"Could you form any explanation for what you saw in her face? What caused it?"
"Something unexpected, I believe, some shock, or the sight of something shocking. That was how it struck me, and so forcibly that I turned to look over my shoulder, expecting to find the reason there. And it was."
"That reason-?"
"Was the entrance of the Italian, who came just behind me. I am certain of this; he almost told me so himself, not in words, but the unmistakable leer he gave her in reply. It was wicked, sardonic, devilish, and proved beyond doubt that there was some secret, some guilty secret perhaps, between them."
"And was that all?" cried both the Judge and M. Flocon in a breath, leaning forward in their eagerness to hear more.
"For the moment, yes. But I was made so interested, so suspicious by this, that I watched the Italian closely, awaiting, expecting further developments. They were long in coming; indeed, I am only at the end now."
"Explain, pray, as quickly as possible, and in your own words."
"It was like this, monsieur. When we were all seated, I looked round, and did not at first see our Italian. At last I discovered he had taken a back seat, through modesty perhaps, or to be out of observation-how was I to know? He sat in the shadow by a door, that, in fact, which leads into this room. He was thus in the background, rather out of the way, but I could see his eyes glittering in that far-off corner, and they were turned in our direction, always fixed upon the lady, you understand. She was next me, the whole time."
"Then, as you will remember, monsieur, you called us in one by one, and I, with M. Lafolay, was the first to appear before you. When I returned to the outer room, the Italian was still staring, but not so fixedly or continuously, at the lady. From time to time his eyes wandered towards a table near which he sat, and which was just in the gangway or passage by which people must pass into your presence."
"There was some reason for this, I felt sure, although I did not understand it immediately. Presently I got at the hidden meaning. There was a small piece of paper, rolled up or crumpled up into a ball, lying upon this table, and the Italian wished, nay, was desperately anxious, to call the lady's attention to it. If I had had any doubt of this, it was quite removed after the man had gone into the inner room. As he left us, he turned his head over his shoulder significantly and nodded very slightly, but still perceptibly, at the ball of paper."
"Well, gentlemen, I was now satisfied in my own mind that this was some artful attempt of his to communicate with the lady, and had she fallen in with it, I should have immediately informed you, the proper authorities. But whether from stupidity, dread, disinclination, a direct, definite refusal to have any dealings with this man, the lady would not-at any rate did not-pick up the ball, as she might have done easily when she in her turn passed the table on her way to your presence."
"I have no doubt it was thrown there for her, and probably you will agree with me. But it takes two to make a game of this sort, and the lady would not join. Neither on leaving the room nor on returning would she take up the missive."
"And what became of it, then?" asked the detective in breathless excitement.
"I have it here." M. Devaux opened the palm of his hand and displayed the scrap of paper in the hollow rolled up into a small tight ball.
"When and how did you become possessed of it?"
"I got it only just now, when I was called in here. Before that I could not move. I was tied to my chair, practically, and ordered strictly not to move."
"Perfectly. Monsieur's conduct has been admirable. And now tell us-what does it contain? Have you looked at it?"
"By no means. It is just as I picked it up. Will you gentlemen take it, and if you think fit, tell me what is there? Some writing-a message of some sort, or I am greatly mistaken."
"Yes, here are words written in pencil," said the detective, unrolling the paper, which he handed on to the Judge, who read the contents aloud-
"Be careful. Say nothing. If you betray me, you will be lost too."
A long silence followed, broken first by the Judge, who said at last solemnly to Devaux: "Monsieur, in the name of justice I beg to thank you most warmly. You have acted with admirable tact and judgment, and have rendered us invaluable assistance. Have you anything further to tell us?"
"No, gentlemen. That is all. And you-you have no more questions to ask? Then I presume I may withdraw?"
Beyond doubt it had been reserved for the last witness to produce facts that constituted the very essence of the inquiry.
CHAPTER XIII
The examination was now over, and, the depositions having been drawn up and signed, the investigating officials remained for some time in conference.
"It lies with those three, of course-the two women and the Italian. They are jointly, conjointly concerned, although the exact degrees of guilt cannot quite be apportioned," said the detective.
"And all three are at large!" added the Judge.
"If you will issue warrants for arrest, M. le Juge, we can take them-two of them at any rate-when we choose."
"That should be at once," remarked the Commissary, eager, as usual, for decisive action.
"Very well. Let us proceed in that way. Prepare the warrants," said the Judge, turning to his clerk. "And you," he went on, addressing M. Flocon, "dear colleague, will you see to their execution? Madame is at the Hotel Madagascar; that will be easy. The Italian Ripaldi we shall hear of through your inspector Block. As for the maid, Hortense Petitpre, we must search for her. That too, sir, you will of course undertake?"
"I will charge myself with it, certainly. My man should be here by now, and I will instruct him at once. Ask for him," said M. Flocon to the guard whom he called in.
"The inspector is there," said the guard, pointing to the outer room. "He has just returned."
"Returned? You mean arrived."
"No, monsieur, returned. It is Block, who left an hour or more ago."
"Block? Then something has happened-he has some special information, some great news! Shall we see him, M. le Juge?"
When Block appeared, it was evident that something had gone wrong with him. His face wore a look of hot, flurried excitement, and his manner was one of abject, cringing self-abasement.
"What is it?" asked the little Chief, sharply. "You are alone. Where is your man?"
"Alas, monsieur! how shall I tell you? He has gone-disappeared! I have lost him!"
"Impossible! You cannot mean it! Gone, now, just when we most want him? Never!"
"It is so, unhappily."
"Idiot! Triple idiot! You shall be dismissed, discharged from this hour. You are a disgrace to the force." M. Flocon raved furiously at his abashed subordinate, blaming him a little too harshly and unfairly, forgetting that until quite recently there had been no strong suspicion against the Italian. We are apt at times to expect others to be intuitively possessed of knowledge that has only come to us at a much later date.
"How was it? Explain. Of course you have been drinking. It is that, or your great gluttony. You were beguiled into some eating-house."
"Monsieur, you shall hear the exact truth. When we started more than an hour ago, our fiacre took the usual route, by the Quais and along the riverside. My gentleman made himself most pleasant-"
"No doubt," growled the Chief.
"Offered me an excellent cigar, and talked-not about the affair, you understand-but of Paris, the theatres, the races, Longchamps, Auteuil, the grand restaurants. He knew everything, all Paris, like his pocket. I was much surprised, but he told me his business often brought him here. He had been employed to follow up several great Italian criminals, and had made a number of important arrests in Paris."
"Get on, get on! come to the essential."
"Well, in the middle of the journey, when we were about the Pont Henri Quatre, he said, 'Figure to yourself, my friend, that it is now near noon, that nothing has passed my lips since before daylight at Laroche. What say you? Could you eat a mouthful, just a scrap on the thumb-nail? Could you?'"