Ashton-Kirk, Secret Agent Read online

  CHAPTER VIII

  THE HOUSE ON FORDHAM ROAD

  It was a few hours later that the big car drew up at the house onFordham Road. There was a crowd of loiterers at the gate, open-mouthedand marveling at everything they saw; and these at once gathered aboutthe car, scenting a possible sensation.

  But Ashton-Kirk, followed by Fuller, pushed his way unceremoniously tothe gate; and a few words to the policeman on guard there admitted themto the lawn. One of the first persons they saw at the house was Osborne,the burly central office man, who stood upon the porch smilingexpansively and talking with a couple of alert young fellows wholistened with interest.

  "I see that friend Osborne has the ear of the reporters," saidAshton-Kirk amusedly; "and to all appearances he is not losing anyadvantages which the situation might have."

  "He looks good-natured enough to have had some luck," commented Fuller.

  When Osborne caught sight of them he broke into a laugh.

  "Hello," cried he. He came forward and shook the secret agent by thehand. "I rather thought you'd poke your learned head above the horizonthis morning."

  "It pleases me to be borne in mind," smiled Ashton-Kirk, good-naturedly."But what are the developments?"

  "Oh, several little things have taken occasion to occur," repliedOsborne, his broad face beaming. "One of them is that we have nailed theman with the bag. It was Philip Warwick, beyond a doubt."

  "Ah!"

  "He was seen a block from here, walking rapidly along the road, the bagstill in his hand, by a market gardener driving into the city. Thegardener knows Warwick very well by sight, having been in the habit ofselling greens to the Eastbury people along this way. He says he spoketo the young man in a friendly way as he went by; but Warwick paid noattention; the gardener says he went right on without even turning hishead."

  "That seems to be definite enough," commented the secret agent.

  "But that's not all," stated Osborne, with a widening of his alreadybroad smile. "You see, I got to thinking over what the market man said,and an idea struck me. Warwick was going north, while the Eastburystation is south from here. I asked a question or two and learned thatHastings is the next station north--and a much more important one thanthis, by the way. A time-table told me that a New York train stopped atHastings at 11:15. It was about 10:35 that Warwick was seen on the road.Suppose he was making for this train. I called up the Hastings stationand found that that's just what he was doing. The night operator sold aticket to a tall young man, in a light suit, who carried a big leatherbag, and boarded the 11:15."

  "That," said Ashton-Kirk, "sounds rather neat and complete. Icongratulate you."

  Osborne coughed self-consciously.

  "I thought it was rather good myself," he said. "The New York policehave a detailed description and are looking out for him. I'm trying todig up a photograph or two to send them, because they're a little shy ofpicking people up on a description alone."

  Here one of the reporters stepped up to Ashton-Kirk.

  "Pardon me," said he. "My name is Evans, and I represent the _Star_."

  "Oh, yes." Ashton-Kirk looked at him with attention. "I have noticedyour work, as you are permitted to sign it. Your specialty is the comicaspect of things. Are you not somewhat out of your way on a murdercase?"

  "It is unusual. But then it might not be altogether barren in results.If I can pick up a few points that will bear distortion, I might producea novel column." He put his hands in his trousers pockets and swayedbackward and forward. "I understand that you were here last night beforethe police arrived. Perhaps you could tell me----"

  But here Osborne interrupted him with a laugh.

  "If you listen to this fellow," said he to Ashton-Kirk, "he'll have yousaying things you never meant to say, and he'll be attaching meanings tothem that you never meant to give them."

  "Now, just for that," said Evans, unruffled, "I'm going to give you apanning."

  "All right, my boy," said the big man. "Go ahead. I'm used to all that."

  Then Osborne drew the secret agent into the hall.

  "I'm glad you've come," said he, his face more serious than it had beenall along. "There's a little thing in connection with this case that hasme winging. It's all right to put on before them paper fellows outthere," with a nod toward the porch, "because it don't do to let thepublic think the police can be put up a tree. It makes 'em loseconfidence, you see."

  Ashton-Kirk nodded.

  "And then, if the department people show a sign of not being as well upon a subject as they might be," went on the detective, "the press getsonto them and maybe puts in pictures, and all that. The funny fellows,like that Evans, are the worst of all. I make believe I don't mind him,but honest, I'd rather go against a second story worker with the swag onand a gun in his fist, than that same young man."

  There was a pause; and Osborne began shooting the heavy bolt of the halldoor backward and forward.

  "This is the thing that I can't get," he proceeded, after a little;"these bolts and locks and window fasteners. Every one of them was doingbusiness last night. The whole place was tight as it could be. Are youfollowing me?"

  "Go on."

  "That this young secretary fellow did for Dr. Morse, I'm positive. Butwhom did he have in with him? Which one of the other three in the househelped him in the job? One of them did, sure; for somebody had to lockthe door or window behind him when he left."

  "That is a compact little problem in itself," said Ashton-Kirk. "And thesolving of it might be of interest. But why devote so much attention toyoung Warwick? Don't forget that there may be other aspects to thecase?"

  Osborne stared at him in astonishment.

  "Well, say," spoke he, "you _do_ beat all, sometimes! Of course, there'sother sides to the case; but Warwick is the center, and my attention isgoing to stick right there all the way. Once I nab him and get his whyand wherefore, all the rest will be plain sailing."

  "We have discussed methods before now," smiled Ashton-Kirk, "and Iscarcely think there would be anything gained by going over the groundagain. However, I will say this. Nothing is gained by riveting one'sattention upon one phase of a matter. The only effect it has is to blindone to everything else; keep your mind open; then you will be ready toaccept facts no matter from what point they come."

  Osborne smiled broadly.

  "You sound good, anyway," said he. "I always did like to listen to you.It's like as if you were reading out of a book. But, just the same, I'mgoing to stick to Warwick. He's the fellow for my money; the things thatwe've got on him don't happen just by accident, as you'll find out whenthe case comes to trial."

  The secret agent remained in conversation with the headquarters man forsome little time longer. He learned that a deputy coroner had viewed thebody and that the inquest was to be held later in the day.

  "And say," said Osborne, as they once more went out upon the porch,which was now clear of the newspaper men, "don't think because I don'thold to your way of looking at the matter that I ain't glad to have youin this. The fact is, I'm just as tickled as can be, because you'vereally got some moves that are rather smooth. I know, because I'vewatched you work them. But don't waste the good gifts by chucking themall around. Get after Warwick; there's the profitable end of this hunt;take it from me!"

  Osborne then went to speak to the policeman at the gate; and, withFuller, Ashton-Kirk made his way around upon the north side of thehouse. Holding to the hedge they slowly skirted the lawn. After a littlethe secret agent paused.

  "So," said he, and Fuller fancied there was a note of surprise in thevoice, "our friend Okiu was not drawing entirely upon his imagination.Here," pointing to a ragged place in the top of the hedge, evidentlyonly recently made, "is where Warwick leaped over the fence. His footcaught and he almost fell. See there," pointing, to the opposite side;"the soil is bare and soft and his feet sank deep as he landed."

  The lawn was smooth and hard at the front and sides and the grass cutvery short; no trace of any sort was
to be seen upon it; but at therear, and especially close to the house, there were a number of baldplaces.

  "Servants are never so careful as the family," said the secret agent.

  Here there were numerous tracks, one upon the other. After only aglance, Ashton-Kirk passed on toward the south side of the house. Awayfrom the rear doors the confusion ceased; but some of the footmarkscontinued.

  "Osborne has been looking about," said Ashton-Kirk, pointing to a broad,blunt-toed impression; "here is his track, apparently coming from therear door. But he did not put in much time," as the track halted anddoubled upon itself. "His coming out at all was merely perfunctory, Isuppose; for the fact that the doors and windows were fast before andafter the crime was done is enough for him."

  They drew nearer to the window which opened from the room in the rear ofthe library. Then Fuller heard an exclamation, and saw his employer bendclose to the ground.

  "What is it?" he asked.

  "A woman," said Ashton-Kirk.

  Fuller examined the ground; sure enough, there were the tracks of aslim, delicately-shod foot, the high heels having sunk deep into thesoft earth.

  "There's a man's track, too," cried Fuller, as he noted a series ofheavier prints.

  But Ashton-Kirk made no reply to this; a few rapid steps took him to thewindow above mentioned, and he searched the low sill.

  "It may mean nothing, after all," said Fuller. "Curiosity probablyinduced some people to venture into the grounds this morning inorder----"

  "A man and woman entered the back room by this window," saidAshton-Kirk.

  "I don't like to put myself in an attitude of continued protest," saidFuller, "but these low windows are commonly used that way. You see, it'sonly a step to the lawn."

  Ashton-Kirk nodded.

  "As you say," he agreed, "these low windows are commonly used in thatway. But only when the rooms into which they open are also in commonuse."

  "I see what you mean," said Fuller. "This back room is private. OldNanon said the door was always kept locked." He remained gazing at theother for a moment, apparently pondering the new aspect which thisdiscovery gave the situation. "Well, what do you think it means?"

  "A woman and a man entered this room by the window; the latter had beenleft unfastened because it shows not the slightest indication of havingbeen forced. And when they departed, the window was refastened--perhapsnot at once, but as soon after as possible."

  "You think----" Fuller paused, his eyes wide.

  "If you heard a slight noise in the back room while you were in thelibrary, some time after the murder, what would you think?"

  "Why, we discussed that this morning," returned Fuller. "It wasDrevenoff, beyond a doubt! He waited in the hall after you told him togo to the police station. Then he stole into the rear room and replacedthe window catch. And this being so it was he who admitted thewoman----"

  "And the man?" Ashton-Kirk smiled as he asked the question.

  "The man?" Fuller's face grew blank. "Why, the man must have beenWarwick! And if it was," after a moment, "why did he require to beadmitted to the house by a side window when he could have gone in by thefront door?"

  If Ashton-Kirk intended to reply to this, he had no time to do so; forat that moment they heard a step behind them and looking around they sawthe well-knit figure and expressionless face of Okiu.