Part 56 (1/2)

she declared. ”I am sure of that.”

”It's his own lookout,” Morrison muttered. ”He has the chance, anyway.”

She turned toward the door.

”I must go away,” she said. ”I must go away and think. It is all too horrible.”

He came round the table swiftly and caught at her wrists.

”Listen,” he said, ”I can't let you go like this. You must tell me that you are not going to give me up. Do you hear?”

”I can make no promises, Arthur,” she answered sadly, ”only this--I shall not let Stephen Laverick suffer in your stead.”

He opened his hand and she shrank back, terrified, when she saw what it was that he was holding. Then he struck her down and without a backward glance fled out of the place.

CHAPTER x.x.xV

BELLAMY'S SUCCESS

Late that afternoon the hall-porter at the Milan Hotel, the commissionaire, and the chief maitre d'hotel from the Cafe, who happened to be in the hall, together with several others around the place who knew Stephen Laverick by sight, were treated to an unexpected surprise. A large closed motor-car drove up to the front entrance and several men descended, among whom was Laverick himself. He nodded to the hall-porter, whose salute was purely mechanical, and making his way without hesitation to the interior of the hotel, presented his receipt at the cas.h.i.+er's desk and asked for his packet. The clerk looked up at him in amazement. He did not, for the moment, notice that the two men standing immediately behind bore the stamp of plain-clothes policemen. He had only a few minutes ago finished reading the report of Laverick's examination before the magistrates and his remand until the morrow, upon the charge of murder. His knowledge of English law was by no means perfect, but he was at least aware that Laverick's appearance outside the purlieus of the prison was an unusual happening.

”Your packet, sir!” he repeated, in amazement. ”Why, this is Mr.

Laverick himself, is it not?”

”Certainly,” was the quiet reply. ”I am Stephen Laverick.”

The clerk called the head cas.h.i.+er, who also stared at Laverick as though he were a ghost. They whispered together in the background for a moment, and their faces were a study in perplexity. Of Laverick's ident.i.ty, however, there was no manner of doubt. Besides, the presence of what was obviously a very ample escort somewhat rea.s.sured them. The cas.h.i.+er himself came forward.

”We shall be exceedingly glad, Mr. Laverick,” he said dryly, ”to get rid of your packet. Your instructions were that we should disregard all orders to hand it over to any person whatsoever, and I may say that they have been strictly adhered to. We have, however, had two applications in your name this morning.”

”They were both forgeries,” Laverick declared.

The cas.h.i.+er hesitated. Then he leaned across the broad mahogany counter towards Laverick. One of the men who appeared to form part of the escort detached himself from them and approached a few steps nearer.

”This gentleman is your friend, sir?” the cas.h.i.+er asked, glancing towards him.

”He is my solicitor,” Laverick answered, ”and is entirely in my confidence. If you have anything to tell me, I should like Mr.

Bellamy also to hear.”

Bellamy, who was standing a little in the background, took his place by Laverick's side. The cas.h.i.+er, who knew him by sight, bowed.

”Beside these two forged orders, sir,” he said, turning again to Laverick, ”we have had a man who took a room in the hotel leave a small black bag here, which he insisted upon having deposited in our doc.u.ment safe. My a.s.sistant had accepted it and was actually locking it up when he noticed a faint sound inside which he could not understand. The bag was opened and found to contain an infernal machine which would have exploded in a quarter of an hour.”

Bellamy drew his breath sharply between his teeth.

”We should have thought of that!” he exclaimed softly. ”That's Kahn's work!”

”I seem to have given you a great deal of trouble,” Laverick remarked quietly. ”I gather, however, from what you say, that my packet is still in your possession?”

”It is, sir,” the man a.s.sented. ”We have two detectives from Scotland Yard here at the present moment, though, and we had almost decided to place it in their charge for greater security.”