The Albert Gate Mystery | Page 8

one seemed to be surprised by Brett's attitude.
"Where are you going to, sir?" asked Mr. Winter.
"That depends largely upon you," was the smiling reply. "If you come
with me we will go direct to Albert Gate, but if you decide to prosecute
further inquiries here, I will await your arrival at my flat."
"That is as much as saying that there are no facts worth inquiring into
to be learnt here?"
"Exactly so. Miss Talbot has told me all that is material to our purpose.
Her brother was unexpectedly sent for after dinner on Monday night,
and left the house hurriedly, without affording any clue to his
subsequent proceedings beyond that contained in a brief note sent to
him by Mehemet Ali Pasha. Indeed, it was impossible for him to afford
any explanation, as he himself was quite unprepared for the summons.
Meanwhile, every moment lost in the endeavour to follow up his
movements is precious time wasted."
The barrister's manner, no less than his words, impressed Mr. Winter so
greatly that he too rose from the seat which he had occupied, with the
intention of conducting a long and careful examination of each member
of the household.
"Then I will come with you at once," he said.
"Oh," cried the Major-General, "I understood you to say as we came
here that there were many questions which required immediate inquiry
in this house, on the principle that the movements of the missing man
should be minutely traced from the very commencement."
Mr. Winter looked somewhat confused, but Edith Talbot broke in--
"I think, uncle dear, it would be well to defer to Mr. Brett's judgment."
"Do you really believe," she said, turning to the barrister, "that you will
soon be able to find my brother?"

"I am quite sure of it," he replied, and the conviction in his tone
astonished the professional detective, whilst it carried a message of
hope to the others. Even Sir Hubert, for some reason which he could
not explain, suddenly experienced a strong sense of confidence in this
reserved, distinguished-looking man. He stepped forward eagerly and
held out his hand, saying--
"Then we will not detain you, Mr. Brett. Act as you think fit in all
things, but do let us have all possible information at the earliest
moment. The suspense and uncertainty of the present position of affairs
are terribly trying to my niece and myself." The old soldier spoke with
dignity and composure, but his lips quivered, and the anguish in his
eyes was pitiful.
Brett and Mr. Winter quitted the house; they hailed a hansom, and
drove rapidly towards Albert Gate.
"Do you know," said the man from Scotland Yard, breaking in on his
companion's reverie, "you surprised me by what you said just now, Mr.
Brett?"
"I thought you were too old a hand to be surprised at anything," was the
reply.
"Oh, come now, you know well enough what I mean. You said you
thought it would be a comparatively simple matter to find Mr. Talbot,
whilst the other features of the crime are very complex. Now the affair,
thus far, impresses me as being the exact opposite to that statement.
The crime is simple enough. A clever gang of thieves get into the place
by working some particularly cool and daring confidence game. They
don't hesitate at murder to cover up their tracks, and they make away
with the plunder under the very noses of the police. All this may be
smart and up-to-date in its methods, but it is not unusual. The difficult
question to my mind is, what have they done with Mr. Talbot, and how
did they succeed in fooling him so completely as to make him what one
might almost call a party to the transaction?"
The barrister pulled out a cigar-case.

"Try one of these, Winter," he said. "You will find them soothing."
"I never smoke whilst on business," was the testy reply.
"I invariably do." He proceeded to light a cigar, which he smoked with
zest.
"I do not know how it is," went on Mr. Winter, "but whenever I happen
to meet you, Mr. Brett, in the course of an inquiry, I always start by
being very angry with you."
"Why?" There was an amused twinkle in Brett's eyes, which might
have warned the other of a possible pitfall.
"Because you treat me as if I were a precocious youth. You listen to my
theories with a sort of pitying indulgence, yet I have the reputation of
being one of the best men in Scotland Yard, or I should not have been
put on this job. And I am older than you, too."
"I may surely pity you," said Brett, "even if I don't indulge you too
much."
"There you go again,"