The Common Burglary

     

      Chapter-The Burglary

It was late evening when Mr. Mike Ross, the senior secretary of the Ministry of the Department of Transportation returned home. He rang the house bell and within ten minutes the door was opened by the butler.

“Good-evening, sir,” said the butler, who was with the man for fifteen whole years.

Ross got inside the house, kicked his boots out when he realised that the maid was not there to pick it up.

“Where is Miss Watson, Jonathan?” he asked.

“She has retired early sir. Let me pick up your boots”

This was the first time it happened, yet the official thought that she must have been too tired, for she was an early waker and worked too much for the house.

Ross went up the stairs to his room. When he opened the cupboard to change into his dressing gown, he realised that the safe had disappeared. He gave a loud cry of shock, when all the servants came into the room. He looked at them with big red eyes, then noticed the maid who was behind them all. She was in her best clothes!

 Chapter-Mr. John Gregory

“Wake up, Mortson,” said Gregory.

I submit for your inspection, Dr. Jacob Mortson, friend and companion of Mr. John Gregory, a famous detective of Oxford Street, London.

As a late waker, I was most annoyed by the call so early in the morning. But it would be an extraordinary case if Gregory himself woke me up.

“Look who we have here in our lodgings, Mortson. This case should be most extraordinary if our client has come so early in the morning”

“Do we know him?”

“That you shall see. Would you be there with me as he recits his story, Mortson? It would be very kind if you would.”

There is no shrinking away from John Gregory’s cases as they would be the ones which we had never heard of.

“ I would have no higher pleasure,” I said.

 I hastily changed into my dressing gown and me and my friend entered our sitting room where there was a handsome well built man sitting on a chair. He was in his forties, with a strong and framed jaw, a straight nose and bright blue eyes but his face was haggard and he looked as if he had not slept in the night.

My friend broke into my thoughts:

“This here, Mr. Ross, is my friend and companion, Dr. Mortson”

Of course, I thought, it’s none other than Mike Ross. He shook my hands in both of his.

“It is a terrible--------terrible-------- business, Mr. Gregory,” he said in a dry voice. He put his head in his hands, then shook his head. 

“Please tell me what it is”

“OK”

“Just a moment, you do not mind if I smoke----very good----now pray tell me what you want to”

As our client was reciting his story, Gregory stared at him, shook his head, his eyes gleamed, whatever a person this smart would do when a case was put forward.

When he finished, Gregory sat straight, looked at me, then asked:

“Can you pls tell me what your maid was wearing?”

“She was wearing a red dress with a frock coat. That was all I noticed”

“So that means she was out somewhere. But for now we will put that aside. Please tell me who all stay in your household with their names”

“There is the butler, Jonathan, the gardener whose name is Smalling, the cook, Miss Hudson and lastly the maid Miss Watson. And many a times Mr. Richardson comes overnight”

Gregory nodded at this.

“Have you told him that the safe is missing?”

Our client hesitated then said:

“No”

We both gave a cry of surprise, astonishment in our faces.

“Why though,” I asked, “I thought he was your friend”

Yes, but he is also a minister. There was only one thing missing and those are government papers”

A look of horror passed on my friend's face.

“What is it,” he asked.

“I am sorry to say,” said Mr. Ross, “But that is none of your business. I said that those are important papers and I want you to find them”

The authority in the voice, however, had no effect on the detective.

“Then I must say that I won’t find it,” said Gregory, “I want you to tell me what those papers were or I must ask the landlady to escort you out”

Mr. Ross swallowed and then said:

“They were the plans for the Bruce-Parrington plane,” he said in a shaky voice.

Gregory nodded at this statement.

“They are very important I believe?”

“Very”

“Now, tell me whether those papers were valuable”

“To other countries? Yes.”

“Then if they are already delivered then I cannot do anything about it”

“It is not. If it was then we will know it”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Positive”

“Then it must be someone from the country. Do you have anymore copies of the paper? You or anyone else?”

“No, but the Prime Minister entrusted it to me, but he was not happy about it”

“Who was not?”

He looked up and then said:

“Mr. Richardson”

This had an extraordinary effect on Gregory. He whistled and clicked his fingers.

“One more question, Mr. Ross. Does Mr. Richardson know where the papers are?”

“Of course”

“Thank you, now you may leave. We will come to your place right after breakfast,” said Gregory.

We hastily finished our breakfast in silence. My friend did not talk about the mystery until we got inside our cab.

“What do you make of all this, Mortson?”

“I have no notion about it, but you seem to understand a lot because of your excitement,” I answered.

“When the time comes I will tell you, Mortson”

We rode for the next half an hour in silence, when at last we reached our destination.

It was a huge place made out of marble white bricks, a huge lawn and a garden as big as the lawn.

The butler was evidently waiting for us as the door opened as soon as we rang the bell.

“Mr. Ross told me that you would be coming, sirs,” he said, “Sir, you need to help him out. He hasn’t eaten or drank anything since the safe has been burgled”

“Where is he?”

“He has locked himself in the study”

As soon as we reached the door to the study, there was a sharp click and the door swung open.

“Thank the lord you came sir. I am pleased. Would you like to ask my servants some questions or would you rather check the house?”

“Neither, but I would like you to tell me what the box was made up of”

“Iron, sir”

“So it would be heavy would it not?”

“Yes”

“Does anyone other than you have a key to the safe?”

“Only me and the Prime Minister”

A look of annoyance flashed upon Gregory’s face.

“If you would allow, I would like to examine the garden”

And without a word, he went swiftly to the garden.

We waited for fifteen until Gregory came back. He had a broad smile on his face.

“I would ask you to step out to the garden,” he said. “And Mr. Ross, would you also call your gardener?”

This was done. Gregory walked to the corner of the garden with me, Mr. Ross and the gardener at his heels. Then he stopped and pointed at a hole.

“This was dug by me a few minutes ago. Pray look what is inside”

As we did, there was a look of joy in Mr. Ross’s face. Inside was the safe itself.

“Now my case is almost-----”

“Almost, sir? You just saved my neck and you call this incomplete?”

“Yes, Mr. Ross, but we still have to identify the burglar”

“Well, looks like we have the man here”

“Sir, I would never, ever do such a thing,” he answered.

“And yet, you did it. But since I don’t what this to be a public incident, I shall only remove----”

“No,” interrupted Gregory. “He is innocent”

“But he was in the garden at my arrival and nobody could enter my room before my arrival as Jonathan was doing his work there the whole time,” said Mr. Ross.

“Yes, sir, I completely agree I was in the garden, but I was on the other side, so Mr. Ross could spot me and it’s why I could not see the criminal”

Gregory nodded at this. Meanwhile Mr. Ross had tried to open the safe with his key and realised that it was already unlocked. He opened it and inside was the envelope containing the papers we were looking for. He opened the envelope and started examining the papers. As he did he gave a cry of horror and collapsed. We quickly took him inside the house, poured brandy through his lips and waited for him to speak.

By then the butler had arrived and we explained briefly what had happened.

As he got up he told us in a shaky voice:

“Three most important papers are missing,” he groaned.

We looked at each other in suprise when Gregory broke into a hearty laugh.

 Chapter-Finding for the Missing Three

“I see nothing funny in this Mr. Gregory,” said Mr. Ross bitterly.

“Well, I was just humoring the simplicity of the case,” said Gregory. “I said that the case is almost complete and now I just need to find the evidence.

Now, I would like to speak to the cook, Miss Hudson”

Miss Hudson was a beautiful, slim woman who was in her thirties and had a sweet smile across her face.

“You called for me Mr. Gregory?----yes I know you”

“OK, Miss Hudson, I would first like to ask you where you were when Mr. Ross returned home yesterday”

“I was sitting in the kitchen”

“I am sorry…. But you were sitting in the kitchen?”

“Yes, sir, Miss Hudson likes to sit in the kitchen until it is time for dinner,” said Jonathan.

“Alright, now please tell me where you were when Mr. Ross gave the cry”

“I was in my room”

“Which one is it?”

“The nearest to the sitting room”

“So I take it that your room is right under Mr. Ross’s room? So you must have heard it loudly, would you not?”

“Right”

“What was your reaction after you heard this?”

“I rushed towards his room with the other servants, but Miss Watson was lagging. She came up the stairs when we had entered Mr. Ross’s room”

We were all listening with intensity.

“Thank you Miss Hudson, that would be enough for now,” said Gregory.

Miss, Hudson got up to go then looked back at us:

“I heard that you have found the safe. Has anything gone missing?”

“No, everything is safe with me,” said Mr. Ross quickly. “We are searching for the burglar”

She nodded, then closed the door behind her.

“Curious, the woman is she not?,” said Gregory as the cook, Miss Hudson left us. “Now, Mr. Ross, I would like to speak to the gardener, Smalling”

Smalling came into the room in five minutes.

“You called for me sir?”

“Yes, Smalling, I would like to ask you some questions”

“I am at your service”

“You were in the garden when Mr. Ross returned?”

“Yes sir”

“And where were you when you heard the cry?”

“Sir, I was in the garden only, but I did not hear the cry. Miss Watson told me about it and I rushed towards his room but she stayed back for a few minutes”

“OK, Smalling, that would be enough for now,” said Gregory. “And one more thing,” he continued as Smalling got up to go. “You are not to go to the garden until the culprit is found” 

Smalling nodded.

“Now, my case is complete. And you will get your papers by tonight”

Our client looked at him in astonishment.

“Who is the culprit?”

“Ah, about that, my friend here will tell you what I say in these situations,” answered my friend. “What do I say, Mortson?”

“Facts are not to be told unless proven,” I said.

“Precisely. Now, at last but not the least, I would like to question your maid, Miss Watson”

Miss Watson came into the room a few minutes later.

“You are Miss Watson, I believe?”

“Yes”

“Would you mind if I ask you a few questions?”

“Not at all, sir, not at all”

“Firstly, where were you when Mr. Ross here, came back?”

“I had retired for the day”

“At around what time did he come back?”

“Around 8:15 sir”

“Mr. Ross, does she have a clock in her room?”

Miss Watson went white till the roots of her hair.

“No sir”

“Then how did you know the time, Miss Watson?”

“I----I saw the time as I came to Mr. Ross’s room. I am a light sleeper and I heard the ring of the bell around twenty minutes before I reached Mr. Ross’s room”

Gregory narrowed his eyes.

“Yes, there is even a clock near the corner of the garden is there not?”

“Ah, yes but I did not go there yesterday evening”

“Oh, really? Then, I wonder how Mr. Smalling knew that Mr. Ross had shouted if he himself admitted that he did not hear it and you told him about it”

Miss Watson swallowed and said:

“Oh, yes even I remember now”

“Miss Watson I would suggest that you speak the truth or there may be consequences”

“No, really, I had forgotten”

“OK, then, I will not take more of your time. Please leave the room and shut the door behind you”

“That lying gargoyle!,” cried Mr. Ross as Miss Watson left us. “I bet that she is the criminal. She has the three missing papers”

“She has played a role in it but does not have the papers,” said Gregory.

“What role has she played?”

“Well, it is obvious isn’t it? She saw the thief and helped him get away, by telling the gardener about your cry. I asked you if the box was heavy because if it was then that means he had dug it up somewhere. Now the neighborhood is cement covered therefore, he must have buried it in the garden, if he had the keys. And I was sure that he had them.

Now, you may rest and eat something. Leave the rest to me and Dr. Mortson. You will tell Mr. Richardson and the Prime Minister what has happened immediately”

“Where are we to go now?” I asked my friend as we left the house.

“Now we will go to the house of Mr. Richardson”

We reached our destination and told our cab to wait. 

The maid of the house showed us the way of the study where Mr. Richardson was.

“Hello sir,” said Gregory.

“Ah, Ross told me that you gentleman would be coming”

“Well I am not going to ask you any questions because I have got the information I wanted. I would like you to tell Mr. Ross, reach the office in ten minutes, and you will be there. Then you must tell him to complete an incomplete and you will also call the Prime Minister to be in Mr. Ross’s house in an hour and in half an hour you will meet me in his house”

“Yes, that can be done”

Chapter-The Conclusion

This was done and in half an hour Mr. Richardson arrived.

“Mr. Richardson, I do not know why you did it and we do not have time to discuss. So, where are the missing papers?”

“I knew that you have found out, Mr, Gregory,” answered Mr. Richardson. Then he pulled out three folded papers. 

“Quick,” said Gregory. “ I do not want this to be a public incident. Come on, into his room. Right, now open the safe. Quick, I know you have the keys. Right, now put it in the correct order. Perfect, now we will wait for the Prime Minister and Mr. Ross to come”

As we sat down, there was a knock and the Prime Minister arrived. We shook hands and wished him a good morning. As we did, Mr. Ross came back. He looked surprised when he saw us.

“Prime Minister, Mr. Richardson, this is a surprise. What brings you here?”

“I have found the missing three, Mr. Ross”

The Prime Minister and Mr. Ross looked surprised and Mr. Richardson lowered his head.

“Where is it?” asked Mr. Ross.

“In the safe itself”

“What?” he cried. “But I searched it”

“You did not search it properly because of your excitement;” answered my companion simply.

“I don’t think it is in there”

“Let us check it out then”

As Mr. Ross opened the envelope containing the papers, he checked the papers and said:

“How in the name of earth did you know?”

“Well, it wasn’t there anywhere else, so it must mean that it was in the safe itself”

Mr. Ross gave a cry of joy and started running round the house.

“Aye, I see a loophole here,” said the Prime Minister.

“ Well, we have our diplomatic secrets too,” said Gregory with a smile.

Well, Mortson,” said Gregory when we reached our lodgings. “Keep this in your head, and someday the true story may be told and people will realise that this was just a common burglary---a common burglary.