Again the Ringer Read Online

"I don't know that there's any law preventing me taking off my beard, is there?" he demanded. "I was just going off to Holland, where I'm seeing a man who's putting money into my power scheme."

    Bliss interrupted with a gesture. "When you came to England you were broke, Mr. Tennett, and yet immediately you reached London you took a very expensive flat, bought yourself a lot of new clothes, and seemingly have plenty of money to travel on the Continent. Will you explain that?"

    The man hesitated, "Well, I'll tell you the truth. When I got to London I was broke, but I got into conversation with a fellow at the station who told me he was interested in engineering. I explained my power scheme to him, and he was interested. He was not the kind of man I should have thought would have had any money, yet he weighed in with two hundred pounds, and told me just what I had to do. It was his idea that I should take the flat. He told me where to go every day and what to do. I didn't want to part with the old beard, but he made me do that in the end, and then gave me three hundred pounds to go to Holland."

    Bliss looked at him incredulously.

    "Did he also suggest you should call at Carlton House Terrace and interview Mr. Guild?"

    Tennett nodded. "Yes, he did. I tell you, it made me feel that things weren't right. I wasn't quite sure of him, mind you, Mr. Bliss; he was such a miserable-looking devil—a fellow with rabbit's teeth and red eyelids..."

    Bliss came to his feet with a bound, stared across at Stourbridge, who was in the room.

    "Wally!" he said.

    A taxicab took him to Carlton House Terrace. Connor told him briefly what had happened.

    "Did Wally see Mr. Guild?"

    "Not that I know," said Connor, shaking his head.

    Bliss did not wait for the lift; he flew up the stairs, met the footman in the hall.

    "Where's Mr. Guild?"

    "In his room, sir."

    "Have yon seen him lately?"

    The man shook his head.

    "No, sir; I never go unless he rings for me. He hasn't rung for half an hour."

    Bliss turned the handle of the door and walked in. Miska Guild was lying on the hearthrug in the attitude of a man asleep, and when he turned him over on his back and saw his face Bliss knew that the true story of the chorus-girl and her "suicide" would never be told.

    There were two schools of thought at Scotland Yard. There were those who believed that The Ringer worked single-handed, and those who were convinced that he controlled an organisation and had the assistance of at least half a dozen people.

    Inspector Bliss was of the first school, and instanced the killing of Miska Guild in proof.

    "He's entirely on his own," he said. "Even his helper in that case was an innocent man who had no idea he was being used to attract the attention of the police."

    "By the way, is there any news of him?" asked the Assistant Commissioner.

    Bliss shook his head. "He's in London; I was confident of that—now I know. If you had told me, sir, a few years ago, that any man could escape the police by disguise, I should have laughed. But this man's disguises are perfect. He is the character he pretends to be. Take Wally the Nose, with his rabbit's teeth and his red eyes. Who would have imagined that a set of fake teeth worn over his others and a little colouring to his eyelids, plus the want of a shave, would be sufficient to hide him from me? I am one of the few people who have seen him without make-up, and yet he fooled me."

    "Why do you think he is in London?"

    Chief Inspector Bliss took out his pocket-case and, opening this, searched the papers it contained for a letter.

    "It came this morning."

    Colonel Walford stared up at him. "From The Ringer?"

    Bliss nodded.