His eyes had passed across the office as he was speaking and had lighted on an umbrella stand in the corner.
“Ah! Just the thing. That stout walking stick yonder is yours, Mr Hibbert?”
“Indeed, Mr Pons. Do you wish to borrow it?”
“If you would be so good.”
“By all means, sir.”
Hibbert got up and courteously fetched the stick and handed it to my companion. He hefted it in his hand silently for a moment.
“Admirable, Mr Hibbert. I fancy it will do nicely. Properly handled it would subdue the most aggressive opponent. If you would do the honours, Parker.”
I took the stick from him and weighed it in my right hand. It was indeed a formidable weapon. We were standing so when there came a peremptory rapping at the door and the sour features of Inspector Jamison were thrust into the room.
5
“Ah, I am glad you are here, Jamison,” said Pons smoothly. “You are just in time for the dénouement of this little affair.”
Jamison’s expression became even more acid if that were possible. He coughed awkwardly.
“I have taken your advice, Mr Pons,” he began.
He looked placatingly toward me.
“I telephoned my superiors at Scotland Yard. When I explained the situation they took the same view as you. The case against Mr Hibbert is dropped.”
“There never was a case against him,” Pons returned crisply. “Nevertheless, I am glad to hear you say so.”
Jamison scratched his head and looked blankly from Pons to me.
“That’s all very well, Mr Pons, but where are we to begin? Blessed if I can see how anyone could get in there to murder Mr Voss and escape while leaving the key on the table.”
“That is because you are not using your eyes, Jamison. The matter is simple enough, though it presents ingenious facets. With your help I expect to have the murderer behind bars before the evening is out.”
Jamison opened his mouth once or twice but was unable to articulate the words. He looked like an expiring fish and I must confess I was forced to look away into another corner of the room or my amusement would have shown upon my face. Not that I was any more enlightened than the good Inspector but I had learned to conceal my feelings a little more successfully than the Scotland Yard man.
Pons tore a leaf from his pocket-book, scribbled something on it and handed it to Jamison.
“I want a watch kept on the guest in this room, day and night if necessary. You’ll need plain-clothes men, of course, and officers as unobtrusive as possible. If he leaves the hotel he is to be followed and a report made to me, through you. If he attempts to leave with his luggage he must be stopped, by force if necessary. But your men must be told, in the strongest possible terms, that he may be armed and desperate and will in all probability resist.”
Inspector Jamison looked grave, but nodded his head in his best official manner.
“Very well, Mr Pons. I’ll see to it personally. I have a couple of men in mind, both ex-boxers and handy in a rough-house.” Solar Pons smiled thinly at Jamison.
“Excellent.”
He turned back to me. “I think that is all we need do for the moment. If I read this man’s character aright he will not move until this evening, providing that he has managed the currency situation successfully.”
My expression must have been blank indeed for Pons’ face assumed a wry aspect.
“Come, Parker, this is not so very difficult. Just give it your undivided attention and I am sure all will be light where darkness reigned before.”
“I have heard you say so on many occasions, Pons,” I said ruefully. “But I have never yet met the man who could match your deductive faculties.”
Jamison was about to quit the room but hesitated with his hand on the knob of the door.
“Where will you be, Mr Pons?”
My companion glanced over at the clock in the corner.
“I think it is just about the hour of tea, Parker. A pleasant occasion, especially in such a delightfully old-fashioned hotel. I think I may safely say, Jamison, that Parker and myself will be agreeably occupied in the tea-room for the next hour or so.”
My companion was remarkably quiet and absorbed during the meal and I forbore to disturb him. There was tension beneath the surface, nevertheless, and more than once I noticed his clear-minted, aquiline face turn expectantly toward the door to the main vestibule as it opened to admit some new guest or staff member. But the time passed without incident and he made only one comment.
“I think we may safely leave routine matters to friend Jamison, Parker. Defective as he is in all the higher processes of ratiocination, if he is set a definite task and has a given objective to work toward there is no more dogged and better a man in his limited sphere.”
As soon as we quitted the dining room Pons sought out Jamison and the two were closeted for the better part of an hour. When my companion rejoined me he took me to a small room behind the reception desk, which had been set aside for our purposes.
“I am afraid this will be rather boring, my dear fellow, but it is essential to keep alert at all times this evening.”
“I am entirely at your service, Pons,” I said.
I had brought in the manager’s heavy stick with me and I set it down beside my chair as I perused the evening paper that Hibbert had had sent in. The hours seemed to pass with leaden slowness.
It was past nine in the evening and we had partaken of a light snack of sandwiches and coffee before anything further happened. The door opened and Jamison poked his head somewhat furtively into the room.
“Hamilton has just telephoned down, Mr Pons. Your man is on the move. He has a large suitcase and a valise with him.”
Solar Pons rubbed his thin fingers together with satisfaction. He sprang to his feet like a tense spring that had just been released.
“Excellent! Just hold yourself in readiness, Parker.”
“I wish I knew what this was all about, Pons,” I grumbled.
“All in good time, my dear fellow,” said my companion crisply, turning to Jamison who was lingering in the doorway. The Scotland Yard man still had a worried expression on his face.
“I hope you know what you are doing, Mr Pons. I am sticking my neck out in this matter and Mr Hibbert has already threatened to sue the police.”
“Never mind that now, Jamison,” said Pons in that omnipotent manner which I confess I sometimes find maddening. “We have more important things afoot. I will take full responsibility for whatever happens.”
“Just so long as that is understood, Mr Pons,” said Jamison stiffly, little patches of red standing out on his sallow cheeks.
“I must confess I have some sympathy with the Inspector, Pons,” I said somewhat tartly as soon as he had withdrawn. “Do you not, Parker,” said Pons, his eyes twinkling.
“Now, we must quickly move into position. It will take our man some five minutes to reach the desk if he is using the lift; about ten minutes if he walks down. We must find a divan or chairs as near to the reception desk as possible and pretend to be hotel guests perusing the newspapers.”
“Who is this man, Pons?” I asked, as we quickly quitted the room and took our seats on a long low divan to one side of and some yards from the reception desk.
“I believe I mentioned him earlier today, Parker. I was then told that he would not be quitting the hotel until tomorrow afternoon. From that I concluded he would make his move this evening, when the hotel was quiet. It seems that I have not been wrong.”