Here was a discovery. Of all men Torry had least suspected Vass, as he
had doubted the courage and nerve of so effeminate a creature. Yet if
according to the evidence of the locket, he was the lover of Julia
Brawn; and if he had followed her out of jealousy on that fatal night,
there was no doubt that he had killed Grent. Torry explained all this
to Darrel, as that young gentleman was dressing.
"If this, if that, if the other thing," said Frank doubtfully; "much
virtue in if, as Shakspere says. Admitting that Vass was Julia's
lover--which certainly seems probable, judging from the initials on
the locket--you cannot prove that he was with Julia on that night.
She alone could give evidence, and she is dead."
Torry nodded. "I admit there are links wanting," he said; "but as I am
absolutely certain that Vass is the man we want, it only remains to
force a confession out of him by sheer terror."
"How can you do that?"
The detective smiled meaningly, and from his breast-pocket produced a
warrant against Vass.
"I got this an hour ago," he said, "as soon as I learnt the truth from
the locket, I have sent a note asking Vass to come here and see you.
Then, by means of this warrant, I shall so play on his fears that he
will confess the truth."
"And so fall out of the frying-pan into the fire," said Darrel
cynically. "If he holds his tongue, you arrest him on suspicion; if he
confesses, you arrest him on certainty. So, in either case, he is
bound to go to gaol. Silence is golden in his case, Torry; he won't
confess."
"He might not if he was a hardened criminal," said the detective
coolly. "But the man is a weak, hysterical fool, alive with nerves. He
wept at the news of Grent's death; he fainted on seeing the Blue
Mummy. A man who has so little command over himself will not be
difficult to coerce into confession."
"When is he to be here?"
Torry glanced at his watch. "Ten thirty," he said, "and it is almost
that now. I say, Mr. Darrel, it was a lucky thought of mine that the
tramp might have robbed the dead body."
"It was! What made you think of it?"
"Well, he stole the knife in the first place, so I judged he would
help himself to whatever valuables he could find. It seems he did and
pawned the locket he stole. Then he saw one of my handbills offering a
reward, and turned up last night to tell me the truth. I went with him
to the pawn-shop, redeemed the locket, paid my friend two pounds and
congratulated myself that the initials on the locket implicated Vass."
"Are you sure the initials are his?"
"Quite sure. When I first met him I ascertained that his name was
Gustavus, so G.V. can stand for nothing else than Gustavus Vass; the
name is an uncommon one. Besides, he must have guessed that the
unexpected visit of Donna Maria had to do with the transference of the
money to Grent."
"Oh, oh!" said Frank, turning round from the mirror at which he was
brushing his hair. "So you think the motive of the crime is robbery,
not jealousy."