FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162  
163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   >>   >|  
arted off. He conducted me, with much politeness, as far as the door. I immediately repaired to the commissaire's office at the central police depot, and I told the commissaire of the robbery which had been perpetrated and of the discovery I had just made. He required time to communicate by telegraph with the authorities who had originally charge of the case, for information, and he begged me to wait in his office until an answer came back. An hour later, an answer came back, which was in accord with my statements. "I am going to arrest and interrogate this man at once," he said to me, "for he may have conceived some sort of suspicion, and smuggled away out of sight what belongs to you. Will you go and dine and return in two hours: I shall then have the man here, and I shall subject him to a fresh interrogation in your presence." "Most gladly, monsieur. I thank you with my whole heart." I went to dine at my hotel and I ate better than I could have believed. I was quite happy now; "that man was in the hands of the police," I thought. Two hours later I returned to the office of the police functionary, who was waiting for me. "Well, monsieur," said he, on perceiving me, "we have not been able to find your man. My agents cannot put their hands on him." Ah! I felt myself sinking. "But ... you have at least found his house?" I asked. "Yes, certainly; and what is more, it is now being watched and guarded until his return. As for him, he has disappeared." "Disappeared?" "Yes, disappeared. He ordinarily passes his evenings at the house of a female neighbor, who is also a furniture broker, a queer sort of sorceress, the widow Bidoin. She has not seen him this evening and cannot give any information in regard to him. We must wait until to-morrow." I went away. Ah! how sinister the streets of Rouen seemed to me, now troubled and haunted! I slept so badly that I had a fit of nightmare every time I went off to sleep. As I did not wish to appear too restless or eager, I waited till 10 o'clock the next day before reporting myself to the police. The merchant had not reappeared. His shop remained closed. The commissary said to me: "I have taken all the necessary steps. The court has been made acquainted with the affair. We shall go together to that shop and have it opened, and you shall point out to me all that belongs to you." We drove there in a cab. Police agents were stationed round the buildi
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162  
163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
police
 

office

 

return

 

belongs

 

commissaire

 
monsieur
 
disappeared
 

agents

 
information
 

answer


troubled

 

Disappeared

 
streets
 

morrow

 
sinister
 

haunted

 
communicate
 
nightmare
 

ordinarily

 

Bidoin


neighbor

 

broker

 

sorceress

 

female

 

regard

 

passes

 

evening

 

evenings

 

furniture

 

acquainted


affair

 
closed
 

commissary

 

opened

 

stationed

 
buildi
 

Police

 
remained
 

required

 
waited

telegraph
 

restless

 
merchant
 
reappeared
 

reporting

 

interrogation

 
subject
 

immediately

 
robbery
 

presence