“I could have corrected that,” said Jack. “My father was in the library all the morning, and he did not come out of the house until we were ascending the steps of the terrace.”
Parr, notebook in hand, was making a rough sketch. On his left front was the solid block of Sedgwood House, immediately before him were the gardens, enclosed by light iron railings to prevent the cattle straying on to the flower beds, and broken by the gate through which Marl must have passed. On the right was a patch of bushes, in the midst of which showed the gay top of a garden umbrella.
“Dad was very fond of the shrubbery,” explained Jack. “We get high winds here even on the warmest days, and the shrubbery affords shelter. Dad used to sit there for hours reading.”
Parr was slowly turning on his heel, taking in every detail of the view. Presently he nodded.
“I think I have seen all there is to be seen,” he said.
As they were walking back to the house he reverted to the midnight bill-poster, and to Jack’s surprise:
“That was the only false move that the Crimson Circle have made, and I think it was very much an afterthought. That was not their original intention, I’ll swear.”
He sat down on the steps of the terrace and stared out over the landscape. Jack could not but think that a more uninspiring figure than Mr. Parr he had never met. His lack of inches, his rotundity, his large placid face, did not somehow fit in with Jack’s conception of a shrewd criminal investigator.
“I’ve got it,” said Parr at last. “My first idea was right. He was coming down to blackmail you for the money your father did not pay. On his way he conceived this new idea, which is hinted at in the postscript of his message. He has decided upon some big coup, so that the reference to myself and Yale may be genuine; and he really does want us out of the game, though he’d be a fool if he did not know that the likelihood of his wishes being fulfilled in that respect are pretty remote. Let me see the poster again.”
Jack brought it and the inspector spread it upon the pavement of the terrace.
“Yes, this has been written in a hurry; probably written in his car, and it is a substitute for the poster he originally intended.” He rubbed his chin impatiently. “Now, what is the new scheme?”
He was to learn almost immediately, for the butler came hurrying out to say that the telephone bell had been ringing in Jack’s study for five minutes.
“It is you they want,” said Jack, handing the receiver to the detective.
Mr. Parr took the instrument in his hands, and recognised immediately Colonel Morton’s voice.
“Come back to London at once, Parr; you are to attend a meeting of the Cabinet this afternoon.”
Mr. Parr put down the receiver, and a smile spread over his big face.
“What is it?” asked Jack.
“I’m joining the Cabinet,” said Mr. Parr, and laughed as Jack had never seen him laugh before.
XXXIV
Blackmailing a Government
When they reached London the evening newspapers were filled with the new sensation.
The Crimson Circle had indeed decided upon an ambitious programme.
Briefly the story, as related in an official communique to the Press, was as follows:
That morning every member of the Government had received a typewritten document, bearing no address and no other indication of its origin save a Crimson Circle stamped on every page. The document ran:
Every effort of your police, both official and private, the genius of Mr. Derrick Yale, and the plodding efforts of Chief Inspector Parr, have failed to check Our activity. The full story of Our success is not known. It has been unfortunately Our unpleasant duty to remove a number of people from life, not so much in a spirit of vengeance, as to serve as a salutary warning to others, and only this morning it has been Our unhappy duty to remove Mr. Samuel Heggitt, a lawyer, who was engaged by the late Harvey Froyant on particular work, in the course of which he came unpleasantly close to Our identity.
Fortunately for the other members of his firm, he undertook that task personally. His body will be found by the side of the railway between Brixton and Marsden.
Since the police are unable to hold Us, and since We are in complete agreement with those in authority who say that We are the most dangerous menace to society that exists, We have agreed to forego Our activities on condition that the sum of a million pounds sterling is placed at Our disposal. The method by which this money shall be transferred will be detailed later. This must be accompanied by a free pardon in blank, so that We may, if occasion necessitates, or hereinafter Our identity is disclosed, avail Ourselves of that document.
Refusal to agree to Our terms will have unpleasant consequences. We name hereunder twelve eminent Parliamentarians, who must stand as hostages for the fulfilment of Our desire. If, at the end of the week, the Government have not agreed to Our terms, one of these gentlemen will be removed.
The first person that Parr met on his arrival at Whitehall was Derrick Yale, and for once the famous detective looked worried.
“I was afraid of this development,” he said, “and the queer thing is that it has come at a moment when I thought I was in a position to lay my hand on the chief offender.”
He took Parr’s hand in his, and walked him along the gloomy corridor.
“This spoils my day’s fishing,” he said, and Inspector Parr remembered.
“Of course, today is the day you die! But I suppose you are reprieved under the general amnesty which the Crimson Circle have issued,” he said drily, and his companion laughed.
“I want to tell you, before we go into this
