At this moment Inspector Brown came hurriedly through the back hall; he
was very hot and wiped the perspiration from his sunburnt face with a
red bandana.
"I've news for you, Mr. Jacobs," he cried, as calmly as he could. "Will
you come into the sitting-room; will you come at once, please: most
important!"
Mr. Jacobs looked at him curiously; then beckoned to Celia.
"You come too, Miss Grant," he said. "You know shorthand--I saw some
scraps of paper in your waste-paper basket. You can take any notes we
want. Splendid thing, shorthand. Wish I could do it. Now then, Mr.
Brown!"--as he closed the door.
"Well, to put it in a word, Mr. Jacobs, I've got our man!"
Mr. Jacobs did not start or show any glad surprise, but looked steadily
at Inspector Smith, and at the same time, seemed to be listening; they
could all hear Lord Heyton pacing up and down the hall.
"Mind! I don't take any great credit for it, Mr. Jacobs. It was a fluke:
just a fluke. I caught him red-handed; found him in the wood with the
jewel-case in his hand. Yes, actually in his hand! He must have hidden
it and dug it up."
Mr. Jacobs nodded, but said nothing.
"I've got him in the lock-up," said the Inspector, with an air of
satisfaction which was pardonable in the circumstances. "He went very
quietly--declared his innocence, of course--well, implied it. I've got
notes of what he said. And I searched him."
Mr. Jacobs nodded again, and the Inspector drew from his pocket sundry
articles.
"Not much money on him--there's some loose change and this five-pound
note. Strange to say--a bit curious and suspicious!--he objected
strongly to my taking the note: said that it was worth more than five
pounds to him; in fact, he declared that he wouldn't part with it for
five thousand and begged me to take care of it and let him change it
back for gold." He smiled. Celia flushed hotly, her eyes glowed as they
dwelt on the note, and she stifled an exclamation. She listened with
parted lips, her breath coming fast. "Something in that, eh, Mr. Jacobs?
Then there are some various letters; several of them from a lady in
South America, invoices and letters about engineering. Seems to have
come from abroad. And here's this packet. It's sealed, as you see; and I
didn't care to open it by myself; thought you and I would open it
together. May be important evidence, you know."