The Golden Scorpion. Sax Rohmer
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"Sowerby 'phoned me about half an hour ago, sir. Did he do so without
your instructions?"
"Most decidedly. What was his message?"
"He told me," replied Dunbar, in ever-growing amazement, "that the
body brought in by the River Police last night had been identified
as that of Gaston Max."
The Assistant Commissioner handed a pencilled slip to Dunbar. It read
as follows:--
"Gaston Max in London. Scorpion, Narcombe. No report since 30th ult.
Fear trouble. Identity-disk G. M. 49685."
"But, sir," said Dunbar--"this is exactly what Sowerby told me!"
"Quite so. That is the really extraordinary feature of the affair.
Because, you see, Inspector, I only finished decoding this message
at the very moment that you knocked at my door!"
"But----"
"There is no room for a 'but,' Inspector. This confidential message
from Paris reached me ten minutes ago. You know as well as I know that
there is no possibility of leakage. No one has entered my room in the
interval, yet you tell me that Sergeant Sowerby communicated this
information to you, by telephone, half an hour ago."
Dunbar was tapping his teeth with the pencil. His amazement was too
great for words.
"Had the message been a false one," continued the Commissioner, "the
matter would have been resolved into a meaningless hoax, but the
message having been what it was, we find ourselves face to face with
no ordinary problem. Remember, Inspector, that voices on the telephone
are deceptive. Sergeant Sowerby has marked vocal mannerisms----"
"Which would be fairly easy to imitate? Yes, sir--that's so."
"But it brings us no nearer to the real problems; viz., first, the
sender of the message; and, second, his purpose."
There was a dull purring sound and the Assistant Commissioner raised
the telephone.
"Yes. Who is it that wishes to speak to him? Dr. Keppel Stuart?
Connect with my office."
He turned again to Dunbar.
"Dr. Stuart has a matter of the utmost urgency to communicate,
Inspector. It was at the house of Dr. Stuart, I take it, that you
received the unexplained message?"
"It was--yes."
"Did you submit to Dr. Stuart the broken gold ornament?"
"Yes. It's a scorpion's tail."
"Ah!" The Assistant Commissioner smiled satanically and lighted a
fresh cigarette. "And is Dr. Stuart agreeable to placing his unusual
knowledge at our disposal for the purposes of this case?"
"He is, sir."
The purring sound was repeated.
"You are through to Dr. Stuart," said the Assistant Commissioner.
"Hullo" cried Dunbar, taking up the receiver--"is that Dr. Stuart?
Dunbar speaking."
He stood silent for a while, listening to the voice over the wires.
Then: "You want me to come around now, doctor? Very well. I'll be
with you in less than half an hour."
He put down the instrument.
"Something extraordinary seems to have taken place at Dr. Stuart's
house a few minutes after I left, sir," he said. "I'm going back
there, now, for particulars. It sounds as though the 'phone message
might have been intended to get me away." He stared down at the
pencilled slip which the Assistant Commissioner had handed him, but
stared vacantly, and: "Do you mind if I call someone up, sir?" he
asked. "It should be done at once."
"Call by all means, Inspector."
Dunbar again took up the telephone.
"Battersea 0996," he said, and stood waiting. Then:
"Is that Battersea 0996?" he asked. "Is Dr. Stuart there? He is
speaking? Oh, this is Inspector Dunbar. You called me up here at the
Yard a few moments ago, did you not? Correct, doctor; that's all I
wanted to know. I am coming now."
"Good," said the Assistant Commissioner, nodding his approval. "You
will have to check 'phone messages in that way until you have run your
mimic to earth, Inspector. I don't believe for a moment that it was
Sergeant Sowerby who rang you up at Dr. Stuart's."
"Neither do I," said Dunbar grimly. "But I begin to have a glimmer of
a notion who it was. I'll be saying good-night, sir. Dr. Stuart seems
to have something very important to tell me."
As a mere matter of form he waited for the report of the constable who
had gone in quest of Sowerby, but it merely confirmed the fact that
Sowerby had left Scotland Yard over three hours earlier. Dunbar
summoned a taxicab and proceeded to the house of Dr. Stuart.
CONTENTS OF THE SEALED ENVELOPE
Stuart personally admitted Dunbar, and once more the Inspector found
himself in the armchair in the study. The fire was almost out and the
room seemed to be chilly. Stuart was labouring under the influence of
suppressed excitement and was pacing restlessly up and down the floor.
"Inspector," he began, "I find it difficult to tell you the facts which
have recently come to my knowledge bearing upon this most mysterious
'Scorpion' case. I clearly perceive, now, that without being aware of
the fact I have nevertheless been concerned in the case for at least
a week."
Dunbar stared surprisedly, but offered no comment.
"A fortnight ago," Stuart continued, "I found myself in the
neighbourhood of the West India Docks. I had been spending the evening
with a very old friend, chief officer of a liner in dock. I had
intended to leave the ship at about ten o'clock and to walk to the
railway station, but, as it fell out, the party did not break up until
after midnight. Declining