The Teeth of the Tiger | Page 3

it's
better as it is. I hope that the American Ambassador did not trouble to
come in person?"
"No, Monsieur le Préfet."
"Have you their cards?"
"Yes."
The Prefect of Police took the five visiting cards which his secretary
handed him and read:
"Mr. Archibald Bright, First Secretary United States Embassy; Maître
Lepertuis, Solicitor; Juan Caceres, Attaché to the Peruvian Legation;
Major Comte d'Astrignac, retired."

The fifth card bore merely a name, without address or quality of any
kind--
DON LUIS PERENNA
"That's the one I'm curious to see!" said M. Desmalions. "He interests
me like the very devil! Did you read the report of the Foreign Legion?"
"Yes, Monsieur le Préfet, and I confess that this gentleman puzzles me,
too."
"He does, eh? Did you ever hear of such pluck? A sort of heroic
madman, something absolutely wonderful! And then there's that
nickname of Arsène Lupin which he earned among his messmates for
the way in which he used to boss them and astound them! ... How long
is it since the death of Arsène Lupin?"
"It happened two years before your appointment, Monsieur le Préfet.
His corpse and Mme. Kesselbach's were discovered under the ruins of a
little chalet which was burnt down close to the Luxemburg frontier. It
was found at the inquest that he had strangled that monster, Mrs.
Kesselbach, whose crimes came to light afterward, and that he hanged
himself after setting fire to the chalet."
"It was a fitting end for that--rascal," said M. Desmalions, "and I
confess that I, for my part, much prefer not having him to fight against.
Let's see, where were we? Are the papers of the Mornington inheritance
ready for me?"
"On your desk, Monsieur le Préfet."
"Good. But I was forgetting: is Inspector Vérot here?"
"Yes, Monsieur le Préfet. I expect he's in the infirmary getting
something to pull him together."
"Why, what's the matter with him?"
"He struck me as being in a queer state--rather ill."

"How do you mean?"
The secretary described his interview with Inspector Vérot.
"And you say he left a letter for me?" said M. Desmalions with a
worried air. "Where is it?"
"Among the papers, Monsieur le Préfet."
"Very odd: it's all very odd. Vérot is a first-rate inspector, a very
sober-minded fellow; and he doesn't get frightened easily. You might
go and fetch him. Meanwhile, I'll look through my letters."
The secretary hurried away. When he returned, five minutes later, he
stated, with an air of astonishment, that he had not seen Inspector
Vérot.
"And what's more curious still," he added, "is that the messenger who
saw him leave this room saw him come in again almost at once and did
not see him go out a second time."
"Perhaps he only passed through here to go to you."
"To me, Monsieur le Préfet? I was in my room all the time."
"Then it's incomprehensible."
"Yes ... unless we conclude that the messenger's attention was
distracted for a second, as Vérot is neither here nor next door."
"That must be it. I expect he's gone to get some air outside; and he'll be
back at any moment. For that matter, I shan't want him to start with."
The Prefect looked at his watch.
"Ten past five. You might tell the messenger to show those gentlemen
in.... Wait, though--"
M. Desmalions hesitated. In turning over the papers he had found

Vérot's letter. It was a large, yellow, business envelope, with "Café du
Pont-Neuf" printed at the top.
The secretary suggested:
"In view of Vérot's absence, Monsieur le Préfet, and of what he said, it
might be as well for you to see what's in the letter first."
M. Desmalions paused to reflect.
"Perhaps you're right."
And, making up his mind, he inserted a paper-knife into the envelope
and cut it open. A cry escaped him.
"Oh, I say, this is a little too much!"
"What is it, Monsieur le Préfet?"
"Why, look here, a blank ... sheet of paper! That's all the envelope
contains!"
"Impossible!"
"See for yourself--a plain sheet folded in four, with not a word on it."
"But Vérot told me in so many words that he had said in that letter all
that he knew about the case."
"He told you so, no doubt, but there you are! Upon my word, if I didn't
know Inspector Vérot, I should think he was trying to play a game with
me."
"It's a piece of carelessness, Monsieur le Préfet, at the worst."
"No doubt, a piece of carelessness, but I'm surprised at him. It doesn't
do to be careless when the lives of two people are at stake. For he must
have told you that there is a double murder planned for to-night?"

"Yes, Monsieur le Préfet, and under particularly alarming conditions;
infernal was the