The Stretton Street Affair Part 39

"I do. And further, De Gex has every motive in closing my lips."

"Ah! Then you hold some secret of his, perhaps?" asked Rivero, a new interest being instantly aroused.

"I do--one that I intend to expose when I obtain sufficient corroborative evidence," I answered with determination. "But is not the fact of the three men meeting here in secret under a.s.sumed names sufficient proof to you that some fresh plot is afoot?"

"Certainly it is," Rivero agreed. "But I wish you would reveal to me the whole facts."

"It is unnecessary," was my reply. "You are here only to deal with Despujol. I promised I would bring you to him--and I have done so.

Instead of living in obscurity in a high-up frontier village in the Pyrenees, as you in Madrid believed, I have shown you that he lives in Montauban, where he pa.s.ses as an industrious commercial traveller. If you search that house in the Rue de Lalande you might find a quant.i.ty of stolen property."

"As a matter of fact, it has already been searched by the police of Montauban at my request," he replied. "The raid was made last night after Charles Rabel had left. I received a telegram from the Commissary of Police only an hour ago to the effect that six heavy cases of 'travellers' samples' had been opened, and in them was found a great quant.i.ty of stolen jewellery, negotiable securities, and other objects of value, including two valuable paintings which were missing from the Prado Museum three years ago."

"Then my information has been of some little use to you--eh?"

"Of enormous use, Senor Garfield! You will no doubt receive an official letter of thanks from the Ministry of the Interior," he replied. "But we must act very warily. Despujol will not risk remaining here for long. Besides, some friend may telegraph to him that the police have been to the Rue de Lalande!"

Once more it was upon the tip of my tongue to explain the manner in which I had become implicated in the evil deeds of Oswald De Gex and his sycophants, when of a sudden he added:

"You must really forgive me, Senor Garfield, but you are an entire mystery to me. You have never been frank with me--never once!"

"I have been as frank as I dared," I replied. "I tell you that I am here to watch and to strive to elucidate a great plot--one which concerns myself and the woman I love. We have both been victims of a vile and desperate conspiracy."

"And whom do you suspect?"

"Oswald De Gex."

"With what motive?" he asked, for he held the enormously wealthy financial friend of Spain in awe and admiration.

"That, alas! is an enigma to me. I only know that he has made an attempt upon my life, and that at least one woman has been sent to the grave by foul means."

"Do you really infer that Senor De Gex is an a.s.sa.s.sin?" he asked incredulously.

"I only tell you what I know, Senor Rivero," I replied quietly. "I said that I would lead you to the secret abode of Despujol, and I think I have now fulfilled my promise, and shown you that he is on friendly terms with the great financier whom you in Spain all hold in such high esteem."

"There is certainly no man more welcome in Madrid than Senor De Gex,"

replied the police official. "At the Ritz, whether in his own name or incognito, he constantly receives our greatest politicians and most prominent personages. Even the King has more than once commanded him to the palace, in order to confer with him upon acute financial problems in the interests of our country. And yet you infer that Senor De Gex is an a.s.sa.s.sin!"

"I not only infer it," I said, "but I openly allege it!" I added hotly, as I thought of Gabrielle.

Rivero glancing at me quickly raised his shoulders with a gesture of disbelief.

"Very well," I said. "At least I have proved to you that he is a secret friend of the notorious Despujol. Why is he here in Nimes to consult with De Gex and his friend the Italian, Moroni, if not for purposes of evil? Despujol has made desperate war upon society, and it is De Gex who secretly finances him! Hence he is the servant of the man with money."

The dark-faced Spaniard reflected.

"Well," he exclaimed at last. "What you have revealed is certainly most interesting."

"And if you wish to capture Despujol you must lose no time," I a.s.sured him. "Remember, he and his gang have agents everywhere with eyes and ears open. He will soon know of the raid upon his retreat in Montauban."

"No doubt he will," agreed my companion. "They will return presently, and then we will arrest him. In the meantime I will call upon the Commissary of Police. Come with me."

We at once took a cab to the Prefecture where we were ushered into the presence of Monsieur Coulagne, a rather tall, grey-haired elegant man, with the rosette of the Legion of Honour in his coat.

When Rivero introduced himself the Commissary bowed to us both and bade us be seated.

In a few quick sentences the Spanish detective explained the object of his mission, and producing his authority from the Spanish Ministry, requested the arrest of the infamous bandit Despujol.

"But is Despujol actually in Nimes?" cried the Commissary astounded.

"He certainly is. I identified him on his arrival here at midday."

"We have been searching for him for over two years. He is wanted, among other things, for the murder of Madame Lescot, a wealthy widow of Aix-en-Provence."

"Ah! Then it is not a matter for extradition, eh?" remarked Rivero.

"We want him for a dozen crimes of violence in Spain. He attempted the death of my English companion here, Monsieur Garfield--who will give evidence against him."

The Commissary pressed an electric b.u.t.ton, whereupon his secretary appeared.

In a few rapid sentences the tall, elegant French official gave orders, and the secretary retired at once to execute them.

"Despujol is a desperate character. He is always armed, and possesses abnormal strength. He could strangle his strongest opponent," Rivero remarked.

"I have taken precautions," replied Monsieur Coulagne, smiling. "I have ordered ten men in plain clothes to go at once un.o.btrusively to the Hotel du Luxembourg, and arrest him when he returns."

"That will frighten De Gex and Moroni," I said quickly. "And if they are frightened they will escape!"

Rivero laughed. I knew that he entirely disbelieved my statement. In his eyes the wealthy friend of Spain could do no wrong. Did not his King invite him to conference, in ignorance, of course, of his true character?

I was not surprised at Rivero's att.i.tude, yet I had hoped that Despujol's arrest would be effected without the knowledge of De Gex and his sinister medical friend.

I pointed this out, whereupon Rivero remarked with sarcasm:

"If what you allege against Senor De Gex and his friend be true, they ought also to be arrested."

"Yes. They ought, and they will be when I am able to bring forward sufficient evidence to convict them," I replied warmly. "Why, I ask you, should Oswald De Gex be in secret a.s.sociation with that dangerous bandit?"

The Spaniard merely shrugged his shoulders, while at the Commissary's request a dossier was brought in, and then they both went through a long catalogue of crimes alleged to have been instigated or actually committed by the man whom I had found in my bedroom, and who had so cleverly deceived me.

The list was a formidable one, and showed how elusive was the man whom the police of Europe had been hunting for so long.

Among the big batch of papers was a report in English from the Metropolitan Police at Scotland Yard stating that the individual in question had arrived in London on a certain date, and stayed with a respectable family at Ham, near Richmond, representing himself to be a lawyer from Barcelona. Thence he had gone to Glasgow, where he stayed at a certain hotel, and then moved to Oban. Afterwards he had come south again to Luton, in Bedfordshire, where all trace of him had been lost.

"Well," laughed Rivero triumphantly, "we shall take good care not to lose him now!"

"No," said the Commissary of Police. "My men will be armed, and will take him, alive or dead!"

"And De Gex and Moroni will then instantly flee!" I said, full of regret that I had taken that step which might so easily result in destroying all my chances of solving that puzzling enigma of Gabrielle Tennison.