“What about those fingerprints?” he asked suddenly.
“You have me,” said Deacon, “on the hip. That’s the most amazing bit of jiggery pokery about all this hocus pocus. What about ’em to you?”
“They certainly savour,” Anthony said, “of hanky panky. In fact, since I know they’re yours and that you didn’t kill Hoode, I know they must be. Now, have you seen that wood-rasp?”
“Yes. At the inquest.”
“Never before?”
“Not as I knows on, guv’nor. In fact, I’d almost swear to ‘never.’ But then I’m the most amazing ass about tools. A fretsaw or a pile-driver, they’re all one to me.”
“Did you notice the handle?” Anthony asked.
“With interest; because they said it had my paw-marks on it.”
“Ever seen that before? By itself, I mean.”
Deacon shook his head. “Never.” He fell silent, then said: “I suppose those prints couldn’t be anyone else’s, could they?”
“I’m afraid they couldn’t,” said Anthony. “You see, it’s as near proved as a thing like that can be that no two men have the same markings on the fingers. They compared those on the wood with those on the bit of paper Boyd got you to hold, and their experts don’t make mistakes. By the way, I suppose you realised at the inquest how you’d been caught?”
Deacon smiled. “Not at the inquest, brother, but at the time. I’ve read too many spot-the-murderer serials in my time not to know what a sleuth’s up to when he hands me a bit of paper and asks me whether I ever saw it before. But I didn’t mind at the time, you see, not knowing about that blasted file thing. I say, Gethryn, are we mad? Or is this all a bloody nightmare? I tell you, I didn’t kill the boss, and yet the thing he’s killed with is all over the marks of my fingers! And as far as I know I never even saw the gadget before! It doesn’t work out, does it?”
“It’s got to,” Anthony said. “I’ll damned well make it. Now, what d’you know about the incomparable Vanda?”
Deacon whistled. “How did you get hold of that?” he asked, wonderingly.
“You know my methods, my dear Deacon. But what d’you know about Vanda? Beyond the fact that she’s the most wonderful dancer of all time.”
“I don’t really know anything; but I’ve a shrewd little suspish that she was the boss’s mistress.”
“She was. But as you didn’t actually know anything, I gather you can’t help me further there.”
“ ’Fraid not. For one thing my suspicion was founded on something that happened by accident, and for another I’ve not the foggiest idea of what you’re driving at.”
“They will all say that!” Anthony sighed. “And it’s just what I want someone to tell me. Never mind, we’ll get on with the exhibits. Have you ever seen this?” He took from a swollen hip pocket a small paper package, unfolded it, and handed the contents to Deacon.
They were a coil of filthy, black-smeared silk cord. Curiously, the prisoner shook it out, letting one end fall to the floor. He saw now that it was knotted at regular intervals along its length, which was a full sixteen feet.
“Never saw it in my natural.” He looked up at Anthony. “What is it?”
“Obviously a length of silk cord,” Anthony said, “with, as you would probably say, knobs on.”
“I mean, where did you find it? What bearing’s it got?”
“I found it,” said Anthony slowly, “in your bedroom at Abbotshall.”
“What?”
“In your room. On a ledge inside that wonderful old chimney; about six inches higher than the mantelpiece. That accounts for the filth. You can see the rope was white once, and not so long ago.”
Deacon frowned at the floor. “Well, it’s either been there up the chimney since I went to the house—last May, that is—or else it’s been planted there. I never set eyes on it before.”
“Good!” Anthony coiled up the cord, wrapped it up in the paper, and returned the parcel to his pocket.
“But what’s the beastly bit of string mean? What’s it got to do with me or you or anything in this business? Tell me that!”
“Shan’t,” said Anthony. “I’m not sure yet myself. You’ll have to wait.”
Deacon shrugged his great shoulders. “Right-o. Next, please.”
Anthony’s hand went to his breast pocket. From a leather wallet he took a bunch of newspaper cuttings.
“These,” he said, “I found in a really-truly secret drawer in your late chief’s desk. Know anything about ’em? Or why they were there?”
In silence, Deacon read each slip. When he had finished,
“Well?” Anthony said.
“They mean nothing in my young life. These three rags—The Searchlight, The St. Stephen’s Gazette, and the weekly one, Vox Populi—always were dead agin the boss. I can’t make head or tail of what you’re driving at, Gethryn, I can’t really!”
Anthony groaned. “There you go again. Never mind that, but tell me, did you know Hoode was keeping these cuttings?”
“No.”
“Did he ever mention the persistent attacks of these three papers?”
“No.”
“No? Pity.” Anthony got to his feet. “I must move. Anything you want? Books? Food? Tobacco?”
Deacon smiled. “Nothing, thanks awfully. Our Arthur—old Digby-Coates, you know—has done all that. Brought me down a sack of books, a box of cigars, and arranged for decidedly improved victuals to be brought over from the White Horse by quite a neat line in barmaidings. Also, he’s fixed up the solicitors and trimmings. They’re going to try to get Marshall, K.C.”
“Excellent! Marshall’s about the best counsel there is. There’s nothing you want, then.”
“Nothing. Shall I see you tomorrow?”
Anthony nodded. “You will. Early afternoon, probably, as I hear they’re moving you later. Good night; and don’t forget I’m going to get you out of this—somehow.”
They shook hands. A minute later Anthony was walking slowly back
