登陆注册
15385000000057

第57章

You pretended to be much disappointed at finding Moyne out--you had just come for a little social visit, to get better acquainted with the home life of your employees! Mrs.Moyne was genuinely pleased and grateful.She took you in to see their little girl, who was already asleep in bed.She left you there for a moment to answer the door--and you--you"--Jimmie Dale's voice choked again--"you blot on God's earth, you slipped the money and ticket under the child's mattress!"Carling came forward with a lurch in his chair--and his hands went out, pawing in a wild, pleading fashion over Jimmie Dale's arm.

Jimmie Dale flung him away.

"You were safe enough," he rasped on."The police could only construe your visit to Moyne's flat as zeal on behalf of the bank.

And it was safer, much more circumspect on your part, not to order the flat searched at once, but only as a last resort, as it were, after you had led the police to trail him all evening and still remain without a clew--and besides, of course, not until you had planted the evidence that was to damn him and wreck his life and home! You were even generous in the amount you deprived yourself of out of the hundred thousand dollars--for less would have been enough.Caught with ten thousand dollars of the bank's money and a steamship ticket made out in a fictitious name, it was prima-facie evidence that he had done the job and had the balance somewhere.

What would his denials, his protestations of innocence count for?

He was an ex-convict, a hardened criminal caught red-handed with a portion of the proceeds of robbery--he had succeeded in hiding the remainder of it too cleverly, that was all."Carling's face was ghastly.His hands went out again--again his tongue moistened his dry lips.He whispered:

"Isn't--isn't there some--some way we can fix this?"And then Jimmie Dale laughed--not pleasantly.

"Yes, there's a way, Carling," he said grimly."That's why I'm here." He picked up a sheet of writing paper and pushed it across the desk--then a pen, which he dipped into the inkstand, and extended to the other."The way you'll fix it will be to write out a confession exonerating Moyne."Carling shrank back into his chair, his head huddling into his shoulders.

"NO!" he cried."I won't--I can't--my God!--I--I--WON'T!"The automatic in Jimmie Dale's hand edged forward the fraction of an inch.

"I have not used this--yet.You understand now why--don't you?" he said under his breath.

"No, no!" Carling pushed away the pen."I'm ruined--ruined as it is.But this would mean the penitentiary, too--""Where you tried to send an innocent man in your place, you hound;where you--"

"Some other way--some other way!" Carling was babbling."Let me out of this--for God's sake, let me out of this!""Carling," said Jimmie Dale hoarsely, "I stood beside a little bed to-night and looked at a baby girl--a little baby girl with golden hair, who smiled as she slept."Carling shivered, and passed a shaking hand across his face.

"Take this pen," said Jimmie Dale monotonously; "or--THIS!" The automatic lifted until the muzzle was on a line with Carling's eyes.

Carling's hand reached out, still shaking, and took the pen; and his body, dragged limply forward, hung over the desk.The pen spluttered on the paper--a bead of sweat spurting from the man's forehead dropped to the sheet.

There was silence in the room.A minute passed--another.Carling's pen travelled haltingly across the paper then, with a queer, low cry as he signed his name, he dropped the pen from his fingers, and, rising unsteadily from his chair, stumbled away from the desk toward a couch across the room.

An instant Jimmie Dale watched the other, then he picked up the sheet of paper.It was a miserable document, miserably scrawled:

"I guess it's all up.I guess I knew it would be some day.Moyne hadn't anything to do with it.I stole the money myself from the bank to-night.I guess it's all up.

THOMAS H.CARLING."

From the paper, Jimmie Dale's eyes shifted to the figure by the couch--and the paper fluttered suddenly from his fingers to the desk.Carling was reeling, clutching at his throat--a small glass vial rolled upon the carpet.And then, even as Jimmie Dale sprang forward, the other pitched head long over the couch--and in a moment it was over.

Presently Jimmie Dale picked up the vial--and dropped it back on the floor again.There was no label on it, but it needed none--the strong, penetrating odor of bitter almonds was telltale evidence enough.It was prussic, or hydrocyanic acid, probably the most deadly poison and the swiftest in its action that was known to science--Carling had provided against that "some day" in his confession!

For a little space, motionless, Jimmie Dale stood looking down at the silent, outstretched form--then he walked slowly back to the desk, and slowly, deliberately picked up the signed confession and the steamship ticket.He held them an instant, staring at them, then methodically began to tear them into little pieces, a strange, tired smile hovering on his lips.The man was dead now--there would be disgrace enough for some one to bear, a mother perhaps--who knew!

And there was another way now--since the man was dead.

Jimmie Dale put the pieces in his pocket, went to the safe, opened it, and took out a parcel, locked the safe carefully, and carried the parcel to the desk.He opened it there.Inside were nearly two dozen little packages of hundred-dollar bills.The other two packages that he had brought with him he added to the rest.From his pocket he took out the thin metal insignia case, and with the tiny tweezers lifted up one of the gray-coloured, diamond-shaped paper seals.He moistened the adhesive side, and, still holding it by the tweezers, dropped it on his handkerchief and pressed the seal down on the face of the topmost package of banknotes.He tied the parcel up then, and, picking up the pen, addressed it in printed characters:

HUDSON-MERCANTILE NATIONAL BANK,NEW YORK CITY.

"District messenger--some way--in the morning," he murmured.

Jimmie Dale slipped his mask into his pocket, and, with the parcel under his arm, stepped to the door and unlocked it.He paused for an instant on the threshold for a single, quick, comprehensive glance around the room--then passed on out into the street.

At the corner he stopped to light a cigarette--and the flame of the match spurting up disclosed a face that was worn and haggard.He threw the match away, smiled a little wearily--and went on.

The Gray Seal had committed another "crime."

同类推荐
  • 菩萨本行经

    菩萨本行经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 东海文集

    东海文集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 夹科肇论序注

    夹科肇论序注

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 金刚经纂要刊定记

    金刚经纂要刊定记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 五教止观一乘十玄门合行叙

    五教止观一乘十玄门合行叙

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 武道霸尊之碧血龙脉

    武道霸尊之碧血龙脉

    太虚大陆,八族林立。强者为王,睨视古今;弱者永受人欺凌,成为笑柄。且看一名从际遇中走出来的少年,如何“振翼而飞”,向往未知的世界。
  • 那些暗恋的日子

    那些暗恋的日子

    她喜欢他一年半,可是他确喜欢的是别的女孩,她知道他很多小习惯,她也不明白为什么她会爱上他,而且初三最后一期,她和他成为了同桌。
  • 青涩校园:萌学弟拐走呆学姐

    青涩校园:萌学弟拐走呆学姐

    奇怪,自己明明喜欢的不是那个又呆又冷的女人,可为什么看到她和其他男人在一起心里会特别特别的不爽!难道,他爱上了她?萌学弟萌功大发,冷酷美男,温柔王子,成熟大叔统统靠边站,呆学姐只能是他的!
  • 邪魅拽少爱上我:丫头,哪里逃!

    邪魅拽少爱上我:丫头,哪里逃!

    她,一个超级平凡的不能再平凡了,可是因为考上了一所很少人能考上的学院——奇诺学院,她的一身发生了天翻地覆的改变,在这所学院里面,她认识了一个表情坏坏的——顾梓凡,还认识了温柔的——安暮宇,因为她们之间走的很近,遭到了全校女生的嫉妒。于是,一场惊心动魄的爱恋上演了,女主的身份是什么?为什么在后面男主顾梓凡的妈妈会同意她们在一起?这期间到底有些什么不为人知的秘密?打开这本书,一切就真相大白了。
  • 浮世为欢:三生

    浮世为欢:三生

    想知道你的未来么?想,对吗?想找到遗失的东西吗?想,对吗?那么,尊贵的客人,请你推开你面前的大门,走到我面前,我将为你实现所有。欢迎光临,浮世为欢。
  • 火澜

    火澜

    当一个现代杀手之王穿越到这个世界。是隐匿,还是崛起。一场血雨腥风的传奇被她改写。一条无上的强者之路被她踏破。修斗气,炼元丹,收兽宠,化神器,大闹皇宫,炸毁学院,打死院长,秒杀狗男女,震惊大陆。无止尽的契约能力,上古神兽,千年魔兽,纷纷前来抱大腿,惊傻世人。她说:在我眼里没有好坏之分,只有强弱之分,只要你能打败我,这世间所有都是你的,打不败我,就从这世间永远消失。她狂,她傲,她的目标只有一个,就是凌驾这世间一切之上。三国皇帝,魔界妖王,冥界之主,仙界至尊。到底谁才是陪着她走到最后的那个?他说:上天入地,我会陪着你,你活着,有我,你死,也一定有我。本文一对一,男强女强,强强联手,不喜勿入。
  • 逆行传

    逆行传

    混元大陆,元气盛行,各种能力充斥其中,且看少年郑严如何在众多能力者的长河中逆流而上,带领队员纵横天下,演绎出波澜壮阔的混元逆上行!
  • 名牌腹黑妻.名门的私宠

    名牌腹黑妻.名门的私宠

    简介:她,是和他结婚四年的老婆,他,是和她结婚四年的老公,在这婚姻四年里,见面的次数5根指头都数地出来!他对她无情冷漠,某日“老婆觉得老公我养不起你?嗯?”“废话,你这么穷,这么养的起我!”她一脸不屑。“那老婆要不要试试看我会不会穷?”“……”十亿的项链!六千万的车!三十万的鞋子!五十万的名牌!……“老婆,等我穷了你再走好不好?”某人耍无赖道,某人翻了个白眼,“你何时会穷!”她要什么,他给她便是。[多多关照]
  • 莫铭记

    莫铭记

    一次意外让莫铭变成了丧尸,从此莫铭踏上了一条未知路。
  • 凤翔天下:绝杀罗刹三小姐

    凤翔天下:绝杀罗刹三小姐

    她如罗刹,是地狱的使者手握金针,生死尽在她一念之间生于血海,虽无父无母,照样活得精彩不甘平凡,强者路上,哪怕地狱幽冥,挡她路者,就要有死的觉悟!