"He was so artful," went on Block in further extenuation of his offence. "He left everything behind. His overcoat, stick, this book-his own private memorandum-book seemingly-"
"Book? Hand it me," said the Chief, and when it came into his hands he began to turn over the leaves hurriedly.
It was a small brass-bound note-book or diary, and was full of close writing in pencil.
"I do not understand, not more than a word here and there. It is no doubt Italian. Do you know that language, M. le Juge?"
"Not perfectly, but I can read it. Allow me."
He also turned over the pages, pausing to read a passage here and there, and nodding his head from time to time, evidently struck with the importance of the matter recorded.
Meanwhile, M. Flocon continued an angry conversation with his offending subordinate.
"You will have to find him, Block, and that speedily, within twenty-four hours,-to-day, indeed,-or I will break you like a stick, and send you into the gutter. Of course, such a consummate ass as you have proved yourself would not think of searching the restaurant or the immediate neighbourhood, or of making inquiries as to whether he had been seen, or as to which way he had gone?"
"Pardon me, monsieur is too hard on me. I have been unfortunate, a victim to circumstances, still I believe I know my duty. Yes, I made inquiries, and, what is more, I heard of him."
"Where? how?" asked the Chief, gruffly, but obviously much interested.
"He never spoke to the manager, but walked out and let the change go. It was a note for a hundred lire, a hundred francs, and the restaurant bill was no more than seventeen francs."
"Hah! that is greatly against him indeed."
"He was much pressed, in a great hurry. Directly he crossed the threshold he called the first cab and was driving away, but he was stopped-"
"The devil! Why did they not keep him, then?"
"Stopped, but only for a moment, and accosted by a woman."
"A woman?"
"Yes, monsieur. They exchanged but three words. He wished to pass on, to leave her, she would not consent, then they both got into the cab and were driven away together."
The officials were now listening with all ears.
"Tell me," said the Chief, "quick, this woman-what was she like? Did you get her description?"
"Tall, slight, well formed, dressed all in black. Her face-it was a policeman who saw her, and he said she was good-looking, dark, brunette, black hair."
"It is the maid herself!" cried the little Chief, springing up and slapping his thigh in exuberant glee. "The maid! the missing maid!"
CHAPTER XIV
The joy of the Chief of Detectives at having thus come, as he supposed, upon the track of the missing maid, Hortense Petitpre, was somewhat dashed by the doubts freely expressed by the Judge as to the result of any search. Since Block's return, M. Beaumont le Hardi had developed strong symptoms of discontent and disapproval at his colleague's proceedings.
"But if it was this Hortense Petitpre how did she get there, by the bridge Henri Quatre, when we thought to find her somewhere down the line? It cannot be the same woman."
"I beg your pardon, gentlemen," interposed Block. "May I say one word? I believe I can supply some interesting information about Hortense Petitpre. I understand that some one like her was seen here in the station not more than an hour ago."
"Peste! Why were we not told this sooner?" cried the Chief, impetuously. "Who saw her? Did he speak to her? Call him in; let us see how much he knows."
The man was summoned, one of the subordinate railway officials, who made a specific report.
Yes, he had seen a tall, slight, neat-looking woman, dressed entirely in black, who, according to her account, had arrived at 10.30 by the slow local train from Dijon.
"Fichtre!" said the Chief, angrily; "and this is the first we have heard of it."
"Monsieur was much occupied at the time, and, indeed, then we had not heard of your inquiry."
"I notified the station-master quite early, two or three hours since, about 9 A.M. This is most exasperating!"
"Instructions to look out for this woman have only just reached us, monsieur. There were certain formalities, I suppose."
For once the detective cursed in his heart the red-tape, roundabout ways of French officialism.
"Well, well! Tell me about her," he said, with a resignation he did not feel. "Who saw her?"
"I, monsieur. I spoke to her myself. She was on the outside of the station, alone, unprotected, in a state of agitation and alarm. I went up and offered my services. Then she told me she had come from Dijon, that friends who were to have met her had not appeared. I suggested that I should put her into a cab and send her to her destination. But she was afraid of losing her friends, and preferred to wait."
"A fine story! Did she appear to know what had happened? Had she heard of the murder?"
"Something, monsieur."
"Who could have told her? Did you?"
"No, not I. But she knew."
"Was not that in itself suspicious? The fact has not yet been made public."
"It was in the air, monsieur. There was a general impression that something had happened. That was to be seen on every face, in the whispered talk, the movement to and fro of the police and the guards."
"Did she speak of it, or refer to it?"
"Only to ask if the murderer was known; whether the passengers had been detained; whether there was any inquiry in progress; and then-"
"What then?"
"This gentleman," pointing to Block, "came out, accompanied by another. They passed pretty close to us, and I noticed that the lady slipped quickly on one side."
"She recognised her confederate, of course, but did not wish to be seen just then. Did he, the person with Block here, see her?"
"Hardly, I think; it was all so quick, and they were gone, in a minute, to the cab-stand."
"What did your woman do?"
"She seemed to have changed her mind all at once, and declared she would not wait for her friends. Now she was in quite a hurry to go."
"Of course! and left you like a fool planted there. I suppose she took a cab and followed the others, Block here and his companion."
"I believe she did. I saw her cab close behind theirs."
"It is too late to lament this now," said the Chief, after a short pause, looking at his colleagues. "At least it confirms our ideas, and brings us to certain definite conclusions. We must lay hands on these two. Their guilt is all but established. Their own acts condemn them. They must be arrested without a moment's delay."
"If you can find them!" suggested the Judge, with a very perceptible sneer.
"That we shall certainly do. Trust to Block, who is very nearly concerned. His future depends on his success. You quite understand that, my man?"
Block made a gesture half-deprecating, half-confident.
"I do not despair, gentlemen; and if I might make so bold, sir, I will ask you to assist? If you would give orders direct from the Prefecture to make the round of the cab-stands, to ask of all the agents in charge the information we need? Before night we shall have heard from the cabman who drove them what became of this couple, and so get our birds themselves, or a point of fresh departure."
"And you, Block, where shall you go?"
"Where I left him, or rather where he left me," replied the inspector, with an attempt at wit, which fell quite flat, being extinguished by a frigid look from the Judge.