The Sign on the Roof

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 223, 20 September 1935, Page 17

The Sign on the Roof

m JPETER GHEYNEY

AUTHOR OF THE "DEATH CHAIR," "THE GOLD KIMONA," "DEADLY FRESCO," ETC.

CHAPTER Vl.—(Continued.) "He was waiting for me outside the offices last Monday at luncli time. lie looked like a tramp. He told me he wanted to have a talk with me a.nd I was pretty frightened, I can tell you. I took him over to a pub near by, and gave him a drink. He told me that he was down and out and broke, that he'd got to have some money and that I was going to find some for him or tliere'd be trouble. He said lie'd tell the firm about what happened in Ceylon and I'd be flung out. I told him that I hadn't got any money and I told him that I was up to my neck in debt and couldn't raise any. He said that didn't matter, I'd got to get it from somewhere, that he'd give me till 7.30 that night to get it or next morning he'd blow the gaff.

"He said something else, too, that was rather peculiar, having regard to what happened afterwards. Ho was, obviously, in a rage. I know why now; he'd just left Diane. She had just threatened him with tho police. Anyhow, he was pretty livid as he said this. He said that if lie had two million pounds he's still make me find some money just to annoy me.

"I didn't know what to do. Eventually, I thought there was just a chance I might raise a few quid by the evening, so I asked him to meet me at 7 o'clock at the Green Fly in Mayfair. I said I'd do what I could. He said he'd be there and I had better have some money, and went off. "Well, my luck was out. I couldn't raise a bean. I suppose I've borrowed money from everybody I could. Anyhow, I turned up at the Green Fly at 7, and a few minutes afterwards in he came. "What a change had taken place! He'd got a new suit on; he looked quite decent. Ho slapped ma on the back and told mo I was the best fellow in the world. He said I was to forget about everything he'd said that morning, that lie was only having a game with mo, that he liked me a lot. He insisted on buying drinks and gave me a big cigar. :He* was flashing ten-pound notes all over the place.

"Ho stayed with mo tor half an hour, then he went off, waving goodbye to me as he went out." "I see," said Bitterly. "So ho got somo money from somewhere and he wanted to be your friend? He wanted you to forget everything he'd said that morning. That's rather funny." Bitterly thought for a moment. "Devilish funny," he continued. "In tho morning after he has left Diane, he is livid with rage, he tells you that i: he had two million pounds he'd still mako you find somo money. But in the evening he wants to be very friendly with you. He's got some money and he buys you drinks. "I'd like to know where ho got that money. Anyhow," he continued, "let's get to tho important part of this business, Herbert, let's get to Friday night." Herbert looked up, obviously interested. "What about Friday night?" he said. "Just this," said Bitterly. "It scorns that Diane was alone in the flat at the time when the police surgeon believes this Lariat died. Charles, apparently, had gono to drive Bardon out to Bcaconsfield, his usual Friday night job. Mrs. Vallery was with friends in the country, and you weren't there either. What time did you get back to the flat, Herbert?" Herbert thought for a minute. "I suppose it would be about half past three," he said. "I'm afraid I was a little bit binged. I shouldn't have noticed the time exccpt that Diane commented on it." Bitterly nodded. "Tell me, Herbert," ho said, "exactly what happened after you arrived home?" Herbert considered. "I let myself into tho flat," he said eventually, "and had a. look into the sitting room. I thought there was just a chance that Charles might have got back early, but it was empty, so I switched off the light and went upstairs to the kitchen. 1 expect I made a bit of noise, and you know Diane's bedroom is immediately opposite the kitchen. "Anyhow, eventually I decided I would make myself some tea. I tried to keep as quiet as I could, but I expect I must havo rattled the teacups a bit, because, a little wliilo afterwards, Diane camo into tho kitchen. She asked me if Charles were back, and I said 'No. I hen she said sho thought she'd have somo tea. Then tho trouble started—l'd made my own tea and drunk it and there wasn't any milk; I'd given it all to the cat. "I think she was annoyed about it. Sho was annoyed with mo generally. Sho gave mo a" little lecture on the hours I've been keeping," said Herbert, looking a little bit sheepish. "That's how we came to notice the time. It was

twenty-to-four. I suppose she thought I was in a mood to take a good tellingoff. "Sho was annoyed about the cat, too. One of my jobs," continued Herbert, with a grin, "is wandering round the neighbourhood, finding the Shah when he gets lost, which is a business which happens about four times a week." "I see," said Bitterly. Ho lit another cigarette and drew at it slowly. Ho was thinking. Here was an incongruity. When he had talked to Diane she had told him that there was no milk for her tea because Herbert had drunk it all. Nowhere was Herbert telling him that there wasn't any milk for her because he had given it to the cat. Y"et, a second afterwards, ho had said that she was additionally annoyed with him because he hadn't been to look for the cat. How could Herbert have given the milk to the cat if he had not been to look for it? Bitterly made a mental note. "What were you doing on Friday night, Herbert?" he asked. "I was at the 'Pear Tree Club' till about half-past twelve," said Herbert. 'Then I met some people and I went off to their place near Russell Square. It was a bottle party and we all got rather tight. I was there till about 3 o'clock, I should think," said Herbert. "Then I went home." Bitterly nodded. "I suppose everybody at that party was fairly tight, Herbert?" he said. Herbert nodded.

"I'm afraid they were," he said with a grin. "Why ?"

"Just this," said Bitterly. "I don't suppose there was anybody sufficiently sober at that party to know the exact time that you did leave, was there? ' Herbert agreed. "I should think not," he said.

"And what time did you get there, do you think?" asked Bitterly. "I should think about 1 o'clock," said

Herbert. Bitterly nodded. "And you left about three?" He leaned across the table. "Look here, Herbert," he said. "1 think this is the way it is going to be. You were at the 'Pear Tree Club' till about ten past twelve, you met your friends at about twenty past twelve, you got to their place in Russell Square about a quarter to one, and you left there about half past one, arriving home at Derham Crescent at about three minutes to two. If you liked to hurry you could walk it in that half an hour." "What's the idea?" asked Herbert. "The police think that this man Lariat died between two and twothirty," said Bitterly, "and I think it would be a very good idea if, instead of arriving home at 3.30, the time when you did arrive, you arrived home at 2 o'clock." Heibert nodded. "I see," ho said, "you want somebody to have been in the flat with Diare at the time when the accident took place." He leaned across the table to Bitterly, his face tense. "Look here, Michael," lie said. "You don't think that anybody is going to suggest that Diane had anything to do with this, do you?" Bitterly grinned. "I don't think anything," lie said, "but I think it's going to be a very good idea for you to be in a position to say that you were in that flat at 2 o'clock. It's going to short-circuit my crime reporter, Bill Jacquot, from jumping to any premature conclusions, and it's not going to hurt anybody. The great thing is—l want you to be certain that there was nobody at that Russell Square party sufficiently sober to know the time when you did actually leave."

Herbert grinned. "Don't you worry about that," ho said. "They were all cockeyed when I met 'cm. and, a.s for knowing what time I left, they were in such a state that none of them would probably even remember that I'd ever been there."

"All right," said Bitterly. "Will you stick to that, and you needn't say anything to Diane about it. In any event, nobody is going to bo making any inquiries round Derham Crescent until Monday afternoon at tho earliest, and, if needs be, I can see you again before then. In the meantime don't say anything to Diano about it. There's no need to worry her." They finished their coffee and walked baijk together. At Notting Hill Gate station they parted, Herbert going off to the flat, leaving Bitterly to walk slowly to his own rooms. (To be continued daily.)