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Exploits of Juve

<h2>XVI</h2> <h3>A DRAMA AT THE BERCY WAREHOUSE</h3> Juve passed the whole day at the Cité Frochot. Despite the precautions taken to keep the failure two days back a secret, the papers had got wind of the drama: The Capital itself had spoken of it, though without naming his fellow-worker. The staff of that paper was unaware that Fandor was the other man who had so marvellously escaped from the sewer. Blood-curdling tales were told about Doctor Chaleck, Juve, Loupart, the house of the crime, the affair at the hospital; but to anyone familiar with the actual happenings, the newspaper accounts were very far from giving the truth. And Juve, far from contradicting these misstatements, took a delight in spreading them broadcast. It is sometimes useful to set astray the powerful voice of the Press so as to give a false security to the real culprits.[Pg 119] However, when masons, electricians and zinc-workers were seen to take possession of Doctor Chaleck's house and begin to turn it upside down, a crowd quickly assembled to witness the performance. It was with great difficulty that Juve, who did not want too many witnesses round the place, organised arrangements of a vigorous character. Installed in the drawing-room on the ground floor, he first had a long interview with the owner of the house, M. Nathan, the well-known diamond broker of the Rue de Provence. The poor man was in despair to think his property had been the scene of the extraordinary events which were on everybody's tongue. All he knew of Doctor Chaleck was that that gentleman had been his tenant just four years, and had always paid his rent regularly. "You didn't suspect," asked Juve in conclusion, "the ingenious contrivance of that electric lift in which the doctor placed a study identically similar to the real one?" "Certainly not, sir," replied the worthy man. "Eighteen months ago my tenant asked permission to repair the house at his own expense; as you may suppose, I granted his request at once. It must have been at that time that the queer contrivance was built. Have I your permission[Pg 120] to go down to the cellars and ascertain their condition?" "Not before to-morrow, sir, when I shall have finished my inspection," replied Juve, as he saw M. Nathan out. The inspector was assisted in his investigation by detectives Michel and Dupation. They interviewed the old couple in charge of the Cité and various neighbours of Doctor Chaleck, but without lighting upon a clue. Nobody had seen or heard anything whatever. Toward noon he and Michel, who did not wish to leave the house, decided to have a modest repast brought to them. M. Dupation, a fidgety official, took this chance of getting away. "Well, gentlemen," he declared, "you are much more up to this business than I, and besides my wife expects me to luncheon. You don't need any further help from me?" Juve reassured the worthy superintendent and gave him permission to go. He was only too glad to find himself alone with his lieutenant. The workmen who were repairing the caved-in basement of the little house were already gone, and there was no chance of their being back before two o'clock. Thus Juve found himself alone with Michel. "What I can't understand, sir," said Michel,[Pg 121] "is the telephone call we got toward morning from here asking for help at the office in the Rue Rochefoucauld. Either the victim herself 'phoned, and in that case she did not die, as we think, in the early part of the night, or it was not she, and then——" Juve smiled. "You are right in putting the problem that way, but to my mind it is easy to solve. The call was not given by the murdered woman for, remember, when we raised the body at half-past six it was already cold. Now the call was not given till six, when the woman had been dead some little time. That I am sure of, and you will see the report of the medical expert will uphold me." "Then it was a third person who gave it?" "Yes, and one who sought to have the crime discovered as soon as possible, and who reckoned on the officers coming from the Central Station, but did not expect Fandor or me to come back." "Then according to you, sir, the murderer knew of your presence behind the curtain in the study while the crime was being committed." "I can't tell about the murderer, but Doctor Chaleck certainly knew we were there. That man must have watched us all night, known the exact instant we left the house, and immediately after[Pg 122]wards got some one to telephone or must have done so himself." Michel, becoming more and more convinced by Juve's reasoning, went on: "At any rate, the existence of two studies, in all respects similar, goes to show a carefully premeditated plan, but there is something I can't account for. When you came back to the study where we found the dead woman, you found traces of mud by the window brought in by your shoes. You must therefore have been watching through the night the room where the crime was committed." Juve was about to put in a word, but Michel, launched on his train of argument, continued: "Allow me, sir; you are going, no doubt, to tell me that they might during your short absence have carried the body of the victim into the study in question, but I would point out to you, that on the loosened hair of the poor creature blood had caked, that some was on the carpet and had even gone through it to the flooring beneath. Now if they carried in the body just a little while before we discovered it, that would not have been the case." Michel was delighted with his own argument. Juve smiled indulgently. "My poor Michel," he cried, "you would be[Pg 123] quite right if I put forward such an explanation. It is certain that the room in which we found the body was that in which the crime took place. It is therefore that in which we were not! As for the marks of mud near the window, they are ours, but transferred from the room in which we were into the room in which we were not! Which again proves that our presence was known to the culprits. "Furthermore, the candle with which Doctor Chaleck melted the wax to seal his letters was scarcely used, it only burned in fact a few minutes. Now we found another candle in the same state. So you see that the precautions were well taken and everything possible done to lead us astray. "We see the puppets moving—Loupart, Chaleck, Josephine, others maybe, but we do not see the strings." "The strings which move them perhaps may be no other than—Fantômas," ventured Michel. Juve frowned and suddenly fell silent. Then abruptly changing the conversation, he asked his lieutenant: "You told me, did you not, that you could no longer appear in the character of the Sapper?" "Quite true, Inspector, I was spotted just the day before the crime by Loupart, and so was my colleague, Nonet."[Pg 124] "Talking of that," answered Juve, "Nonet mentioned vaguely something about an affair at the docks, supposed to have been planned by the Beard and an individual known as the Cooper. Are you fully informed?" "Unfortunately no, Inspector. I know no more about the matter than you do." "And what is Nonet about now?" "He has left for Chartres." Juve shrugged his shoulders. He was annoyed. Perhaps if Léon, nicknamed Nonet, had not been transferred he would by now have obtained pertinent clues to the dock's affair. After having enjoined Michel to devise a new disguise which allowed him to mix once more with the Band of Cyphers and going back to "The Good Comrades," Juve went down to the basement to supervise the workmen, who were now back; while Michel busied himself with the inventory of the papers found in Doctor Chaleck's study. <hr style="width: 45%;" /> On leaving the house toward half-past seven in the evening Juve went slowly down to the Rue des Martyrs, pondering over the occurrences which for several days had succeeded each other with such startling rapidity. As he reached the boulevards the bawling of[Pg 125] newsboys attracted his attention. An ominous headline was displayed in the papers the crowd was struggling for. "ANOTHER RAILROAD ACCIDENT. THE SIMPLON EXPRESS TELESCOPES THE MARSEILLES LIMITED. MANY VICTIMS." Juve anxiously bought a paper and scanned the list of the injured, fearful that Fandor would be found among the number. But as he read the details and learned that those in the detached carriage had escaped, he felt somewhat relieved. Hailing a taxi he drove off rapidly to the Prefecture in search of more precise information. "A message for you, M. Juve." The detective, hurrying home, was passing the porter's lodge. He pulled up short. "For me?" "Yes—it's certainly your name on the telegram." Juve took the blue envelope with distrust and uneasiness. He had given his home address to no one. He glanced over the message, and gave a sigh of relief. "The dear fellow," he muttered as he went[Pg 126] upstairs. "He's had a narrow escape; however, all's well than ends well." After a hurried toilet and a bite of dinner, Juve set off again, jumped into a train for the Boulevard St. Germain and got down at the Jardin des Plantes. Then, sauntering casually along, he made for Bercy by the docks, which were covered as far as the eye could see with rows and rows of barrels. <hr style="width: 45%;" /> About two hours later, Juve, who had been wandering about the vast labyrinth of wine-docks, began to grow impatient. It was already fifty minutes past the appointed hour, and the detective began to feel uneasy. Why was Fandor so late? Something must surely have happened to him! And then what a queer idea to choose such a meeting place! Suddenly, Juve started. He recalled his talk that afternoon with Michel; the reference made to the affair of the docks in which the Beard and the Cooper were implicated. What if he had been drawn into a trap! The detective's reflections were suddenly cut short by unusual and alarming sounds. He fancied he heard the shrill blast of a whistle, followed by the rush of footsteps and a collision of empty barrels.[Pg 127] Juve held his breath and crouched down under the shed in which he stood; he thought he saw the outline of a shadow passing slowly in the distance. Juve was stealthily following in its tracks when he caught a significant click. "Two can play at that," he growled between his teeth, as he cocked his revolver. The shadow disappeared, but the footsteps went on. Disguising his voice he called out: "Who goes there?" A sharp summons answered him, "Halt!" Juve was about to call upon his mysterious neighbour to do likewise, when a report rang out, at once followed by another. Juve saw where the shots came from. His assailant was scarcely fifteen paces from him, but luckily the shots had gone wide. "Use up your cartridges, my friend," muttered Juve; "when your get to number six, it will be my turn." The sixth shot rang out. This was the signal for Juve to spring forward. Leaping over the barrels, he made for the shadow which he espied at intervals. All at once he gave a cry of triumph. He was face to face with a man. His cry, however, changed into amazement. "You, Fandor?" "Juve!"[Pg 128] "You've begun shooting at me, now, have you?" For answer, the journalist held out his revolver, which was fully loaded. "But what are you doing here, Juve?" he asked. "You wired to me to come." "That I never did." Juve drew the telegram from his pocket and held it out to Fandor, but as the two men drew close together, they were startled by a lightning flash, and a report. A bullet whistled past their ears. Instinctively they lay flat between two barrels, holding their breaths. Juve whispered instructions: "When I give the signal, fire at anything you see or toward the direction of the next report." The two men slowly and noiselessly raised their heads. "Ah," cried Juve. And he fired at the rapidly fleeing figure. "Did you see?" whispered Fandor, clutching Juve's arm. "It's Chaleck." Juve was about to leap up and start in pursuit when a series of dull thuds, the overturning of barrels, stifled oaths and cracking planks smote his ear. These noises were followed by the measured footfall of a body of men drawing near, words of command and shrill whistles.[Pg 129] "What's all that now?" questioned Fandor. "The best thing that could happen for us," replied Juve. "The police are coming. These quays are a refuge for all kinds of tramps and crooks who from time to time are rounded up. We are probably going to see a 'drive.'" Juve had scarcely finished speaking when several shots rang out; these were followed by a general uproar and then a great blue flame suddenly rose, died away and flared up again. A thick smoke permeated the atmosphere. "Fire," exclaimed Fandor. "The kegs of alcohol are alight," added Juve. The two had now to think of their own safety. Evidently bandits had been tracking them for more than an hour, guided by Doctor Chaleck. But they soon found that their retreat was cut off by a ring of flames. "Let us head for the Seine," suggested Fandor, who had discovered a break in the ring of fire at that point. A fresh explosion now took place. From a burst cask a spurt of liquid fire shot up, closing the circle. It had become impossible to pass through in any direction. They heard the cries of the rabble, the whistles of the officers. In the distance the horns of the fire engines moaned dolefully. The heat was growing unbearable, and the ring enclosing Fan[Pg 130]dor and Juve narrowed more and more. Suddenly Juve pointed to an enormous empty puncheon that had just rolled beside them. "Have you ever looped the loop?" he asked. "Hurry up now; in you go; we'll let it roll down the slope of the quay into the river." In a few moments the cask was rolling at top speed. Juve and Fandor guessed by the crackling of the outer planks and by a sudden rise in the temperature that they were passing through the fire. All at once the great vat reached the level of the river. It plunged into the waves with a dull thud. <hr style="width: 65%;"/>[Pg 131] <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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