Brixey

“ The poor brute was warm. Not so long since its life had coursed joyously enough through its veins, and Brixey uttered a malediction on the folk who had so callously taken it. But there was no use in indulging in sentiment, and he switched off his lamp and went on to the door. ”

“ People cross through the wood there to get outside the town into the country. There's a queer old place outside there that these antiquaries go to see—Mardene Mill."
"Ah, I was thinking of strolling that way myself," said Brixey. "Which way does one go? I'll chuck the Roman remains for this morning—see 'em another time, perhaps."
The young woman led him outside and pointed to the postern gate in the trees.
"Straight through," she said. Then, as Brixey showed signs of moving, she gave him a demure glance. "Coming back again sometime?" she asked. ”

“ Brixey started forward. In his observations of the big sheet of water behind the Priory grounds he had noticed the small, thickly-wooded island of which the policeman spoke, and now a sudden light flashed field of mental vision. He clapped the inspector on the shoulder.
"Come on at once!" he exclaimed. "I've an idea what that means. Come! Bring more men. Get this man outside to show us the nearest way."
Ten minutes later at the head of half a dozen men, Brixey was standing on the edge of the black surface of the lake, striving to penetrate the gloom. ”

“ As for me, if you've come to tell me anything relating to my uncle. I'm as silent as—as a man can be! So——"
The mysterious visitor sat down in a chair on one side of the rickety table, and Brixey, taking the other, leaned towards her.
"Don't be afraid of anything!" he said reassuringly, "This is real privacy."
Without further delay the visitor pushed up the heavy swathings of veil, and Brixey found himself looking at an elderly woman, of a strongly marked countenance, who, now that she was unveiled, leaned nearer to him and regarded him with an attention equal to his own. ”

“ This, of course, was identical, word for word, with the wire which Gaffkin had quoted to Brixey in his own wire of that morning. The variation from the original message had, of course, been made with a purpose, and——
The waitress entered the room at that moment, bringing some hot toast, and Brixey, after a sharp, observant glance at her, determined on a bold stroke. He motioned her to put the door to, and lowered his voice to a whisper.
"Look here!" he said, with a meaning look. "Would you like to earn a sovereign?" ”

“ He went straight into the Priory grounds—same as Mrs. Byfield had done, a minute or two sooner."
"On her heels, in fact?" suggested Brixey, with a glance at Crabbe.
"On her heels, as you might say, sir," assented Mrs. Crosse. "She’d gone in there, as I’ve often seen her doing of a morning, and he wouldn’t be a couple of minutes after her."
Brixey signed to the inspector and rose. But on his way to the door he looked significantly at the landlady.
"You’re the sort of woman that can keep things to yourself," he said. "Keep this to yourself—you understand?" ”

“ Yes, I certainly think a man might be locked up there, and nobody the wiser."
"But, think!" objected Brixey. "Those Priory grounds are visited all day long! Do you mean to say that a man so imprisoned couldn't attract attention from the windows, couldn't shout to those below?" ”

“ But, in spite of that, he was going on—the intuitive feeling that something was wrong was too powerful to be resisted. He had set out to find his uncle, and he was going to find him. His zeal might be misplaced, but Brixey’s way was to go through with things.
He was back at the "Mitre" before seven, and at once sought out Brackett, eager for news. Nothing had happened. The placard men had patrolled the streets until noon, when, in accordance with Brixey's orders, the printer had withdrawn them. But the one hour's publicity had been amply sufficient, said Brackett. ”

“ Another instant and he heard the hurrying steps in the yard beneath, then in the living-room below, then on the stair. And he knew then that it was a man who had come back for the green purse.
The man came running fast up the stairs. Brixey heard him panting. He turned straight into the room. Brixey saw his figure outlined against the grey light of the curtainless window. But the next instant the man struck a match ”

“ That done, he glanced significantly at his nephew.
"On this occasion, Dick" he said solemnly, "I think—whisky!"
Instead of ringing the bell, Brixey went round to the bar parlour in person. Brackett sat by the hearth reading the evening paper, in which he was so absorbed that he did not hear Brixey’s footstep until his guest clapped him on the shoulder.
"Got him!" said Brixey triumphantly. "He’s in the little parlour. Come in, and bring a decanter of your best whisky with you."
Brackett got up with marvellous alacrity for a man of his age. He stared at Brixey open-eyed. ”

“ Brixey left the train at Newhaven town station and walked up to the post office. He had to wait some little time before the clerk was found who had taken in the telegram about which he had called, but thereafter he had no difficulty in getting his first piece of information. The telegram had not been handed in over the counter at all, but telephoned from an hotel in the town.
"Man's voice or woman's?" asked Brixey. ”

“ He led Brixey (whose chief interest in his host's story had lain in the explanation which it afforded of Fanshawe's visit to the Priory on the previous night) to another part of the garden, where half a dozen dogs were confined in a wire enclosure,
Here Brixey spent the better part of an hour, listening to dog talk in which his young host was an adept. And all the while he was wondering what was going on in that twilight-filled room where they had left Mrs. Byfield and Georgina alone. ”

“ Therewith Fanshawe pushed a bulky packet into the hands of the astonished Georgina, who, becoming pale and red by turns, stared from Fanshawe to the smiling and nodding faces of the others and shot a queer glance at Brixey. ”

“ You see two men waiting outside. One, as you see, is a policeman; the other is a detective. And I don't want to have to call them in."
The woman found her tongue. Brixey knew her to possess a naturally pleasant and ingratiating voice, and it surprised him now to find how hoarse and strained it had become.
"How—how did you find us here?" she gasped.
Brixey allowed himself to wink, and to smile.
"Ah!" he answered. "In all these affairs, Mrs. Letwige, there's generally some little detail that one goes wrong in. When you went off last night, you left your green purse on your dressing-table! ”

“ Brixey himself!" he exclaimed. "Mr. Brixey——"
"What the devil have we to do with any Mr. Brixeys?" demanded Mesham. "We’ve told you what you wanted to know, and there’s an end of it! You go about your business, and leave us to ours!"
Brixey threw away his match and turned on the group.
"Businesses are apt to get a bit intermixed," he remarked. "What stage has this got to?"
The elder detective pointed at Letwige.
"He admits he’s John Letwige, Mr. Semmerby’s clerk from Selchester," he said. "He admits, too, that he’s in possession of Mrs. Byfield’s securities—certain of them, at any rate." ”

“ You can see for yourself," he went on, as he led Brixey round the corner, "this is a very small town. There are only these four main streets, all going off from the centre here—from that old Market Cross—in it.
"Your uncle was a stranger—and, I'm told, a fine-looking gentleman. How is it nobody saw him on Tuesday morning? At least, how is it we can't hear of anybody who saw him—in a bit of a place like this, where a stranger can scarcely fail to be noticed!"
"Aye!" said Brixey. ”

“ Brixey," said Willett. "Come for a bit of quiet talk. I haven't told him anything yet. But he understands that whatever is said is between the three of us."
"Aye!" responded Archington, with a nod to the stranger. "Just so. To be sure! Mr. Linthwaite's nephew, I understand, sir? Just so. Queer business, Mr. Brixey—uncommonly so. You haven't heard anything as to your uncle's whereabouts?"
"No!" replied Brixey. "I'd be only too glad to!"
Archington, who was warming his back at a cheery fire, stood for a moment thoughtfully rubbing his chin. ”

“ DID THEY MEET?"
"Bless my soul!" repeated Brackett. "What will Mesham say to that? He'll—gad, sir, if that doesn't force him to something! Here, I'll get a copy of that to hang up in the bar, Mr. Brixey. Publicity, eh, sir—you believe in it?"
Brixey laughed, and, without replying, strolled slowly down the street after the line of placard-bearers. The town was just then filling with the usual Saturday morning crowd, and within a few minutes every other person was thronging the edges of the sidewalks to read the staring red-and-black. ”

“ Brixey went off to the hotel. He was on the track of something, and of somebody; the next thing was to discover who the person was who had come to Newhaven in order to send that designedly misleading message. Would the hotel folk, who no doubt saw a great many people, be likely to remember any particular person who had been there, perhaps only for a few minutes, two days before? ”

“ Brixey wheeled his companion into the street and pulled him up before the first shop they came to.
"Everything's in the dark," he said, pointing to a bill which hung prominently displayed. "There’s the first effort I’ve made to dispel the darkness, Gaffkin. I want your help; you’re the only man I could think of. As far as I can see, there’s some extraordinary mystery about my uncle’s disappearance." ”

“ If Miss Georgina Byfield would give her consent, I'd engage to run up to town to-night and find a man who'd take it in hand and make an application to the court first thing to-morrow morning."
"That, means," said Brixey, slowly and thoughtfully, "that we should have to tell her all about it?"
"She's' an Intelligent young woman," answered Gaffkin, "Above the average, from what I've seen of her. ”

“ CHAPTER XI A SIDE-TRACK SUGGESTION As Brixey and Gaffkin turned into the police station, the constable who had acted as intermediary between them and his inspector once or twice, by carrying messages to the "Mitre" came hurrying out and pulled himself up at sight of them.
"Just going to fetch you, sir," he said, looking at Brixey. "Mr Crabbe would like a word with you. There’s a man come in from Normanstead with some news." ”

“ Gaffkin, you and Matsey go with them."
"And what about you, Mr. Brixey?" asked the elder detective. "What are you going to do?"
"Follow up a little idea of my own," answered Brixey. "And, on second thoughts. I'll keep Matsey. You can manage without him?"
"We'll take these fellows to the station round there and make them account for their doings," replied the detective. "You’ll come there and identify Letwige and tell what you know?"
"I'll come there before very long and identify Letwige and Mesham, and tell all I know!" assented Brixey. "You go and make sure of them." ”

“ CHAPTER XXVIII MAROONED Brixey gripped the inspector by the arm as he heard that cry.
"There you are!" he said. "Found! That's Mr. Linthwaite's voice. Now, then—how to get to him? What is this island? Do people go across to it?"
"There's a hut on it that's used for wild-fowl shooting," answered Crabbe. "And there ought to be a punt somewhere about here. This is a queer business, Mr. Brixey," he went on as they began to search the bank of the lake. "How on earth does this poor gentleman come to be there?"
"Never mind that," exclaimed Brixey. "He'll tell us all that later. Coming!" ”

“ It doesn’t do to talk about anybody. But I suppose most of your investigations about this gentleman who’s missing are under the rose, eh?"
"Pretty much so," agreed Brixey. "It’s a first-class sort of mystery, anyhow, Mr. Willett."
"I believe you!" Said the bookseller. He opened a door, at the back of the shop, and remarking to some person within that he was going out for half an hour, put on his hat and motioned Brixey to follow him.
"We'll step round to Mr. Archington’s," he said, as they walked down the passage. "Talk there more quietly." ”

“ A man came round the corner—a man whom Brixey, had he been writing newspaper English, would have called a person of an an eminently watchful and noticing disposition, evidenced, in this instance, by the fact that when he saw Gaffkin in conversation with strangers, he immediately affected absolute non-knowledge of him, and made as if to cross the street. ”

“ There were two gates—one, wide enough to admit a carriage, was set between pillars; the other, a wicket-gate, was set in the wall itself. Gaffkin tried both.
"Locked!" he said. "Both locked. No getting in there, Mr. Brixey."
"Yet the folks who live inside must get in and out," remarked Brixey. "And I suppose people go to see them now and then? Look if there’s a bell. ”

“ Brixey returned the look.
"Not good at riddles," he retorted. "What’s this one?"
"Old men are apt to be a bit talkative, aren’t they?" said Georgina. "I've always believed that Mrs. Byfield kept everybody away from my Uncle Martin, because she was afraid of his saying things she didn't want anybody to hear." ”

“ They came back in spring, and Martin Byfield brought a wife home with him."
"This present Mrs. Byfield?" asked Brixey, who was making careful mental notes. "The one I've seen?"
"The same, sir," answered Brackett. "Brought her home, a bride. A rare handsome woman she was, too; a woman, I should say of twenty-eight or thirty—maybe a year or two more." ”

“ I'll——"
"Mere statement of fact," remarked Brixey, pointing to the last placard. "You admitted it to Crabbe last night. Now, did you meet my uncle?"
"Go to hell!" hissed Mesham, moving off in the direction of the police station.
"You," said Brixey, quietly sidling up to Mesham's side, "are in a very fair way of going to jail. Listen—these men will parade the streets for two hours, unless their presence leads to a riot. But they'll have done their effective work long before that—in fact, they've done it now. ”