it out; I took the candle from the table,
and bent down to examine it. It was a knife not unlike that which I
carried; it had been well worn, but was a powerful weapon, of the sort
carried by sailors. I looked at it carefully, and was relieved to find
that there were no distinguishing marks upon the handle: it was a common
thing, such as the boy might have bought for a few shillings, just as I
had bought the one that was slung about my waist.
I had done all that it was possible for me to do, and I now prepared for
departure. I extinguished the candle, and got to the door; stood
listening for a moment, in the fear that that visitor of a little time
before might have returned, and might be waiting. But there was no
sound, and after a moment or two I opened the door, and peered out. No
one there, and the house wrapped in silence.
Emboldened by that, I pulled the door wide, and stepped out, and closed
it behind me. I turned to put my hand against it, to be certain that it
was fastened, and recoiled with a cry. For there was a man standing
there, flat against the wall at one side of the door, looking at me. It
was Jervis Fanshawe.
"What--what's the matter?" I asked hoarsely.
He grinned at me; his voice when he spoke was the mere thread of a
whisper. "Nothing--nothing at all," he said. "How's our friend?" He
jerked his head towards the closed door as he spoke.
"He--he's all right," I faltered, stooping to fumble with the lock for a
moment, the better to hide my face. "Tired--gone to sleep."
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.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account