"A stage name I take it to be, ma"am!"
"Yes! a stage name."
"What was his real name?"
"I can"t say," replied Miss Which.e.l.lo, in a hesitating voice. "I knew him only as Amaru."
"Humph! here he called himself Jentham. Do you know anything about this murder, Miss Which.e.l.lo, ma"am?" and the inspector fixed a blood-shot grey eye on the thick veil.
"No! no! I know nothing about the murder!" cried Miss Which.e.l.lo in earnest tones. "I heard that this man Jentham looked like a gipsy and was marked with a scar on the right cheek. From that description I thought that he might be Amaru, and I wish to see his body to be certain that I am right."
"Well, Miss Which.e.l.lo, ma"am," said the stern Tinkler, after some deliberation, "your request is out of the usual course of things; but knowing you as a good and charitable lady, and thinking you may throw some light on this mysterious crime--why, I"ll show you the corpse with pleasure."
"One moment," said the old lady, laying a detaining hand on the inspector"s blue cloth sleeve. "I must tell you that I can throw no light on the subject; if I could I would. I simply desire to see the body of this man and to satisfy myself that he is Amaru."
"Very good, Miss Which.e.l.lo, ma"am; you shall see it."
"And you"ll not mention that I came here, Mr Inspector."
"I give you my word, ma"am--the word of a soldier. This way, Miss Which.e.l.lo, this way."
Following the rigid figure of the inspector, the little old lady was conducted by him to a small building of galvanised tin in the rear of the police-station. Several idlers were hanging about, amongst them being Miss Bell Mosk, who was trying to persuade a handsome young policeman to gratify her morbid curiosity. Her eyes opened to their widest width when she recognised Miss Which.e.l.lo"s silk cloak and poke bonnet, and saw them vanish into the dead-house.
"Well I never!" said Miss Mosk. "I never thought she"d be fond of corpses at her time of life, seeing as she"ll soon be one herself."
The little old lady and the inspector remained within for five or six minutes. When they came out the tears were falling fast beneath Miss Which.e.l.lo"s veil.
"Is that the man?" asked Tinkler, in a low voice.
"Yes!" replied Miss Which.e.l.lo; "that is the man I knew as Amaru."
CHAPTER XVI
THE ZEAL OF INSPECTOR TINKLER
The strange affair of Jentham"s murder continued to occupy the attention of the Beorminster public throughout the week; and on the day when the inquest was held, popular excitement rose to fever heat. Inspector Tinkler, feeling that the County expected him to do great things worthy of his reputation as a zealous officer, worked his hardest to gather evidence likely to elucidate the mystery of the death; but in spite of the most strenuous exertions, his efforts resulted in total failure. The collected details proved to be of the most meagre description, and when the coroner sat on the body nothing transpired to reveal the name, or even indicate the ident.i.ty of the a.s.sa.s.sin who had provided him with a body to sit on. It really seemed as though the Southberry murder would end in being relegated to the list of undiscovered crimes.
"For I can"t work miracles," explained the indignant Tinkler, when reproached with this result, "and somehow the case has got out of hand.
The motive for the shooting can"t be got at; the pistol used ain"t to be picked up, search how you may; and as for the murdering villain who fired it, if he ain"t down below where he ought to be, I"ll take my oath as a soldier he ain"t above ground. Take it how you will, this case is a corker and no mistake."
It had certainly occurred to Tinkler"s bothered mind that Miss Which.e.l.lo should be called as a witness, if only to prove that at one time the dead man had occupied a better position in the world, but after a short interview with her he had abandoned this idea. Miss Which.e.l.lo declared that she could throw no light on the affair, and that she had lost sight of the quondam violinist for over thirty years. Her recognition of him as Amaru had been entirely due to the description of his gipsy looks and the noticeable cicatrice on his face; and she pointed out to Tinkler that she had not seen the so-called Jentham till after his death; moreover, it was unlikely that events which had occurred thirty years before could have resulted in the man"s violent death at the present time; and Miss Which.e.l.lo insisted that she knew nothing of the creature"s later circ.u.mstances or acquaintances. Being thus ignorant, it was not to be expected that her evidence would be of any value, so at her earnest request Tinkler held his tongue, and forebore to summon her as a witness. Miss Which.e.l.lo was greatly relieved in her own mind when the inspector came to this conclusion, but she did not let Tinkler see her relief.
From Mosk, the officer had learned that the vagabond who called himself Jentham had appeared at The Derby Winner some three weeks previous to the time of his death. He had given no information as to where he had last rested, but, so far as Mosk knew, had dropped down from the sky.
Certainly his conversation when he was intoxicated showed that he had travelled a great deal, and that his past was concerned with robbery, and bloodshed, and lawlessness; but the man had talked generally as any traveller might, had refrained from mentioning names, and altogether had spoken so loosely that nothing likely to lead to a tangible result could be gathered from his rambling discourses. He had paid his board and lodging for the first week, but thereafter had lived on credit, and at the time of his death had owed Mosk over two pounds, princ.i.p.ally for strong drink. Usually he slept at The Derby Winner and loafed about the streets all day, but at times he went over to the gipsy camp near Southberry and fraternised with the Romany. This was the gist of Mosk"s information, but he added, as an afterthought, that Jentham had promised to pay him when certain monies which he expected came into his possession.
"Who was going to pay him this money?" asked Tinkler, p.r.i.c.king up his ears.
"Carn"t y"arsk me somethin" easier?" growled Mosk; "how should I know?
He said he was goin" to get the dibs, but who from, or where from, I dunno", for he held his tongue so far."
"There was no money in the pockets of the clothes worn by the body,"
said Tinkler, musingly.
"I dessay not, Mr Inspector. I don"t b"lieve the cove was expecting any money, I don"t. "Twas all moonshine--his talk, to make me trust him for bed and grub, and a blamed fool I"ve bin doin" so," grumbled Mosk.
"The pockets were turned inside out, though."
"Oh, they was, was they, Mr Inspector? Well, that does look queer. But if there was any light-fingered business to be done, I dessay them gipsies hev somethin" to do with it."
"Did the man go to the gipsy camp on Sunday night?"
"Bell ses he did," replied Mr Mosk, "but I went over to Southberry in the arternoon about a little "oss as I"m sweet on, so I don"t know what he did, save by "earsay."
Bell, on being questioned by the inspector, declared that Jentham had loitered about the hotel the greater part of Sunday, but had taken his departure about five o"clock. He did not say that he was going to the camp, but as he often paid a visit to it, she presumed that he had gone there during that evening. "Especially as you found his corpse on the common, Mr Tinkler," said Bell, "no doubt the poor wretch was coming back from them gipsies."
"Humph! it"s not a bad idea," said Tinkler, scratching his well-shaven chin. "Strikes me as I"ll go and look up Mother Jael."
The result of an interview with that iniquitous old beldame proved that Jentham had certainly been the guest of the gipsies on Sunday evening but had returned to Beorminster shortly after nine o"clock. He had stated that he was going back to The Derby Winner, and as it was his custom to come and go when he pleased, the Romany had not taken much notice of his departure. A vagrant like Jentham was quite independent of time.
"He was one of your lot, I suppose?" said Mr Inspector, taking a few notes in his pocket-book--a secretive little article which shut with a patent clasp.
"Yes, dearie, yes! Lord bless "ee," mumbled Mother Jael, blinking her cunning eyes, "he was one of the gentle Romany sure enough."
"Was he with you long, granny?"
"Three week, lovey, jus" three week. He c.u.m to Beorminster and got weary like of you Gentiles, so he made hisself comforbal with us."
"Blackguards to blackguards, and birds of a feather" murmured Tinkler; then asked if Jentham had told Mother Jael anything about himself.
"He!" screeched the old hag, "he niver tol" me a word. He c.u.m an" he go"d; but he kep his red rag to himself, he did. Duvel! he was a cunning one that Jentham."
"Was his name Jentham, mother; or was it something else?"
"He called hisself so, dearie, but I niver knowed one of that gentle Romany as had a Gentile name. We sticks to our own mos"ly. Job! I shud think so."
"Are you sure he was a gipsy?"
"Course I am, my n.o.ble Gorgio! He could patter the calo jib with the best of "um. He know"d lots wot the Gentiles don" know, an" he had the eagle beak an" the peaked eye. Oh, tiny Jesus was a Romany chal, or may I die for it!"
"Do you know who killed him?" asked Tinkler, abruptly.
"No, lovey. "Tweren"t one of us, tho" you puts allays the wust on our backs. Job! dog do niver eat dog, as I knows, dearie."
"He left your camp at nine o"clock?"