Read Online Microbes of Power (Wallace of the Secret Service Series) by Alexander Wilson - Free Book Online Page B

viewed the exciting chase over the walls and through the back gardens. Others had not been deaf to the screams of Mrs Wright, which had been heard outside the house. A neighbour had expressed the opinion that nothing more dreadful could have been heard since the days ‘when they tortured people with racks and boots and things. ’Orrible days they must ’ave been. I know what pain boots and shoes can give. Only a little while ago my Emmy ’ad a pair of shoes a size too small, and the torture the poor lamb suffered afore I found out must ’ave been ’scruciating.’ At all events, Brook Street turned out en masse to ascertain, as the dwellers there put it, ‘wot was doin’ at Seventy-Two.’
    Sir Leonard and Brien arrived to find the road completely blocked. A succession of raucous blasts on the horn failed to clearthe way through the solid mass of humanity, and they were compelled to leave the car where it was, and force their way through the throng. At first they met with resistance, indignant cries of ‘Who’re yew a shovin’ of?’ and, in some cases, a decided show of hostility. As soon, however, as it dawned on the people barring their way that they were connected in some manner with the events that had caused the crowd to collect, it was amazing how quickly and easily a passage was made for them. There were no policemen to be seen anywhere and, as soon as Sir Leonard entered the house, he sent Foster to find a couple in order to move on the assembled curiosity-mongers. He then entered the front room. Mrs Wright was still sitting where Brien had placed her, her vicious face full of sullen anger; the little boy looked extremely frightened, and was crouching in his chair as though terrified to move. Willingdon stood at the door, his good-looking, serious face utterly expressionless. Sir Leonard cast a quick glance round the room, his eyes lingering for a moment on the woman. In that short space of time he summed her up completely; knew that it would be impossible to extract information from her. He found the big, terrified eyes of the child fixed appealingly on him, and smiled reassuringly. That smile should certainly be recorded on the credit side of Sir Leonard’s account in the Judgment Book. The small boy, like most children of his age brought up in his surroundings, had read sensational yarns in the cheap magazines for boys of which there are so many; he had heard his mother and father discussing sordid crimes about which they had read in the papers. It was little wonder that the arrival of four strange men in the house, the noise upstairs, and his mother’s conduct had frightened him badly. Until the arrival of Sir Leonard he was convinced that the house was in the possession of bandits.The friendly, altogether attractive smile bestowed on him by the Chief of the Secret Service had gone a long way towards dispelling his terror. Instinctively he knew that here was one in supreme authority and one who would do him no harm. Thereafter his fear turned to curiosity, and he listened to every word, watched every movement with great attention, which as it turned out was perhaps fortunate for Sir Leonard.
    Maddison reported that he had discovered nothing in the house of very much interest. Baltazzi and Padakis had, of course, left their belongings behind, but they consisted of two suitcases containing clothing and little else. Wallace was told the story of the locked room again; asked various questions. At first he had been puzzled by the fact that the two men had not made their escape earlier; he had wondered why they had remained in the room after locking the door until Brien and his companions had commenced to batter in the obstruction. Maddison’s report that he had found nothing important supplied him with the reason for their delay. Obviously, he thought, the suitcases had contained something which they did not wish to fall into the hands of the authorities. They had been engaged in removing whatever it