Part 19 (1/2)

Cleek took the hand and held it.

”Never do that, Merriton, never do that,” he said softly. ”I've been through the mill myself once-years ago now, but the scar still stays-and it'll be a bit more red h.e.l.l for the present. But if there's any saving you, any proving this thing right up to the hilt, I'll do it. That's all I wanted to say. Good-bye, and-buck up. I'm going to speak to the little girl now, and cheer her up, too. You'll hear everything as it comes along.”

He squeezed the hand, manacled so grimly to the other, and smiled a smile br.i.m.m.i.n.g over with hope and promise.

”G.o.d bless you, Mr.-Headland,” Merriton replied, and as Cleek beckoned to the two policemen, took his stand between them and entered the closed vehicle. The door shut, the engine purred, and the car shot away up the road toward the local police-station, leaving the man and the girl staring after it, the same mute sorrow and sympathy s.h.i.+ning in both pairs of eyes.

As it disappeared round a corner, 'Toinette turned to Cleek, her whole agonized heart in her eyes.

”Mr. Headland!” she broke out with a gush of tears. ”Oh, m'sieur, if you did but know-could but understand all that my poor heart suffers for that innocent boy! It is breaking every minute, every hour. Is there nothing, nothing that can be done to save him? I'd stake my very life on his innocence!”

Cleek let his hand rest for a moment upon the fragile shoulder, and looked down into the pallid face.

”I know you would,” he said softly, ”for even I know and understand what the love of a good woman may do to a man. But, tell me. That story of the revolver-your revolver. You can vouch for it? Your uncle did kill the dog Franco with it? You can remember? Forgive me for asking, or questioning for a moment the evidence which Mr. Brellier has given, but I am anxious to save that boy from the hands of the law, and for that reason no stone must be left unturned, no secret kept silent. Carry your mind back to that time, and tell me if that is true.”

She puckered her brows together as if in perplexity and tapped one slim, perfectly-manicured finger against her white teeth.

”Yes,” she said at last; ”yes, it was every bit of it true-every bit, Mr. Headland. For the moment, in that room of terror, I had forgotten poor Franco's death. But now-yes, I can remember it all fully. My uncle spoke the truth, Mr. Headland-I can promise you that.”

Cleek sighed. Then:

”But it was your revolver he used, Miss Brellier? Try to remember. He said that he told you of it at the time. Can you recollect your uncle telling you that he used your revolver to shoot the dog with, or not? That is what I want to know.”

She shrugged her shoulders and spread out her hands.

”It is so difficile. I am trying to remember, and the matter seemed then so trivial! But there is no reason to doubt my uncle, Mr. Headland, for he loves Nigel dearly, and if there was any way in which he could help to unravel this so terrible plot against him-Oh! I am sure he must have told me so, sure! There would be no point in his telling an untruth over that.”

”And yet you can not recall the actual remark that your uncle made, Miss Brellier?”

”No. But I am sure, sure that what he said was true.”

Cleek shrugged his shoulders.

”Then, of course, you must know best. Well, we must try and find some other loophole. I promised Merriton I'd speak a few words to you, Miss Brellier, just to tell you to keep up heart-though it's a difficult task. But everything that can be done, will be done. And-if you should happen to hear that I have thrown up the case, and gone back to London, don't be a bit surprised. There are other ways, other means of helping than the average person dreams of. Don't mention anything I have said to you to anybody. Keep you own counsel, please, and as a token of my regard for that I will give you my word that everything that can be done for Merriton will be. Good-bye.”

He put out his hand and she laid her slim one in it. For a moment her eyes measured him, scanning his face as though to trace therein anything of treachery to the cause which she held so dear. Then her face broke into a wintry smile.

”I have a feeling, Mr. Headland,” she said softly, ”that you are going to be a good friend to us, Nigel and me. It is a woman's intuition that tells me, and it helps me to bear the too dreadful suspense under which we are all now labouring. You have my word of honour never to speak of this talk together, and to keep a guard on my tongue for the future, if it is to help Nigel. You will let me know how things go on, Mr. Headland?”

”That I cannot for the present tell. It will depend entirely upon how events shape themselves, Miss Brellier. You may hear soon-you may not hear at all. But I believe in his innocence as deeply as you do. Therefore you must be content that I shall do my best, whatever happens. Good-bye.”

He gave her fingers a soft squeeze, held them a moment and then, dropping them, bowed and swung upon his heel to join Mr. Narkom, who was standing near by, the last of the group of interested spectators of that afternoon's ghastly business. Dollops stood a little back from them, awaiting his orders.

”We'll have some supper at the village 'pub,' my dear Lake,” said Cleek in a loud, clear voice that carried to every corner of the deserted garden, ”and then come back to the Towers long enough to pack up our traps and clear out of this haunted house altogether. The case is one too many for me, and I'm chucking it.” Mr. Narkom opened his mouth to speak, but his colleague gave him no opportunity. ”It's a bit too fishy for my liking,” he went on, ”when the only clues a man's got to go on are a dancing flame and a patch of charred gra.s.s-which, by the way, never struck me as particularly interesting at the best of times-and when evidence points so strongly toward young Merriton's guilt. All I can say is, let's go. That's the ticket for me.”

”And for me also, old man!” agreed Mr. Narkom, emphatically, following Cleek's lead though rather in the dark. ”It's back to London for me, whenever you're ready.”

”And that'll be as soon as Dollops can pack my things and get 'em off to the station.”

CHAPTER XXII