sylvester snacklit had disliked the order from the first moment when it had reached him by the usual indirect telephonic method, and in the usual cryptic phraseology. cryptic, but plain to him.
he had his own place in the criminal gang to which he belonged. it was a place of importance, and it gave him congenial occupation. it was no less than what mr. thurlow's enterprising countrymen would have called the bumping-off of such individuals as became dangerous to the gang, or who committed breaches of discipline too serious to be forgiven.
what was done was therefore for the common preservation of himself and his friends. the law of self-protection approved it, and he could therefore indulge his own sadistic inclinations while his conscience remained at peace. duty, profit, and pleasure would be at one, which is a more fortunate combination than will be experienced by most men who obey the law.
he had exceptional facilities for rendering these services to the organization to which he belonged. with some of the money left by his father (a philanthropist of national reputation) he had established the snacklit home, which received domestic pets of any kind, but was primarily a dogs' hospital and a dogs' home.
one of the most lucrative occupations of snacklit home was killing dogs. dogs from all over london were brought to be destroyed there. they were brought by the police. they were brought by private persons - the kind of persons (mostly women) who would have their dogs killed because they were getting old, or had contracted some illness, or because they themselves were going abroad, and the poor things would fret if they were left.
but it was not spoken of as killing dogs. no kind-hearted woman could endure the thought of arranging to have her dog killed - a creature which looked up to her with love and trust, and of which she was fond. they were not killed; they were put to sleep. anyone can see the difference in that.
cats also, many of them sleek and pampered, entered the same fatal door. they all gave pleasure to sylvester snacklit, but his high-water marks of happiness were when he could use his lethal chamber for human victims. so far, it had only happened three times in as many years. but there was always hope of what the next day might bring.
apart from these occasional activities, for which he was promptly and liberally paid, his only services to the gang were in the initial stages of the distribution of the evil merchandise in which they dealt, and, for this brief and occasional purpose, his precautions against discovery included the disguising of the car which he openly and legitimately used, by the substitution of a number-plate which would identify it as belonging to another owner.
he was one of the five living persons (if we exclude the suspicions of the police) who could have identified professor blinkwell as the head of the gang to which they belonged, and he knew enough of the methods which were in use to be surprised, and somewhat perturbed when he received instructions to collect the valise from mrs. collinson's house. he knew that something must have gone wrong of sufficient seriousness to upset the basic rules of their organization.
it was not usual for him to make such collections himself, but, though not of a reliable courage, he had the temperament which, when alarmed, becomes impatient to force the event. he told burfoot, the car driver and usual agent for such occasions, that he would go with him. he told himself that this would avert the necessity of giving burfoot mrs. collinson's name.
he found the case waiting for him in that lady's hall, and received it from becky's hands without ceremony or delay. it was of an expected weight, and it was not until he had settled down in the car, with it in the seat behind him, that he noticed that it was not of the pattern or quality which it was customary to use for these highly valuable and secret consignments.
he observed this first with curiosity rather than suspicion he had already accepted the idea that something unusual had happened. doubtless this had involved the use of a makeshift receptacle. it would be part of the plan by which professor blinkwell's inexhaustible ingenuity had baffled investigation, as it had done so often before.
but then his attention became fixed upon the fastening of the case. it looked a wretched lock. a mere pretence, such as will be fitted to the cheaper suitcases, and that can be opened by almost any key of approximately the right size.
"it's ten to one," he thought, "that i could do it from my own bunch." his next thought was that it would be fortunate if he could, for it was evident that the key he held for the valise which should have come would not avail. it would be too large.
&nbs`; ? ? ? the same disposition which had led him to make the journey himself now impelled to test the lock without waiting to reach the privacy of his own room. after all, he was alone in the car, except for burfoot, sitting in front, and burfoot was the man to whom the distribution would be entrusted. he drew out his bunch of keys, readily found one which would open the case, and would have done nothing to inspect its contents beyond the casual glance which he gave through the two-inch opening which followed the yielding of lock, had he not been astonished by that which the gap revealed.
with an exclamation, "what the devil's this?" he pulled the case wide open. burfoot looked round sharply, hearing apprehension in his voice. he saw his master handling a large fragment of stone, which he held lifted half out of the case.
"burfoot," snacklit said, "there's some funny business here. it looks like some kind of a trap to me. . . . we're not being followed, are we? i'm inclined to get rid of this over the low level bridge."
"followed? i'm not that sure. there's a taxi hanging on behind."
"then double back at sistern road. that ought to make sure."
"right you are, sir."
burfoot turned the car at a left-hand street, and then turned left again, so that he was returning the way he came. after the second turn, he slowed down, so that, when irene's taxi followed him, he was only a short distance ahead.
"so that's it?" snacklit said. i'll have a word with them and find out who they are, and what they think they're doing. you'd better draw up to the kerb, and if they stop, and you see me get in, just go ahead as before."
"to snacklit house, sir?"
"yes. you'll be all right if we don't follow, and all right if we do."
"what about low level bridge, sir?"
"not with them looking on. give it a miss."
he got out, and walked back to the taxi, which had also drawn up at the pavement a short distance behind.
he did not know what he should find - it might have been an escort sent by professor blinkwell for his protection - but he was surprised when he saw only a taxi-driver of rather dull aspect in front, and a young, well-dressed, and attractive girl in the rear of the vehicle
anyone less likely than she - unless it were a baby in arms to be representing the law in pursuit of their powerful and dangerous gang would not be easy to imagine. neither did the driver appear to be such a one as the police would have been likely to select for such a task. he thought it probable that burfoot had made a mistake, which modified his manner, though it did not change his purpose to probe what the truth might be. he looked at the driver as he asked, "what's the game you're playing with us?"
the man, who, unlike most of his kind, was not quick at retort, did not reply. he looked round at irene, as though implying that the question should be addressed to her.
irene looked at a man whom she felt no occasion to fear. he was small, rather skinny in build, bald, thin-faced, with colourless eyebrows above very pale blue eyes. she looked at him closely thinking that her mission had already become more than half a success by his own act. she would be able to identify him anywhere now. and his clothes. he was well enough dressed, but that did not make him look like a gentleman. nothing could.
baffled by the driver's silence, he transferred his attention to her. he opened the door, and leaned in as he asked his previous question in a rather different form, "perhaps you'll be good enough to say why you're following me?"
she smiled as she gave a flippantly evasive answer, "it must have been because you were in front."
he looked at her uncertainly, showing no appreciation of the humour of this reply. he said, "i shall need a better explanation than that."
she saw that it was useless to attempt concealment of the fact that she had been following him. after that backward turn! she said boldly, "we thought you'd got the wrong case."
he stared at her in mingled fear and bewilderment. "what made you think that?"
"because the labels had got a bit mixed."
"and who are you?"
"i brought the case over for mr. kindell."
his next question was checked unspoken. could he ask more without giving himself away to this dubious stranger? he said, "well, you shall have your way." he went back to the front door, and got in beside the driver. as he did so, the car in front began to move ahead. he said to the driver: "you can go on following it. we don't mind."
irene observed his action with excitement rather than apprehension. she was certainly succeeding in what will had relied on her to do, though no one could have foreseen what was happening now. she was in a civilized city, on the side of the law, and in her own hired taxi. and the man who had got in did not appear to be a formidable kind. but she had become cautious. she decided that she would not go far in pursuit of the light grey car without having something more to say.
they had returned to their previous direction by now, the grey car leading, but at a moderate pace; certainly making no attempt to get away. the intruder sat silently beside her own driver. he had become doubtful both of the wisdom of what he had done, and of what he should do next. but what other course, he asked himself, could he have taken? a wild attempt to outdistance pursuit, perhaps ending in an accident, or the intervention of the police, with those false number-plates on his car? no, it was far more prudent to take control of this young woman till he had ascertained who she was, and what peril might threaten from her. but he saw himself suddenly involved in a whirlpool of danger he did not like, and he had become correspondingly dangerous himself, in the manner of a mean, frightened, and ruthless man.
irene, watching the route, and making mental notes of the streets they passed, had not long to debate what she should do next, for the grey car slackened speed, and turned into a wide gateway entrance, at the side of a substantial edifice, the front of which was crossed by a large sign:
snacklit home and hospital for domestic pets
irene spoke to the driver quickly: "don't go in there. i've come as far as i need now."
the man slackened speed, and, as he did so, he saw a pistol in the hand of the intruder beside him. "you'll have to go on now," snacklit said, in a voice that trembled with excitement, pushing the gun into the driver's ribs.
"don't take any notice of him," irene urged. "i don't suppose it's loaded, and he wouldn't dare to shoot if it were. everyone knows you get hanged in this country if you do that. it's my taxi, not his."
"yes, lady. but it's my life," the man answered. "i didn't bargain for this." his hands trembled on the wheel, so that the car wobbled perilously as it turned into the gateway.
seeing that it was useless to continue protesting over that which had already occurred, she became silent, but she was intently observant now of a position which she no longer liked. she was conscious of the effort of will which was required to hold down a rising fear.
snacklit got out of the car. "i can see," he said, "that you are a wise man. you'd better come with me, and talk this over."
the man stopped his clock. he said, "i'd like to know who's going to pay my fare."
"you can't expect me to do that," irene said. "i didn't ask you to bring me here. if you take me back where - - "
"there's no hurry about that," snacklit interposed. "but as to the fare, you'll both come with me, and we'll talk about that too."
the man appeared to be reassured by this statement, which may have seemed to him to bring the incident back to a more normal level. he got out, and irene, seeing no advantage in sitting longer in a vehicle which there was no one to drive, did the same.
as she did this, she saw that the wide gates were already dosed. a yardman was dropping bars into their slots, while burfoot was turning a heavy key. she disliked that, but still the taxi and its driver were with her. there was a measure of reassurance in that, which would have been more had the man been of a different sort.
snacklit went back to the gate to give some instructions to burfoot, which were beyond her hearing. the driver said: "i hope you know what you're doing, miss. but i wish i was out of here."
"i rather wish i were too," irene admitted. "but you've no need to worry. scotland yard knows what i was doing. they'll see you right. it's that man who ought to be feeling sick."
perhaps he should. but he gave no sign of such inward emotions as he walked back to where they were standing. he seemed to have gained confidence since he had reached his own premises, and closed his gates on the outer world.
"you'd better come in here," he said curtly, leading the way into a small office that opened out of the yard.
it contained a high desk and stool, suitable for the yard porter who usually occupied it. there was a dirty grate, with a teapot among the ashes of the fender. beside the grate, there was an almost equally dirty chair. beyond it, an inner door.
the driver followed at once. irene hesitated, being annoyed by the curt words, which were order rather than request. but she saw the folly of making difficulties over such points as that. she was here to hear and observe all she could.
neither seating himself, nor inviting them to do so, snacklit turned to the driver. "now, my man, what was the fare?"
"there was four-and-three on the clock."
"very well. here's five. now tell me who hired you, and what you know of this lady."
"i don't know nothing more than that she stopped me near clissold street, and told me to drive after you."
"anyone with her?"
"not wot i saw."
"very well. you'd better stay here. miss whatever-yourname-is, you can come with me."
the man was the first to answer: "beg pardon, sir. but i can't stay here. it's a loss of money to me."
"you needn't worry about that." snacklit turned his attention to irene, staring with incredulous surprise at the answer she had now given. "i am miss thurlow. my father is the american ambassador."
"then," he asked, "what are you doing here?"
"i was forced to come here by you."
"why were you following me before that?"
"i have told you once already."
"it didn't make sense to me."
"it was quite simple. i said - - "
he interrupted: "we can t talk here. you d better come into the house."
he opened the inner door, and led the way up a steep flight of wooden stairs. there was another door at the top, and this opened on to a well-carpeted passage. the atmosphere had suddenly changed to that of an affluent dwelling-house. they passed a half-opened door of a bedroom which looked luxurious even to irene, who had seen something of sumptuous living, and then turned into a large and very comfortable lounge.
through a wide single-paned window, she looked down upon a well-kept garden of surprising size for that district. the actual nature of the place was only indicated by a low, almost continuous sound of canine voices, which thick walls and carpets could not entirely deaden, and by a faint canine smell, of which those who lived there regularly had probably ceased to be aware.
on the right hand of the garden there was a high wall, from the farther side of which a stovepipe rose, sending up a column of thick black smoke, which ascended straight in a still air. what might be the meaning of that?
snacklit's voice became smooth, and almost polite, as he said:
"now, miss thurlow, you'd better sit down, and tell me what the trouble is."
she remained standing as she answered: "there's no trouble that i know of. i followed you because there'd been a mistake about the case you had from mrs. collinson. the right one was delivered there just after you left."
he stared at this, which had implications he could not accept or reject. was it possible that she was one of themselves? or an innocent blunderer, who might do no harm if he should say or do nothing foolish to her? it would have seemed more probable but for the piece of stone in the case he had been given. that must have been put in to delude him with the expected weight. but was even that certain? might it not have been put up to mislead someone else? - someone of the customs, or the police? and by some fluke, it had been given to him? and this was nothing more than an attempt to put matters right? if so, he had come near to being an utter fool. might, indeed, be said to have come more than near by the way he had treated the taxi-driver, which would be hard to explain. yet a ten-pound note will do much. the man did not appear to be of an aggressive temper. . . . but he must not think. he must know. what he said was, "you didn't seem in any hurry to catch me up."
"the man was a slow driver; and you've got a much better car."
he gave no sign that he saw the weakness of that reply. he changed the subject, "you say your father's the american ambassador?"
"yes, he is."
"then you ought not to be wandering about alone here. i think i ought to 'phone the police, for your own protection."
"thank you, but i am quite capable of looking after myself. i shall be all right when i leave here."
"perhaps you're not the best judge of that."
he went out as he spoke. he did not close the door, and she wondered whether it would be worth while, to attempt to escape to the security of the open street. but she judged correctly that it would not be easy to do. and if he were really 'phoning the police - - but she did not believe that.
well, while she must remain here, there was no reason she should not take the comfort that the room provided. she sank into the depths of a padded chair. . . .
she sat there a long time, her mind reviewing and memorizing what had occurred, and reaching the sound conclusion that her presence in that house provided a difficult problem for its owner to solve. with less certain logic, she offered herself the comfortable deduction that she had nothing about which to worry. that was for the proprietor of the snacklit home. and so, relaxation from past excitement, comfort and warmth had their natural effect, and when, a full hour afterwards, the door opened quietly, she was so nearly asleep that she was unaware of what was happening until it was almost too late to speak.
she looked up to see a tea-tray on a low table beside her, and a maid-servant retiring through the door. she called sharply and rather incoherently, on which the girl came a step back into the room.
"how long have i - what time is it?" she began, as she rose from the chair. "will you tell mr. - the gentleman - that i cannot stay longer? i should like a taxi called. that is if mine - - "
she saw the uselessness of saying more to a girl whose vacuous expression did not change. she knew the event could not end in that casual manner. not, at least, owing to any demand by her. not unless he whom she had so inaccurately described a moment before should have decided that there was no more that could be usefully said and that it would be prudent to let her go without the opportunity for further words.
the girl said tonelessly: "yes, madam. i'll let the master know what you say."
she withdrew, and irene became conscious of healthy appetite as she gazed at the well-laden tray which had been placed beside her.
being detained in so outrageous a manner, she felt that she need feel no scruple in accepting anything which might be provided, though it were from an enemy's hand. the question of hospitality did not arise. but another did. most inopportunely, she remembered that she was dealing with those who trafficked in poisonous or otherwise overpowering drugs. suppose that the teapot, towards which her hand was stretched, should contain some subtle tasteless drug which might destroy memory, or break down the power of the will, or produce unconsciousness, during which she might be subject to any outrage, or removed to she knew not where. suppose she should become a slobbering lunatic in the next hour?
there are possibilities when the chemist works without scruple or fear of law which are literally worse than death.
but she had a healthy and sanguine mind, it was already past the time at which she was used to taking a more substantial meal, and the call of hunger prevailed. she told herself, with some reason, that, even were it intended that the worst possible fate should be hers, there was a probability that she would be questioned first. they must be puzzled by the course of events, and would seek to obtain information from her. the stones in the suitcase would be hard for any theory to fit. the really puzzling thing was that snacklit did not return. she would eat that which had been provided, and then, if she were still alone, she would endeavour to leave the house. . . . she could detect no strange taste in the tea. the muffins were good. and so was the strawberry jam.
