Part 34 (1/2)

”Very good suggestion,” said Professor c.o.x-Raythwaite. ”He may have bought something extremely valuable from this Dimambro that day, or that night, and--he may have had it on him when he was murdered. Clearly, we must see this Luigi Dimambro!”

”If he's the man who called at the House, you forget that he's been advertised for no end,” said Selwood.

”No, I don't,” responded the Professor. ”But he may be out of the country: may have come to it specially to see Jacob Herapath, and left it again. I repeat, we must see this man, if he's to be found. We must make inquiries--cautious, guarded inquiries--at this hotel in Soho, which is probably a foreigners' house of call, a mere restaurant. And the very person to make those inquiries,” he concluded, turning to Selwood and favouring him with a smack of the shoulder, ”is--you!”

Selwood flinched, physically and mentally. He had no great love of the proposed role--private detective work did not appeal to him. And he suggested that Professor c.o.x-Raythwaite had far better apply to Scotland Yard.

”By no means,” answered the Professor calmly. ”You are the man to do the work. We don't want any police interference. This Hotel Ravenna is probably some cafe, restaurant, or saloon in Soho, frequented by foreigners--a place where, perhaps, a man can get a room for a night or two. You must go quietly, un.o.btrusively, there; if it's a restaurant, as it's sure to be, or at any rate, a place to which a restaurant is attached, go in and get some sort of a meal, keep your eyes open, find out the proprietor, get into talk with him, see if he knows Luigi Dimambro. All you need is tact, caution, and readiness to adapt yourself to circ.u.mstances.”

Then, when they left Mr. Halfpenny's office he took Selwood aside and gave him certain hints and instructions, and enlarged upon the advantages of finding Dimambro if he was to be found. The Professor himself was enthusiastic about these recent developments, and he succeeded in communicating some of his enthusiasm to Selwood. After all, thought Selwood, as he went to Portman Square to tell Peggie of the afternoon's doings, whatever he did was being done for Peggie; moreover, he was by that time certain that however mean and base Barthorpe Herapath's conduct had been about the will, he was certainly not the murderer of his uncle. If that murderer was to be tracked--why, there was a certain zest, an appealing excitement in the tracking of him that presented a sure fascination to youthful spirits.

That evening found Selwood, quietly and una.s.sumingly attired, examining the purlieus of Soho. It was a district of which he knew little, and for half an hour he perambulated its streets, wondering at the distinctly foreign atmosphere. And suddenly he came across the Hotel Ravenna--there it was, confronting him, at the lower end of Dean Street. He drew back and looked it well over from the opposite pavement.

The Hotel Ravenna was rather more of a pretentious establishment than Selwood had expected it to be. It was typically Italian in outward aspect. There were the usual evergreen shrubs set in the usual green wood tubs at the entrance; the usual abundance of plate-gla.s.s and garish gilt; the usual glimpse, whenever the door opened, of the usual vista of white linen, red plush, and many mirrors; the waiter who occasionally showed himself at the door, napkin in hand, was of the type which Selwood had seen a thousand times under similar circ.u.mstances. But all this related to the restaurant--Selwood was more interested that the word ”Hotel” appeared in gilt letters over a door at the side of the establishment and was repeated in the windows of the upper storeys. He was half-minded to enter the door at once, and to make a guarded inquiry for Mr. Luigi Dimambro; on reflection he walked across the street and boldly entered the restaurant.

It was half-past seven o'clock, and the place was full of customers.

Selwood took most of them to be foreigners. He also concluded after a first glance around him that the majority had some connection, more or less close, with either the dramatic, or the musical, or the artistic professions. There was much laughter and long hair, marvellous neckties and wondrous costumes; everybody seemed to be talking without regard to question or answer; the artillery of the voices mingled with the rattling of plates and popping of corks. Clearly this was no easy place in which to seek for a man whom one had never seen!

Selwood allowed a waiter to conduct him to a vacant seat--a plush throne half-way along the restaurant. He ordered a modest dinner and a bottle of light wine, and following what seemed to be the custom, lighted a cigarette until his first course appeared. And while he waited he looked about him, noting everything that presented itself. Out of all the folk there, waiters and customers, the idle and the busy, he quickly decided that there was only one man who possessed particular interest for him.

That man was the big, smiling, frock-coated, sleek-haired patron or proprietor, who strode up and down, beaming and nodding, sharp-eyed and courteous, and whom Selwood, from a glance at the emblazoned lettering of the bill-of-fare, took to rejoice in the name of Mr. Alessandro Bioni. This man, if he was landlord, or manager, of the Ravenna Hotel, was clearly the person to approach if one wanted information about the Luigi Dimambro who had given the place as his address as recently as November 12th.

While he ate and drank, Selwood wondered how to go about his business.

It seemed to him that the best thing to do, now that he had seen the place and a.s.sured himself that it was a hotel evidently doing a proper and legitimate business, was to approach its management with a plain question--was Mr. Luigi Dimambro staying there, or was he known there?

Since Dimambro, whoever he might be, had given that as his address, something must be known of him. And when the smiling patron presently came round, and, seeing a new customer, asked politely if he was being served to his satisfaction, Selwood determined to settle matters at once.

”The proprietor, I presume?” he asked.

”Manager, sir,” answered the other. ”The proprietor, he is an old gentleman--practically retired.”

”Perhaps I can ask you a question,” Selwood. ”Have you got a Mr. Luigi Dimambro staying at your hotel? He is, I believe”--here Selwood made a bold shot at a possibility--”a seller of curios, or art objects. I know he stops here sometimes.”

The manager rubbed his hands together and reflected.

”One moment, sir,” he said. ”I get the register. The hotel guests, they come in here for meals, but always I do not recollect their names, and sometimes not know them. But the register----”

He sped down the room, through a side door, vanished; to return in a moment with a book which he carried to Selwood's side.

”Dimambro?” he said. ”Recently, then? We shall see.”

”About the beginning or middle of November,” answered Selwood.

The manager found the pages: suddenly he pointed to an entry.

”See, then!” he exclaimed dramatically. ”You are right, sir. There--Luigi Dimambro--November 11th to--yes--13th. Two days only. Then he go--leave us, eh?”

”Oh, then, he's not here now,” said Selwood, affecting disappointment.

”That's a pity. I wanted to see him. I wonder if he left any address?”