THE RESULT OF THE CRIME.
A week after his of the identity of the man, Fanks, having his skin for the time being, was seated in the room of the Athenian Club, with the "Morning Planet" newspaper on his knee. He was not reading it, however, but was looking at a long and man, who was at a near table.
Francis Garth, of the Middle Temple, and journalist, was one of the West End men who the of Rixton, Fanks. In fact, there was very little he did not know; and Fanks--as it will be to call the detective--was as to he should question him about the Tooley Alley crime. He was to this by the that he had Garth at the inquest. This had been on the previous day. The had in a of against some person or unknown, and the of the case had been officially in the hands of Fanks. So all was ship-shape.
And now the himself at a standstill. No had been either Mrs. Boazoph or Dr. Renshaw; and, as was Fanks as to their honesty, he no from the one or the other of them likely to the mystery. Failing this, he had to learn if possible all about the previous life of the deceased, and in this way if anyone was likely to be a by his death. Garth, who had the late Sir Gregory intimately--who had been present at the inquest--was the most likely person to these details; and Fanks was waiting for an opportunity of him. On the result of the would his movements.
"I say, Garth," said Fanks, "how much longer will your take?"
"I shall be at your service in ten minutes," Garth, without from his occupation. "What do you wish to talk about?"
"About the death of your friend, Sir Gregory Fellenger."
Garth looked up and with alacrity.
"Is the case in your hands, Fanks?"
"Yes; and I want some from you."
"I shall be happy to give it. But wait for a minutes; I am just about it to a friend of mine--and yours."
"Humph! and the name?"
"Ted Hersham, the journalist."
They looked at one another, the same their minds.
"Has your for anything to do with the left arm of our friend?" asked Fanks, after a pause.
Garth and returned to his work. When he had sealed, directed, and the Fanks spoke again.
"Garth?" he said; "I say, Garth?"
"Yes! What's the matter?"
"Don't send that till after our conversation."
"Ah! You why I am to him."
"My of a moments ago ought to have you that," said Fanks, dryly. "Yes; I your object, and I want you to the case in my hands. It is too difficult a one for you to manage alone."
"I know that it is difficult, Fanks, but I wish to solve this mystery."
"Because Fellenger was your friend?" asked Fanks.
"Because Fellenger was my cousin," Garth.
The took Fanks by surprise, as he had not of the relationship. He was aware that Fellenger and Garth had been close friends, but he little of the former, save as a acquaintance, and the was very about his private affairs, although he was the of others.
"So you wish to the death of your cousin," he after a moment.
Garth his shoulders.
"Hardly that," he replied; "between you and me, I did not for Fellenger. He was a lot, and we only together of our relationship. But I should like to out what took him to Tooley's Alley and who killed him."
"A curiosity. Do you anybody?"
"Not a soul. I am as much in the dark as--you are."
"I may not be so much in the dark as you think," said the other.
"Then why did you ask me to you?" Garth, sharply. "See here, Fanks, tell you all that I know if you will promise to keep me posted up the progress of the case."
Fanks his ring and reflected.
"I agree," he said briefly, "but you must not meddle--unless I tell you to do so."
"Agreed!" And the pair hands on the bargain.
"And now," said Fanks, grimly, "that letter, if you please."
After a moment's Garth it over. He had a great respect for the of his friend, and on the whole he it to out the agreement which had been concluded.
"Though I would send that if I were you," he expostulated; "Hersham has----"
"I know what Hersham has," Fanks; "but I want him to see me, not you. Wait till we know how we at the present moment. Come into the smoking-room and answer my questions."
"What a you are," Garth, as they left the room. "Evidently you don't in my discretion."
"I am about to do so," said Fanks, who the art of conciliation; "we will work together, and all that I know you shall know. But you must let me manage in my own way."
In his Garth was that Fanks should have him as his coadjutor, and, by the will of the detective, he took up the position of an underling. Garth was self-willed and not to reason; but Fanks had the law at his back, without which Garth not to do anything. Hence his acquiescence.
"Come, now, old fellow," said Fanks, amiably, "we have a hard us; so you must make it by my questions."
"Go on," said Garth, a cigar; "I always give in to a man who has had more than myself."
Fanks laughed at this way of the situation, but as he to keep on good terms with the lawyer he let the pass in silence. When they were settled, and he saw that they had the smoking-room to themselves, he took out his pocket-book and his as to the past of the man.
"The Fellengers are a Hampshire family, I believe?"
"Yes," Garth, with a nod; "Sir Gregory was the fourth and only son. The family seat is Mere Hall, near Bournemouth."
"You are Sir Gregory's cousin?"
"I am, on the mother's side."
"Who is the present baronet? Yourself or somebody else?"
"Somebody else," said Garth, with a sigh. "I should have told you if I had been his heir. I wonder at so a man as you so very a question."
"I have my reasons," said Fanks calmly. "Well, and who is the heir?"
"My cousin, Louis Fellenger; he is twenty-five years of age, and as great a as lived."
"Where he now?"
"I that he has gone to Mere Hall to take of the property. But he did live at Taxton-on-Thames, a village near Weybridge."
"Do you know Sir Louis intimately?"
"No. I have only him once or twice. He is a bookish, scientific man, and an invalid;--at least," Garth, "he has always a doctor with him; a tall, brute, called Binjoy, who him his finger. He has been with him for years."
"A tall, brute," Fanks, at this description. "Has the in question a long, beard?"
"No, he is clean shaven. A creature, of using long words, and proud of his voice and powers. Something like 'Conversation Kenge' in 'Bleak House.'"
"Humph!" said Fanks, by the description, which was not that of Renshaw, "we will discuss Dr. Binjoy later on. In the meantime, just me as to your relationship with the present baronet."
"It's easily understood. Gregory's father, Sir Francis--after I was named--had a and sister. She married my father, Richard Garth, and I am the offspring."
"And the was the father of the present Sir Louis?"
"Exactly. There is a great of all three cases. Gregory was an only child and his are dead; Louis is an only child, and his have also gone the way of all flesh; I am an only child, and I am an orphan."
Fanks a note of the family tree in his book.
"So so good," he said, with a nod. "Sir Gregory is and Sir Louis has succeeded him; if Louis dies without issue, you are the heir. And you?"
"The property goes to the Crown," Garth. "Louis and I are the of the Fellengers."
"The has considerably. Now what about your cousin. He was a rapid, I believe?"
"A regular lot; but I in with him because--well, he was useful to me. Understand?"
"Perfectly," Fanks, who of Garth's financial difficulties. "We will pass that. Have you any idea what took him to Tooley's Alley?"
"Not the slightest. I saw him two days his death--on the nineteenth--and he said nothing about going there then."
"Did he as you?"
"No. He was out of sorts. He had a of money at cards, I believe, and he was in consequence."
"There was no other trouble; no financial difficulty?"
"Not that I know of. Fast as he was, he not through ten thousand a year the age of twenty-eight."
"I have men who have done so," said Fanks dryly. "However, if it was not a question of money, what about the woman?"
"I don't think it was that, either," Garth. "It was a man he met--a negro--not a woman."
"True. Well, you were at the inquest?"--
"How do you know?" asked Garth, starting.
"I saw you there in the crowd."
"You see everything, Fanks."
"It is my to see everything, Garth. It is you were at the that I you out to-day. Now that you have to me your relationship to Sir Gregory I why you were present. But to return to the main point. You the of Dr. Renshaw?"
"Yes," Garth reflectively. "There might be something in that business. Not, mind you, that Gregory was the man to with of that kind. He was too much of a fool; but one knows; a man not have a on his arm for nothing."
"Do you think that it is the mark of a society?"
"I can't say; I should like to know. That is why I was to Hersham. Of you know that he----"
"I know that he has a on his arm also. And it is for that that I reject your business."
"It isn't mine. I am the lead of Renshaw."
"Then you are a will-o-the-wisp," Fanks. "See here, Garth. I have Hersham for a long time; he is the son of a in the Isle of Wight. He was up to the law like yourself; and also like yourself, he left it for journalism. As you know, he is a merry, open-minded creature, who not a if his life upon it. Do you think that if he had been mixed up with that he would have been able to the from me?"
"Then why is there a on his left arm?" asked Garth.
"I to see him and out. I noticed it long ago; but no on it, that it was the result of some school-boy freak. Now it has a new in my eyes. Therefore you must let me Hersham, and choose my own time and place for doing so."
"I you are right. Tear up that letter, please." Fanks out the letter.
"Tear it up yourself," he said.
This Garth did without remark, and looked at his friend.
"What do you to do now?" he asked.
"Continue this for a minutes longer. You were with the man, Garth. Did you notice this cross?"
"I did not," said Garth, promptly, "or I should have asked what it meant. By Jove!" he added, with a start. "Then all that must be nonsense."
"Of course," Fanks, smoothly. "I came to that long ago. Fellenger had no on his arm when he entered Tooley's Alley. It was that night by the negro."
"What makes you think that?"
"I a of on the of the room in which they were together; is used in tattooing. Again, the arm, when Renshaw it to me, was raw, as though the operation had been done lately."
"But why should Gregory go to Tooley's Alley to be tattooed?"
"Tell me that, and the of his death is at an end," said Fanks, significantly. "But I am that Fellenger let this his arm; and so came by his death."
"Came by his death," Garth in astonishment. "What do you mean?"
"Why," answered Fanks, seriously, "I that the used for the was poisoned; and so--," he his shoulders, "--the man died."
