“THE THIRD MAN.”

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXV, Issue 3373, 3 October 1931, Page 6

“THE THIRD MAN.”

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CHAPTER IV. (Continued.)

The maid thought for a moment

"I think it was about seven o'clock. I heard His Honour moving about in the room about that time and I also heard the clock strike. It must have been the old clock because he hasn't got another striking clock in the room."

"Where were you at midnight?"

"In bed, sir," replied the girl. "Who locked the house up?" "Jim, sir." "Go and get him," said the detective, briskly. "Now, Jim," he said, a few minutes later, when the chaffeur confronted him, "at what hour exactly did you lock the house up before retiring?"* "Half-past ten, sir," as usual. "Were there any visitors between seven o'clock and that hour?" "No, Inspector."

Bassington looked at him sharply

"Two men entered this house sometime before midnight last night. How did they get in?" The chaffeur looked confused. "Blessed if I know, Mr. Bassington. I'm positive I locked up everything securely before I went to bed, and this morning everything was in order." "Green and I kept a strict look-out in the grounds, too, and saw no one," mused the inspector. "It's a mystery, all right." "Now, look here, Jim," he said aloud. "Could anyone get in here early and hide themselves anywhere? I know it sounds like a fool question, but could they?"

"Well, sir, I suppose they could get in unseen if they were quick, but blessed if I know where they could hide themselves. A bloke would have to know the run of the place in any case."

"Did you see the body of the other man? Recognise him?"

"No," said Jim, "I didn't get a look at him at all."

The inspector grunted

"Well, get down to the morgue at once and look at him. If you have seen him before, let me know immediately. Now, Green, we'll get along to the study and have a look round, particularly at that clock." Except for the absence of the bodies, the study was exactly the same as when they had seen it on the previous night. Green could barely repress a shudder of distaste as he viewed the ghastly evidence of the crime on the expensive carpet and polished woodwork of the floor." Bassington stood before the massive old clock and thought deeply. He raised his hand and began to pound the front of it, but the resulting dull boom did not seem to satisfy him. "I'm suspicious of this clock, Green," he said, turning to his colleague. It would just about house a man in its interior and ..." "That theory won't work, Inspector," objected the detective-sergeant. "I take it that you are visualising a man being carried into this house inside the thing. Remember, we distinctly saw the man with the knife enter by the door." "What of the mysterious third party? I'm convinced that there was a third man at the show, otherwise how do you account for the double killing? I dismiss the theory of suicide in the case of the second man. Supposing he did chop the Judge's head off, I'm blessed if I can see how he could chop his own cheek like he did. It looks like as if both men were felled with one gigantic sweep." "By that Gurkha kukri?" "Maybe so," said Bassington, "but it was clenched in the unknown man's hand, and I cannot believe that the third party had time to shove it there and make his escape." "He couldn't have made his escape . ." began Green, testily. "I was watching the place for five minutes before I came in here. Of course, if the fellow had knowledge of this house, he could have lain hidden somewhere until the coast was clear, but that doesn't seem to convince me."

Bassington did not reply. Instead, he subjected the old clock to a close scrutiny. There was a small, ornate ruler on the desk and his measurements 'revealed the fact that the clock was six feet high, two feet wide and two feet broad. The face measured only six inches in diameter. "Plenty of space for a man to hide in," he mused. "What about the works?" asked Green, impatiently. "Most of the works would be underneath the face with only the pendulum swinging inside." "Well, say we bust the thing open then and prove it," retorted the de-tective-sergeant. Bassington smiled a little at his colleague's impatience and began a further examination of the front of the clock. He could not discover any keyhole nor sign of hinges in the front panel, but just underneath the clock face he found a small, circular hole. Without speaking he crossed to the table and pressed the bell. When the maid arrived he shot a terse question at her.

"Yes, Mr. Bassington, there is a key to that. I think it is in that righthand drawer," she said.

Investigation revealed a key which bore a striking resemblance to the opener of a sardine tin, except that itwas minus the slit at the end. Crossing to the clock, the inspector inserted

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the key and, with a turn of the wrist and a pull, opened a small door about, six inches square. Glancing inside, he could discern the works of the clock. They were fitted just under the face in a small cavity,, in the bottom of which was a slit through which the pendulum rod protruded downwards. With a dissatisfied grunt he shut the door and returned the key to the maid.

"Does this bottom part open at all?" he asked.

The girl shook her head, decisively

"No, sir," she said. "I heard the Judge say that it was never meant to he opened—that all clocks b'k-3 that hart solid interiors."

"Do you mean to say that this bottom part is just solid wood?" asked Green, incredulously. "His late Honour said so," returned the maid, demurely. "Well, he ought to know," said the inspector, whose respect for his brother's knowledge of antiques was profound.

The two men spent a great deal of lime in the study, but their investigations did not reveal much. Before they departed the inspector sent for Aycsha and when she came to him he said:

"What are you going to do, sweetheart? You cannot stay in this house, at least, not for some months to come, I guess, and, being a crusty old bachelor, I cannot offer you the hospitality of a home I do not poscss. Had you better not visit your Aunt Ethel for a time?"

The girl nodded listlessly. "I must get away from this house, Uncle Bill," she said, "but I won't go until after poor father's funeral." "I did not expect you to, my dear. I will see that you are not called as a witness to the inquest, so run along up to Maitland and forget this tragedy," said the inspector, kindly. A conference between Superintendent Perry, Green and the inspector took place immediately on their return to headquarters. Ferry had a little information for them.

"We've had the Indian weapon tested," he said. "Only one set of finger-prints were found on ; it and they belonged to the dead man, as yet unidentified." "Then that kukri did not do the killing?" asked Green. Perry looked at him significantly.

"I think we can safely put that from our minds. lat least am convinced of the third man in the room," he said, impressively. Bassington reported his conversation with Stumpy Phegan and Green his chase after Hammersmith. Perry clicked his. tongue regretfully at the latter intelligence, but, nevertheless, he congratulated Green on his foresight In pursuing the car. The superintendent smiled slightly when he heard Bassington's theory concerning the grandfather clock, hut was sympathetic.

The deliberations of the conference were suddenly interrupted by the pealing of the telephone-bell. Perry answered it. His conversation lasted a few minutes, during which time ho, issued curt instructions to his unseen interlocutor. Replacing the receiver, he turned to Bassington. "That was the man you put on to watch Stumpy Phegan," he said. "He tells me that Stumpy has just left the house, bearing a huge suitcase and a furtive air. Nettleton spoke from Central and it appears that Stumpy has just taken a ticket for West Maitland. The train goes in ten minutes. You heard me tell Nettleton to follow Stumpy even if he goes to the end of the earth."

"There is one bright spot in this case," said Green, "and that is the unfamiliar limited scope we have."

"Don't know exactly what you mean," confessed Perry, "but, anyhow, Nettleton is going to stick to Phegan like glue, Maitland or no Maitland." (To be continued.)