CHAPTER XXXIV. LAST LINKS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2248, 4 December 1886, Page 1 (Supplement)

CHAPTER XXXIV. LAST LINKS.

Once move did Mr Usher take train for Baumborongh — the riddle \vaB solved, the whole story of the Bunbury mystery was clear as noon-day to him, with one exception. What has been Cudemore's motive ? Why had he killed John Fossdyke, and about that, rack his brains as he might, the sergeant was compelled to confess himself beaten. He had no doubt whatever about Cudemore's guilt ; he had no doubt whatever about proving it in a court of justice; still, just as a great artist insists upon either having back, or detaining, a picture for a few final touches, so did Mr Usher want to complete two or three trifling links before arresting Cudernore. The first person the sergeant desired to see in Biumborongh was Mr Totterdell, and no sooner had he deposited his modest luggage in the hotel he affected than he started off to that gentleman's residence. Mr Totterdell had gradually taught himself to believe the Bunbury mystery could only be elucidated by himself ; that the police "were born fools, sir," he expressed to everyone unguarded enough to listen to him ; that if that idiot of a coroner and still bigger imbecile Mr Trail, had only listened to his evidence the murderer would have been arrested, was a fixed fact in the Totterdell brain, and fixed facts in the TotterdelL brain were apt to become just a little hard upon other people, especially those of an irresolute turn of mind who had noc nerve to risk the loss of a lappel sooner than submit to button holing. Still Mr Totterdell was conscious of having been somewhat snubbed by Mr Usher at their last interview, and with all his contemptuous opinion of the police in the abstract, had a dim idea that the sergeaut in particular was a little awkward to put down, but on the other hand his curiosity was insatiable, and therefore when Mr Usher's card was put into his hand he gave prompt directions for his admittance. The Sergeant, after his wont, trod close on the heels of his name, and the eminent Town Councillor received him with no little effusion. 1 Ha, Mr Usher/ he exclaimed, rubbing his hands, 'so you're come back to me again, eh ! .Not getting at the bottom of this complication without my assistance, hey ? Well, sir, what is it now ? If I'd been listened to earlier the whole affair would have been cleared up long before this.' ' I'm beginning to bs of that way of thinking myself, sir,' replied the detectivo. *L li take the chair with your permission, and then, perhaps, you'd answer me a question or two.' 'Sit down, sib down by all means,' replied Mr Totterdell with pompous patronage. 'I'll help you all I can, my good fellow ; anything, you know, to forwards the ends of justice.' ' Quite so,' replied the sergeant. • I know I can rely upon you. Now, Mr TottrtHoll. yon couldn't possibly be mia taken about the identity of tho mau who

J sat next yon at the opening of the Baumborough Theatre, I presume?' ' What, James Foxborough ! Certainly not ; I'd swear to him anywhere.' 1 Just so ; you never saw him beforo, and like everybody else apparently have never seen him since.' ' No, I never saw him except on that occasion,' ho rejoined ; ' but I tell you what, Mr Usher—' ' Half a minute, sir,' rejoined the detective, as he took the stout pocket-book from hl3 breast; half a minute, if you please,' and producing a photographic carte he handed it to Mr Totterdell and , sad abruptly, ' Is that him ?' Tne old gentleman glared at it for a minute, and then exclaimed, "Good God, no ! Why, that's poor Fossdyke, anyone could recognise him !' • Dear me, dear me,' said Mr Usher, 'how stupid I am, I've given you the wrong carte ! Excuse me, sir, but this is the one I want you to look at,' and as lie spoke the sergeant exchanged the photograph for that of Mr Cudemore. 1 That's him, that's him, Mr Usher,' cried Mr Totterdell, ' that's the scoundrel who sat next me in the stalls ; that's James Foxborough ! It's an awful thing, sergeant, so to speak, to think you've bobbed and nobbed with a murderer.' 1 Well, I don't know about the bobbing and nobbing,' rejoined the detective, ' but, you see, I've had intimate relations with so many in my time tint it don't strike me that way. They're, as a rule, inoffensive creatures, and one rather wondeis how they came to do it.' ' Well, Mr Usher, this was a nice, civil-spoken gentleman — the last person in the world you'd have suspected of any, any sad, any — ' 'Sad games,' rejoined the sergeant, curtly. • Bless you, sir, they usually are. The worst of 'em generally goes to church pretty regular, and you wouldn't think would wring the neck of a sparrow, much less, as one I made professional acquaintance with, polish off a whole family.' ' Dear me,' rejoined Mr Totterdell, with both eyes and mouth wide open, • you don't say so ! Now, Mr Usher, I really should like to hear the particulars of that case.' " Well, sir, one of those days, if you'll give mo a dish of tea, I'll be proud, to tell }ou the story, but just now I really am pressed for time. We can't afford to let this follow slip through our fingers, eh, Mr Totterdell ?' said the Sergeant, as he gently withdrew the photograph from the old gentleman's fingers. ' Certainly not ; and you know where to lay you hand on him, Sergeant 1 :' ' Undoubtedly, and you shall be face to face with him before many days are over. Yes, sir, I'm going to hang your friend of the theatre, and you may take Silas Usher's word for it. I don't make many mistakes, and this is about as lovely a case as ever I worked out.' • All right, sergeant, if you'll just ring the bell they'll bring you some tea, and then if you'll just tell me the story ad far as you've got it worked out why I'll give you my advice about it.' rejoined Mr Totterdell, his face all aglow, and his inquisitive old eyes positively glistened with excitement. ' That's just it,' replied Mr Übhor, rising, ' You're the very man I want to talk the whole thing over with, but time, Mr Tolterdell, don't admit of my doing it just now. There aro telegrams to send off. sir, orders to despatch, other people to see, so I'll bid you good day, sir, for the present. Once more thanking you for your valuable assistance,' continued t,he sergeant, as he brushed his hat with his coat sleeve, " allow me to wish you good day.' ' They can't get a step without me in the business," murmured Mr Totterdell, with a complacent smile as Mr Uaher's footsteps died away in the distance. ' When it comes to a question of law, ha, ha, I fancy they've nobody quite so good on the bench. Usher sees it at once. Good man Usher. This case will probably make him, and who has worked out this business for him — why me rand then Mr Totterdcll threw himself back in. the chair and indulged in ecstatic slumber. Darned old fool,' muttered the candid detective as he walked leisurely away from Mr Totterdell's residence. 'Still I've got the one fact out of him I wanted. Cudemore was the man at the Bauraborougb Theatre. Well, I fancy Cude more is one of those this world must suffenbythe loss of. The next thing is just to show old Marlinson and one or two of the Hopbine people the photograph, and then the case is just as completo as ever I turned one out. But the motive. Why did Cudemore kill Fossdyke, why did ho think of ie ? I'm dead baat about that ; if ho meant going in for money and bleeding him it was the last thing he'd have done. Wringing- tho neck of the goose that lays the golden eggs is not done in practical life whatever may take place in fable ; especially philosphers like Cudemore, who make their living out of the weaknesses of their fellow creatures, don't fall into such mistakes. Cudemoro has owned too many geesn of this kind in his time to do anything so foolish as that. Well, we shall perhaps have it out of him at the trial, and moreover a man goes to the gallows for conclusively proved murder even if the why of ifc in never made clear. Some of the most remarkable on record have never been cyphered out in that rospoct. The next day saw Mr Usher lounging leisurely into the Hopbine at Bunbury to the extreme horror of old Joe Marlinson, who by his surely greeting, quite gave the sergeant to understand that he had no desire for his patronage. ' I'm glad to see, my old friend,' said Mr Usher easily, • that you've not forgotten me. As for me, you know I never forget anybody. ' • If you could make an exception in my case,' rejoined the landlord of tho Hopbine, ' I'd take it as a favour ; I don't want any more murders or inquests committed in this house.' 'No, my man, and you don't want to appear in a witness-box, no doubt,' observed the Sergeant, jocularly. ' It's a scandalous thing at my time of life, if I'm dragged into court to be worried about an affair I know nothing about. Do you suppose I keep a throatcutting hotel ? Do you suppose murder and robbery is licensed on these premises ? I ain't going to have it, nor inquests either— no, nor detectives loafing- about my place." '.Now, look horo, Mr Marlinson,' rejoined tho Sergeant ; ' it's not a bit of use your getting- shirty over the matter. The murder wag committed in your house, aud it you didn'b actually do it, I'm not quite so clear you didn't have a hand in it. Just you pay attention to what I've got to &ay to you, or you'll find yourself ia the dock instead of the witness box.' Mr Marlinson's face was simply a comic study for tho moment, whon he went deliberately to a cupboard from which ho produced a couple of glasses, and taking a greenish bottle from the liqueur rack of the bar parlour solemnly filled them. Mr Usher was quite equal to tho occasion, although an abstemious man be tossod off tho Chartreuse or Kinmell proposed to him, aud then said. ' Now Mr Marlinhon, you'd know this Foxborough again if you saw him : could swear to him anywhere I suppose ?" " I should think I could, and I should rather think I would,' leplied Mr Marlison, excitedly, to which no doubt considerable absorption of liquors contributed 'D n him, what's ho mean I by doming to a rcnpectablo hotel to com-

Mit his murder*, .vhen there's any amount of hodgo nlehouses about the country that seem built special for him. I don't want no moro inquests here, Mr Usher. I don't want to have anything more t.o do with the busiuess ; but I don't mind svvcaiing to a scoundrel who's brought disgrace upon tho Hopbine. Hanging he deserves, and hanging I trust he'll get, dush mo.' 'Quite so,' replied the Sergeant quietly ; ' now look here" and somewhat to Mr Marliuson's dismay the detective produced that fat leather pocket-book, which might almost have been called •hia familiar." It was the black poodle of Faiibt. 'You soo this photograph,' continued Mr Usher, as he produced from its depths Mr Cudemore's carte. ' Who is it.' •That's him!— that's the villain who has caused all this trouble, I could swear to him anywhere.' IWe shan't trouble you to do that ; if you'll swear to him in a court of justice it's about as much as we shall ask you to do. But now, I just want Eliza Salter and John Jenkinson, the waiter — a mere matter of form, Mr Marlinson, but when people outrage respectable hotels, houses with a county and crusted port reputation, they must be punished, Mr Marlinson, eh ?' • They must bo thinned, sir, that's what it is. Have another glass, Mr Usher, it's mild as mother's milk this Chartreuse, and comforting under affliction,' and as he spoke Joe Marlinson poured out a a couple more glasses of the insinuating compound. fWo can't have such vipers about, sir, they must be scotched. I don't quite know what that means, but I believe its a term applicable to vipers.' ' Well, just send for the waiter and chamber-maid, my friend, you may rely upon it that this particular viper won't come across your path any more.' 'Ihopo not, Mr Usher, it's upset me altogether. For all I know I've been haibouring aud entertaining murderers for years. Here's a gentleman comes here with a gentleman's manners, and showes a taste in wines and cookery that stamps him as a member of the upper circles, and then he just in the middle of "the night sticks a fellow-creature as if he wero a pork butcher. I give it all up, sir. I never believed tho aristocracy wero up to such rigs as this, and now they tell me thero was a French duke took to it only a score of years back.' ' Don't you trouble, Mr Marlinsou, and take my advice and be a little careful of your fine Chartreuse. Good tipple but demoralising. Now run in Salter and Jenkinson, for I've no time to spare, and must catch the next train to Bdumborough.' (To he continued.)