第33章

"A good sort," thought T.X., "but somewhat overweighted with lorgnettes and seal-skin.""You will pardon my coming to see you at this hour of the night,"she began deprecatingly, "but as my dear father used to say, 'Hopi soit qui mal y pense.'""Your dear father being in the garter business?" suggested T.X.

humorously."Won't you sit down, Mrs.- ""Mrs.Cassley," beamed the lady as she seated herself."He was in the paper hanging business.But needs must, when the devil drives, as the saying goes.""What particular devil is driving you, Mrs.Cassley?" asked T.

X., somewhat at a loss to understand the object of this visit.

"I may be doing wrong," began the lady, pursing her lips, "and two blacks will never make a white.""And all that glitters is not gold," suggested T.X.a little wearily."Will you please tell me your business, Mrs.Cassley? Iam a very hungry man."

"Well, it's like this, sir," said Mrs.Cassley, dropping her erudition, and coming down to bedrock homeliness; "I've got a young lady stopping with me, as respectable a gel as I've had to deal with.And I know what respectability is, I might tell you, for I've taken professional boarders and I have been housekeeper to a doctor.""You are well qualified to speak," said T.X.with a smile."And what about this particular young lady of yours! By the way what is your address?""86a Marylebone Road," said the lady.

T.X.sat up.

"Yes?" he said quickly."What about your young lady?""She works as far as I can understand," said the loquacious landlady, "with a certain Mr.Kara in the typewriting line.She came to me four months ago.""Never mind when she came to you," said T.X.impatiently."Have you a message from the lady?""Well, it's like this, sir," said Mrs.Cassley, leaning forward confidentially and speaking in the hollow tone which she had decided should accompany any revelation to a police officer, "this young lady said to me, 'If I don't come any night by 8 o'clock you must go to T.X.and tell him - '!"She paused dramatically.

"Yes, yes," said T.X.quickly, "for heaven's sake go on, woman.""'Tell him,'" said Mrs.Cassley, "'that Belinda Mary - ' "He sprang to his feet.

"Belinda Mary!" he breathed, "Belinda Mary!" In a flash he saw it all.This girl with a knowledge of modern Greek, who was working in Kara's house, was there for a purpose.Kara had something of her mother's, something that was vital and which he would not part with, and she had adopted this method of securing that some thing.

Mrs.Cassley was prattling on, but her voice was merely a haze of sound to him.It brought a strange glow to his heart that Belinda Mary should have thought of him.

"Only as a policeman, of course," said the still, small voice of his official self."Perhaps!" said the human T.X., defiantly.

He got on the telephone to Mansus and gave a few instructions.

"You stay here," he ordered the astounded Mrs.Cassley; "I am going to make a few investigations."Kara was at home, but was in bed.T.X.remembered that this extraordinary man invariably went to bed early and that it was his practice to receive visitors in this guarded room of his.He was admitted almost at once and found Kara in his silk dressing-gown lying on the bed smoking.The heat of the room was unbearable even on that bleak February night.

"This is a pleasant surprise," said Kara, sitting up; "I hope you don't mind my dishabille."T.X.came straight to the point.

"Where is Miss Holland!" he asked.

"Miss Holland?" Kara's eyebrows advertised his astonishment.

"What an extraordinary question to ask me, my dear man! At her home, or at the theatre or in a cinema palace - I don't know how these people employ their evenings.""She is not at home," said T.X., "and I have reason to believe that she has not left this house.""What a suspicious person you are, Mr.Meredith!" Kara rang the bell and Fisher came in with a cup of coffee on a tray.

"Fisher," drawled Kara."Mr.Meredith) is anxious to know where Miss Holland is.Will you be good enough to tell him, you know more about her movements than I do.""As far as I know, sir," said Fisher deferentially, "she left the house about 5.30, her usual hour.She sent me out a little before five on a message and when I came back her hat and her coat had gone, so I presume she had gone also.""Did you see her go?" asked T.X.

The man shook his head.

"No, sir, I very seldom see the lady come or go.There has been no restrictions placed upon the young lady and she has been at liberty to move about as she likes.I think I am correct in saying that, sir," he turned to Kara.

Kara nodded.

"You will probably find her at home."

He shook his finger waggishly at T.X.

"What a dog you are," he jibed, "I ought to keep the beauties of my household veiled, as we do in the East, and especially when Ihave a susceptible policeman wandering at large."T.X.gave jest for jest.There was nothing to be gained by making trouble here.After a few amiable commonplaces he took his departure.He found Mrs.Cassley being entertained by Mansus with a wholly fictitious description of the famous criminals he had arrested.

"I can only suggest that you go home," said T.X."I will send a police officer with you to report to me, but in all probability you will find the lady has returned.She may have had a difficulty in getting a bus on a night like this."A detective was summoned from Scotland Yard and accompanied by him Mrs.Cassley returned to her domicile with a certain importance.

T.X.looked at his watch.It was a quarter to ten.

"Whatever happens, I must see old Lexman," he said."Tell the best men we've got in the department to stand by for eventualities.This is going to be one of my busy days."