Part 35 (1/2)
This--by the Lord Harry, he's caught sight of us, too!”
Fullaway was coming quickly up the lawn from the direction of the Serpentine; he looked unusually alert, vigorous, and bustling; by his side, hurrying to keep pace with him, was the New York detective. And Fullaway's keen eyes, roving about, fell on Allerd.y.k.e and the chief and he made through the crowd in their direction, beckoning Chilverton to follow.
”Hullo--hullo!” he exclaimed, clapping a hand on Allerd.y.k.e's shoulder, nodding to the chief, and staring inquisitively at Appleyard. ”So you're here, too, eh, Allerd.y.k.e? It wasn't you who sent me that mysterious message, was it?”
”What message?” growled Allerd.y.k.e. ”Be careful! Don't attract attention--there are things going on here, I promise you! Drop into that chair, man--tell Chilverton to sit down. What message are you talking about?”
Fullaway, quick to grasp the situation, sat down in a chair which Appleyard pulled forward and motioned his companion to follow his example.
”I got a queer message--typewritten--on a sheet of notepaper which bore no address, about an hour ago,” he said. ”It told me that if I came here, to this Hyde Park tea-house, at two o'clock, I'd have this confounded mystery explained. No signature--nothing to show who or where it came from. So I set out. And just as I was stepping into a taxi to come on here, I met Chilverton, so he came along with me. What brings you, then?
Similar message, eh? And what--”
”Hus.h.!.+” whispered Appleyard. ”Miss Slade's coming out of the tea-house!
And who's the man that's with her?”
All five men glanced covertly over their shoulders at the open door of the tea-house, some twenty to thirty yards away. Down its steps came Miss Slade, accompanied by a man whom none of them had ever seen before--a well-built, light-complexioned, fair-haired man, certainly not an Englishman, but very evidently of Teutonic extraction, who was talking volubly to his companion and making free use of his hands to point or ill.u.s.trate his conversation. And when he saw this man, the chief turned quickly to Allerd.y.k.e and intercepted a look which Allerd.y.k.e was about to give him--the same thought occurred to both. Here was the man described by the hotel-keeper of Eastbourne Terrace and the shabby establishment away in the Docks!
”Miss Slade!” exclaimed Fullaway. ”What on earth are you talking about?
That's my secretary, Mrs. Mar--”
”s.h.!.+” interrupted the chief. ”That's one of your surprises, Mr. Fullaway!
Quiet, now, quiet. Our job is to watch. Something'll happen in a minute.”
Miss Slade and her talkative companion edged their way through the crowd and pa.s.sed out to an open patch of gra.s.s whereon a few children were playing. And as they went, two or three men also separated themselves from the idlers around the tables and strolled quietly and casually in the same direction. Also, Van Koon and the man with him left their table, and, as if they had no object in life but mere aimless chatter and saunter, wandered away towards the couple who had first emerged from the enclosure. And thereupon, Fullaway, not to be repressed, burst out with another exclamation.
”My G.o.d, Chilverton!” he cried. ”There is Van Koon! And, by all that's wonderful, Merrifield with him. Now what--”
The New York detective, who was under no orders, and knew no reason why he should restrain himself, wasted no time in words. Like a flash, he had leapt from his chair, threaded his way through the surrounding people, and was after his quarry. And with a muttered exclamation of anger, the chief rose and followed--and it seemed to Allerd.y.k.e that almost at the same instant a score of men, up to that moment innocently idling and lounging, rose in company.
”d.a.m.n it!” he growled, as he and Appleyard got up. ”That chap's going to spoil everything. What is he after? Confound you, Fullaway!--why couldn't you keep quiet for a minute? Look there!”
Van Koon had turned and seen Chilverton. So, too, had Van Koon's companion. So, also, had Miss Slade and the man she was walking with.
That man, too, saw the apparent idlers closing in upon him. For a second he, and Van Koon, and the other man stared at each other across the gra.s.s; then, as with a common instinct, each turned to flee--and at that instant Miss Slade, with a truly feminine cry, threw herself upon her companion and got an undeniably firm grip on his struggling arms.
”This is the Eastbourne Terrace man!” she panted as Allerd.y.k.e and half-a-dozen detectives relieved her. ”Get the other two--Van Koon and Merrifield. Quick!”
But Van Koon was already in the secure grip of Chilverton, and the person in the light blue suit was being safely rounded up by a posse of grim-faced men.
CHAPTER x.x.xIII
THE SMART MISS SLADE
In no city of the world is a crowd so quickly collected as in London; in none is one so easily satisfied and dispersed. Within five minutes the detectives had hurried their three captives away towards the nearest cab-rank, and the people who had left their tea and their cakes to gather round, to stare, and to listen had gone back to their tables to discuss this latest excitement. But the chief and Allerd.y.k.e, Fullaway and Appleyard, Miss Slade and Rayner stood in a little group on the gra.s.s and looked at each other. Eventually, all looks except Rayner's centred on Miss Slade, who, somewhat out of breath from her tussle, was settling her hat and otherwise composing herself. And it was Miss Slade who spoke first when the party, as a party, found itself capable of speech.
”I don't know who it was,” observed Miss Slade, rather more than a little acidly, ”who came interfering in my business, but whoever he was he nearly spoilt it.”
She darted a much-displeased look at the chief, who hastened to exculpate himself.
”Not I!” he said with a smile. ”So don't blame me, Miss Slade. I was merely a looker-on, a pa.s.sive spectator--until the right moment arrived. Do I gather that the right moment had not actually arrived--for your purpose?”