"I propose to go up there presently. I have arranged it with theestimable Ames, who is by no means whole-hearted about Barker. I shallsit in that room and see if its atmosphere brings me inspiration. I'm abeliever in the genius loci. You smile, Friend Watson. Well, we shallsee. By the way, you have that big umbrella of your
s, have you not?"
"It is here."
"Well, I'll borrow that if I may."
"Certainly--but what a wretched weapon! If there is danger--"
"Nothing serious, my dear Watson, or I should certainly ask for yourassistance. But I'll take the umbrella. At present I am only awaitingthe return of our colleagues from Tunbridge Wells, where they are atpresent engaged in trying for a likely owner to the bicycle."
It was nightfall before Inspector MacDonald and White Mason came backfrom their expedition, and they arrived exultant, reporting a greatadvance in our investigation.
"Man, I'll admeet that I had my doubts if there was ever an outsider,"said MacDonald, "but that's all past now. We've had the bicycleidentified, and we have a description of our man; so that's a long stepon our journey."
"It sounds to me like the beginning of the end," said Holmes. "I'm sureI congratulate you both with all my heart."
"Well, I started from the fact that Mr. Douglas had seemed disturbedsince the day before, when he had been at Tunbridge Wells. It was atTunbridge Wells then that he had become conscious of some danger. Itwas clear, therefore, that if a man had come over with a bicycle it wasfrom Tunbridge Wells that he might be expected to have come. We tookthe bicycle over with us and showed it at the hotels. It was identifiedat once by the manager of the Eagle Commercial as belonging to a mannamed Hargrave, who had taken a room there two days before. Thisbicycle and a small valise were his whole belongings. He had registeredhis name as coming from London, but had given no address. The valisewas London made, and the contents were British; but the man himself wasundoubtedly an American."
"Well, well," said Holmes gleefully, "you have indeed done some solidwork while I have been sitting spinning theories with my friend! It's alesson in being practical, Mr. Mac."
"Ay, it's just that, Mr. Holmes," said the inspector with satisfaction.
"But this may all fit in with your theories," I remarked.
"That may or may not be. But let us hear the end, Mr. Mac. Was therenothing to identify this man?"
"So little that it was evident that he had carefully guarded himselfagainst identification. There were no papers or letters, and no markingupon the clothes. A cycle map of the county lay on his bedroom table.He had left the hotel after breakfast yesterday morning on his bicycle,and no more was heard of him until our inquiries."
"That's what puzzles me, Mr. Holmes," said White Mason. "If the fellowdid not want the hue and cry raised over him, one would imagine that hewould have returned and remained at the hotel as an inoffensivetourist. As it is, he must know that he will be reported to the policeby the hotel manager and that his disappearance will be connected withthe murder."
"So one would imagine. Still, he has been justified of his wisdom up todate, at any rate, since he has not been taken. But hisdescription--what of that?"
MacDonald referred to his notebook. "Here we have it so far as theycould give it. They don't seem to have taken any very particular stockof him; but still the porter, the clerk, and the chambermaid are allagreed that this about covers the points. He was a man about five footnine in height, fifty or so years of age, his hair slightly grizzled, agrayish moustache, a curved nose, and a face which all of themdescribed as fierce and forbidding."
"Well, bar the expression, that might almost be a description ofDouglas himself," said Holmes. "He is just over fifty, with grizzledhair and moustache, and about the same height. Did you get anythingelse?"
"He was dressed in a heavy gray suit with a reefer jacket, and he worea short yellow overcoat and a soft cap."
"What about the shotgun?"
"It is less than two feet long. It could very well have fitted into hisvalise. He could have carried it inside his overcoat withoutdifficulty."
"And how do you consider that all this bears upon the general case?"
"Well, Mr. Holmes," said MacDonald, "when we have got our man--and youmay be sure that I had his description on the wires within five minutesof hearing it--we shall be better able to judge. But, even as itstands, we have surely gone a long way. We know that an Americancalling himself Hargrave came to Tunbridge Wells two days ago withbicycle and valise. In the latter was a sawed-off shotgun; so he camewith the deliberate purpose of crime. Yesterday morning he set off forthis place on his bicycle, with his gun concealed in his overcoat. Noone saw him arrive, so far as we can learn; but he need not passthrough the village to reach the park gates, and there are manycyclists upon the road. Presumably he at once concealed his cycle amongthe laurels where it was found, and possibly lurked there himself, withhis eye on the house, waiting for Mr. Douglas to come out. The shotgunis a strange weapon to use inside a house; but he had intended to useit outside, and there it has very obvious advantages, as it would beimpossible to miss with it, and the sound of shots is so common in anEnglish sporting neighbourhood that no particular notice would betaken."
"That is all very clear," said Holmes.
"Well, Mr. Douglas did not appear. What was he to do next? He left hisbicycle and approached the house in the twilight. He found the bridgedown and no one about. He took his chance, intending, no doubt, to makesome excuse if he met anyone. He met no one. He slipped into the firstroom that he saw, and concealed himself behind the curtain. Thence hecould see the drawbridge go up, and he knew that his only escape wasthrough the moat. He waited until quarter-past eleven, when Mr. Douglasupon his usual nightly round came into the room. He shot him andescaped, as arranged. He was aware that the bicycle would be describedby the hotel people and be a clue against him; so he left it there andmade his way by some other means to London or to some safe hiding placewhich he had already arranged. How is that, Mr. Holmes?"
"Well, Mr. Mac, it is very good and very clear so far as it goes. Thatis your end of the story. My end is that the crime was committed halfan hour earlier than reported; that Mrs. Douglas and Barker are both ina conspiracy to conceal something; that they aided the murderer'sescape--or at least that they reached the room before he escaped--andthat they fabricated evidence of his escape through the window, whereasin all probability they had themselves let him go by lowering thebridge. That's my reading of the first half."
The two detectives shook their heads.
"Well, Mr. Holmes, if this is true, we only tumble out of one mysteryinto another," said the London inspector.
"And in some ways a worse one," added White Mason. "The lady has neverbeen in America in all her life. What possible connection could shehave with an American assassin which would cause her to shelter him?"