A Study in Treason, page 20
“Here we are,” Sherman said, and opened the end cage. “Out you go, old girl.”
Toby Two bounded onto the floor and let out several happy yelps, then busied herself inspecting our shoes for scents. First, she sniffed Joanna’s, next my father’s, and finally mine. Not quite satisfied, she came back to Joanna’s shoes for another sniff, putting her nose to both heel and toe. Only then did she sit on her haunches and stare up at Joanna, as if awaiting instructions.
Joanna reached down to scratch the head of the most peculiar-appearing animal. She had many features of a long-haired spaniel, but the floppy ears, sad eyes, and snout were those of a bloodhound. The dog’s attention stayed fixed on Joanna and was only drawn away when her owner reached into his pocket. Mr. Sherman handed Joanna a lump of sugar that Toby Two accepted after the briefest of hesitations. The alliance between Toby Two and Joanna being sealed, the dog eagerly followed us out and into our waiting carriage.
On our trip to Victoria Station, Toby Two kept her head entirely out of the window so she could sample the air and savor the aromas contained in it. Intermittently she would howl happily, as if detecting a scent that was particularly pleasing to her. Joanna reminded us that, according to a monograph written by German scientists, dogs had a sense of smell a thousand times greater than that of humans and could easily distinguish between a hundred different scents at the same time. Their noses were in fact one of nature’s most sensitive instruments.
“But what is our current need for Toby Two?” my father asked. “We know that Elizabeth Halifax plans to visit Lloyds Bank, a major branch of which is located a scant three blocks from Victoria Station. Surely it will present no difficulty following her there.”
“You are assuming she will visit the Lloyds Bank in Belgravia,” Joanna said. “But that may not be the case. Remember, this is the area where the Halifax family lives when not at their country estate. She could be seen and recognized by an acquaintance. Thus, it might behoove her to transact her business at a distance, say at the larger Fleet Street office.”
“Your point is well taken,” my father agreed.
“And there is another point to be taken,” Joanna went on. “She may choose not to hurry to the bank, but rather meet up with an intermediary who will transact this unpleasant business for her. As a rule, the aristocracy do not like to soil their hands in such matters.”
“Would she actually hand the intermediary the money and allow him alone to carry out the transaction?” I asked.
Joanna shook her head. “Only a fool would do that and Elizabeth Halifax is no fool. The money and the document will change hands at the same time, but with Elizabeth watching. I can assure you that the large sum of money will either be in Elizabeth’s possession or under her watchful eye at every turn.”
“But would not such an arrangement place Elizabeth Halifax in danger?” I asked. “After all, she is dealing with those who are not of the best class.”
“If she encounters danger, it is of her own making and she will have to face the consequences,” Joanna said without inflection. “Our concern is the missing French Treaty upon which may rest the fate of England. Thus, it is the money that we must follow, and Elizabeth Halifax is simply the carrier.”
“And the money leads to the missing document, of course,” I concluded.
“Which is why we will track it with the finest nose in all of London,” Joanna said, and reached over to scratch Toby Two’s head. “No matter where she goes, Toby’s nose will follow.”
“But how will Toby Two know Elizabeth’s scent?” I asked.
“From the linen handkerchief she left behind in the telegraph office.” Joanna opened her handbag and extracted a leather pouch that was tightly latched. “Within this pouch I have the handkerchief that contains not only her bodily scent, but the fragrance of a French perfume that she apparently douses on. I have no doubt Toby Two could follow the latter through a windstorm.”
I queried, “What if Elizabeth Halifax decided to change perfume?”
“No matter,” Joanna said. “She will retain a bit of fragrance from her prior perfume, and Toby Two will have no difficulty picking up its scent.”
“Ah!” My father pointed to the window. “Victoria Station is just ahead.”
“Excellent! Our timing is perfect,” Joanna said, then turned quickly to me. “John, please hurry into the station and stroll about until the noon express from Hampshire arrives. Do not wait for Elizabeth Halifax to appear, for it is important you not be seen. Once the passengers begin to disembark, return to our carriage as rapidly as possible.”
I quickly alighted from the carriage and entered Victoria Station, which was crowded with hundreds of people, all of whom seemed to be moving and talking at the same moment. Keeping my head down, I approached a porter for the information that was needed, and he pointed to a train from which passengers were disembarking. Following Joanna’s instructions, I did not wait for a sighting of Elizabeth Halifax, but promptly turned and hurried back to the carriage.
“The game is afoot!” I announced.
We immediately crouched down in our seats so we could not be seen, yet still have a clear view of the station’s entrance where carriages were lined up in an orderly queue. A few motorcars were there as well, but they were off to the side and not for hire. Several minutes passed as passengers continued to leave the station, but Elizabeth Halifax was not among them.
“Are there other exits to the station?” I asked.
“Of course. But they do not have waiting carriages,” Joanna replied.
“Perhaps she is taking a circuitous route.”
“That will not be to her advantage, for Toby Two can easily follow her scent,” Joanna said, unconcerned, then abruptly craned her neck forward. “There she is!”
A bonneted Elizabeth Halifax strode out into the bright sunlight and signaled a carriage with her parasol. She kept the open parasol low in an effort to conceal her face.
“Tell me what you see, Watson,” Joanna said.
“Nothing out of the ordinary,” my father observed.
“Note the absence of luggage,” Joanna coaxed.
My father thought for a moment before saying, “She will not be spending the night.”
Joanna nodded in agreement. “Her visit will be brief, which is to be expected when one is conducting sordid business.”
The carriage holding Elizabeth Halifax pulled gently away from the curb and entered Victoria Street, then melded into a sea of other hansoms and motorcars. Joanna tapped on the roof, which was a signal to our driver to follow the carriage that had just departed. He had been instructed in the strongest terms to stay back a considerable distance, so as not to be noticed. Even if he lost sight of the carriage, it would present no problem, for Toby Two’s yelps would keep us on the track of Elizabeth Halifax.
Joanna rapidly opened her handbag and reached for Elizabeth Halifax’s neatly folded handkerchief. She rubbed it under Toby Two’s nose for a full ten seconds, allowing the hound to register its distinctive scents, then she returned the handkerchief to its leather pouch.
Toby Two suddenly sprang to life. Sticking her head out of the window, she howled in delight as she now realized the chase was on. Her tail was upright and wagging furiously at the aromas that filled the air. But Toby Two’s unique talents were not needed at this point, for Elizabeth Halifax’s carriage was coming to a stop at the entrance of Lloyds Bank in Belgravia. She remained inside the hansom, and the driver did not climb down to open the door for her.
“She waits,” Joanna said.
“But to what end?” my father asked. “She could be recognized by passersby if she lingers.”
“Perhaps she has arranged for a banker to meet her,” I suggested.
“Most unlikely,” Joanna said. “Banking is a highly confidential business, and those who practice it do not greet their clients in the street. She is waiting for someone of importance.”
“An intermediary?” I queried.
“Perhaps.”
Another minute passed before the driver climbed down to open the carriage door for Elizabeth Halifax. She stepped out, with her parasol now open and covering most of her face. Yet she did not move to the entrance of the bank. Elizabeth Halifax looked about briefly and partially closed her parasol before allowing it to reopen. Only then did a well-built, broad-shouldered man come out of the shadows and approach her.
“She signaled him with her parasol!” I exclaimed.
“Obviously,” Joanna said, and moved nearer to the window so she could better study the middle-aged man. Some feature in particular seemed to draw her attention, for she craned her neck for a closer view.
I saw nothing unusual about the man, other than his size. He was over six feet in height and, with his large frame, easily topped two hundred pounds in weight. His suit was of average quality and its coat was not well fitted.
“He is security,” Joanna said, her eyes still on the man.
“How can you know this?” my father asked.
“From simple observation, Watson,” Joanna said, and relaxed back in her seat. “You will note how he continually glances around and takes stock of his surroundings.”
“A close confidant there to help her would do the same,” my father argued mildly.
“And would this confidant carry a revolver?” Joanna asked. “Notice the unseemly bulge in his coat under his left arm. That is where a right-handed man would position his hidden weapon. And, as you can see, he is right-handed.”
I glanced over to the front entrance to the bank. The man was opening the door for Elizabeth Halifax, using his right hand.
“She is being most careful,” Joanna went on. “From the very moment the money touches her hand, there will be an armed guard at her side.”
“But is this precaution truly needed inside a bank?” I asked.
“Particularly inside and near a bank,” Joanna said. “Clever thieves at times are able to place themselves in banks where they watch for large withdrawals. They then signal an accomplice outside to perform what is referred to as a running snatch in their trade. The money and the thieves disappear in the blink of an eye.”
The transaction within the bank was accomplished rapidly, for the couple reappeared in a matter of minutes. As Elizabeth Halifax stepped up into the carriage, the armed guard glanced around in all directions, with his right hand firmly tucked inside the front of his coat. The size of the bulge we had noticed earlier was now twice as large.
Their carriage moved away and Toby Two was instantly on the alert. With her head out the window and nose to the wind, she immediately picked up the scent and made the happiest of sounds. Joanna tapped on the roof to remind our driver to keep his distance.
“Do you have any idea of their destination?” I asked.
“I do not,” Joanna replied. “But I can assure you they will take a circuitous route to reach it.”
Our carriage moved along lower Knightsbridge at a steady pace, for the traffic had thinned and motorcars were less prevalent. Still, the air held the odor of used petrol and we could only hope it would not interfere with Toby Two’s keen nose. Abruptly our carriage jerked forward and increased its speed, but that lasted for only a few seconds before we slowed down once more. Then we continued on, with only gradual and intermittent increases in our rate of travel.
“Clever,” Joanna remarked
“How so?” I asked.
“It is a mechanism to determine if one is being followed,” Joanna said. “One speeds up and slows down several times to see if the carriage behind you does the same.”
“Is our driver aware?”
“He was so informed.”
We turned onto Park Lane and rode in silence past Hyde Park and into the Marble Arch area. Toby Two kept her nose to the wind, but her head was not nearly as far out the window as before. Apparently the scent of Elizabeth Halifax was so strong it required little effort to detect and follow. But the hound was not bored, for her tail was still up and wagging.
Gradually our carriage turned onto Edgware Road and Joanna sat up suddenly. She tapped on the roof and the driver slowed down. Once again she tapped and we slowed even more.
“We must be very careful here,” Joanna warned. “Please sit back so your faces cannot be seen.”
“Why the caution?” my father asked.
“We are now on Edgware Road.”
“And?”
“This is the street where the Deutsche Society resides.”
The Deutsche Society! I recollected its significance as the name echoed back and forth in my mind. It was mired in every aspect of the missing document. Here, Henry Miller had been not only a member, but the soon-to-be presiding officer. Here, Roger Bennett had come to inquire about living in Germany and how to obtain a visa to do so. And here, the brother of a known German spy had been invited to give a lecture and was seen chatting with Henry Miller.
“Perhaps we should call Scotland Yard,” I suggested, unable to keep the urging out of my voice.
“Not yet,” Joanna said. “Let us see how this hand plays out.”
Our carriage continued on for another block, then slowed to a crawl, although traffic was noticeably light. Joanna raised her brow in concern as she reached up to tap the roof. “What is transpiring?” she called out.
“A moment, ma’am,” the driver called back, then abruptly increased his voice to a shout. “Ma’am! Ma’am! They are doing a turnabout and will shortly be heading directly toward us!”
“Take a right at Portman, then another right and return to Oxford Street,” Joanna directed quickly. “And do not appear to hurry.”
“Will not Toby Two lose the scent?” I worried.
“Briefly,” Joanna replied. “But she will pick it up again at the Marble Arch.”
We performed a gradual turn onto Portman Street and continued past a large hotel, then swung right onto a narrow street that was lined with row houses. Just ahead we could see the top of the Marble Arch. Joanna tapped lightly on the roof and gave further instructions. “Go right again and down Oxford at an even pace. When you reach Bayswater, do a turnabout and return slowly to the Marble Arch. You should shortly see the lead carriage, which you again will follow at a distance.”
I was not surprised by Joanna’s keen knowledge of the westside of London. For most of her adult life she lived and traveled around the elegant areas of Park Lane, Knightsbridge, and Belgravia. She knew their streets like the palm of her hand.
“Elizabeth Halifax is leading us on a merry chase,” I thought aloud. “I had no idea she was this clever.”
“It is not Elizabeth, but rather her security man who is so clever,” Joanna said. “We are observing the skills of a professional who is very adept at evasion techniques. That is the reason for the circuitous journey from the bank.”
“So the trip down Edgware Road where the Deutsche Society is located was just fortuitous?”
“So it would appear.”
“How long will this continue?”
“Until he is convinced no one is following them.”
Our driver tapped on the roof, indicating the lead carriage was in sight once more. We moved along at a steady pace past the Marble Arch, then down fashionable Park Lane to the entrance of Knightsbridge. Traffic now became very slow, particularly in front of Harrods, the finest department store by far in all of London. Suddenly Toby Two grew excited and jumped to the side of the carriage facing Harrods. She sniffed at the air, her head turning side to side, as if trying to make up her mind.
“She is confused!” my father cried out.
“She is distracted,” Joanna corrected. “Within Harrods there is a food hall filled with the most exotic delicacies, all of which give out enticing aromas. You must remember, to dogs nothing supersedes the importance of food, and Toby Two is no exception.”
“How do we overcome this?”
“By reinforcement,” Joanna said, and reached in her handbag for Elizabeth Halifax’s handkerchief. She drew Toby Two back and rubbed the handkerchief under her nose at length, then placed the dog on the side of the carriage away from Harrods. Toby Two held her nose to the wind, now obviously back on the scent.
“Do you think they intentionally drove by Harrods?” I asked.
“I would doubt that,” Joanna said. “Most likely they are on this route because it is the shortest one back to Victoria Station.”
“Do we board the same train they do?”
“We have no choice.”
“But if she sees us, all is lost.”
“Then we must not be seen.”
“I think it too risky, Joanna,” my father cautioned. “Since her train will be the express to Hampshire, why not alert Wiggins who can follow her once she disembarks?”
“I have no way to contact Wiggins at his current position,” Joanna said. “And even if I could, it might not work to our advantage. The express train to Hampshire, you see, makes a stop at Basingstoke and we have no assurance they will not leave at that station.”
“Why would they depart at Basingstoke?”
“For the same reason they drove to Edgware Road.”
At Victoria Station we followed Elizabeth Halifax and the security man at a discreet distance and watched them board the express train to Hampshire. She wore her bonnet pulled down securely so it covered most of her face, while the guard’s large frame provided a shield that obscured a clear view of her. After purchasing our tickets, we waited until the last moment to climb aboard, making certain we were well away from the car where Elizabeth Halifax and the security man were seated. Toby Two was happily preoccupied with a dog biscuit provided by Joanna.
Drawing the curtain across the window, she asked, “What do you make of it, Watson?”
“Elizabeth came to London for the money, and now that she has it she will return to Hampshire for the transaction.”
“So it would seem,” Joanna said. “But pray tell, why not complete the transaction in London? She has the money and the security man at her side, and thus it could have easily been done here.”
