“Monsieur le Président,” said the chief of the detective-service, solemnly, “Lupin disposes of such means that we are not in a position to prevent what he has decided on. The escape was mathematically certain. I preferred to pass the hand … and leave the laughter for others to face.”
Valenglay chuckled:
“It’s a fact that Monsieur le Préfet de Police and M. Weber cannot be enjoying themselves at the present moment. … But, when all is said, can you explain to me, M. Lenormand …”
“All that we know, Monsieur le Président, is that the escape took place from the Palais de Justice. The prisoner was brought in a prison-van and taken to M. Formerie’s room. He left M. Formerie’s room, but he did not leave the Palais de Justice. And yet nobody knows what became of him.”
“It’s most bewildering.”
“Most bewildering.”
“And has nothing else been discovered?”
“Yes. The inner corridor leading to the examining magistrates’ rooms was blocked by an absolutely unprecedented crowd of prisoners, warders, counsel and doorkeepers; and it was discovered that all those people had received forged notices to appear at the same hour. On the other hand, not one of the examining-magistrates who were supposed to have summoned them sat in his room that day; and this because of forged notices from the public prosecutor’s office, sending them to every part of Paris … and of the outskirts.”
“Is that all?”
“No. Two municipal guards and a prisoner were seen to cross the courtyards. A cab was waiting for them outside and all three stepped in.”
“And your supposition, Lenormand, your opinion. …”
“My supposition, Monsieur le Président, is that the two municipal guards were accomplices who, profiting by the disorder in the corridor, took the place of the three warders. And my opinion is that this escape succeeded only through such special circumstances and so strange a combination of facts that we must look upon the most unlikely cases of complicity as absolutely certain. Lupin, for that matter, has connections at the Palais that balk all our calculations. He has agents in your ministry. He has agents at the Prefecture of Police. He has agents around me. It is a formidable organization, a detective-service a thousand times more clever, more daring, more varied and more supple than that under my own orders.”
“And you stand this, Lenormand?”
“No, I do not.”
“Then why this slackness on your part since the beginning of the case? What have you done against Lupin?”
“I have prepared for the struggle.”
“Ah, capital! And, while you were preparing, he was acting.”
“So was I.”
“And do you know anything?”
“I know a great deal.”
“What? Speak!”
Leaning on his stick, M. Lenormand took a little contemplative walk across the spacious room. Then he sat down opposite Valenglay, brushed the facings of his olive-green coat with his fingertips, settled his spectacles on his nose and said, plainly:
“M. le Président, I hold three trump-cards in my hand. First, I know the name under which Arsène Lupin is hiding at this moment, the name under which he lived on the Boulevard Haussmann, receiving his assistants daily, reconstructing and directing his gang.”
“But then why, in heaven’s name, don’t you arrest him?”
“I did not receive these particulars until later. The prince—let us call him Prince Dash—has disappeared. He is abroad, on other business.”
“And, if he does not return …”
“The position which he occupies, the manner in which he has flung himself into the Kesselbach case, necessitate his return and under the same name.”
“Nevertheless …”
“Monsieur le Président, I come to my second trump. I have at last discovered Pierre Leduc.”
“Nonsense!”
“Or rather Lupin discovered him, and before disappearing, settled him in a little villa in the neighborhood of Paris.”
“By Jove! But how did you know …”
“Oh, easily! Lupin has placed two of his accomplices with Pierre Leduc, to watch him and defend him. Now these accomplices are two of my own detectives, two brothers whom I employ in the greatest secrecy and who will hand him over to me at the first opportunity!”
“Well done you! So that …”
“So that, as Pierre Leduc, we may say, is the central point of the efforts of all those who are trying to solve the famous Kesselbach secret, I shall, sooner or later, through Pierre Leduc, catch, first, the author of the treble murder, because that miscreant substituted himself for Mr. Kesselbach in the accomplishment of an immense scheme and because Mr. Kesselbach had to find Pierre Leduc in order to be able to accomplish that scheme; and, secondly, Arsène Lupin, because Arsène Lupin is pursuing the same object.”
“Splendid! Pierre Leduc is the bait which you are throwing to the enemy.”
“And the fish is biting, Monsieur le Président. I have just had word that a suspicious person was seen, a short time ago, prowling round the little villa where Pierre Leduc is living under the protection of my officers. I shall be on the spot in four hours.”
“And the third trump, Lenormand?”
“Monsieur le Président, a letter arrived yesterday, addressed to Mr. Rudolf Kesselbach, which I intercepted. …”
“Intercepted, eh? You’re getting on!”
“Yes, I intercepted it, opened it and kept it for myself. Here it is. It is dated two months back. It bears the Capetown postmark and contains these words: ‘My dear Rudolf, I shall be in Paris on the 1st of June and in just as wretched a plight as when you came to my assistance. But I have great hopes of this Pierre Leduc affair of which I told you. What a strange story it is! Have you found the man I mean? Where do we stand? I am most anxious to know.’ The letter is signed, ‘Steinweg.’ The first of June,” continued M. Lenormand, “is today. I have ordered one of my inspectors to hunt me out this Steinweg. I have no doubt that he will succeed.”
“Nor I, no doubt at all,” cried Valenglay, rising from his
