“It is inexplicable,” the woman said wearily. “When I try to think my brain seems to turn to water, and everything goes misty before my eyes. I feel like a woman who has had no sleep for years. I feel as if I must get something to relieve this terrible pressure on my brain. Is there nothing that you can suggest?”
“I think so,” Ravenspur said quietly. “I am going to take you back to your hotel, and call for a doctor on the way. You cannot go on like this. No human mind could stand it.”
II
No. 1 Fitzjohn Square
A few moments later and Ravenspur’s brougham was being rapidly driven in the direction of the Grand Hotel. No words were spoken on the journey, but Ravenspur did not fail to notice how his companion shook and quivered as the shouts of the newsboys reached her ears. It seemed as if all London had given itself over to this last sensational tragedy. It was as if thousands of strange rough hands were pressing upon the still bleeding wound. To an intensely sympathetic nature like Ravenspur’s, the relief of the destination was great. At his suggestion of food his companion shuddered. The mere idea of it turned her physically sick. Utterly worn out and exhausted she dropped into a chair. There was a light now of something like madness in her eyes. The doctor bustled in presently with something in his hand. Mrs. Delahay drank the medicine in a mechanical way, scarcely knowing what she was doing. Then, gradually, her rigid limbs relaxed, and the staring dark eyes were closed.
“She’ll do now for some time,” the doctor whispered. “I have telephoned for a nurse who may be here now at any moment. Don’t let me detain you. I have got my motor outside, and in any case I must remain till the nurse arrives.”
“That is very good of you,” Ravenspur murmured. “As far as I am concerned I should like to make some inquiries. I have known Delahay now for the last five years; indeed, it was I who persuaded him to take up his quarters in London. It seems a terrible thing that so promising a career should be cut short like this. That man would have come to the top of his profession, and, so far as I know, he hadn’t a single enemy in the world. Perhaps, by this time, the Scotland Yard people may have found a clue.”
Ravenspur drove straight away to Fitzjohn Square, and made his way through the crowd of morbid folks who had gathered outside. As he expected, he found the house in the hands of the police. Inspector Dallas came forward and greeted him respectfully.
“This is a terrible affair, my lord,” he said.
“Ghastly,” Ravenspur exclaimed. “It was a great shock when Mrs. Delahay came round to me this morning. And the strange part of the whole business is that I was in this very house myself, quite alone, till half-past one. Perhaps I had better explain the circumstances to you, as the knowledge might prove useful. … And now you know all about it. Mind you, I saw nothing; I did not hear a sound. Indeed, I am quite convinced that there was no one on the premises when I left.”
“But you had no means of making sure,” the inspector protested. “The miscreants might have been here all the time. They might have been hiding in a room upstairs waiting for you to go.”
“They might have attacked me as far as that goes,” Ravenspur replied. “My word, the mere suggestion of it turns one cold.”
“At any rate, they were not after your lordship,” the inspector said, thoughtfully. “Of course, I am assuming for the sake of argument that the murderer, or murderers, were actually here when you arrived last night. If so, the whole thing was carefully premeditated. These people had no quarrel with you, and, therefore, they did not molest you. All the same, they wanted to get rid of you, or they would not have cut off the light.”
“But did they cut off the light?” Ravenspur asked.
“That we can prove in a moment. I am going on the theory that these people wanted to get you out of the way, so they short-circuited the current and left you in darkness. That was a very useful expedient, and had the desired effect. I am very glad you told me this because it may be the means of putting us on the track of important evidence. But let us go down to the basement, and examine the electric meter.”
Ravenspur followed his companion down the dark steps leading to the basement, and Inspector Dallas struck a light. Then, with a grim smile, he pointed to a cable which led from the meter to the different rooms on the upper floors. The cable had been clean cut with some sharp instrument, a fracture which must have been recently made, for the main wire to the cable gleamed like gold.
“So far, so good,” Dallas said. “We have proved by yonder demonstration that these people were here last night whilst you were actually at work in the studio.”
“That puzzles me more than ever,” Ravenspur replied. “Why did they not get rid of me an hour before, which they could have done equally as well, by the same simple expedient?”
“Simply because they could afford to wait till half-past one. You may depend upon it that Mr. Delahay’s movements were absolutely known to them. They were perfectly well aware of the fact that he was not expected here till some time past half-past one. It
