"But I don"t think Mr. Ainsleigh is the sort of man to commit a brutal crime like this, and in so public a place."
"Everyone"s capable of committing a crime if there"s anything to be gained," was the Superintendent"s philosophy, "and Mr. Ainsleigh"s very agreeable manner with which you appear to be struck, may be a mask to hide an evil nature."
"Oh rubbish; begging your pardon Mr. Young. Look at this joss-stick,"
and Rodgers held it out, "that was found in the ruins of Royabay Abbey, so you see some Chinaman must be mixed up in the job. I am beginning to believe that the tale may be true after all."
"It"s too wild--too far-fetched. I can"t believe it."
"Because you haven"t imagination."
"We don"t want imagination in this matter, Mr. Rodgers. Facts sir."
Rodgers got up and put on his hat. "Well, we"ll not be able to agree, I can see that," said he, "and as the case is in my hands, I am going away to look after evidence."
"Why not arrest Mr. Ainsleigh?"
"Because the evidence against him is not sufficiently strong," the detective sat down again. "See here Mr. Superintendent, if I so chose I could manufacture a case against three of these people at least, and give it to them pretty strong too. Supposing, for the sake of theorising mind, we say Mr. Ainsleigh killed the woman--"
"Which I am inclined to think he did, on the tie"s evidence."
"Very good, I can show you how strong you can make the case against him, Mr. Young. This young man was at the ball, he hated the deceased and she hated him on account of the difficulty of the marriage with Miss Rayner.
Ainsleigh wants money badly, and might have killed the old woman to get the fan and sell it for five thousand pounds. Also by marrying Miss Rayner who will inherit Miss Wharfs money, he gets rid of a mortgage that"s troubling him. What was easier for him, than to pretend to put the silk scarf in his coat pocket, so as to blind those who saw him do it, and then to lure Miss Wharf out on to those steps and scrag her.
Then he could pa.s.s the fan to Tung-yu who wanted it, and arrange about the money being paid. After that and when Tung-yu had gone off to the yacht, Mr. Ainsleigh could slip back into the ball-room and a.s.sist in finding the body. And remember, he says, he was strolling on the beach smoking, between the hours of eleven and twelve, and won"t prove an alibi, though between ourselves I think he can through Major Tidman."
"Well," said Young dryly, "doesn"t this go to prove his guilt."
"I can prove Tung-yu"s in the same way," said Rodger"s coolly, "he was in the cloak-room when Mr. Ainsleigh placed the scarf in the coat. He could easily have stolen it, as these Chinamen are clever thieves, and have then lured Miss Wharf on to the steps under the pretence of treating about the fan. Suddenly he slips the scarf round her throat before she can cry out, goes down the steps and on to the beach where a boat is waiting for him, and by now, may be on his way to his employer the Mandarin Lo-Keong."
"It sounds feasible I admit, but--"
"One moment," went on Rodgers eagerly, "quite as strong a case can be made out against Major Tidman. He did not come to the ball, but lurked in his room all the evening. Yet he came down to see Tung-yu--what about?--to sell the fan of course--"
"You can"t prove that."
"Am I proving anything? I am simply showing you what strong cases can be built up out of nothing. Well then, Tidman sees the scarf put in the coat by a young man, whom he knows is at enmity with the deceased, and takes it out again. He gets Miss Wharf to come on to the terrace--any pretext will do, as he is her lover and her old friend. There, he strangles her on the steps and taking the fan, pa.s.ses it along to the Chinaman who makes for the yacht. So you see if I chose I can build up a case against each of these three gentlemen, and each equally strong. Why if I had a mind to entangle young Mr. Burgh in the affair I could do so."
"But Tung-yu, Mr. Burgh and Major Tidman might prove alibi"s."
"So they might, and Mr. Ainsleigh might do so also."
"He has not done so yet and if he was in danger, he would."
"Quite so," said Rodgers quickly, and seeing the slip, "and his very reluctance to prove an alibi--for surely someone besides Tidman must have seen him on the beach--shows me he is innocent. However this isn"t business Mr. Young, so I"ll go and see what evidence I can gather."
So to Dr. Forge went the detective, feeling very bewildered over the case. And small blame to him, for the matter was surely most perplexing.
It is only in novels that the heaven-born detective (in the confidence of the author) displays wonderful cleverness in finding clues where none exist. But a flesh and blood worker like Rodgers had to puzzle out the matter in real life as best he could. He was not at all sanguine that he would run down the a.s.sa.s.sin of Miss Wharf. On the face of it, Rupert Ainsleigh appeared to be guilty, and Rodgers doubted his guilt for this very reason. "I believe one of these Chinaman did it," said Rodgers as he rang Forge"s bell.
Dr. Forge was within, and consented at once to Bee the detective. When the two were in the Chinese room, Rodgers unfolded himself, and asked Forge, who knew the Chinese character, what he thought.
"My dear sir, the case is plain," said Forge calmly, "Tung-yu gave Hwei the office, and lured Miss Wharf on to the steps where Hwei strangled her with the scarf stolen by Tung-yu so as to throw suspicion on Mr.
Ainsleigh."
"Humph. It looks like it," said Rodgers musingly. "So you believe this wild story of Major Tidman"s."
"I _know_ it is true," said Forge quietly. "I helped him to get free as he related. I was a partner with Mr. Markham Ainsleigh in the mine on the Hwei River. I went to Pekin about a concession, and while I was away, Mr. Ainsleigh died of dysentry. As to the fan,--I can"t exactly say. I never knew of this private G.o.d business, but it"s the kind of thing Lo-Keong might invent. He is a very superst.i.tious man, and like Napoleon, he believes in his star. He was concerned in the Boxer rebellion, but afterwards he joined the Court party of the Dowager Empress who is now all powerful. I never saw the fan in his hand, but it might have to do with a secret."
"What kind of a secret?"
"I can"t say unless it has to do with Lo-Keong"s political fortunes. He has many enemies, who envy his rapid rise. These enemies probably stole the fan to ruin him. How this coolie, who gave it to Major Tidman, got hold of it I don"t know. But he was glad to get rid of it, which makes me think the story of the alternate days and the blessing of the G.o.d Kw.a.n.g-ho might be true. The Chinese do not think as we do Mr.
Rodgers, and have their own way of settling these matters. The attack on Tidman, when he had the fan in Canton, shows clearer than ever, that it was wanted by Lo-Keong"s enemies. He gave it to me--"
"Why did you want it?"
"For two reasons," said Forge quietly, "in the first place from what happened to Tidman I saw that while he held the fan he was in danger--"
"But then you were in the same danger," objected the detective.
"I was, and I expected trouble. But I was better able to deal with the matter than Tidman as I understand the Chinese character. I got the fan in London and locked it up in yonder cabinet. I thought it was there all the time, and when I found it gone, I was quite annoyed, as Major Tidman will tell you. Then I recollected that I had taken it back to China to give to Lo-Keong. That is my second reason Mr. Rodgers. I knew I could get a concession I wanted through Lo-Keong"s influence, and I did. So the fan went back to him."
"And you forgot that you had given it."
"I did. It seems strange to you, but as I told Tidman and Miss Pewsey, my memory is impaired by opium smoking. However, that is the story of the fan, and Burgh got it from the hand of the dead pirate. How the pirate came possessed of it I can"t say. Apparently Lo-Keong lost it again."
"He couldn"t have valued it much, if he lost it so often."
"He valued it at five thousand pounds and more," said the Doctor dryly, "how it was lost I can"t say. I may find out when I go to China again, in a few months. Lo-Keong is in Pekin, and, as we are friends, he will tell me, and show me the fan again."
"Ah. Then you believe----"
"I believe it is on its way to Lo-Keong, and that Tung-yu and Hwei came together down here to get it. When only one was on the spot this G.o.d business of alternate days made the matter difficult. With both together, the owner of the fan was bound to be killed or made rich.
Unfortunately for Miss Wharf the day or night was Hwei"s and he carried out the order of the G.o.d Kw.a.n.g-ho by strangling her."
"Well," said Rodgers rising, "all I can say is that I"m glad I do not live in China. How much of this is to be made public."
"My advice to you is to make nothing public, or as little as you can,"
said Dr. Forge dryly, "you see how persistent these Chinamen are. You make trouble and you may be killed also. Your being in England won"t save you any more than it saved Miss Wharf, poor soul."
"I shall do my duty in spite of all," said Rodgers coolly, "I am not going to be frightened by a couple of Chinese brutes."
"Very clever brutes," said Forge softly, but Rodgers took no notice and marched away with his head in the air. Come what may, he was determined to punish the a.s.sa.s.sin of Miss Wharf and if it was Hwei, the man would have to be caught.
"I"ll go to Pekin myself for him," said Rodgers angrily, "I"m not going to be bested by these barbarians."
Little that was new came to his hand before the inquest, which was a comparatively tame affair. The jury inspected the body and then adjourned to the Bull"s Head to hear the case. Rodgers set forth what evidence he had gained, but touched as lightly as possible on the Chinese business. He called Dr. Forge who deposed to having examined the body and a.s.serted that Miss Wharf had been killed between eleven and twelve. She must have been strangled almost instantaneously as, had she cried out, she would have been overheard by those on the terrace. This evidence caused but little sensation.
When Rupert was called however, all were excited. He deposed as to the scarf which he had received from Olivia, and said what he had done with it. He declared that he had been walking on the beach smoking, and only returned to the ball-room shortly before midnight when the body was discovered. He stated that he had spoken to Major Tidman on the beach.
And thus proved an alibi clearly enough.