A few moments later Loupart entered Father Korn"s saloon. Having set forth his plans to that worthy, the latter proceeded to demolish them.
"You can"t do anything to-day, so there"s no use trying. You"ll have to wait till to-morrow at midday, the proper visiting hour."
Loupart recognised the truth of the publican"s a.s.sertion and, calling for writing paper, sat down and scrawled a letter to his mistress.
"Motor," he cried to the cripple who was still at Mother Toulouche"s basket, "tumble along with this note to Lariboisiere; look sharp, and when you get back I"ll stand you a gla.s.s."
As the cripple hurried away he was all but knocked down by a newsboy, running and shouting:
"Extra! Extra! Get _The Capital_. Extraordinary and mysterious crime of the Cite Frochot. Murder of a woman."
"Shall I get a copy?" asked the publican.
Loupart stalked out of the saloon without turning.
"Oh, I know all about that," he cried.
Father Korn stood rooted to the spot at Loupart"s answer.
"What! He knows already!"
VI
THE LaRIBOISIeRE HOSPITAL
The clerk, who had admitted Juve, withdrew, and M. de Maufil, the amiable director, gave the police officer his most gracious smile.
"When I applied this morning at headquarters for an officer to be sent here, I scarcely expected to receive so celebrated a detective, upon a matter which is really very commonplace."
"Your letter to M. Havard mentioned a person I have been looking for with the greatest interest for the past two days. Loupart, alias "The Square,"" replied Juve, "that is why I came myself. What is it about, sir?"
"Well, the day before yesterday, we took in at the instance of Doctor Patel, a patient suffering from acute gastric trouble. The woman gave us for identification the name of Josephine, no calling, residing in Paris, Rue de Goutte d"Or, in furnished rooms. Some hours after her admission to the hospital, she received a letter, brought by a messenger, which threw her into a violent state of terror. The nurse on duty sent for me, and I succeeded, after great difficulty, in quieting her; but she insisted most emphatically on leaving the hospital at once. The poor creature was in a high fever, and to grant her request would have been sending her to her death. At length she intrusted me with the letter which had excited her so. Here it is, kindly look it over."
Juve took the letter and read:
"Am just back from the doss. You ain"t there, and I don"t want any more of these dodges. You are no more ill than I am. See here, you"ll either leave the hospital and slope back to the house right off or to-morrow, Friday, at visiting time, as sure as my name"s what it is, you"ll get two bullets in your hide to teach you to hold your tongue."
Juve gave a grunt of satisfaction.
"You understand what is going on?" asked the director.
"Yes, but please go on with your story."
"Well, sir, you can guess that having read this letter, I easily got from the girl some information as to the writer. According to what she told me this Loupart is her lover, and he seems to have in a high degree that inconceivable pride which causes folks of his cla.s.s, when they have sworn to kill some one, to carry out their threat, no matter what risk they may run themselves. The girl, Josephine, is convinced that to-morrow Loupart will come and kill her."
"You have told her that all precautions will be taken?"
"Of course. I pointed out to her that people do not come in here as they do into a bar; that being warned, I should have all the visitors watched who come here and asked to see her. I repeated to her that her lover probably wanted to frighten her, but that he could not do anything to injure her. I insisted that in the state she was in it was physically impossible for her to obey that wretch"s bidding."
"And what was her answer to that?"
"Nothing. Her attack of alarm having subsided she seemed to fall into a condition of extreme prostration. I realised quite well that she regarded herself as condemned, that she had a far higher opinion of Loupart"s daring than of my watchfulness, and, lastly, if she stayed it was because she realised that it was out of the question for her, in her weak state, to go back to her home."
While the director was speaking, Juve had retained a smiling and satisfied expression, seeming but little affected by Josephine"s terrible plight.
"I should very much like to know," continued the director, "why you said you knew the reasons for the threat being sent by this man to his mistress?"
Juve hesitated some moments; then, without going into details, said: "It would take too long to recount the motives which prompted Loupart to write that letter. This Josephine whom you see to-day trembling at her lover"s threat not so long ago supplied the police with valuable hints concerning him. Has he learned that? Does he know the woman has rounded on him? Did he fear, above all, that she would tell tales again here at the hospital? It is quite possible. You see he must have had very strong reasons for giving her the order to come home----"
Juve here broke off, fingering Loupart"s letter; then at length he placed it in his pocketbook.
"I will keep this doc.u.ment, director; it is a tangible proof of Loupart"s criminal intentions. If he should put his threats into practice it would be difficult after that to deny premeditation."
"You think that such a thing is possible?"
"Don"t you?"
"Loupart declares he will come to the hospital before three and kill his mistress, but surely it must be easy to render that impossible."
"You think the police are all-powerful, that we can arrest would-be murderers and render them incapable of harm? That is an error. We are prevented from taking effective action by a swarm of regulations. If I met Loupart on the street I would not be able to arrest him. I have no warrant. When a man holds his life cheap and is determined to risk everything, he has a pretty good chance of succeeding. Of course I shall take every measure to prevent Loupart killing his mistress, but I"m not at all sure of success."
"But M. Juve, we must have this girl Josephine transferred to another hospital if necessary."
Juve shook his head.
"And show Loupart we are aware of his purpose? Flatter the ruffian"s vanity? No, we must let Loupart come, and catch him as he is about to commit the crime."
"What do you propose to do?"
"Study the hospital; arrange where to place my men," replied Juve.
"In that case, I will do everything I can to help you." M. de Maufil rang for an attendant and bade him take Juve to Doctor Patel"s department.
Juve thanked the obliging director and took leave. The attendant pointed to a row of windows under the roof.
"Doctor Patel"s division begins at the corner window and runs to the window near the cornice."
"What are the means of access to the female ward?"
"Oh, that"s quite simple, sir; you get into the woman"s ward either by the door on the staircase or by the door at the back, which leads into the laboratory of the head physician, the room of the house surgeon on duty, and the departmental offices."
"And how do visitors pa.s.s in?"
"Visitors always go up the main staircase."