Very likely, was the great doctors remark.
Suddenly Jack Sainsbury paused and, facing his companion, said:
Look here, Sir Houston. In this tragic affair I believe theres something more than suicide. Thats my firm opinion. Reflect for one moment, and follow my suspicions. Poor Jerome, in addition to his profession, has for some years been unofficially assisting the Intelligence Department of the War Office. He was one of the keenest and cleverest investigators in England. He scented acts of espionage as a terrier does a rat, and by his efforts half a dozen, or so, dangerous spies have been arrested and punished. In a modest way I have been his assistant, and have helped to watch and follow suspected persons. Together, we have traced cases of petrol-running to the coast, investigated night-signalling in the southern counties, and other things, therefore I happen to know that he was keen on the work. Curious that he never told me of his grave suspicions regarding Mr Rodwell.
Perhaps he had a reason for concealing them from you, was the others reply.
But he was always so frank and open with me, because I believe that he trusted in my discretion to say nothing.
Probably he had not verified his facts, and intended to do so before revealing the truth to you.
Yes, he was most careful always to obtain corroboration of everything, before accepting it, was Jacks reply. But certainly what you have just told me arouses a grave suspicion.
Of what?
Well that our poor friend, having gained knowledge of Lewin Rodwells birth and antecedents, may, in all probability, have probed further into his past and
Into his present, I think more likely, exclaimed the great doctor. Ah! I quite see the line of your argument, he added quickly. You suggest that Rodwell may have discovered that Jerrold knew the truth, and that, in consequence, death came suddenly and unexpectedly eh?
Jack Sainsbury nodded in the affirmative. But surely Trustram, who was one of Jerrolds most intimate friends, could not have had any hand in foul play! He was the last man who saw him alive. No, he went on. My own experience shows me that poor Jerrold has died of poisoning, and as nobody has been here, or could have escaped from the room, it must have been administered by his own hand.
But do you not discern the motive? cried Sainsbury. Rodwell has risen to a position of great affluence and notoriety. He is a bosom friend of Cabinet Ministers, and to him many secrets of State are confided. He, and his friend Sir Boyle Huntley, play golf with Ministers, and the name of Lewin Rodwell is everywhere to-day one to conjure with. He has, since the war, risen to be one of the most patriotic Englishmen a man whose unselfish efforts are praised and admired from one end of Great Britain to another. Surely he would have become desperate if he had the least suspicion that Jerome Jerrold had discovered the truth, and intended to unmask him as he had openly declared to you.
Yes, yes, I see, Sir Houston replied dubiously. If there were any traces of foul play I should at once be of the same opinion. But you see they do not exist.
Whether there are traces, or whether there are none, nothing will shake my firm opinion, and that is that poor Jerome has been assassinated, and the motive of the crime is what I have already suggested.
Very well; we shall clear it up at the post-mortem, was the doctors reply, while at that moment Thomasson re-entered, followed by a police-officer in plain clothes and two constables in uniform.
On their entry, Sainsbury introduced Sir Houston Bird, and told them his own name and that of his dead friend.
Then the officer of the local branch of the Criminal Investigation Department sat down at the dead mans writing-table and began to write in his note-book the story of the strange affair, as dictated by Jack.
Sir Houston also made a statement, this being followed by the man Thomasson, who detailed his masters movements prior to his death as far as he knew them.
His master, he declared, had seemed in excellent spirits all day. He had seen patients in the morning, had lunched frugally at home, and had gone down to Guys in the car to see the wounded, as was his daily round. At six he had returned, dressed, and gone forth in a taxi to meet his friend, Mr Trustram of the Admiralty. They having dined together returned, and afterwards Mr Trustram had left and the doctor, smoking his pipe, had retired to his room to write. Nothing further was heard, Thomasson said, till the arrival of Mr Sainsbury, when the door of the room was found locked.
You heard no one enter the house no sounds whatever? asked the detective inspector, Rees by name, a tall, clean-shaven, fresh-complexioned man, with rather curly hair.
I didnt hear a sound, was the servants reply. The others were all out, and, as a matter of fact, I was in the waiting-room, just inside the door, looking at the newspapers on the table. So I should have heard anyone go up or down the stairs.
Inspector Rees submitted Thomasson to a very searching cross-examination, but it was quite evident to all in the room that he knew nothing more than what he had already told. He and his wife had been in Dr Jerrolds service for eight years. His wife, until her death, a year ago, had acted as cook-housekeeper.
Did you ever know of Mr Lewin Rodwell visiting the doctor? asked Sir Houston.
Never, as far as I know, sir. He, of course, might have come to consult him professionally when Ive been out, and the maid has sometimes opened the door and admitted patients.
Have you ever heard Mr Rodwells name?
Only on the telephone to-night and of course very often in the papers, replied the man.
Your master was very intimate with Mr Trustram? inquired the detective.
Oh yes. They first met about three months ago, and after that Mr Trustram came here several times weekly. The doctor went to stay at his country cottage near Dorking for the week-end, about a fortnight ago.
Did you ever discover the reason of those conferences? Jack Sainsbury asked. I mean, did you ever overhear any of their conversations?
Sometimes, sir. But not very often, was Thomassons discreet reply. They frequently discussed the war, and the spy-peril, in which as you know the doctor was actively interesting himself.
Upon Jack Sainsburys countenance a faint smile appeared. He now discerned the reason of the visits of that Admiralty official to the man who had been so suddenly and mysteriously stricken down.
He exchanged glances with Sir Houston, who, a moment before, had been searching a cigar cabinet which had hitherto escaped their notice.
At Reess suggestion, Jack Sainsbury went to the telephone and rang up Charles Trustram, to whom he briefly related the story of the tragic discovery.
Within twenty minutes Trustram arrived, and, to the detective, told the story of the events of the evening: how they had met by appointment at Princes Restaurant at half-past seven, had dined together, and then he had accompanied the doctor back to Wimpole Street about half-past nine, where they had sat smoking and chatting.
Jerrold seemed in quite good spirits over the result of an inquiry he had been making regarding a secret store of petrol established by the enemys emissaries somewhere on the Sussex coast, Mr Trustram explained. He had, he told me, disclosed it to the Intelligence Department, and they were taking secret measures to watch a certain barn wherein the petrol was concealed, and to arrest those implicated in the affair. He also expressed some anxiety regarding Mr Sainsbury, saying that he wished he could see him to-night. Then, turning to Jack, he added: At his request I rang up your flat at Hampstead, but you were not in.
Why did he wish to see me?
Ah! that I dont know. He told me nothing, was the Admiralty officials reply. While I was sitting here with him I was rung up three times twice from my office, and once by a well-known man I had met for the first time that afternoon Mr Lewin Rodwell.
At mention of Rodwell all present became instantly interested.
How did Mr Rodwell know that you were here? inquired the detective quickly. Thats a mystery. I did not tell him.
He might have rung up your house, and your servant may possibly have told him that you were dining with Jerrold, Sir Houston suggested.
That may be so. I will ask my man.
What did Mr Rodwell want? Rees asked.
He told me that he had that evening been in consultation with his friend Sir Boyle Huntley, and that, between them they had resolved to commence a propaganda for the internment of all alien enemies naturalised as well as unnaturalised and he asked whether I would meet them at the club to-morrow afternoon to discuss the scheme. To this I readily consented. When I returned to this room I found the doctor in the act of sealing an envelope. After he had finished he gave the envelope to me, saying This will be safer in your care than in mine, my dear Trustram. Will you please keep it in your safe? I consented, of course, and as I took it I saw that it was a private letter addressed to Mr Sainsbury, with instructions that it was not to be opened till a year after his death.
Then you have the letter! cried Jack excitedly.
Yes, I have it at home, replied Mr Trustram; who, proceeding, said: At first I was greatly surprised at being given such a letter, and chaffingly remarked that I hoped he wouldnt die just yet; whereat he laughed, refilled his pipe and declared that life was, after all, very uncertain. I want my friend Sainsbury to know something but not before a year after Im gone. You understand, Trustram. I give you this, and you, on your part, will give me your word of honour that, whatever occurs, you will safely guard it, and not allow it to be opened till a year has elapsed after my death. He seemed to have suddenly grown serious, and I confess I was not a little surprised at his curious change of manner.
Did it strike you at all that he might be contemplating suicide?
No, not in the least. Such an idea never entered my head. I regarded his action just as that of a man who makes his will thats all. I took the envelope and, about five minutes later, left him, as I had been called down to the Admiralty upon an urgent matter.
A quarter of an hour afterwards Mr Sainsbury called and we could not get into the room, Thomasson remarked. That is all we know.
Chapter Six.
Reveals the Victim
Three days had passed.
The coroners inquiry had been duly held into the death of Dr Jerome Jerrold, and medical evidence, including that of the deceaseds friend, Sir Houston Bird, had been called. This evidence showed conclusively that Sir Houston had been right in his conjecture, from the convulsed appearance of the body and other signs, that poor Jerrold had died of poisoning by strychnine. Therefore the proceedings were brief, and a verdict was returned of Suicide while temporarily insane.
No mention was made of the sealed letter left with Mr Trustram, for in a case of that distressing nature the coroner is always ready to make the inquiry as short as possible.
Jack Sainsbury, who had been granted leave by Mr Charlesworth, the managing-director, to attend the inquest upon his friend, returned to the City in a very perturbed state of mind.
He sat at his desk on that grey December afternoon, unable to attend to the correspondence before him, unable to fix his mind upon business, unable to understand the subtle ramifications of the cleverly conceived and dastardly plot, the key of which he had discovered by those few words he had overheard between the Chairman of the Board and his close friend, the great Lewin Rodwell.
He was wondering whether his dead friends allegation that Rodwell was none other than Ludwig Heitzman was really the truth. Sir Houston Bird had promised to institute inquiry at the Alien department of the Home Office, yet, only that day he had heard that the official of whom inquiry must be made actually bore a German name. The taint of the Teuton seemed, alas! over everything, notwithstanding the public resentment apparent up and down the whole country, and the formation of leagues and unions to combat the activity of the enemy in our midst.
Jack Sainsbury disagreed with the verdict of suicide. Jerome Jerrold was surely not the man to take his own life by swallowing strychnine. Yet why had he left behind that puzzling and mysterious message which Charles Trustram, having given his word of honour to his friend, refused to be opened for another year?
The will had been found deposited with his solicitor a will which left the sum of eighteen-odd thousand pounds to my friend and assistant in many confidential matters, Mr John Sainsbury, of Heath Street, Hampstead.
As far as it went that was gratifying to Jack. It rendered him independent of the Ochrida Copper Corporation, and the strenuous driving-power, as it is termed in the City, of Charlesworth, the sycophant of Sir Boyle Huntley and his fellow directors. The whole office knew that Huntley and Rodwell, brought in during days of peace to reorganise the Company upon a sound financial basis, were gradually getting all the power into their own hands, as they had done in other companies. The lives of that pair were one huge money-getting adventure.
In the office strange things were whispered. But Jack alone knew the truth.
The most irritating fact to him was that Jerome Jerrold, just as he had discovered Rodwells birth and masquerading, had died.