Part 5 (2/2)

”That may be.” replied Fullaway. ”But he may have known her very well for all that. However, there are the facts. And,” he added, with emphasis, ”there, Mr. Allerd.y.k.e, are those four words, sent from Christiania, 'Have got all goods!' Now, we can be reasonably sure of what he meant. He'd got the Princess's jewels. Very well! Where are they?”

Allerd.y.k.e got to his feet, and, thrusting his hands in his pockets, began to stride about the room. All this was not merely puzzling, but, in a way which he could not understand, distasteful to him. Somehow--he did not know why, nor at that moment try to think why--he resented the fact that any one knew more about his dead cousin than he did. And he began to wonder as he strode about the room how much this Mr. Franklin Fullaway knew.

”Did my cousin James ever mention this Princess to you?” he suddenly asked, stopping in his walk to and fro. ”I mean--before he went over to Russia this last time?”

”He just mentioned that he knew her--mentioned it in casual conversation,” answered Fullaway. ”She and I being fellow Americans, the subject interested me, of course. But--he only said that he had met her in Russia.”

”Aye, well,” said Allerd.y.k.e musingly, ”it's true he did go across to Russia a good deal, and no doubt he knew folk there that he never told me about.”

”Well,” he went on, throwing himself into his chair again, ”what's to be done? Do you honestly think that he had those things on him when he came here last night? You do? Very well, then, he's been murdered by some devil or devils who's got 'em! But how? And who are they--or who's he--or--good Lord! it might be who's she?”

”Poisoned,” said Fullaway. ”That's my answer to your question of--how? As to your other question--is there no clue to anything? you forget--I don't know any details. I only know that he was found dead. Under what circ.u.mstances?”

Allerd.y.k.e pulled his chair nearer to his visitor.

”I'd forgotten,” he said. ”I'll tell you the lot. See if you can make aught out of it--they always say you Yankees have sharp brains. Try to see a bit of daylight! So far it licks me.”

He gave the American a brief yet full account of all that had happened since his receipt of James Allerd.y.k.e's wireless message. And Fullaway listened in silence, taking everything in, making no interruption, and at the end he spoke quietly and with decision.

”We must find that woman--Miss Celia Lennard--and at once,” he said.

”That's absolutely necessary.”

”Just so,” agreed Allerd.y.k.e. ”But look here--I've been thinking that over. Is it very likely that a woman who'd stolen two hundred and fifty thousand pounds' worth of stuff from an hotel would wire back to its manager, giving her address, for the sake of a shoe-buckle, even one set with diamonds?”

”I'm not--for the moment--supposing that she is the thief,” answered Fullaway. ”Why I want--and must--find her at once is to ask her a simple question. What was she doing in James Allerd.y.k.e's room?

For--I've an idea.”

”What?” demanded Allerd.y.k.e.

”This,” replied Fullaway. ”They were fellow-pa.s.sengers on the _Perisco_.

Your cousin--as I daresay you know--was the sort of man who readily makes friends, especially with women. My idea is that if this Miss Lennard went into his room last night it was to be shown the Princess Nastirsevitch's jewels. Your cousin was just the sort of man who knew how a woman would appreciate an exhibition of such things. And--”

At that moment a waiter tapped at the sitting-room door and announced Dr. Orwin.

CHAPTER VI

THE PRIMA DONNA'S PORTRAIT

Marshall Allerd.y.k.e's sharp eyes were quick to see that his new visitor had something of importance to communicate and wished to give his news in private. Dr. Orwin glanced inquiringly at the American as he took the seat which Allerd.y.k.e drew forward, and the c.o.c.k of his eyes indicated a strong desire to know who the stranger was.

”Friend of my late cousin,” said Allerd.y.k.e brusquely. ”Mr. Franklin Fullaway, of London--just as anxious as I am to hear what you have to tell us, doctor. You've come to tell something, of course?”

The doctor inclined his head towards Fullaway, and added a grave bow in answer to Allerd.y.k.e's question.

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