The Hollow Man Part 2

'He told you all this,' snapped Hadley, 'and you still did not suspect who might be coming?'

'I think,' interposed Dr Fell, wheezing gently, 'that I may be able to explain what our young friend means. It must have been rather a struggle. He means that in spite of the sternest convictions of the youngest B.Sc., in spite of the stoutest buckler emblazoned with x squared plus 2xy+y squared, he still had enough imagination to get the wind up over that scene at the Warwick Tavern. And he didn't want to know any more than it was his duty to know. Is that it, hey?'

'I do not admit it, sir,' Mills returned with relief, nevertheless. ' My motives have nothing to do with the facts. You observe that I carried out my orders exactly. I came up here at precisely half - past nine -'

'Where were the others then? Steady now!' urged Hadley. 'Don't say you can't reply with certainty; just tell us where you think they were.'

'To the best of my knowledge, Miss Rosette Grimaud and Mangan were in the drawing - room playing cards. Drayman had told me that he was going out; I did not see him.'

'And Madame Dumont?'

'I met her as I came up here. She was corning out with Dr Grimaud's after - dinner coffee; that is to say, with the remnants of it... I went to my workroom, left my door open, and drew out the typewriter desk so that I could face the hallway while I worked. At exactly' - he shut his eyes, and opened them again - 'at exactly fifteen minutes to ten I heard the front - door bell ring. The electric bell is on the second floor and I heard it plainly.

'Two minutes later Madame Dumont came up from the staircase. She was carrying one of those trays on which it is customary to place visiting - cards. She was about to knock at the door when I was startled to see the - er - the tall man come upstairs directly after her. She turned round and saw him. She then exclaimed certain words which I am unable to repeat verbatim, but whose purport was to ask why he had not waited downstairs; and she seemed agitated. The - er - tall man made no reply. He walked to the door and without haste turned down the collar of his coat and removed his cap, which he placed in his overcoat pocket. I think that he laughed, and that Madame Dumont cried out something, shrank back against the wall, and hurried to open the door. Dr Grimaud appeared on the threshold in some evident annoyance; his exact words were, "What the devil is all this row about?" Then he stood stock - still, looking up at the tall man; and his exact words were, "In G.o.d's name, who are you?"'

Mills's singsong voice was hurling the words faster; his smile had become rather ghastly, although he tried to make it merely bright.

'Steady, Mr Mills. Did you get a good look at this tall man?'

'A fairly good look. As he came up under the arch from the staircase, he glanced down in my direction.'

'Well?'

'The collar of his overcoat was turned up, and he wore a peaked cap. But I am endowed with what is called "long sight", gentlemen, and I could distinctly observe the conformation and colour of the nose and mouth. He was wearing a child's false face, a species of mask in papier mache. I have an impression that it was long, of a pinkish colour, and had a wide - open mouth. And, so far as my observation went, he did not remove it. I think I am safe in a.s.serting -'

'You are generally right, are you not?' asked a cold voice from the doorway. 'It was a false face. And, unfortunately, he did not remove it.'

CHAPTER 4.

THE IMPOSSIBLE.

SHE stood in the doorway, looking from one to the other of them. Rampole received the impression of an extraordinary woman without knowing why he felt it. There was nothing remarkable about her, except a certain brilliance and vividness of the black eyes, which had a sanded, reddish look as though of smart without tears. She seemed all contradiction. She was short, and of st.u.r.dy figure, with a broad face, rather high cheek - bones, and a shiny skin; yet Rampole had a curious impression that she could have been beautiful if she had tried. Her dark - brown hair was coiled loosely over her ears, and she wore the plainest of dark dresses slashed with white across the breast: yet she did not look dowdy.

Poise, strength, carriage, what? The word 'electric' is meaningless, yet it conveys the wave that came with her; something of crackle and heat and power, like a blow. She moved towards them, her shoes creaking. The prominent dark eyes, turned a little upwards at the outer corner, sought Hadley. She was rubbing the palms of her hands together before her, up and down. Rampole was conscious of two things - that the killing of Professor Grimaud had struck her with a hurt from which she would never recover, and would have left her stunned and crying if it had not been for one other wish.

'I am Ernestine Dumont,' she said, as though interpreting the thought. 'I have come to help you find the man who shot Charles.'

'She spoke almost without accent, but with a certain slur and deadness. The palms of her hands continued to brush up and down.

'When I heard, I could not come up - at first. Then I wished to go with him in the ambulance to the nursing - home, but the doctor would not let me. He said the police would wish to speak with me. Yes, I suppose that was wise.'

Hadley rose and moved out for her the chair in which he had been sitting.

'Please sit down, madame. We should like to hear your own statement in a moment. I must ask you to listen carefully to what Mr Mills is saying, in case you should be required to corroborate - '

She shivered in the cold from the open window, and Dr Fell, who had been watching her sharply, lumbered over to close it. Then she glanced at the fire - place, where the fire had smouldered nearly out under the ma.s.s of burnt papers. Realizing Hadley's words over the gap, she nodded. She looked at Mills absent - mindedly, with a sort of vacant affection which showed almost in a smile.

'Yes, of course. He is a nice poor fool boy, and he means well. Do you not, Stuart? You must go on, by all means. I will - look.'

Mills showed no anger, if he felt any. His eyelids flickered a few times, and he folded his arms.

'If it gives the Pythoness any pleasure to think so,' he sang imperturbably, 'I have no objection. But perhaps I had better continue. Er - where was I?'

'Dr Grimaud's words when he saw the visitor, you told us were, "In G.o.d's name, who are you?" Then?'

'Ah, yes! He was not wearing his eye - gla.s.ses, which were hanging down by their cord; his sight is not good without them, and I am under the impression that he mistook the mask for a real face. But before he could raise the gla.s.ses the stranger made so quick a movement that I was rather confused, and he darted in at the door. Dr Grimaud made a movement to get in front of him, but he was too quick, and I heard him laughing. When he got inside - ' Mills stopped, apparently puzzled. 'This is most extraordinary. I am under the impression that Madame Dumont, although she was shrinking back against the wall, closed the door after him. I recall that she had her hand on the k.n.o.b.'

Ernestine Dumont blazed. 'What do you wish to be understood by that, little boy?' she asked. 'You fool, be sure you know what you are saying. Do you think I would willingly have had that man alone with Charles - He kicked the door shut behind him. Then he turned the key in the lock.'

'One moment, madame ... Is that true, Mr Mills?'

'I wish it clearly understood,' Mills sang, 'that I am merely trying to give every fact and even every impression. I meant nothing. I accept the correction. He did, as the Pythoness says, turn the key in the lock.'

'That is what he calls his little joke, "the Pythoness",' Madame Dumont said savagely. 'Ah, bah!'

Mills smiled. 'To resume, gentlemen: I can well believe that the Pythoness was agitated. She began to call Dr Grimaud's Christian name, and to shake the k.n.o.b of the door. I heard voices inside, but I was some distance away, and you will perceive that the door is thick.' He pointed. 'I could distinguish nothing until, after an interval of about thirty seconds, during which it is deducible that the tall man removed his mask, Dr Grimaud called out to the Pythoness, rather angrily: "Go away, you fool. I can handle this."'

'I see. Did he seem - afraid, or anything of the sort?'

The secretary reflected. 'On the contrary, I should have said that he sounded in a sense relieved.'

'And you, madame: you obeyed and went away without further -?'

'Yes.'

'Even though,' said Hadley suavely, 'I presume it is not usual for practical jokers to call at the house in false faces and act in such a wild way? You knew, I suppose, of the threat to your employer?'

'I have obeyed Charles Grimaud for over twenty years,' said the woman very quietly. The word 'employer' had stung her hard. Her reddish, sanded eyes were intent. 'And I have never known a situation which he could not handle. Obey! Of course I did: I would always obey. Besides, you do not understand. You have asked me nothing.' The contempt changed to a half - smile. 'But this is interesting - psychologically, as Charles would say. You have not asked Stuart why he obeyed, and caused no fuss. That is merely because you think he would have been afraid. I thank you for the implied compliment. Please go on.'

Rampole had a sensation of watching a supple wrist on a swordsman. Hadley seemed to feel this, too, although he addressed the secretary.

'Do you remember, Mr. Mills, the time at which this tall man went into the room?'

'It was at ten minutes to ten. There is a clock on my typewriter desk, you see.'

'And when did you hear the shot?'

'At exactly ten minutes past ten.'

'You mean to say that you watched the door all that time?'

'I did, most a.s.suredly.' He cleared his throat. 'In spite of what the Pythoness describes as my timidity, I was the first to reach the door when the shot was fired. It was still locked on the inside, as you gentlemen saw - you yourselves arrived very shortly afterwards.'

'During the twenty minutes while these two were together, did you hear any voices, movements, sounds of any kind?'

'At one point I was under the impression that I heard voices raised, and something which I can only describe as resembling a b.u.mping sound. But I was some distance away ...' He began to rock again, and stare, as he met Hadley's cold eye. The sweat broke out again. 'Now I am aware, of course, that I am under the necessity of telling what must seem an absolutely incredible story. Yet, gentlemen, I swear -!' Quite suddenly he lifted a plump fist and his voice went high.

'That is all right, Stuart,' the woman said gently. 'I can confirm you.'

Hadley was suavely grim. 'That would be just as well, I think. One last question, Mr. Mills. Can you give an exact outward description of this caller you saw? ... In a moment, madame!' he broke off, turning quickly.' In good time. Well, Mr Mills?'

'I can state accurately that he wore a long black overcoat, and a peaked cap of some brownish material. His trousers were darkish. I did not observe his shoes. His hair, when he took off the cap -' Mills stopped. 'This is extraordinary. I do not wish to be fanciful, but now that I recall it, his hair had a dark, painted, shiny look, if you understand me, almost as though his whole head were made of papier mache.'

Hadley, who had been pacing up and down past the big picture, turned on him in a way that brought a squeak from Mills.

'Gentlemen,' cried the latter, 'you asked me to tell you what I saw. And that is what I saw. It is true.'

'Go on,' said Hadley grimly.

'I believe he was wearing gloves, although he put his hands in his pockets, and I cannot be absolutely certain. He was tall, a good three or four inches taller than Dr Grimaud, and of a medium - er - anatomical structure. That is all I can definitely a.s.sert.'

'Did he look like the man Pierre Fley?'

'Well - yes. That is to say, in one way, yes, and another no. I should have said this man was even taller than Fley, and not quite so thin, but I would not be prepared to swear it.'

During this questioning Rampole had been watching Dr Fell out of the tail of his eye. The doctor, his big cloak humped and his shovel - hat under one arm, had been lumbering about the room with annoyed digs of his cane at the carpet. He bent down to blink at things until his eye - gla.s.ses tumbled off his nose. He looked at the painting, along the rows of books, at the jade buffalo on the desk. He went down wheezingly to look at the fire - place, and hoisted himself up again to study the coat of arms over it. Towards the last he seemed to become blankly amiable - and yet always, Rampole saw, he was watching Mme Dumont. She seemed to fascinate him. There was something rather terrible in that small bright eye, which would swing round the second he had finished looking at something. And the woman knew it. Her hands were clenched in her lap. She tried to ignore him, but her glance would come round again. It was as though they were fighting an intangible battle.

'There are other questions, Mr Mills,' said Hadley, 'particularly about this Warwick Tavern affair and that painting. But they can wait until we get things in order. ... Would you mind going down and asking Miss Grimaud and Mr Mangan to come up here? Also Mr Drayman, if he has returned? ... Thanks. Stop a bit. Er - any questions, Fell?'

Dr Fell shook his head with broad amiability. Rampole could see the woman's white knuckles lighten.

'Must your friend walk about in that way?' she cried, abruptly, and in the shrillness of the voice she p.r.o.nounced the w as v. ' It is maddening. It is -'

Hadley studied her. 'I understand, madame. Unfortunately, that is his way.'

'Who are you, then? You walk into my house -'

'I had better explain. I am the superintendent of the Criminal Investigation Department. This is Mr Rampole. And the other man, of whom you may have heard, is Dr Gideon Fell.'

'Yes. Yes, I thought so.' She nodded, and then slapped the desk beside her. 'Well, well, well! Even so, must you forget your manners? Must you make the room freezing with your open windows even? May we not at least have a fire to warm us?'

'I don't advise it, you know,' said Dr Fell. 'That is, until we see what papers have already been burnt there. It must have been rather a bonfire.'

Ernestine Dumont said wearily: 'Oh, why must you be such fools? Why do you sit here? You know quite well who did this. It was the fellow Fley, and you know it. Well, well, well? Why don't you go after him? Why do you sit here when I tell you he did it?'

There was a look about her, a trance - like and gipsyish look of hatred. She seemed to see Fley go down a trap on a gallows.

'Do you know Fley?' Hadley snapped.

'No, no, I never saw him! I mean, before this. But I know what Charles told me.'

'Which was what?'

'Ah, wt! This Fley is a lunatic. Charles never knew him, but the man had some insane idea that he made fun of the occult, you understand. He has a brother who is' - she gestured - ' the same, you understand? Well, Charles told me that he might call here to - night at half - past nine. If he did, I was to admit him. But when I took down Charles's coffee - tray at half - past nine, Charles laughed and said that if the man had not arrived by then he would not come at all. Charles said: "People with a grudge are prompt."' She sat back, squaring her shoulders. 'Well, he was wrong. The door - bell rang at a quarter to ten. I answered it. There was a man standing on the step. He held out a visiting - card, and said, "Will you take this to Professor Grimaud and ask if he will see me? "'

Hadley leaned against the edge of the leather sofa and studied her.

'What about the false face, madame? Didn't you think that a little odd?'

'I did not see the false face! Have you noticed there is only one light in the downstairs hall? Well! There was a street lamp behind him, and all I could see was his shape. He spoke so courteously, you understand, and handed in the card, that for a second I did not realize -'

'One moment, please. Would you recognize that voice if you heard it again?'

She moved her shoulders as though she were shifting a weight on her back. 'Yes! I don't know - yes, yes! But it did not sound right, you see; m.u.f.fled up in that mask, I think now. Ah, why are men such -!' She leaned back in the chair, and for no apparent reason tears brimmed over her eyes. ' I do not see such things! I am real, I am honest! If someone does you a hurt, good. You lie in wait for him and kill him. Then your friends go into court and swear you were somewhere else. You do not put on a painted musk, like old Drayman with the children on Guy Fawkes night; you do not hand in visiting - cards like this horror of a man, and go upstairs and kill a man and then vanish out of the window. It is like the legends they told us when I was a girl...' Her cynical poise cracked across in hysteria. 'Oh, my G.o.d, Charles! My poor Charles!'

Hadley waited, very quietly. She had herself in hand in n moment; she also was as still, and as foreign and inexplicable as the big painting which faced her in tortured sombreness across the room. The gust of emotion left her relieved and watchful, though she breathed hard. They could hear the sc.r.a.ping noise of her finger - nails on the chair - arms.

'The man said,' Hadley prompted, '"Will you take this lo Professor Grimaud and ask if he will see me?" Very well. Now at this time we understand Miss Grimaud and Mr Mangan were downstairs in the drawing - room near the front door?'

She looked at him curiously.

'Now that is a strange thing to ask. I wonder why you ask it? Yes - yes, I suppose they were. I did not notice.'

'Do you remember whether the drawing - room door was open or shut?'

'I don't know. But I should think it was shut, or I should have seen more light in the hall.'

'Go on, please.'

"Well, when the man gave me the card, I was going to my, "Step in, please, and I will see," when I did see. I could not be faced with him alone - a lunatic! I wished to go up and get Charles to come down. So I said, "Wait there and I will see." And I very quickly slammed the door in his face, so that the spring - lock caught and he could not get in. Then I went back to the lamp and looked at the card. I still have it; I had no chance to deliver it. And it was blank.'

'Blank?'

"There was no writing or printing on it at all. I went up to show it to Charles, and plead with him to come down. But the poor little Mills has told you what happened. I was going to knock at the door, when I heard somebody come upstairs behind me. I looked round, and there he was coining, big and thin, behind me. But I will swear, I will swear on the Cross, that I had locked that door downstairs. Well, I was not afraid of him! No! I asked him what he meant by coming upstairs.

'And still, you understand, I could not see the false face, because his back was to that bright light on the stairs, which shows up all this end of the hall and Charles's door. But he said, in French, "Madame, you cannot keep me out like that," and turned down his collar and put his cap in his pocket. I opened the door because I knew he would not dare face Charles, just as Charles opened it from inside. Then I saw the mask, which was a pinkish colour like flesh. And before I could do anything he made a horrible jump inside, and kicked the door shut, and turned the key in the lock.'

She paused, as though she had got through the worst part of the recital, and could breathe more easily now.

'And then?'

She said, dully: 'I went away, as Charles ordered me to do. I made no fuss or scene. But I did not go far. I went a little way down the stairs, where I could still see the door to this room, and I did not leave my post any more than poor Stuart did. It was - horrible. I am not a young girl, you understand. I was there when the shot was fired; I was there when Stuart ran forward and began to pound the door; I was even there when you people began to come upstairs. But I could not stand it. I knew what had happened. When I felt myself going faint, I had just time to get to my room at the foot of that flight when I was - ill. Women sometimes are.' The pale lips cracked across her oily face in a smile, shakily. 'But Stuart was right; n.o.body left that room. G.o.d help us both, we are telling the truth. However else that horror left the room, he did not leave by the door ... And now, please, please, will you let me go to the nursing - home to see Charles?'

CHAPTER 5.

THE JIG - SAW WORDS.