‘I think you’d better ask Mr Archie Hopeton that question. It’s my opinion he knows all about Bessie, where she went – ay, and where she is.’
I confess to being confounded with surprise. A policeman sees many queer things, but I thought I could have pinned my faith on my friend Archie’s truth and honesty of purpose concerning Bessie Elliot.
‘Do you know who I am? I asked as calmly as I could.
‘No, and I don’t much care.’
‘Oh, yes you do. I am Detective Sinclair and you’ve heard of me. Now will you tell me who the man was that was hanging about this at a late hour last night?’
‘Who saw him?’ was the return question put very sullenly.
‘That’s none of your business. Who was it?’
‘Well, it was Jack Sprague, and I don’t know what it is to anyone if I have a young man I’m keeping company with.’
‘I won’t ask you if Mrs Elliot allows followers, for I don’t care. What I want to know is where Jack Sprague hangs out. I want to see him. I have some idea that he can give me some information about this case. Now for two plain questions. Where can I lay eyes on the young gentleman? And what did you mean by saying that Mr Hopeton knew all about Miss Elliot’s running away?’
She paused for a moment, in doubt as to her safest course, and then she brazened it out.
‘Jack Sprague is stopping in Puntwater at the Commercial. I don’t care who knows it, and he don’t either. He came down to see me, and he was waiting about last night to see me.’
‘One question answered, now for the other, Miss Dempsey. What makes you pretend to suspect Mr Hopeton?’
‘Pretend, indeed! I don’t pretend anything. Jack was waiting for me last night, and as there was company, I couldn’t get out. When I did see him, they had all gone to bed and it was very late.’
‘About what time?’
‘Eleven or thereabouts.’
‘Well?’
‘Jack told me that, about an hour before, a woman in a boat had rowed up to the bank, and seeing him before he could get out of the way, had called him. She asked him if he would take a note from Mr Archie Hopeton to Miss Bessie, and she would give him half-a-crown. As he wanted to get an excuse to see me, he consented, and as it happened, Miss Bessie was standing at that door on the verandah when he came up to the house.’
‘He gave her the note?’
‘Yes, and it was from Mr Hopeton. You can put two and two together as well as J can, Mr Detective.’
‘I can, perhaps better. And now, oblige me by leaving,’ and I opened the door for her to pass out. She did so, giving me a look as she passed, black enough to poison me if looks could do it.
I had listened to the woman’s story, but without believing one particle of it, save that Jack Sprague had been there on the night before. I knew that man of aliases, and that a bigger rascal never went unhung, and although I never would have thought of murder in connection with him unless there was money to be made by it, I had no doubt but that Ann Dempsey and he were both at the bottom of Bessie Elliot’s disappearance. In the meantime, while thinking this, I was looking around the room to see if by any chance there might be any signs of that note Ann Dempsey was so positive about.
But I saw nothing of it, and left the room as wise as I had entered it, so far as traces of crime were concerned. After I had thoroughly satisfied myself I went out and locked the door behind me.
I managed to slip out without Mrs. Elliot observing me – for I did not want to be overwhelmed with the poor woman’s questions when I could give no satisfactory reply to them. Archie, however, saw or heard me and hurried out to join me.
‘Well?’ was his anxious question, and looking in the young fellow’s face, seeing its haggard anxiety and trembling lips, it was utterly impossible to suspect him of foul dealing – his grief and fear were too real. ‘Have you discovered anything?’
‘No, but I want to ask you a question. Did you send Bessie a note by anyone last night?’
‘A note! No, certainly not. What makes you ask such a question!’
‘Never mind just now. Answer me another. In what boat did you intend to take Miss Elliot for a row today?’
‘In our own, to be sure – that is, in aunt’s. Didn’t you observe it moored at the bottom of the garden?’
‘No. Did you bring it up this morning then?’
‘I did not. We did not intend to go until after breakfast. I only came to see what time she would be ready. In the name of mercy, Sinclair, tell me what you think of it – has anything serious happened to my darling?’
‘I don’t know what to think yet, Archie, and look here, if you want me to find out, don’t bother me. Just devote yourself to that poor mother, and believe me, I will do all I can; but don’t ask me anything about it until I have something to tell.’
He turned away with a grieved look, and after making some inquiries about the neighbourhood, I went away quickly, turning my face toward the township.
Archie’s explanation about the boat had given my ideas a strange and new turn. After all, I might have come to too hasty a conclusion in thinking that Jack Sprague and the woman, who was neither more nor less than his accomplice, had some knowledge of the girl’s abduction. The way I had to go was but short, yet it seemed interminable to me, so anxious was I to reach my object.
My first entry was to the telegraph office, by means of which I despatched a telegram to our department. As I came out I saw at the hotel side door, next to the office, a face and figure I knew, though the man was dressed in a rûle I had never before seen him acting – viz., that of a labouring man. I diverged from the footway and confronted him.
‘Do you know your old friends when you meet them, mate?’ I asked.
‘I know you, at all events,’ he answered with an independent air that was sufficient, or at least, almost sufficient in itself to assure me that he was not engaged in any unlawful ‘lay’ at the time. ‘As to friendship, the less said about that between you and me the better.’
‘I believe you are right so far,’ I returned dryly. ‘What may be your business at Puntwater?’
‘None of yours at any rate.’
‘It’s not the first time you’ve been mistaken, Mr Sprague, alias etc, etc., etc. I want some information about your movements about ten o’clock last night.’
‘You won’t get it, D Sinclair.’
‘Oh, yes, I will. I have seen Miss Dempsey at Mrs Elliot’s this morning, and she referred me to you and told me you were putting up at the Commercial.’
He looked at me dubiously.
‘What did she refer you to me for?’
‘For the information I want.’
‘What information do you want?’
‘About someone giving you something to deliver at Elliot’s last night.’
‘Oh, is that all! You’re quite welcome to that.’
‘Tell me all about it then.’
‘Well, there ain’t much to tell. I went hanging about under the trees at the bottom of Elliot’s garden on the river bank when a boat shot up, and before I could get out of the way someone called me.’
‘A man or a woman?’
‘A woman.’
‘What sort of woman and what sort of boat?’
‘A youngish woman, I should say, from her voice, but you know the time it was, and although it was moonlight it was very dim under the trees. As for the boat, it was a pretty light affair, and it was wonderful to see how well the woman managed the sculls.’
‘Well, go on.’
‘She called me and asked me if I would give Miss Bessie Elliot a note from Mr Archie Hopeton, with the offer of half-a-crown for the job, and I said yes; so she gave me the note and the money without leaving the boat. After telling me not to fail as it was urgent, she pulled down past the bend.
‘And you delivered it?’
‘I went up the garden boldly, as I had now some business to be on the premises, and just as I got near the house, Miss Elliot came out on the verandah and stood leaning over the rails looking up at the moon. I went up and handed her the note.’