Dope by Sax Rohmer (desktop ebook reader txt) 📕
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- Author: Sax Rohmer
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Poor Coombes smiled pathetically.
“Look here,” he said, bravely meeting the ferocious glare of his superior, “as man to man. What could I do?”
“You could stop smiling!” snapped Kerry. “Hell!” He paced several times up and down the room. “Go ahead, Coombes.”
“Well, there's nothing much to report. I stayed in the kitchen, and the man from the Home office was in here alone for about half an hour.”
“Alone?”
“Inspector Whiteleaf stayed in the dining-room.”
“Had he been 'instructed' too?”
“I expect so. I think he just came along as a sort of guide.”
“Ah!” muttered Kerry savagely, “a sort of guide! Any idea what the bogey man did in here?”
“He opened the window. I heard him.”
“That's funny. It's exactly what I'm going to do! This smart from Whitehall hasn't got a corner in notions yet, Coombes.”
The room was a large and lofty one, and had been used by a former tenant as a studio. The toplights had been roofed over by Sir Lucien, however, but the raised platform, approached by two steps, which had probably been used as a model's throne, was a permanent fixture of the apartment. It was backed now by bookcases, except where a blue plush curtain was draped before a French window.
Kerry drew the curtain back, and threw open the folding leaves of the window. He found himself looking out upon the leads of Albemarle Street. No stars and no moon showed through the grey clouds draping the wintry sky, but a dim and ghostly half-light nevertheless rendered the ugly expanse visible from where he stood.
On one side loomed a huge tank, to the brink of which a rickety wooden ladder invited the explorer to ascend. Beyond it were a series of iron gangways and ladders forming part of the fire emergency arrangements of the neighboring institution. Straight ahead a section of building jutted up and revealed two small windows, which seemed to regard him like watching eyes.
He walked out on to the roof, looking all about him. Beyond the tank opened a frowning gully—the Arcade connecting Albemarle Street with old Bond Street; on the other hand, the scheme of fire gangways was continued. He began to cross the leads, going in the direction of Bond Street. Coombes watched him from the study. When he came to the more northerly of the two windows which had attracted his attention, he knelt down and flashed the ray of his torch through the glass.
A kind of small warehouse was revealed, containing stacks of packages. Immediately inside the window was a rough wooden table, and on this table lay a number of smaller packages, apparently containing cigarettes.
Kerry turned his attention to the fastening of the window. A glance showed him that it was unlocked. Resting the torch on the leads, he grasped the sash and gently raised the window, noting that it opened almost noiselessly. Then, taking up the torch again, he stooped and stepped in on to the table below.
It moved slightly beneath his weight. One of the legs was shorter than its fellows. But he reached the floor as quietly as possible, and instantly snapped off the light of the torch.
A heavy step sounded from outside—someone was mounting the stairs—and a disk of light suddenly appeared upon the ground-glass panel of the door.
Kerry stood quite still, chewing steadily.
“Who's there?” came the voice of the constable posted on Kazmah's landing.
The inspector made no reply.
“Is there anyone here?” cried the man.
The disk of light disappeared, and the alert constable could be heard moving along the corridor to inspect the other offices. But the ray had shone upon the frosted glass long enough to enable Kerry to read the words painted there in square black letters. They had appeared reversed, of course, and had read thus:
.OC ETTERAGIC SINABUC
CHAPTER XI. THE DRUG SYNDICATE
At six-thirty that morning Margaret Halley was aroused by her maid—the latter but half awake—and sitting up in bed and switching on the lamp, she looked at the card which the servant had brought to her, and read the following:
CHIEF INSPECTOR KERRY, C.I.D. New Scotland Yard, S.W.I.“Oh, dear,” she said sleepily, “what an appallingly early visitor. Is the bath ready yet, Janet?”
“I'm afraid not,” replied the maid, a plain, elderly woman of the old-fashioned useful servant type. “Shall I take a kettle into the bathroom?”
“Yes—that will have to do. Tell Inspector Kerry that I shall not be long.”
Five minutes later Margaret entered her little consulting-room, where Kerry, having adjusted his tie, was standing before the mirror in the overmantle, staring at a large photograph of the charming lady doctor in military uniform. Kerry's fierce eyes sparkled appreciatively as his glance rested on the tall figure arrayed in a woollen dressing-gown, the masculine style of which by no means disguised the beauty of Margaret's athletic figure. She had hastily arranged her bright hair with deliberate neglect of all affectation. She belonged to that ultra-modern school which scorns to sue masculine admiration, but which cannot dispense with it nevertheless. She aspired to be assessed upon an intellectual basis, an ambition which her unfortunate good looks rendered difficult of achievement.
“Good morning, Inspector,” she said composedly. “I was expecting you.”
“Really, miss?” Kerry stared curiously. “Then you know what I've come about?”
“I think so. Won't you sit down? I am afraid the room is rather cold. Is it about—Sir Lucien Pyne?”
“Well,” replied Kerry, “it concerns him certainly. I've been in communication by telephone with Hinkes, Mr. Monte Irvin's butler, and from him I learned that you were professionally attending Mrs. Irvin.”
“I was not her regular medical adviser, but—”
Margaret hesitated, glancing rapidly at the Inspector, and then down at the writing-table before which she was seated. She began to tap the blotting-pad with an ivory paper-knife. Kerry was watching her intently.
“Upon your evidence, Miss Halley,” he said rapidly, “may depend the life of the missing woman.”
“Oh!” cried Margaret, “whatever can have happened to her? I rang up as late as two o'clock this morning; after that I abandoned hope.”
“There's something underlying the case that I don't understand, miss. I look to you to put me wise.”
She turned to him impulsively.
“I will tell you all I know, Inspector,” she said. “I will be perfectly
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