An Artist in Crime Part 10

"That I am most profoundly indebted to you for having enabled me to prove what has happened, and also that you have so soon let me know that we are not alone." Mr. Barnes bit his lip at this taunt, and Mr.

Mitchel, turning to the doctors, continued, "Gentlemen, I am delighted to know that you have overheard what has occurred. You may be called upon to give testimony. If you will remember, I think that you will admit that Mr. Barnes asked me who this woman is. Correcting his grammar I replied, 'She was Rose Mitchel.' Am I accurate?"

"Quite so," said one of the doctors.

"Mr. Barnes claims that I have admitted that I knew the woman. I claim that I have merely admitted that I knew her name, which is a very different thing."

"You admitted more than that," said the detective testily, "for you must have known more than her name to be able to give a name to this dead body."

"You are quite right, Mr. Barnes, I must also have known her face. In the same way I know both name and face of Lillian Russell. Were I to identify her dead body, would that prove that I was a personal acquaintance?"

"Certainly not, but you cannot claim that this woman was known to you in that way, for she was not a public character."

"How do you know that?"

"Well then, was she?"

"That is another question, and I decline to answer it, at least before witnesses. If you will walk with me as far as my hotel I will do the best I can to explain to you how I could identify this corpse without having been acquainted with the woman herself."

"Of course I will go with you, for explain this you must"; and together the two men left the building.

They walked across to Fifth Avenue and down that thoroughfare for several blocks in silence. Mr. Mitchel was evidently thinking over the position in which he found himself, and Mr. Barnes was satisfied not to hasten the explanation. He thus gave himself time to make a few mental notes, which if written down would have read as follows:

"Why did both of these men start when I said that the jewels were hidden off the train. It might be because both knew that to be a fact. If a fact, Thauret might have known it, because he himself may be the thief.

In that case, either Mitchel is an accomplice, or he saw the other man hide the satchel at some station. Could Mitchel himself have hidden the satchel? How could he have done so when I watched his section all night, unless of course I fell asleep, which is not probable. It follows then that I must discover what acquaintanceship exists between these men, in order to determine whether they are in league together.

"Next, as to the murder. It is odd to find both men possessing the means of admittance to the house. It is odd that both were undisturbed and plainly incredulous when I suggested that the woman might have been murdered to obtain the jewels. If Thauret killed the woman his demeanor in the presence of the corpse was simply miraculous. He showed not the least agitation. On the other hand he admitted that he has a medical education. Physicians are less excited by cadavers, and what is more significant, a physician would know how to find the jugular vein with a pen-knife. Still it is not difficult to sever that vessel without special knowledge. As to Mitchel, his behavior is more mysterious. Had he committed the crime, knowing his extraordinary ability to control his emotions, I had a right to expect him to be calm before the corpse.

Yet he was much excited, and went towards the body for a closer scrutiny. Murderers usually shrink away from their victims. In spite of that he gave the woman's name, and it tallies with that which she herself had claimed. Now, if he was willing to tell me the name, and if he committed the crime, why did he remove the names from all the garments? Why, unless Rose Mitchel is an alias, and the real name is thus kept secret? I may ask him some of these questions."

At this point Mr. Mitchel addressed his companion:

"Mr. Barnes, I should like to know of what you have been thinking as we walked, and I suppose you have a similar curiosity regarding my own thoughts. I mean to gratify you. I have been endeavoring to view my own position from your point of view, to guess what your deductions are from my behavior in the presence of that dead woman."

"I cannot give you my deductions," said Mr. Barnes, "for the simple reason that I have adopted none as yet. It has always been my practice to avoid deciding upon a theory too early. A detective with a theory will invariably be tempted to work to prove his a.s.sumption. I work to discover the truth. Therefore I avoid theories."

"Good! I see that my opinion of detectives, as expressed in the conversation which you overheard, must be modified. I still think I am right in the main, but you are an exception to the general rule."

"Mr. Mitchel, I don't care for compliments. You are at present in a very suspicious position. You said you could explain how you were able to identify that woman."

"I will do so. First let me state that I never saw her but once before in my life. The story is very short. I have been in this city less than two years. I became engaged to Miss Remsen last winter. About a month later I received a letter signed Rose Mitchel, which informed me that the writer could divulge a secret in relation to my family which would cause Miss Remsen to break with me. A price was named for silence, and a photograph enclosed that I might be able to recognize the woman, for she boldly announced that she would call in person for the money. She did so, and I have never seen her again till to-day."

"Can you prove this story?"

"I will show you the letter and the photograph if you will come with me to the Garfield Safety Vaults."

"I will go with you at once. Did you pay the money demanded?"

"I did."

"Do you not know that it is suspicious for a man to submit to blackmail?

It tends to prove that he is in the blackmailer's power."

"That is correct. I was in this woman's power."

"That is a serious admission, now that she has been murdered."

"I know it. But here we are at the vaults."

The two men entered the building, and Mr. Mitchel obtained the key to his compartment. He never took it away from the place, for he thought it safer in the keeping of the officers of the vaults. Descending into the great strong room, he took a tin box from his drawer, and then went into a little private room provided with a table and chairs. Opening the box he took out several packages which he laid on one side. Amongst these the detective was amazed to see a red Russia-leather case bound around with a strap, upon which appeared the name MITCHEL, in gold letters.

Could it be possible that this was the case containing the missing jewels?

"Ah! Here it is," said Mr. Mitchel. "Here is the photograph." He handed it to Mr. Barnes, who saw at once that it was the picture of the dead woman. "And here is the letter. Shall I read it to you?" Mr. Barnes a.s.sented with a nod. His thoughts were mainly upon the red leather case.

Mr. Mitchel read aloud:

"MR. R. MITCHEL, "DEAR SIR:

"You will be surprised to receive this from one, of whom perhaps you know little, but who knows much concerning your family. So much, that were she to tell all she knows, your high-toned sweetheart would send you adrift in a jiffy. Some say that silence is golden. So it must be in this case. If you wish me to keep silent, you must be ready to pay me ten thousand dollars on Thursday night, when I shall call for it. I send my photograph, that you may know I am the writer when I call. You see I am not afraid to do this, because if you call in the police, I will simply tell my story and you will be ruined. I may go to jail, but that does not worry me much, as there are worse places. So be ready to receive me on Thursday night. Yours truly, "ROSE MITCHEL."

Mr. Mitchel handed the above to Mr. Barnes, who read it over carefully, examining the envelope and postmark, both of which proved that the letter was genuine and a year old.

"Did you give her the amount demanded?" asked Mr. Barnes.

"I must explain what I did. When I received that letter, it was plain that there would be nothing to lose by receiving the woman and hearing her story. I determined not to give her any money; therefore, when she called, of course I did not have any such sum. After listening to her I changed my mind. I found that, through certain papers which she had, and which she did not hesitate to show me, she would be able to ventilate a scandal which might result just as she adroitly prophesied. I mean in the rupture of my engagement. Naturally I wished to avoid that. When I told her that she should have the money if she would call again, she became furious. Said I had tricked her, and now wanted a chance to hand her over to the police, etc. I saw that I must settle with her at once, and did so on these terms. I agreed to give her cash enough to go to Europe, and the balance in jewels."

"In jewels?" cried Mr. Barnes, startled.

"Yes, in jewels. You are surprised; but that is because you do not know my hobby. I am a collector of jewels. I have half a million dollars'

worth in these vaults. Therefore, whilst I had no such amount in cash as ten thousand dollars, I could easily give her three diamond rings, which I did, with a letter to a Paris jeweller, who would purchase them from her. Thus was I rid of the woman, part of the agreement being that she should never return."

"Mr. Mitchel, a man of your intelligence must have known that such promises are not kept by that cla.s.s of people."

"True, but I obtained from her all the doc.u.mentary evidence which she had, so that I rendered her powerless to annoy me further. You said awhile ago that it was a serious admission for me to make that I was in this woman's power. I suppose you meant that such a fact supplied a motive for this murder. Now you see that this is not true since I can prove that I released myself from that position a year ago."

"How can you prove that?"

"I have the woman's receipt, in which she states that for the sum of ten thousand dollars or its equivalent, she delivers to me family doc.u.ments, etc."

"Have you the doc.u.ments still?"

"I prefer not to reply to that question."

"Very good, but answer me this one. Where did you obtain this leather case, and what does it contain?" As he said this the detective picked up the case and held it before Mr. Mitchel's eyes. That gentleman was evidently confused for a moment, but finally answered:

"It contains some jewels."

"Jewels? That is what I thought. May I examine them?"