Bat-Wing (25 page)

She glanced at me with a ghost of a smile, and:

"Ysola," said Colin Camber, inclining his head toward me in a grave
gesture of courtesy, "Mr. Knox has generously forgiven me a breach of
good manners for which I shall never forgive myself. I beg you to thank
him, as I have done."

"It is so good of you," she said, sweetly, and held out her hand. "But
I knew you would understand that it was just a great mistake."

"Mr. Paul Harley," Camber continued, "my wife welcomes you; and this,
Ysola, is Inspector Aylesbury, who desires a few moments' conversation
upon a rather painful matter."

"I have heard, I have heard," she whispered. "Ah Tsong has told me."

The pupils of her eyes dilated, as she fixed an appealing glance upon
the Inspector.

In justice to the latter he was palpably abashed by the delicate beauty
of the girl who stood before him, by her naivete, and by that
childishness of appearance and manner which must have awakened the
latent chivalry in almost any man's heart.

"I am sorry to have to trouble you with this disagreeable business,
Mrs. Camber," he began; "but I believe you were awakened last night by
the sound of a shot."

"Yes," she replied, watching him intently, "that is so."

"May I ask at what time this was heard?"

"Ah Tsong told me it was after twelve o'clock."

"Was the sound a loud one?"

"Yes. It must have been to have awakened me."

"I see. Did you think it was in the house?"

"Oh, no."

"In the garden?"

"I really could not say, but I think that it was farther away than
that."

"And what did you do?"

"I rang the bell for Ah Tsong."

"Did he come immediately?"

"Almost immediately."

"He was dressed, then?"

"No, I don't think he was. He had quickly put on an overcoat. He
usually answers at once, when I ring for him, you see."

"I see. What did you do then?"

"Well, I was frightened, you understand, and I told him to find out if
all was well with my husband. He came back and told me that Colin was
writing. But the sound had alarmed me very much."

"Oh, and now perhaps
you
will tell me, Mrs. Camber, when and where
your husband first met Colonel Menendez?"

Every vestige of colour fled from the girl's face.

"So far as I know—they never met," she replied, haltingly.

"Could you swear to that?"

"Yes."

I think that hitherto she had not fully realized the nature of the
situation; but now something in the Inspector's voice, or perhaps in
our glances, told her the truth. She moved to where Colin Camber was
sitting, looking down at him questioningly, pitifully. He put his arm
about her and drew her close.

Inspector Aylesbury cleared his throat and returned his note-book to
his pocket.

"I am going to take a look around the garden," he announced.

My respect for him increased slightly, and Harley and I followed him
out of the study. A police sergeant was sitting in the hall, and Ah
Tsong was standing just outside the door.

"Show me the way to the garden," directed the Inspector.

Ah Tsong stared stupidly, whereupon Paul Harley addressed him in his
native language, rapidly and in a low voice, in order, as I divined,
that the Inspector should not hear him.

"I feel dreadfully guilty, Knox," he confessed, in a murmured aside.
"For any Englishman, fictitious characters excepted, to possess a
knowledge of Chinese is almost indecent."

Presently, then, I found myself once more in that unkempt garden of
which I retained such unpleasant memories.

Inspector Aylesbury stared all about and up at the back of the house,
humming to himself and generally behaving as though he were alone.
Before the little summer study he stood still, and:

"Oh, I see," he muttered.

What he had seen was painfully evident. The right-hand window, beneath
which there was a permanent wooden seat, commanded an unobstructed view
of the Tudor garden in the grounds of Cray's Folly. Clearly I could
detect the speck of high-light upon the top of the sun-dial.

The Inspector stepped into the hut. It contained a bookshelf upon which
a number of books remained, a table and a chair, with some few other
dilapidated appointments. I glanced at Harley and saw that he was
staring as if hypnotized at the prospect in the valley below. I
observed a constable on duty at the top of the steps which led down
into the Tudor garden, but I could see nothing to account for Harley's
fixed regard, until:

"Pardon me one moment, Inspector," he muttered, brusquely.

Brushing past the indignant Aylesbury, who was examining the contents
of the shelves in the hut, he knelt upon the wooden seat and stared
intently through the open window.

"One-two-three-four-five-six-
seven
," he chanted. "Good! That will
settle it."

"Oh, I see," said Inspector Aylesbury, standing strictly upright, his
prominent eyes turned in the direction of the kneeling Harley. "One,
two, three, four, and so on will settle it, eh? If you don't mind me
saying so, it was settled already."

"Yes?" replied Harley, standing up, and I saw that his eyes were very
bright and that his face was slightly flushed. "You think the case is
so simple as that?"

"Simple?" exclaimed the Inspector. "It's the most cunning thing that
was ever planned, but I flatter myself that I have a good straight eye
which can see a fairly long way."

"Excellent," murmured Harley. "I congratulate you. Myopia is so common
in the present generation. You have decided, of course, that the murder
was committed by Ah Tsong?"

Inspector Aylesbury's eyes seemed to protrude extraordinarily.

"Ah Tsong!" he exclaimed. "Ah Tsong!"

"Surely it is palpable," continued Harley, "that of the three people
residing in the Guest House, Ah Tsong is the only one who could
possibly have done the deed."

"Who could possibly—who could possibly—" stuttered the Inspector,
then paused because of sheer lack of words.

"Review the evidence," continued Harley, coolly. "Mrs. Camber was
awakened by the sound of a shot. She immediately rang for Ah Tsong.
There was a short interval before Ah Tsong appeared—and when he did
appear he was wearing an overcoat. Note this point, Inspector: wearing
an overcoat. He descended to the study and found Mr. Camber writing.
Now, Ah Tsong sleeps in a room adjoining the kitchen on the ground
floor. We passed his quarters on our way to the garden a moment ago. Of
course, you had noted this? Mr. Camber is therefore eliminated from our
list of suspects."

The Inspector was growing very red, but ere he had time to speak Harley
continued:

"The first of these three persons to have heard a shot fired at the end
of the garden would have been Ah Tsong, and not Mrs. Camber, whose room
is upstairs and in the front of the house. If it had been fired by Mr.
Camber from the spot upon which we now stand, he would still have been
in the garden at the moment when Mrs. Camber was ringing the bell for
Ah Tsong. Mr. Camber must therefore have returned from the end of the
garden to the study, and have passed Ah Tsong's room—unheard by the
occupant—between the time that the bell rang and the time that Ah
Tsong went upstairs. This I submit to be impossible. There is an
alternative: it is that he slipped in whilst Ah Tsong, standing on the
landing above, was receiving his mistress's orders. I submit that the
alternative is also impossible. We thus eliminate Mr. Camber from the
case, as I have already mentioned."

"Eliminate—eliminate!" cried the Inspector, beginning to recover power
of speech. "Do you think you can fuddle me with a mass of words, Mr.
Harley? Allow me to point out to you, sir, that you are in no way
officially associated with this matter."

"You have already drawn my attention to the fact, Inspector, but it can
do no harm to jog my memory."

Harley spoke entirely without bitterness, and I, who knew his every
mood, realized that he was thoroughly enjoying himself. Therefore I
knew that at last he had found a clue.

"I may add, Inspector," said he, "that upon further reflection I have
also eliminated Ah Tsong from the case. I forgot to mention that he
lacks the first and second fingers of his right hand; and I have yet to
meet the marksman who can shoot a man squarely between the eyes, by
moonlight, at a hundred yards, employing his third finger as trigger-
finger. There are other points, but these will be sufficient to show
you that this case is more complicated than you had assumed it to be."

Inspector Aylesbury did not deign to reply, or could not trust himself
to do so. He turned and made his way back to the house.

We reëntered the study to find Mrs. Camber sitting in a chair very
close to her husband. Inspector Aylesbury stood in the open doorway for
a moment, and then, stepping back into the hall:

"Sergeant Butler," he said, addressing the man who waited there.

"Yes, sir."

"Go out to the gate and get Edson to relieve you. I shall want you to
go back to headquarters in a few minutes."

"Very good, sir."

I scented what was coming, and as Inspector Aylesbury reentered the
room:

"I should like to make a statement," announced Paul Harley, quietly.

The Inspector frowned, and lowering his chin, regarded him with little
favour.

"I have not invited any statement from you, Mr. Harley," said he.

"Quite," returned Harley. "I am volunteering it. It is this: I gather
that you are about to take an important step officially. Having in view
certain steps which I, also, am about to take, I would ask you to defer
action, purely in your own interests, for at least twenty-four hours."

"I hear you," said the Inspector, sarcastically.

"Very well, Inspector. You have come newly into this case, and I assure
you that its apparent simplicity is illusive. As new facts come into
your possession you will realize that what I say is perfectly true, and
if you act now you will be acting hastily. All that I have learned I am
prepared to place at your disposal. But I predict that the interference
of Scotland Yard will be necessary before this enquiry is concluded.
Therefore I suggest, since you have rejected my cooperation, that you
obtain that of Detective Inspector Wessex, of the Criminal
Investigation Department. In short, this is no one-man job. You will do
yourself harm by jumping to conclusions, and cause unnecessary trouble
to perfectly innocent people."

"Is your statement concluded?" asked the Inspector.

"For the moment I have nothing to add."

"Oh, I see. Very good. Then we can now get to business. Always with
your permission, Mr. Harley."

He took his stand before the fireplace, very erect, and invested with
his most official manner. Mrs. Camber watched him in a way that was
pathetic. Camber seemed to be quite composed, although his face was
unusually pale.

"Now, Mr. Camber," said the Inspector, "I find your answers to the
questions which I have put to you very unsatisfactory."

"I am sorry," said Colin Camber, quietly.

"One moment, Inspector," interrupted Paul Harley, "you have not warned
Mr. Camber."

Thereupon the long-repressed wrath of Inspector Aylesbury burst forth.

"Then I will warn
you
, sir!" he shouted. "One more word and you
leave this house."

"Yet I am going to venture on one more word," continued Harley,
unperturbed. He turned to Colin Camber. "I happen to be a member of the
Bar, Mr. Camber," he said, "although I rarely accept a brief. Have I
your authority to act for you?"

"I am grateful, Mr. Harley, and I leave this unpleasant affair in your
hands with every confidence."

Camber stood up, bowing formally.

The expression upon the inflamed face of Inspector Aylesbury was really
indescribable, and recognizing his mental limitations, I was almost
tempted to feel sorry for him. However, he did not lack self-
confidence, and:

"I suppose you have scored, Mr. Harley," he said, a certain hoarseness
perceptible in his voice, "but I know my duty and I am not afraid to
perform it. Now, Mr. Camber, did you, or did you not, at about twelve
o'clock last night—"

"Warn the accused," murmured Harley.

Inspector Aylesbury uttered a choking sound, but:

"I have to warn you," he said, "that your answers may be used as
evidence. I will repeat: Did you, or did you not, at about twelve
o'clock last night, shoot, with intent to murder, Colonel Juan
Menendez?"

Ysola Camber leapt up, clutching at her husband's arm as if to hold
him back.

"I did not," he replied, quietly.

"Nevertheless," continued the Inspector, looking aggressively at
Paul Harley whilst he spoke, "I am going to detain you pending
further enquiries."

Colin Camber inclined his head.

"Very well," he said; "you only do your duty."

The little fingers clutching his sleeve slowly relaxed, and Mrs.
Camber, uttering a long sigh, sank in a swoon at his feet.

"Ysola! Ysola!" he muttered. Stooping he raised the child-like figure.
"If you will kindly open the door, Mr. Knox," he said, "I will carry my
wife to her room."

I sprang to the door and held it widely open.

Colin Camber, deadly pale, but holding his head very erect, walked in
the direction of the hallway with his pathetic burden. Mis-reading the
purpose written upon the stern white face, Inspector Aylesbury stepped
forward.

"Let someone else attend to Mrs. Camber," he cried, sharply. "I wish
you to remain here."

His detaining hand was already upon Camber's shoulder when Harley's arm
shot out like a barrier across the Inspector's chest, and Colin Camber
proceeded on his way. Momentarily, he glanced aside, and I saw that his
eyes were unnaturally bright.