14 - Red Thumb Mark by R. Austin Freeman

Dive into the mystery of missing diamonds, an untouched safe, two blood-streaked thumb prints, and the enigmatic Mr X. As these elements converge, the brilliant Dr. Thorndyke steps onto the scene. Will he crack the case? The Red Thumb Mark marks the thrilling debut of Freeman’s popular Thorndyke series. (Summary by Diana Majlinger)

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Chapter fourteen of The Red Thumb Mark. This is a
LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
Recording by Richard Kilmer. The Red Thumb Mark by R.

(00:24):
Austin Freeman, Chapter fourteen A startling discovery. The morning of
the trial so long looked forward to had at length arrived,
and the train of events which it has been my
business to chronicle in this narrative, was now fast drawing
to an end. To me, those events had been, in

(00:46):
many ways of the deepest moment. Not only had they
transported me from a life of monotonous drudgery into one
charged with novelty and dramatic interest. Not only had they
introduced me to a renaissance of scientific culture and revived,
under new conditions my intimacy with the comrade of my
student days. But far more monotonous than any of these,

(01:10):
they had given me the vision, all too fleeting of happiness,
untold with the reality of sorrow and bitter regret that
promised it to be all too enduring. Whence it happened that,
on this morning my thoughts were tinged with a certain grayness.
A chapter in my life that had been both better

(01:31):
and sweet was closing, and already I saw myself once
more a ni ishmaelite and a wanderer among strangers. This
rather egotistical frame of mind, however, was soon dispelled when
I encountered Polton, for the little man was in a
veritable twitter of excitement at the prospect of witnessing the

(01:53):
clearing up of the mysteries that had so severely tried
as curiosity, and even Thorndyke, beneath his habitual calm, showed
a trace of expectancy and pleasurable anticipation. I have taken
the liberty of making certain little arrangements on your behalf,
he said, as we sat at breakfast, of which I

(02:13):
hope you will not disapprove. I have written to missus Hornby,
who is one of the witnesses, to say that you
will meet her at mister Lawley's office and escort her
and Miss Gibson to the court. Walter Hornby may be
with them, and if he is, you had better leave
him if possible to come on with Lawley. You will

(02:37):
not come to the office, then, no, I shall go
straight to the court with anstey. Besides, I am expecting
Superintendent Miller from Scotland Yard, who will probably walk down
with us. I am glad to hear that I said,
for I have been rather uneasy at the thought of
you mixing in the crowd without some kind of protection.

(02:57):
Well you'd see that I am taken precautions against the
assaults of the two ingenious x and to tell the truth,
and also to commit a flagrant bull I should never
forgive myself if I allowed him to kill me before
I had completed Reuben Hornby's defense. Ah, here is Poulton.
That man is on wires this morning. He has been

(03:19):
wandering in and out of the rooms ever since he came,
like a cat in a new house. It's quite true, sir,
said Polton, smiling and unabashed, so it's no use denying it.
I have come to ask what we are going to
take with us to the court. You'll find a box
and a portfolio on the table in my room, replied Thorndyke.
We had better also take a microscope and the micrometers,

(03:43):
though we are not likely to want him. That is
all I think. A box and a portfolio, repeated Poulton
in a speculative tone. Yes, sir, I will take them
with me. He opened the door and was about to
pass out, when perceiving a visitor ascending the stairs, he
turned back. Here's mister Miller from Scotland Yard. Sir, Shall

(04:03):
I show him in? Yes do. He rose from his
chair as a tall, military looking man entered the room
and saluted, casting at the same time an inquiring glance
in my direction. Good morning, doctor, he said briskly. I
got your letter and couldn't make such of it. But
I have brought down a couple of plainclothes men and

(04:25):
a uniformed man as you suggested. I understand you want
a house watched, yes, and a man too. I will
give you the particulars presently. That is, if you think
you can agree to my conditions that I act entirely
on my own account and make no communication to anybody. Well,
of course, I would rather you gave me all the

(04:47):
facts and let me proceed in the regular way. But
if you make conditions, I have no choice but to
accept them. Seeing that you hold the cards. Perceiving that
the matter in hand was of a confidential nature, I
thought it best to take my departure, which I accordingly
did as soon as I had ascertained that it wanted
yet half an hour to the time at which Missus

(05:09):
Hornby and Juliet were due. At the lawyer's office, mister
Lawley received me with stiffness that bordered on hostility. He
was evidently deeply offended at the subordinate part that he
had been compelled to play in the case, and was
at no great pains to conceal the fact I am informed,
he said in a frosty tone, when I had explained

(05:31):
my mission that missus Hornby and Miss Gibson are to
meet you here. The arrangement is none of my making.
None of the arrangements in this case are of my making.
I have been treated throughout with a lack of ceremony
and confidence that is positively scandalous. Even now, I, the
solicitor for the defense, am completely in the dark as

(05:53):
to what defense is contemplated. Though I fully expect to
be involved in some ridiculous fiasco, I only trust that
I may never again be associated with any of your
high bred practitioners. Nay suitor, ultra crepitian sir is an
excellent motto. Let the medical cobbler stick to his medical last.

(06:14):
It remains to be seen what kind of boot he
can turn out on the legal last. I retorted, that
is so, he rejoined. But I hear Missus Hornby's voice
in the outer office, and as neither you nor I
have any time to waste and idle talk, I suggest
that you make your way to the court without delay.
I wish you good morning. Acting on this very plain hint,

(06:38):
I retired to the clerk's office, where I found Missus
Hornby and Juliet, the former undisguisedly tearful and terrified, and
the latter calm, though pale and agitated. We had better
start at once, I said, when we had exchanged greetings,
Shall we take a cab or walk? I think we
will walk, if you don't mind, said Juliet. Missus Hornby

(07:00):
wants to have a few words with you before we
go into court. You see, she is one of the witnesses,
and she is terrified. Least she should say something damaging
to Reuben By, whom was the subpoena served, I asked,
mister Lawley sent it, replied Missus Hornsby, and I went
to see him about it. The very next day, but

(07:21):
he wouldn't tell me anything. He didn't seem to know
what I was wanted for, and he wasn't at all nice,
not at all. I expect your evidence will relate to
the thumbograph. I said. There is really nothing else in
connection with the case that you have any knowledge of.
That is just what Walter said, exclaimed Missus Hornby. I

(07:41):
went to his rooms to talk the matter over with him.
He is very upset about the whole affair, and I'm
afraid he thinks very badly of poor Reuben's prospects. I
only trust he may be wrong. Oh dear, what a
dreadful thing it is to be sure here the poor
lady halted to mop her eyes elaborately, to the surprise

(08:02):
and manifest scorn of a passing errand boy. He was
very thoughtful and sympathetic. Walter I meet, you know, pursued
Missus Hornby, and most helpful. He asked me all I
knew about the horrid little book, and took down my
answers in writing. Then he wrote out the questions I
was likely to be asked with my answers, so that

(08:23):
I could read them over and get them well into
my head. Wasn't it good of him? And I made
him print them with his machine so that I could
read them without my glasses, and he did it beautifully.
I have the paper in my pocket now. I didn't
know mister Walter went in for printing. I said, has
he a regular printing press? It isn't a printing press, exactly,

(08:46):
replied missus Hornby. It is a small thing with a
lot of round keys that you pressed down, dickens Belfer.
I think it's called ridiculous name, isn't it. Walter bought
it from one of his literary friends about a week ago.
But he is getting quite clever with it already, though
he does make a few mistakes still, as you can see,

(09:07):
she halted again and began the search for the opening
of a pocket which was hidden away in some occult
recess of her clothing, all unconscious of the effect that
her explanation had produced on me. For instantly as she spoke,
there flashed into my mind one of the points that
Thorndyke had given me for the identification of the mysterious X.

(09:30):
He has probably purchased quite recently a second hand Bickensteffer
fitted with a literary type wheel The coincidence was striking
and even startling, though a moment's reflection convinced me that
it was nothing more than a coincidence, for there must
be hundreds of second hand blicks on the market. And
as to Walter Hornby, he certainly could have no quarrel

(09:53):
with Thorndyke, but would rather be interested in his preservation
of Reuben's account. These thoughts passed through my mind so rapidly,
and by the time Missus Hornby had run her pocket
to earth, I had quite recovered from the momentary shock. Ah,
here it is, she exclaimed, triumphantly, producing an obese Morocco purse.

(10:14):
I put it in here for safety, knowing how liable
one is to get one's pocket picked in these crowded
London streets. She opened the bulky receptacle and drew it
out after the manner of a concertina, exhibiting multitudinous partitions,
all stuffed with pieces of paper, coils of tape and sewing, silk, buttons,

(10:35):
samples of dress materials, and miscellaneous rubbish, mingled indiscriminately with gold,
silver and copper coins. Now just run your eye through that,
doctor Jervis, she said, handing me a folded paper and
give me your advice on my answers. I opened the
paper and read the Committee of the Society for the

(10:56):
Protection of Paralyzed Idiots in submitting this. Oh, that isn't it.
I have given you the wrong paper. How silly of me?
That is the appeal of you, Remember, Juliet, Dear, that
troublesome person. I had really to be quite rude, you know,
doctor Jervis. I had to tell him that charity begins
at home. Although thank Heaven, none of us are paralyzed.

(11:19):
But we must consider our own, mustn't we? And then
do you think this is the one, dear, interposed Juliet,
in whose pale cheeks the ghost of a dimple had appeared.
It looks cleaner than most of the others. She selected
a folded paper from the purse which missus Hornby was
holding with both hands extended to its utmost as though

(11:40):
she were about to produce a burst of music, and
opening it, glanced at its contents. Yes, this is your evidence,
she said, and passed a paper to me. I took
the document from her hand, and, in spite of the
conclusion at which I had arrived, examined it with eager curiosity.
At the very first glance, I felt my head swim

(12:02):
and my heart throbbed violently, for the paper was headed
evidence respecting the thumbograph, and in every one of the
five small ease that occurred in that sentence, I could
see plainly, by the strong outdoor light, a small break
or interval in the summit of the loop. I was thunderstruck.

(12:22):
One coincidence was quite possible, and even probable, but the
two together, and the second ones so remarkable a character,
were beyond all reasonable limits of probability. The identification did
not seem to admit of a doubt, and yet our
legal adviser seems to be somewhat preoccupied, remarked Juliet, with

(12:44):
something of her old gaiety of manner. And in fact,
though I held the paper in my hand, my gaze
was fixed unmeaningly on an adjacent lamp post. As she spoke,
I pulled myself together, and, scanning the paper hastily, was
fortunate enough to find in the first paragraph matter requiring comment.

(13:05):
I observed, missus Hornby. I said that, in answer to
the first question, whence did you obtain the thumbograph? You say,
I do not remember clearly. I think I must have
bought it at a railway book store. Now I understood
that it was brought home and given to you by
Walter himself. That was what I thought, replied Missus Hornby.

(13:27):
But Walter tells me that it was not so, and
of course he would remember better than I should. But
my dear aunt, I'm sure he gave it to you,
interposed Juliet. Don't you remember it was the night the
colies came to dinner and we were so hard pressed
to find amusement for them when Walter came in and

(13:47):
produced the thumbograph. Yes, I remember quite well, now, said
Missus Hornby. How fortunate that you reminded me. We must
alter that answer at once. If I were you, Missus Hornby,
I would disregard this paper altogether. It will only confuse
you and get you in the difficulties. Answer the questions

(14:08):
that are put as well as you can, and if
you don't remember, say so. Yes, that will be the
much wisest plan, said Juliet. Let doctor Jervis take charge
of the paper and rely on your own memory. Very well,
my dear, replied Missus Hornby. I will do what you
think best, and you can keep the paper, doctor Jervis,

(14:30):
or throw it away. I slipped the document into my
pocket without remark, and we proceeded on our way. Missus
Hornby babbling inconsequently with occasional outbursts of emotion, and Juliet
silent and abstracted. I struggled to concentrate my attention on
the elder lady's conversation, but my thoughts continually reverted to

(14:53):
the paper in my pocket and the startling solution that
it seemed to offer of the mystery of the POISONEDG.
Could it be that Walter Hornby was, in reality the
miscreant X. The thing seemed incredible, for hitherto no shadow
of suspicion had appeared to fall on him, And yet
there was no denying that his description tallied in a

(15:16):
very remarkable manner with that of the hypothetical X. He
was a man of some means in social position. He
was a man of considerable knowledge and mechanical skill, though
as to his ingenuity I could not judge. He had
recently bought a second hand Bickensderfer, which probably had a

(15:37):
literary typewheel, since it was purchased from a literary man,
and that machine showed the characteristic mark on the small e.
The two remaining points, indeed, were not so clear. Obviously,
I could form no opinion as to whether or not
Thorndyke held any exclusive information concerning him, and with reference

(15:59):
to his knowledge of my friend's habits, I was at
first inclined to be doubtful, until I suddenly recalled, with
a pang of remorse and self accusation, the various details
I had communicated to Juliet, and that she might easily,
in all innocence, have handed on the Walter. I had,
for instance, told her of Thorndyke's preference for the trichinopoly cherot,

(16:22):
and of this she might very naturally have spoken to Walter,
who possessed a supply of them. Again, with regard to
the time of our arrival at King's Cross, I had
informed her of this in a letter which was in
no way confidential. And again there was no reason why
the information should not have been passed on the Walter,

(16:43):
who was to have been one of the party at
the family dinner. The coincidence seemed complete enough in all truth,
Yet it was incredible that Reuben's cousin could be so
black hearted a villain, or could have any motive for
these dastardly crimes. Suddenly a new idea struck me. Missus

(17:04):
Hornby had obtained access to this typewriting machine, and if
Missus Hornby could do so, why not John Hornby. The
description would for the most part fit the elder man
as well as the younger, though had no evidence of
his possessing any special mechanical skill. But my suspicions had
already fastened upon him, and I remembered that Thorndyke had,

(17:28):
by no means rejected my theory which connected him with
the crime. At this point my reflections were broken in
upon by Missus Hornby, who grasped my arm and uttered
a deep groan. We had reached the corner of the
old Bailey, and before us wore the frowning walls of Newgate.
Within those walls, I knew, though I did not mention,

(17:50):
the fact that Reuben Hornby was confined with the other
prisoners who were awaiting their trial. And a glance at
the massive masonry, stained to a dingy gray by the
grime of the city put an end to my speculation
and brought me back to the drama that was so
nearly approaching its climax. Down the old thoroughfare, crowded with

(18:12):
so many memories of hideous tragedy, by the side of
the gloomy prison, passed the debtor's door with its forbidding
spiked wicket, past the gallows gate with its festoons of fetters.
We walked in silence until we reached the entrance to
the session's house. Here I was not a little relieved
to find Thorndyke on the lookout for us. For Missus Hornby,

(18:35):
in spite of really heroic efforts to control her emotion,
was in a state of impending hysteria, while Juliet, though
outwardly calm and composed, showed by the waxen power of
her cheeks and a certain wildness of her eyes, that
all her terror was reviving. And I was glad that
they were spared the unpleasantness of contact with the policeman

(18:59):
who guarded the various entrances. We must be brave, said
Thorndyke gently as he took Missus Hornby's hand, and show
a cheerful face to our friend who has so much
to bear, and who bears it so patiently. A few
more hours, and I hope we shall see restored. Not
only is liberty but his honor. Here is mister Enstay,

(19:21):
who we trust will be able to make his innocence apparent. Enstay,
who unlike Thorndyke, had already donned his wig and gown,
bowed gravely, and together we passed through the mean and
grimy portals into a dark hall. Policemen in uniform and
unmistakable detectives stood about. The various entries and little knots

(19:43):
of people, evil looking and unclean for the most part,
lurked in the background or sat on benches, and diffused
through the stale, musty air that distinctive but indescribable odor
that clings to police fans and prison reception rooms, an
odor that in the present case was pleasantly mingled with

(20:04):
the suggestive aroma of disinfectants through the unsavory thong. We
hurried and up a staircase to a landing from which
several passages diverged. Into one of these passages, a sort
of dark entry furnished with a cage like gate of
iron bars. We passed to a black door on which

(20:24):
was painted the inscription Old court, council and clerks and
sty held the door open for us, and we passed
through into the court, which at once struck me with
a sense of disappointment. It was smaller than I had expected,
and plain and mean to the point of swardness. The
woodwork was poor, thinly disguised by yellow graining, and slimy

(20:48):
with dirt wherever a dirty hand could reach it. The
wall were distempered a pale greenish gray. The floor was
of bare, dirty planking, and the only suggestion of dignity
or display were those offered by the canopy over the
judge's seat, lined with scarlet bays and surmounted by the

(21:10):
royal arms, the scarlet cushions of the bench, and the
large circular clock in the gallery, which was embellished with
a gilded border and asserted its importance by a loud,
aggressive tick. Following Anstey and Thorndyke into the well of
the court, we were ushered into one of the seats

(21:30):
reserved for council, the third from the front, where we
sat down and looked about us, while our two friends
seated themselves in the front bench next to the central table.
Here at the extreme right, a barrister, presumably the Council
for the prosecution, was already in his place and absorbed
in the brief that lay on the desk before him.

(21:53):
Straight before us were the seats for the jury, rising
one above the other, and at their side the witness box.
Above us on the right was the judge's seat, and
immediately below it the structure somewhat resembling a large pew
or a counting house desk, surmounted by a brass rail

(22:14):
in which a person in a gray wig the Clerk
of the court, was mending a quill pen. On our
left rose to dock, suggestively large and roomy, enclosed at
the side with high glazed frames, and above it, near
the ceiling, was the spectator's gallery. What a hideous place,
exclaimed Juliet, who separated me from missus Hornby. And how

(22:38):
soard and dirty everything looks? Yes, I answered, the uncleanliness
of the criminal is not confined to his moral being.
Wherever he goes, he leaves a trail of actual physical dirt.
It is not so long ago that the dock and
the bench alike used to be strewn with medicinal herbs,

(23:00):
and I believe the custom still survives. Of furnishing the
judge with a nosegay as a preventative of jail fever,
and to think that Reuben should be brought to a
place like this. Juliet continued bitterly to be heard it
with such people as we saw downstairs. She sighed and
looked around at the benches that rose behind us, where

(23:20):
half dozen reporters were already seated and apparently in high
spirits at the prospect of a sensational case. Our conversation
was now interrupted by the clatter of feet on the
gallery stairs, and heads began to appear over the wooden parapet.
Several junior council filed into the seats in front of us.

(23:41):
Mister Lawley and his clerk entered the attorney's bench. The
ushers took their stand below the jury box. A police
officer seated himself at the desk in the dock, and inspectors,
detectives and miscellaneous officers began to gather in the entries
or peer into the court through the small glazed openings

(24:01):
in the doors. End of chapter fourteen. Recording by Richard Kilmer, Real, Medina, Texas,