"On the shawl?"
"Yes. That's a foreign shawl, and a woman's shawl. Comes from Italy or
Egypt or Tangiers maybe."
"Kind, you don't think----?"
"Aye, but I do. We're bringing home the crime to that lady in the
motor car who insulted you. That insult will cost her dear. She smoked
the same kind of cigarette as I found in Mr. Herries' bedroom, and
this shawl evidently belongs to her. And the name is the same as that
on the envelope addressed secretly by Sir Simon Tedder. We're getting
on, doctor. That woman must be found."
"But you don't think that she killed Sir Simon?"
"Why not? I said that a light, nimble person could have climbed the
trellis. Why not this lady? However, we'll have a talk to Mr. Herries,
and tell him all we have found out. He may know if his uncle was
acquainted with this dark lady."
But Herries did not know. They approached the caravan whistling
"Garryowen" and gave the signal. Herries was seated by Mrs. Kind's
bed, and was more than glad to see his friend. Browne related what he
had discovered, and then Kind followed with the story of the
policeman's kidnapping. When he mentioned the name on the shawl, the
doctor harked back, and explained the episode in Ritson's office,
which he had forgotten to tell in detail. Then it was that the accused
man started.
"Tarabacca!" he cried, much excited. "Why, that's the name of the
steam yacht lying alongside my boat at Pierside."
CHAPTER XIII
A MEXICAN BEAUTY
Early next morning, Sweetlips Kind was talking to Dr. Browne in the
consulting-room of the latter at his Tarhaven house. On tracing the
connection of the mysterious word "Tarabacca" with the shawl which had
to do with Armour's kidnapping, and which consequently was of a piece
with the tragic incident of the "Marsh Inn" crime, the Cheap-jack had
postponed his departure. Eager as he was to leave the dangerous
neighbourhood of Desleigh, where one and all were on the alert to
capture Herries, he thought it well to see what sort of crew manned
the yacht referred to by the accused man. Beyond the fact that the
oddity of the name had struck him, Herries knew nothing. When the
Arctic sealer "Nansen" came to Pierside, the yacht was already berthed
by the wharf, and Herries had left his ship so immediately, owing to
the persecution of the captain, that he had made no enquiries as to
the nationality of the strange vessel. Nor, had he remained on board
the "Nansen," would he have so enquired, since the "Tarabacca" did not
interest him in the slightest. Now, however, that the yacht's name was
on the shawl, and a letter had apparently been addressed to someone on
board by the dead man, the subject became one of vital importance.