The Devil's Cocktail (33 page)

There was silence for a full minute after that, then Hugh roused himself.

‘Come on, Rahtz!' he said. ‘There's no reason why we should remain here any longer.'

‘None at all,' said the Russian. ‘Am I to attribute it as a compliment to myself,' he added with an ironical smile, ‘or a sign that you are not as brave as you appear, that you have brought three other men to help you to capture me?'

‘I think you may congratulate yourself on being treated with consideration at all by Captain Shannon,' said Abdul Rahim quietly.

Rahtz looked at him disdainfully.

‘I am not aware that I addressed you,' he said. ‘Who are you, anyway?'

‘A great admirer of Captain Shannon's,' was the reply.

‘You have my sympathy,' murmured the Russian, and rose from his chair. ‘Well, I am ready!' he said.

He walked carelessly towards the steps. Then, suddenly, as he passed the electric light switch he put up his hand and the place was plunged into complete darkness. A mocking laugh came from the gloom.

‘Gentlemen, I have a revolver in my hand and I am ready to use it,' said Rahtz's voice. ‘No doubt one of you has an electric torch. If he switches it on he is a dead man!'

For a moment there was a tense silence, then suddenly Rahim's torch flared out, there was a flash and a terrific concussion followed immediately by another flash and an even greater concussion, a moan, the sound of a body dropping – and silence. The acrid smell of powder filled the close atmosphere.

‘Switch on the lights, please,' said Abdul Rahim's quiet voice. ‘My torch has fallen, and I fear it is broken.'

Hugh groped along the wall and at last found the switch. A moment and the place was brilliantly illuminated.

On the ground lay Rahtz, stretched on his back. Miles knelt beside him and after examining him stood up.

‘I guess his plotting days are over,' he said.

‘Dead?' asked Cousins.

The American nodded.

‘He was hit clean between he eyes,' he said, looking at Abdul Rahim with admiration. ‘It was a thundering good shot.'

‘It's a pity he had to be killed,' said the Indian, ‘but it was fate.'

‘What did you do?' asked Cousins, with a curious tone in his voice.

‘I merely held the torch at arm's length and he fired. Then I fired back.'

‘What made you drop it?'

‘I think it was hit.' He bent and picked it up. ‘Yes,' he said, ‘it is quite shattered.'

The others examined it also.

‘Look here,' said Cousins, ‘I believe you've been hit also. Let me see your left hand!'

The Indian stood smiling at him, his left hand, as ever, stuck in the pocket of his coat.

‘Believe me, Mr Cousins,' he said, ‘I am perfectly all right.'

The little man turned away with a puzzled frown on his face.

‘You're a strange fellow,' he said.

‘This business has meant the loss of some lives,' said Hugh regretfully. ‘Hudson, Kamper, and now Rahtz. We'll have to get Rainer to send along and have him taken away. Come on! We may as well have a look round before we leave this house.'

They searched the suitcases and the leather bag. The latter was locked, but they forced it open and found inside several important documents relative to Russia's activities, besides large bundles of bank notes and negotiable securities which must have represented a very large amount of money. The suitcases contained very little of interest; a few papers which they stuffed into the bag – as they intended taking it with them – some money and clothes, that was all.

Leaving the underground apartments they ascended the steps and dropped the trap-door behind them. They went from room to room, but found nothing worthy of notice until they entered a bedroom adjoining a small sitting room which, from evidence left about, they soon concluded was Hudson's. Cousins noticed a writing pad lying in a wastepaper basket. He pulled it out and with it some sheets of paper.

‘Wastepaper baskets often contain information worth having,' he said.

He proceeded to study the pad and paper. There was nothing written on the former, but the sheets of paper were covered with words and sentences scrawled about in the utmost confusion. Cousins became very interested and sat down in a chair to read what he could, while the others continued their search of the apartment.

‘By Jove!' he exclaimed at last. ‘There is something here which the Commissioner will find very interesting, and a few other people as well.'

‘What is it?' asked Hugh.

‘It is obviously the writing of a madman, for there is no beginning nor end, nor, in fact, any order at all. It consists of sentences and words and Hudson's signature repeated over and over again, but it amounts to this, that he had embezzled over two lacs of rupees from the Government by forged signatures, and that Rahtz discovered it – how, is not stated. Apparently under the threat of exposure the two Russians forced him to act with them and supply them with all kinds of confidential documents. At the end he writes, Joan has gone to kill Novar and Rahtz for my sake – I must help her.'

‘Good Lord!' said Hugh. ‘Now we know why he was connected with the others. Bring it along, Jerry! There's nothing else worth taking.'

They found the gates open when they reached them, so passed out of the grounds without difficulty. Rainer was waiting for them outside Rahtz's bungalow, and they told him about the Russian's death.

‘H'm!' he grunted. ‘I suppose I'll have to go and tell his wife. I've already frightened her to death with my searching, but as I warned her something might happen to him if he resisted, I hope it won't come as too great a shock. Every triumph has its drawbacks,' he added. ‘Poor woman!'

He came back in ten minutes wiping his brow with a handkerchief.

‘She took it very badly,' he growled. ‘I've left her in a dead faint. Luckily there's a woman friend of hers there who'll look after her.' He called to a sergeant of police who was standing near by. ‘Harris,' he said, ‘take two or three men to The Retreat on Shadrah Road, and bring the body of Rahtz home. Mr Rahim will tell you how to enter the room where it is lying.'

The Indian gave careful instructions and evendrew a diagram, so that the sergeant went away fully posted with directions about getting into the underground chambers.

‘Now,' said Rainer, ‘you fellows will want to get back. Miss Shannon will be getting anxious. I hope you've room in your car for me.'

‘Sure!' said Miles heartily, then added with a grin, ‘Sorry, Hugh, I forgot it was your automobile.'

Shannon laughed maliciously.

‘I've almost forgotten that fact myself,' he said. ‘Jump in everybody You too, Rahim – I've a bone to pick with you and the D.C. Besides we want to thank you for what you did the other night, and my sister will be hurt if you don't come.'

Abdul Rahim smiled.

‘I'll come,' he said, ‘but I'd rather face the bone than the thanks. I've a car of my own hidden a little way away, so I'll follow you in that. Rainer's bungalow I presume?'

Hugh nodded and as the Indian strolled away, turned to the Deputy Commissioner with a grin.

‘Our friend is a trifle familiar,' he remarked.

‘I like it,' said the other.

On the way, Cousins told Rainer about the sheets of paper found in Hudson's waste-paper basket and what they contained. Rainer was vastly interested and took them into his own possession.

‘These will make a lot of people sit up and think,' he said. ‘I'll hand them over to the Governor. By the way, you fellows, His Excellency is very gratified over the wonderful success that has attended your efforts. I found time to ring him up from Rahtz's bungalow and he desire's me to bring you all to see him at eleven tomorrow morning.'

They stopped at the telegraph office on the way and Hugh kept the rest of the party waiting nearly half an hour while he wrote out a long cable and despatched it. He had brought his small code book with him in his breast pocket in order to prevent delay and now, with a sigh of relief and satisfaction, he sent away the news to England, which would prove to be the forerunner of a great sensation.

Abdul Rahim had arrived at Rainer's bungalow some time before them, and he was chatting with the ladies when they entered. Joan ran to meet them her eyes shining with a great happiness.

‘Oh, Hugh,' she cried, ‘isn't it wonderful? Mr Rahim has been telling us of your great success. Won't Sir Leonard Wallace be delighted?'

‘I hope so,' replied Hugh. ‘Have you thanked Rahim for rescuing you?'

‘I've tried to, but he wouldn't let me.'

‘Well, I guess I'll have a go,' said Miles.

‘If you do,' said the Indian, ‘I'll depart at once, and I understand that Captain Shannon has a bone to pick with me and Mr Rainer!'

‘A bone to pick with—!' exclaimed Joan. ‘How absurd!'

‘Nevertheless I have,' said Hugh obstinately, ‘and quite a large one. I want to know how Rahim knew anything about the meeting and raid tonight and how, in fact, he knew anything about the activities of the Russians at all! And, as he is a friend of Mr Rainer's, who knew everything, I have been forced to the conclusion that Rainer must have told him.'

Abdul Rahim stood in the centre of the room and smiled. His left hand still reposed in his coat pocket and he looked anything but annoyed or embarrassed by Hugh's words.

‘Rainer,' he said, turning to the Commissioner, ‘I am going to give you away.'

‘Go ahead!' said the other, who looked thoroughly pleased with himself.

‘Well, I called here the other morning,' went on Rahim and his voice was perfectly clear and resonant, with no trace of a sibilant inflection whatever, ‘and Rainer, I am delighted to say, was so pleased to see me that he told me everything where you imagined the meeting would take place and I resolved to be present myself in case of accidents. I arrived at Mozang College about half past six this evening, had the pleasure of seeing Mr Cousins climb over the wall and followed him. After a great deal of trouble I got into the College, and found my way to the room in question. Of course, the door was locked, but I possess a little instrument which will open most doors. It opened that one and I entered and locked it behind me, then looked about for a hiding place. The large cupboard was the only possible place, and I unlocked the door as I had done the other. It was lined with shelves, but each one was long enough and wide enough to contain me if I cleared off the papers and books. I chose one of the lowest and piled all its litter on to the others. Time passed very slowly and I began to wonder if I was in the wrong room after all, but the orderly position of the chairs around the table reassured me and, at last, I heard a sound and scrambled into the cupboard and pulled the doors to, just as the key turned in the lock and someone entered. I could not see, but I heard everything that went on – well, you know the rest!'

‘The Secret Service could do with a man like you,' said Hugh, ‘and besides thanking you for rescuing my sister I have also to thank you for saving my life when Rahtz—'

‘I hardly saved your life,' interrupted Rahim hastily. ‘I am sure you would have avoided his knife.'

‘I doubt it,' replied Hugh. He turned to the Deputy Commissioner. ‘But really, Rainer,' he began, ‘you should never have broken a confidence which—'

He was interrupted by a great burst of laughter from Cousins. Everyone turned in amazement to look at the little man, who was lying back in his chair and emitting peal after peal while tears of merriment ran down his cheeks. The sight of that face creased up into its thousand wrinkles of mirth set the rest of the company laughing too. Presently Miles went over to him and patted him on the back.

‘Steady on, Jerry,' he said. ‘I guess the events of the day have made you hysterical.'

‘Hysterical be blowed!' gasped the ideal valet. ‘I was laughing at Shannon's remark that the Secret Service could do with a man like – like – er – Rahim!'

‘Well, what's funny in that? Pull yourself together, you boob!'

But Rainer also seemed to see the humour of it. He rocked in his chair.

‘Now I know why – why Mr Abdul Rahim always keeps his left hand in his pocket,' went on Cousins. ‘Don't you see—' He roared with laughter again, then rose to his feet and looked at Abdul Rahim. ‘Forgive me, sir,' he said, ‘but I couldn't help it. Shannon, you ass, this is
Sir Leonard Wallace
!'

‘What!' shouted Hugh.

‘Holy Mike!' murmured Miles.

He sat down but, missing the chair, landed on the floor, from where he continued to stare with his mouth open at the Chief of the British Secret Service.

‘Cousins is right,' said Sir Leonard, smiling round at the astonished
company. ‘Just before the aeroplane left with my despatches, I decided to come out myself. I thought I might be of some use and I also wanted to be on the spot to watch the final stages of your triumph, Shannon, and congratulate you, Cousins and Miles on a magnificent achievement. As soon as I arrived I disguised myself in this get up. It occurred to me that by keeping in the background and not making myself known I would be of more help to you than if I divulged my presence in Lahore. I watched your visit to Novar with the three Indians and later rode on the luggage carrier of his car, when he went to The Retreat. The following morning I made myself known to Rainer and he told me everything. I have thoroughly enjoyed your curiosity about me. It only remains for me to change my garb and resume my normal appearance. Then I shall try to tell you what Great Britain and in fact, the whole world owes to you three men.'

His left hand was not in his pocket now. On it was a brown kid glove and as Miles looked he remembered hearing that the famous Chief of the British Intelligence Department had lost his left arm in the service of his country. The substitute was a good one, but it was only an artificial arm after all.