第25章 The Deadly Tube(3)

Yes, the maid had noticed how her mistress had been failing, had noticed it long ago, in fact almost at the time when she had begun the X-ray treatment.She had seemed to improve once when she went away for a few days, but that was at the start, and directly after her return she grew worse again, until she was no longer herself.

"Did Dr.Gregory, the X-ray specialist, ever attend Mrs.Close at her home, in her room?" asked Craig.

"Yes, once, twice, he call, but he do no good," she said with her French accent.

"Did Mrs.Close have other callers?"

"But, m'sieur, everyone in society has many.What does m'sieur mean?""Frequent callers--a Mr.Lawrence, for instance?""Oh, yes, Mr.Lawrence frequently."

"When Mr.Close was at home?"

"Yes, on business and on business, too, when he was not at home.

He is the attorney, m'sieur."

"How did Mrs.Close receive him?"

"He is the attorney, m'sieur," Marie repeated persistently.

"And he, did he always call on business?""Oh, yes, always on business, but well, madame, she was a very beautiful woman.Perhaps he like beautiful women--eh bien? That was before the Doctor Gregory treated madame.After the doctor treated madame M'sieur Lawrence do not call so often.That's all.""Are you thoroughly devoted to Mrs.Close? Would you do a favour for her?" asked Craig point-blank.

"Sir, I would give my life, almost, for madame.She was always so good to me.""I don't ask you to give your life for her, Marie," said Craig, "but you can do her a great service, a very great service.""I will do it."

"To-night," said Craig, "I want you to sleep in Mrs.Close's room.You can do so, for I know that Mr.Close is living at the St.Francis Club until his wife returns from the sanitarium.

Tomorrow morning come to my laboratory"--Craig handed her his card--"and I will tell you what to do next.By the way, don't say anything to anyone in the house about it, and keep a sharp watch on the actions of any of the servants who may go into Mrs.

Close's room."

"Well," said Craig, "there is nothing more to be done immediately." We had once more regained the street and were walking up-town.We walked in silence for several blocks.

"Yes," mused Craig, "there is something you can do, after all, Walter.I would like you to look up Gregory and Close and Lawrence.I already know something about them.But you can find out a good deal with your newspaper connections.I would like to have every bit of scandal that has ever been connected with them, or with Mrs.Close, or," he added significantly, "with any other woman.It isn't necessary to say that not a breath of it must be published --yet."I found a good deal of gossip, but very little of it, indeed, seemed to me at the time to be of importance.Dropping in at the St.Francis Club, where I had some friends, I casually mentioned the troubles of the Huntington Closes.I was surprised to learn that Close spent little of his time at the Club, none at home, and only dropped into the hospital to make formal inquiries as to his wife's condition.It then occurred to me to drop into the office of Society Squibs, whose editor I had long known.The editor told me, with that nameless look of the cynical scandalmonger, that if I wanted to learn anything about Huntington Close I had best watch Mrs.Frances Tulkington, a very wealthy Western divorcee about whom the smart set were much excited, particularly those whose wealth made it difficult to stand the pace of society as it was going at present.

"And before the tragedy," said the editor with another nameless look, as if he were imparting a most valuable piece of gossip, "it was the talk of the town, the attention that Close's lawyer was paying to Mrs.Close.But to her credit let me say that she never gave us a chance to hint at anything, and--well, you know us; we don't need much to make snappy society news."The editor then waged even more confidential, for if I am anything at all, I am a good listener, and I have found that often by sitting tight and listening I can get more than if Iwere a too-eager questioner.

"It really was a shame,--the way that man Lawrence played his game," he went on."I understand that it was he who introduced Close to Mrs.T.They were both his clients.Lawrence had fought her case in the courts when she sued old Tulkington for divorce, and a handsome settlement he got for her, too.They say his fee ran up into the hundred thousands--contingent, you know.I don't know what his game was"--here he lowered his voice to a whisper "but they say Close owes him a good deal of money.You can figure it out for yourself as you like.Now, I've told you all I know.

Come in again, Jameson, when you want some more scandal, and remember me to the boys down on the Star."The following day the maid visited Kennedy at his laboratory while I was reporting to him on the result of my investigations.

She looked worn and haggard.She had spent a sleepless night and begged that Kennedy would not ask her to repeat the experiment.

"I can promise you, Marie," he said, "that you will rest better to-night.But you must spend one more night in Mrs.Close's room.

By the way, can you arrange for me to go through the room this morning when you go back?"Marie said she could, and an hour or so later Craig and I quietly slipped into the Close residence under her guidance.He was carrying something that looked like a miniature barrel, and I had another package which he had given me, both carefully wrapped up.

The butler eyed us suspiciously, but Marie spoke a few words to him and I think showed him Mrs.Close's note.Anyhow he said nothing.