Gebb

“ With this Gebb was forced to be content; and as already he had obtained Alder's permission to search the Hall, he went away rather low-spirited. It seemed hard that the man should come to an untimely end, just when he inherited his kingdom. Moreover, he had behaved very well in defending Ferris in the face of all evidence, and releasing him from prison; therefore Gebb thought it just as well to send a line to the artist and Edith, so that they might come forward in their turn to do what they could for the man who had acted so generously towards them both. ”

“ I know he does!" cried Prain, in despair. "God bless my soul, what a case this is! The more we talk about it the more confused does it become. I tell you what, Gebb, your only chance of arriving at the truth lies in either forcing Ferris to confess where he got the necklace, or in hunting down Dean."
"I'll try the first of your suggestions at once," said Gebb, putting on his hat. "And if Ferris won't confess to me, I'll write and ask Miss Wedderburn to come to town."
"What good can she do?"
"She can make him confess the truth. What the man won't do for justice he may do for love. ”

“ However, I'll see him at once. Justice will make the first attempt--Love the second."
"And both will fail!" cried Prain. "You'd better catch Dean, my good man."
"That's easier said than done," retorted Gebb; and the two parted, each more or less exasperated. And very naturally, for the perplexities of the Grangebury murder case were enough to anger the mildest natures, and those of Prain and Gebb were rather the reverse.
Irritated and puzzled by the complexion of affairs, Gebb did not let the grass grow under his feet, but at once visited the prison in which Arthur Ferris was confined. ”

“ You wish to learn who killed Miss Gilmar, sir? I tell you I do not know! Mr. Dean, in my opinion, is innocent; but on the face of it, I admit that appearances are against him. Perhaps if you find the man and question him you may arrive at the truth."
"It is not improbable," replied Gebb, coolly; "but we must catch him first. Still, Miss Wedderburn, your opinion of Dean's guilt or innocence does not explain your recent conduct. ”

“ The frowning mark between the eyes, by which the detective had known him, was smoothed away, and there was no expression on the blank countenance, no movement in the slack limbs. Gebb, however, knew that this apparent death was only a temporary faintness, and whipping out his brandy-flask, forced some drops of the fiery liquid between the white lips of his prisoner. While engaged in this kindly office, the labourers who had joined in the pursuit came up with much amazement expressed on their honest, sunburnt faces. ”

“ Gebb, that in every way chance played into Alder's hands."
"'The wicked flourish like a green bay tree'; but not for long," said Gebb, grimly. "But tell me. Why was Alder so kind to Ferris?"
"Oh, that was his deceit," said Basson, with a sigh. "He fancied that when Dean was accused of this second murder Edith would never marry Ferris, as being the son of such a man. He was kind to him because he wanted to ingratiate himself with Edith: so that she might marry him after parting, as he thought she would, with Ferris." ”

“ It looked like a place with a history; and Gebb wondered if Miss Wedderburn, on becoming its mistress, would care to inhabit it again.
"When she marries Ferris and begins a new life, I dare say she will seek some more cheerful abode," he thought, as he stood on the terrace, and looked on the silent house. "It would be foolish for a young couple to dwell with the ghosts of the past. I am not imaginative myself, but I should not care to live here; no, not if the house was given to me rent free. If I were Miss Wedderburn I'd pull it down and build a new place without a past or a ghost." ”

“ Parge listened attentively, and was gracious enough to signify his approval of Gebb's conduct.
"You have not done badly," he said, with a nod. "Although your discoveries have been due more to good luck than to your own intelligence. If the girl had not confessed about her visit, and her giving of the necklace to Ferris, you would still be in doubt about his innocence."
"No, I wouldn't," protested Gebb. "Before Miss Wedderburn spoke I was quite sure that Ferris was guiltless. Alder's evidence proved that he was at the lecture, at the time the crime was committed." ”

“ Prain."
"How is that?" asked the solicitor, in amazement. Whereat Gebb, with the assistance of Alder, told him of the presence of Ferris in the Town Hall at the hour the murder was committed. Prain was more amazed than ever. "Great Heavens!" he said; "if the man is innocent, and can prove it, as you say, why doesn't he speak out?"
"Because he is screening some one, I think," said Gebb.
"I know he is," said Alder; "and I believe that the some one is Dean." ”

“ And I can't say as I care to work with a man as doesn't know when his friend is doing him a good turn. You say another word, Simon Parge, and I'll reduce your reward to twenty-five pounds."
If Parge had been able to move he would no doubt have fallen on Gebb; but chained as he was to his chair, he could do nothing but glare at his junior with a fierce eye and a very red face. He knew very well that Gebb was acting in the most generous manner in offering to share the reward, so, fearful of losing all by opening his mouth too wide, he sulkily signified that half a loaf was better than none. ”

“ Every one's got a frown," said Gebb, in a disgusted tone.
"Not of his sort," was Parge's answer. "Since sitting here, Absalom, I've been reading a heap of books I never read before. Amongst others one called 'Redgauntlet,' by a baronet, Sir Walter Scott. Know it?"
"No, I don't. What has it got to do with Dean?"
"There was a fellow in it," said Parge, following his own reflections, "as had a horseshoe mark over his nose when he frowned. Quite queer it was."
"Must have been," said Gebb, derisively. "And has Dean a horseshoe?" ”

“ If things were as Gebb surmised, Ferris, in hoping that his crime would be laid to the charge of Dean, displayed an amount of cunning hardly compatible with his disposal of the plunder. He had accomplished the crime so cleverly, and had escaped so mysteriously, that Gebb could not understand why he had pawned the necklace so openly, the very next day, under the obviously false name of James Brown. The rashness nullified his former caution, for he might have guessed that information concerning the jewels would be sent to all pawnshops. ”

“ I'm sorry for the poor devil, as now that Alder owns the Hall I dare say he'll be kicked out, and have to end his days in an asylum."
"The best place for him, in my opinion," said Gebb, emphatically. "He is as mad as a March hare, and not half so harmless. Hullo! Who is that knocking? Come in."
It proved to be a note from Inspector Lackland, asking Gebb to come down to Grangebury. In the first instance it had gone to Scotland Yard, and, as it seemed important, had been sent on to the detective, who had left word that he would be at Prain's, in case he was wanted. ”

“ When you turn up the ace of spades you know it's time to order your coffin."
"Rubbish!" said Gebb. "Humbug!" roared the inspector; and they both shrugged their shoulders to show their contempt for such superstition.
Mrs. Presk shook her head gloomily. "Talk won't alter the matter!" she said, pointing to the card. "There's the death-token, and there's the corpse; what do you make of that?"
"I make this," said Gebb, dryly; "that the murderer must be a person of imagination."
"He ought to be shot, the blackguard," growled Lackland, "play-acting with a corpse. ”

“ If he can't explain, or won't explain, those diamonds will hang him."
"In what way? I don't quite see how you arrive at that point."
"Miss Gilmar wore the necklace on the night she was killed," explained the detective; "it was gone when we found the body; so by the strongest of circumstantial evidence the assassin must have taken it."
"All this may be true, Mr. Gebb, but it does not prove that poor Ferris is guilty."
"I think it does," replied Gebb, coolly, "seeing that he pawned the necklace in question. If he isn't the principal, he is an accessory before the fact." ”

“ Two men were waiting at a distance, but on Gebb's nodding to them to intimate that his charge was amenable to reason, they walked off; and shortly afterwards the detective and Ferris got into a hansom. Gebb directed the driver whither to go, and then turned to comfort his companion, for whose despair he felt extremely sorry. Certainly, the young man's conduct did not suggest guilt.
"Cheer up, Mr. Ferris," he said kindly; "if you are innocent you will soon be out of this trouble." ”

“ But you must not forget that we had much that was dangerous to ourselves to conceal. If we had told you about the necklace, you might have suspected us of the crime, and it was dread of such danger which kept us silent."
"I know that you are both innocent," said Gebb, coldly. "But about Dean?"
"We did not speak of Dean--of my father--for the same reason," struck in Arthur, earnestly. "He was imprisoned for a crime which he did not commit, and you would not have had me--his own son--betray him."
"Perhaps not; it is a hard thing to ask," responded the detective. ”

“ Miss Wedderburn wrote and informed you of that," said Gebb, coolly.
"What do you know of Miss Wedderburn?" asked Ferris, in surprise.
"I have seen her and spoken with her; and I know from her own lips that she is engaged to you. On your writing-table I saw an envelope with the Norminster postmark and yesterday's date, so I guessed that she wrote to you about Miss Gilmar's death."
"She did! I have no reason to conceal it. But she did not mention that she had conversed with you."
"Perhaps not, Mr. Ferris. She is a young lady who can keep her own counsel." ”

“ Presk is doing. Question her; question the servant who---- By the way, what is the servant's name?"
"Matilda Crane; but she knows nothing."
"It's as well to ask her, however," warned Parge. "The people who seem to know least usually know most. Now go away, Absalom, and don't be so long in looking me up again. I'm anxious to get to the bottom of this case."
"You can't be more anxious than I am," replied Gebb, disconsolately. ”

“ Even if Mrs. Presk did prove to be ignorant of Miss Ligram's past--which was extremely unlikely--the strongly marked and eccentric taste of the lodger, as exemplified in illumination, colouring, and furnishing, might provide a sufficiently stable basis for operations. In a word, Gebb considered that the most promising clue to the mystery was the predominance of the colour yellow in the sitting-room. Criminal problems, as he knew, had been solved by slighter means. ”

“ It was lucky she did not, or her death would have gone unavenged; as it is----"
"As it is, the man will escape the law," interrupted Gebb, "but I dare say he'll be punished somehow. I'm sure he deserves to be. Did Mrs. Presk know of 'Tilda's discovery?"
"No! 'Tilda kept the discovery to herself, and intended to sell her information to the highest bidder. It took me two hours to wring the truth and the letter out of her; but I did in the end, and for the evidence I paid her five pounds."
"I've no doubt Miss Wedderburn will pay you when she comes into the estate." ”

“ I have it!" cried Gebb, smiting his open palm with his fist, "the visitor was telling Miss Ligram's fortune. He placed the cards in that position and told her to draw one. She drew the ace of spades, which yet lies in her lap, and when face to face with the omen of death he killed her."
Here the detective paused to consider if he was correct in assuming the assassin to be a man. Fortune-telling--especially by cards--is usually indulged in by the other sex. But would a woman, however cruel, have so brutally strangled her unsuspecting hostess, and--as it may be assumed--friend? ”

“ Is not such a foul accusation enough to make you believe the wretch to be guilty?"
"Not quite," rejoined Gebb, dryly; "a man may be a blackguard without being a murderer. Besides, this Laura seems to have been weak--in fact, half-witted; so Dean might have had some grounds for his belief. However, if you can recall his defence, I shall be in a better position to judge."
"Briefly," replied Parge, "his defence was as follows. He declared that he was left alone with Kirkstone in the Yellow Boudoir, or rather smoking-room, about half-past ten o'clock." ”

“ She treated him most vindictively."
"It is no use our discussing that matter," said Gebb, tartly. "I believe--on arguments I furnished you with before--that Dean is innocent. You think he is guilty; time and discovery may prove which of us is right. The question now is, where is he to be found?"
"I can't say, Absalom. He escaped from prison in 1893, and we hunted for him high and low, but without success. He vanished as completely as though the earth had swallowed him up. I thought myself he might have gone to Kirkstone Hall to kill Miss Gilmar ”

“ Alder?" said Gebb.
"Yes. Of course, by the will of Kirkstone's ancestor Mr. Alder becomes possessed of the Hall; but Miss Gilmar has left her personal property--that is, the money which she inherited from Laura Kirkstone--to him also. Miss Wedderburn, I am sorry to say, receives nothing."
"Poor girl. She will have to leave the Hall."
Prain shrugged his shoulders. "That is at her own discretion," he said, coolly. "Mr. Alder is in love with her; so if she marries him----"
"She won't marry him," interrupted Gebb; "she is in love with, and engaged to, Mr. Ferris." ”