The Third Man.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXXII, Issue 2800, 13 November 1931, Page 3

The Third Man.

By

C. K. THOMPSON.

(Copyright.)

CHAPTER IX.—Continued.

Basslngton read both with interest, but they were far from illuminating or helpful. Phegan’s statement was that he had fallen out of the car while drunk, so that cleared up one point. Bassinglon decided to instruct Nettleton to return to Sydney, but, before he did so, to pass on the information to the Maitland Police and get them to keep a close watch on the exJookey without his being aware of it. ' He turned to his sister’s letter and read it through again. A postscript which he had not noticed before held his attention and he sighed. "So Ayesha wants to return to the bright lights again, does she?" he mused. “I’ll drop her a note and dissuade her." He did so at once. The next few days passed off uneventfully. Hammersmith had had an interview with his solicitor and matters in connection with the appeal were proceeding. Bassinglon received a letter from his niece in due course and it rather worried him. The girl stated quite definitely that she hail de’cided to return to Sydney and take up her residence in her old home. "And you must come and live with me, Uncle Bill," she wrote. “It Is time you gave up existing in boardinghouses and the like. I will be your housekeeper." The prospect rather attracted Basslngton, and he was inclined to agree, but, nevertheless, the thought of assuming guardianship over his vivacious niece troubled him. Ayesha returned to the city as she had said she would, and Bassinglon met her at Central Station. On his return to headquarters ho discovered a letter from his brother’s solicitor asking him to call on them and bring Miss Ayesha Bassinglon. It was In connection with the late Mr. Justice Basslngton’s will. Half an hour later they were ushered Into the old lawyer’s presence and hr, greeted them gravely. "I assume that you arc unaware of the contents of the late Judge’s will?" he asked. They assured him that they were. "Well, I can (oil you In a few words the’ provisions of it," said old Mr. Brockway. A startled look came over the Inspector’s face and ho glanced quickly at the old man. A sudden thought struck him. "Mr. Brockway," he said, "could I see you alone for a few moments? I have something ‘1 want to say to you. I’m sure you will excuse me, Ayesha.’ She nodded brightly, although she felt rather perplexed. Brockway led him into an inner office. "Tell me," said Bassinglon, excitedly. when they were alone, “Is there any mention of a child In that will?" The solicitor nodded slowly. "It surprised me very much, too,’ he said, gravely. Bassinglon became agitated and swore under his breath. The solicitor looked at hlrn in mild reproof. "Great guns." groaned the inspector, "here I have been worrying myself to death 'trying to keep that news from her, and now it seems as If she must know. Is there no way we can prevent it?" "Prevent what?" Thereupon Bassinglon told him ns mush of the story as he deemed necessary. The old man heard him through and became sympathetic. "Take my advice, my dear Inspector, and tell'the girl," he said. “She will find out sometime you may rest assured. These tilings cannot bo hidden." “Il would break her heart," groaned Bassinglon, helplessly. Then, "how much does the brat get?" “He gets one thousand pounds," said Brookway, impressively. Bassinglon looked slightly awed. “Say, how much was Horace worth altogether?" he demanded. The solicitor told him. "What, nearly fifty thousand! Where on earth did he get It from?" he gasped In astonishment. "Investments. The whole of the estate, with the exception of £l,OOO in cash for you, the same amount for your sister and a few small legacies for the servants, goes to Miss Ayesha. " ■ "Wail," said the old solicitor, with a slight smile, “You do not get tho bare thousand. He has left you a grandfather clock I" “Oh, ho has, has he?" said the bewildered inspector. “But, to got back to the other thing," he went on, after a pause. "What are wo to do? I suppose the will must be read to her, and then she will know. Isn't there any way out at all?" 1 “I’m afraid not," replied Brookway. “There it is all set out in the will: ‘To my illegitimate child John Brierley I leave the sum of one thousand pounds as some small compensation for the wrong I did his mother . . .’ I cannot think what possessed you” brother to set such a thing down in

writing. It must have been his strict, sense of honour." Bassinglon laughed bitterly. "I’m beginning to doubt whether he had any honour at all," he said. “From the things he told me I had my suspicions on the late Judge, but did not say or do anything at the moment. I bore the implied stigma patiently until a few days before the climax, when Mary told me calmly that she intended to name me as the father of the brat. If 1 wanted to save unpleasantness I could do so by sparring up a nice round sum—twenty thousand was her figure! I admit I threatened to kill her, and I suppose she told the police, for when I did turn up on vengeance bent there was Green ready with the darbies. "Mary must have told Harry the truth later on and that was the reason of his visit to the Judge on the night of the murder. Who went with him, well, God in Heaven knows! "That," concluded Hammersmith, “Is the story In brief." Basslngton closed his notebook slowly. It was easy to see that the story had affected him deeply. He did not say anything concerning It, but told Hammersmith that he would have it typed out ready for signing within half an hour. Hammersmith nodded and Basslngtdn quitted the cell. About twenty minutes later he was in conference with the Commissioner, Perry and Green. This was tile first meeting of the parties since the Commissioner had placed the full facts of the case and Its gravity before them, and he ordered the throe men to tell their stories In sequence, omitting nothing. This was done. The Commissioner pursed his lips In silence ns each man made his report, and then he marshalled the tacts as they appeared to him. "Boiled down," he said, “it would appear that Barry Brierley deliberately visited the Judge’s home for the purpose of killing him (or the wrong he had done his (Brierley’s) sister. Before he had a chance of doing this, or Immediately after he had done It, he himself was killed by some person al present unknown. Hammersmith may or may not have been this person. Personally, I am inclined to think that he was not, but we must not lose sight of the fact that he was Intensely interested in the matter of bumping the Judge off this planet. “Assuming that Hammersmith Is entirely Innocent of that, it appears to me that lie has been the victim of a chain of unfortunate circumstances, and 1 am certain that if the entire facts of the case were placed before the Minister of Justice, he would order a new trial on the attempted murder charge. Bassinglon should never have tried that case, but knew the mighty Issues behind it?" Inspector Bassinglon nodded in agreement. M "For the sake of justice alone, sir, he said, "1 would like to see Hammcrsmllh receive a new trial. I have told you quite frankly about his -relations with my brother and Mary Brierley, and his reasons for giving himself up, but the matter of the will which cannot be squashed alters all that.** “What n first-class scandal II will make If all the facts arc made public property," said the Commissioner. "Of course, there arc people who will say that through vindictiveness the police have moved in the mutter. Il is common knowledge how tho late Judge regarded us." “But, In regard Io Hammersmith, a now trial might me.ln his liberty to him. If this filing is revealed, the psychological effect on a jury would mean an acquittal, and that would be bad. A man cannot run around with a gun trying to murder people, no matter what the provocation may he. He had his remedy at law." “No man," broke in Basslngton, “would like, to admit to the world that he had been blackmailed by a woman who had accused him of being the father of her child." “However," resumed the Commissioner, "common justice demands that Hammersmith should have a new trial. Tho mere fact that the presiding Judge was prejudiced against him over a woman warrants that. I Intend to move. In the matter, and that’s fiat.' "Yes," put In Superintendent Perry, "the police are often accused of kicking a man when he’s down, and if I were you, Chief, I’d let the public know that the police moved in the matter owing to new facts brought to light." “I'll do all that," retorted the Commissioner, with decision, and the conference broke up. The Commissioner was as good as his word and within a week Hammersmith was quietly released. He was immediately re-arrested on a charge of having escaped from lawful custody and was remanded until after the appeal had been heard. This was set far enough ahead to permit of the police thoroughly investigating the murder. “You see." said Superintendent Perry to Bassinglon, later, “we want hese things to come off in their order:

The arrest of your brother’s murderer, his trial, and Hammersmith’s appeal with his new trial to follow." “By the look of things," said Iho inspector, dolefully, "the first shall bo last." "Bear up, my dear old chap," replied tho superintendent, giving him a hearty slap on the back. To Inspector Basslngton one day came John Hammersmith, now a free man, temporarily, at all events. Hidden strings had been pulled and, although he should have been in gaol pending the appeal, he wasn’t. The Commissioner was no fool. ■ Ho know exactly what he was doing and he had his theory* The public wore kept in entire Ignorance of the affair, which was just as well. "Basslngton," said Hammersmith, In Brockway shook his head again in silent reproof. “If 1 postpone tho reading of the will, will that help you any?" he asked. Eagerly Basslngton clutched at the straw, and nodded vigorously. A few minutes later ho was hurrying the dazed Ayesha from the office and into tho street. He saw her Into a taxi and then made post haste for headquarters and Hammersmith. In a few moments he was in conversation willi him and told him what had occurred. Hammersmith did not reply* , , “By the way," he said, when he did speak. "That appeal Is off. The lawyer man reckons that by escaping from escort I have waived my right of appeal. Whether he is right or not I am quite content, or rather I was until I heard about that will. It would appear that my contemplated sacrifice would be in vain, so there is nothing in the way of my telling you the whole story." “Good," breathed Inspector Bassington. “Let's have it."

CHAPTER X. “You can disregard all the stories you ever hoard from me," began Hammersmith. "No one knows my real history and I think I am telling it for the first lime. I think it would be just as well if you took the. whole thing down as a statement and let mo sign it. It looks as if nothing can keep the news from Miss Bassinglon.’ The inspector nodded and took out his notebook. He was an efficient shorthand writer. “Before I start," said Hammersmith, "I may as well tell you that I'm going

to press for that appeal." “But to get on with the yarn. I first came to Sydney about ten years ago from Queensland, whore my father is a squatter in a pretty big way. I own a good slice of property myself. Well, I settled in Randwick and took up racing and did fairly well. Stumpy Phegan was apprenticed to my trainer and when he got his jockey s license used to ride exclusively for me. He was a great Jockey, all right, and It was through his efforts alone that I had some very good wins. When

he went crook 1 gave him a weekly allowance for life. I think he won it. "It must be eight years since I first met your brother, Horace. He was interested in racing, but not openly. We met at some function at a house in North Sydney. I forget the thing now, but, anyhow, Mary Brierley was there and made quite a big hit with me. It appears as if she made a big hit with the Judge, 100.

To (be continued.)