The Opal Serpent Part 42

"Then she can't inherit the money," said Hurd, decisively.

"No," cried Beecot, quickly, "both Sylvia and I think so. But to go on with Norman's confession. He would not let Maud go. She began to scream, and he feared lest she should alarm the neighbors. He tied a handkerchief across her lips, but she got free, and again began to scream. Then he cruelly fastened her lips together with the opal brooch."

"Where did he get that, if innocent?"

"He declared that he spied it on the floor of the sitting-room, near his wife's feet, and then hints that she strangled Lady Rachel to get it and turn it into money as she was desperately in need of cash for Maud. Mrs.

Krill idolized the child."

"I know that," snapped Hurd. "Go on."

"When Norman fastened the child's lips together, Mrs. Krill threw herself on him in a rage. He knocked her insensible, and then ran away.

He walked through the night, until, at dawn, he came to a distant railway station. There he took a ticket and went to London. He concealed himself until there was no chance of his being discovered, and besides, saw the verdict of the jury in the newspapers. But he was determined he would not go back to his wife, because she threatened him."

"In what way?"

"Ah," said Paul, while Sylvia shuddered, "in a strange way. When he fastened the child's lips together, Mrs. Krill said that she would do the same to him one day and with the same brooch."

Hurd uttered an exclamation. "So that was why she wanted the brooch so much?" he exclaimed eagerly.

"Yes. And she told Hay she wanted it though she did not reveal her reason. She said if she got the brooch he would be allowed to marry Maud, with whom Hay was deeply in love. Hay stumbled across me by accident, and I happened to have the brooch. The rest you know."

"No," said Hurd, "I don't know how the brooch came into the possession of Mrs. Krill again, to use in the cruel way she threatened."

"Well," said Sylvia, quickly, "we aren't sure if Mrs. Krill _did_ get the brooch."

"The evidence is against her," said Hurd; "remember the threat--"

"Yes, but wait till you hear Mrs. Purr," said Paul, "but just a moment, Hurd. You must learn how Norman laid the foundations of his fortune."

"Ah, I forget! Well?" and the detective settled himself to listen further.

"He was hard up and almost starving for a long time after he came to London," explained Paul, "then he got a post in a second-hand bookshop kept by a man called Garner in the Minories. He had a daughter, Lillian--"

"My mother," put in Sylvia, softly.

"Yes," went on Beecot, quickly, "and this girl being lonely fell in love with Norman, as he now called himself. He wasn't an attractive man with his one eye, so it is hard to say how Miss Garner came to love him.

But she married him in the end. You'll find everything explained at length in the paper we gave you. Then old Garner died, and Lillian inherited a considerable sum of money, together with the stock. Her husband removed the books to Gwynne Street and started business. But with the money he began to trade in jewels, and you know how he got on."

"That's all plain enough," said Hurd, putting the confession of Norman into his pocket. "I suppose the man dreaded lest his first wife should turn up."

"Yes! And that's why he fainted when he saw the brooch. Not knowing that Jessop had removed it from Maud's mouth and p.a.w.ned it--"

"I'm not so sure of that," said Hurd, quickly. "Bart overheard him talking of Stowley and the p.a.w.nbroker there."

"Well," said Paul, with a shrug, "he says nothing about it in the confession. Perhaps he did trace the brooch to the Stowley shop, but if so, I wonder he did not get it, seeing he wanted it. But when he saw it in my possession, he thought I might know of Mrs. Krill and might put her on the track. Hence his fainting. Later, he learned how I became possessed of it, and tried to buy it. Then came the accident, and I really believed for a time that Hay had stolen it."

"Aurora says he swore he did not."

"And he didn't," said Paul, going to the door. "Mrs. Purr!"

"You don't mean to say that old woman prigged it?" asked Hurd.

"No. But she warned me against that boy Tray on the day Deborah was married. Later, I asked her what she meant, and she then told me that she had learned from Tray's grandmother, a drunken old thief, how the boy brought home the opal brooch, and--"

Here Mrs. Purr, who had entered and was dropping curtseys to the majesty of the law, as represented by Hurd, thought an undue advantage was being taken of her position. She wished to talk herself, and interrupted Paul, in a shrill voice.

"Granny Clump, she is," said Mrs. Purr, folding her hands under her ap.r.o.n. "Tray's gran'mother, as 'is name is Tray Clump, I swear on my Bible oath. A wicked old woman as is famous for drink--"

"I've heard of her," said the detective, remembering; "she's been up heaps of times."

"And grows no better," wailed Mrs. Purr, bibulously, for she had been strengthening herself for the interview with frequent libations of gin.

"Oh, what a thing strong drink is, sir! But Granny Clump, bein' ill with the lungses, and me bein' 'elpful in sich cases, 'aving bin a nuss, when young, as I won't deceive you by denying, called on me to be a good Smart 'un. And I wos, though she swore awful, saying she wanted gin an'

jellies, an' could 'ave 'ad them, if that limb--so did she name Tray, gentlemen both--'ad only 'anded to 'er the rich brooch he brought 'ome, just afore he went to earn a decent livin' at the lawr orfice, which 'is name is Pash--"

"Ha," said Hurd, thoughtfully, "I'll see the boy."

"You can see him now," said Beecot, unexpectedly. "When I learned this from Mrs. Purr and knew you were coming, I sent a message to Pash's office for the boy. He came up quite unsuspectingly, but he refused to speak. I shut him up in a back room, and Deborah has been watching him--"

"An' the languige of that blessed limb!" exclaimed Mrs. Purr, raising her hands.

"Bring him in," said Hurd. "Miss Norman, if the boy uses bad language, you needn't stay."

Sylvia, having heard what Tray could do in this way, needed no further hint. She left the room gladly, and told Deborah to bring along her prisoner. Shortly, the noise of kicking and strong language was heard coming nearer, and Deborah, with a red face and a firm mouth, appeared at the door, holding aloft a small boy who was black in the face with rage. "There," said Deborah, flinging Tray in a heap at the detective's feet, "if me an' Bart 'ave sich a brat, I 'ope he dies in his cradle, instead of growing to a galler's thief in th' use of words which make me shudder, let alone my pretty. Ugh!" she shook her fist at Tray. "You Old Bailey viper, though young at that."

"Here," said Tray, rising, much dishevelled, but with a white face, "let me go. I'll 'ave the lawr of you."

"I'll attend to that, my lad," said Hurd, dryly. "Now, then, where did you get that brooch?"

"Sha'n't tell," snapped the boy, and put his tongue out.

Hurd gave him a smack with an open hand on the side of his face, and Master Clump began to blubber.

"a.s.salting me--oh, won't you ketch it," he raged in his puny wrath. "My master's a law-cove, and he'll 'ave y' up before the beak."

"You answer my questions," said Hurd, sternly, "or you'll get another clout. You know who I am well enough. Make a clean breast of it, you imp, or I'll lock you up."

"If I make a clean breast will you let me cut?" asked Tray, beginning to whimper, but with a cunning gleam in his eyes.

"I'll see, when I know what you have to say."

Tray looked round the room to see if there was any way of escape. But Paul guarded the closed window and Deborah, itching to box his ears, stood before the door. Before him was the stern-faced detective with whom Tray knew well enough he dare not trifle. Under these circ.u.mstances he made the best of a bad job, and told what he knew although he interpolated threats all the time. "Wot d'y want with me?" he demanded sulkily.

"Where did you find that brooch?"

"I prigged it from Mr. Beecot's pocket when he wos smashed."

"Did Mr. Hay tell you to steal it?"

"No, he didn't."