Part 16 (2/2)

For a few moments there was quiet in the cabin, while those present digested Iff's conclusions and acknowledged their logic irrefragable.

Staff caught Alison staring at the man as if fascinated, with a curious, intense look in her eyes the significance of which he could not fathom.

Then the pause was brought to an end by the captain. He s.h.i.+fted his position abruptly, so that he towered over Iff, scowling down upon him.

”That will do,” he said ominously. ”I'm tired of this; say what you will, you haven't hoodwinked me, and you shan't.”

”My dear sir!” protested Iff in amazement. ”Hoodwink _you_? Why, I'm merely trying to make you see--”

”You've succeeded in making me see one thing clearly: that you know more about this robbery than you've any right to know.”

”Oh, you-all make me tired,” complained Iff. ”Now you have just heard Miss Landis declare that this collar of pearls vanished between, say, five-thirty and five-forty-five. Well, I can prove by the testimony of three other pa.s.sengers, and I don't know how many more, to say nothing of your smoke-room stewards, that I was playing bridge from four until after six.”

”Ah, yes,” put in the purser sweetly, ”but you yourself have just demonstrated conclusively that the robbery couldn't have taken place at the hour mentioned.”

Iff grinned appreciatively. ”You're improving,” he said. ”I guess that doesn't get you even with me for the rest of your life--what?”

”Moreover,” Manvers went on doggedly, ”Ismay always could prove a copper-riveted alibi.”

”That's one of the best little things he does,” admitted Iff cheerfully.

”You don't deny you're Ismay?” This from the captain, aggressive and domineering.

”I don't have to, dear sir; I just ain't--that's the answer.”

”You've been recognised,” insisted the captain. ”You were on this s.h.i.+p the time of the Burden Hamman robbery. Mr. Manvers knows you by sight; I, too, recognise you.”

”Sorry,” murmured Iff--”_so_ sorry, but you're wrong. Case of mistaken ident.i.ty, I give you my word.”

”Your word!” snapped the captain contemptuously.

”My word,” retorted Iff in a crisp voice; ”and more than that, I don't ask you to take it. I've proofs of my ident.i.ty which I think will satisfy even you.”

”Produce them.”

”In my own good time.” Iff put his back against the wall and lounged negligently, surveying the circle of unfriendly faces with his odd, supercilious eyes, half veiled by their hairless lids. ”Since you've done me the honour to impute to me guilty knowledge of this--ah--crime, I don't mind admitting that I was a pa.s.senger on the Autocratic when Mrs. Burden Hamman lost her jewels; and it wasn't a coincidence, either.

I was with you for a purpose--to look out for those jewels. I shared a room with Ismay, and when, after the robbery, you mistook me for him, he naturally didn't object, and I didn't because it left me all the freer to prosecute my investigation. In fact, it was due to my efforts that Ismay found things getting too hot for him over in London and arranged to return the jewelry to Mrs. Hamman for an insignificant ransom--not a t.i.the of their value. But he was hard pressed; if he'd delayed another day, I'd 've had him with the goods on.... That,” said Iff pensively, ”was when I was in the Pinkerton service.”

”Ah, it was?” said the captain with much irony. ”And what, pray, do you claim to be now?”

”Just a plain, ordinary, everyday sleuth in the employ of the United States Secret Service, detailed to work with the Customs Office to prevent smuggling--the smuggling of such articles as, say, the Cadogan collar.”

In the silence that followed this astounding declaration, the little man hunched up his shoulders until they seemed more round than ever, and again subjected the faces of those surrounding him to the stare of his impertinent, pale eyes. Staff, more detached in att.i.tude than any of the others present, for his own amus.e.m.e.nt followed the range of Iff's gaze.

Captain Cobb was scowling thoughtfully. Manvers wore a look of deepest chagrin. Jane's jaw had fallen and her eyes seemed perilously protrudant. Alison was leaning gracefully back in her chair--her pose studied but charmingly effective--while she favoured Iff with a scrutiny openly incredulous and disdainful.

”You say you have proofs of this--ah--a.s.sertion of yours?” demanded the captain at length.

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