"Scandal At Barons Court"

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 279, 25 November 1936, Page 7

"Scandal At Barons Court"

(By Allan Grey)

Whaley was moving after the first scream. The noise came from upstairs, and he raced up them two at a timeThere was no screaming now, only a terrified gasping. It was coming from the far end of the passage. “Pauline Vines 1” he muttered to Bilson, who was racing beside him. Howard Lane’s door opened suddenly, and the two Lancs stepped out. wide-eyed in concern. From downstairs Sir Bertram was shouting something, and a servant's voice was raised in alarm. Whaley reached the door of the secretary's room as Agatha Foulkes came into tho passage, trembling and white. Whaley ignored her, and thudded his shoulder against the door. Bilson abided his weight. The door swung open—Whaley muttered something under his breath. Paulino Vines was lying stretched out on the floor. She was no longer whimpering, and blood was flowing from an ugly wound in her temple. “Siio's not—dead!” gasped Agatha Foulkes. “ No,” said Colonel Lane, “or the blood wouldn’t llow like that.” Whaley, by tills time, had reached the side of the unconscious woman. A quick examination not only told him sho was fillve but that she was not seriously hurt. 'He told Agatha Foulkes, quickly. After her first outburst of horror, Sir Bertram's sister acted calmly and efficiently. Summoning a frightened maid who was peering in at the open door, she began to clean the wound on Pauline Vine’s forehead. Bilson,

meanwhile, had seen the open window, and was already hurrying downstairs, to sec if he could find anyone getting away through the grounds. Whaley was looking at the telephone on the floor. Ho couldn't be sure, but he imagined Pauline Vines had been speaking into the telephone when she had been attacked. Whether her conversation had anything to do with ttie affair of the afternoon, Whaley didn’t know: but in \'s own mind ho was pretty sure it had. He looked out of the window, with Colonel Lane close behind him. It was not a long drop to the ground below, and an athletic man could have made it easily. An athletic man— It certainly had not (been either of tho Lancs, and it had not been Sir Bertram. But there was Conway Sewell— He swung round quickly, and picked up the telephone. “ Polico speaking," he said into it. “ I want to trace that last call, please, quickly.” While he waited, Lane offered cigarettes. “ This makes it worse,” he saidWhaley nodded grimly. He looked towards Pauline Vines.

“ She knows something,” he said, “ and she’ll have to talk. This will probably put the fear of God into her." Ho waited impatiently, until the operator’s voice came to his ears. “It was made from Barons Court,” she said, “ to a public call box in Barrington.” “ Barrington!” Whaley muttered. “ Well—thanks very much.” He looked up at Colonel Lane, with a grimace. “ Thai won’t help us any,” he said. “ W’lio ever was speaking from that call-box is a long way away from it now. Colonel—will you see that noone speaks to Miss Vines, for a few minutes?" Everard Lane nodded, and Whaley hurried off. He found Bilson and threo policemen in tile grounds, and together they saw tho tracks of a man or a woman’s progress. The tracks were too blurred, however, to be able to give any evidence, and in tlie light of tho torches little or nothing was visible. “ Have a couple of men here, all night," said Whaley to his sergeantWe'll go over it thoroughly in the morning.” When he reached Paulino Vine’s room again he found the secretary conscious, but trembling with shock. Whaley sat on tho bed and smiled at her.

“ What happened?" he asked, pleasantly. The secretary’s whole body shivered. "I—l was talking into the teiepnone,’ she said, “ and the door opened behind me. I hadn’t time to look round when they—they tried to strangle me I It was terrible!" Whaley nodded, sympathetically. "You didn't see anything of them?" “ Mo.” Paulino Vines pressed her hand against her forehead. “ They held their hand over my eyes— ’’ “They?" asked Whaley. “ I mean he did,” gasped Pauline Vines. . “So it was a man," said Whaley, with satisfaction. ** Yes." The frightened woman closed her eyes and leaned back on her pillows. Whaley felt sorry for her. She had had a bad time, that day. On the other hand, If she had killed Brice

“ Inspector,” Agatha Foulkes looked acidly at Whaley. “It isn’t fair to worry Miss Vines any more. You’ve done enough harm to her already." Whaley looked evenly at the protesting woman. “ I’m sorry, Miss Foulkes," he said, "but this isn’t a question of being fair or not. Murder has been done, and it looks as If it was nearly committed for a second time. We’ve got to know the truth, or—any of you might be found dead in your beds!” There was a tense silence. Whaley had spoken brutally, with intention, but there was a great deal of truth in his words. A killer was loose, in Barons Court! Agatha .Foulkes shrugged her • thin shoulders. She said nothing, and Whaley turned again to Pauline Vines, who was looking at him with eyes wide-open in dread. “Who were you telephoning?” he asked. He knew in a moment that he had asked a vital question, for Pauline

Instalment 9.

Vines shuddered, and for a moment he thought she would faint. Agatha Foulkes took a 'bottle of smelling salts from a nearby table. “Well?" snapped Whaley- Illnes3 or no illness, he meant to have the truth now. “ I; —I was speaking to a friend," gasped Pauline Vines. “What?” grated Whaley. Paulino Vines gave a despairing glance at Agatha Foulkes, and then broke down. "It wasn’t him 1" she sobbed. “I know it wasn't him I He didn't attack me just now I I was talking to him—” Whaley’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction. “ Listen, Miss Vines," he said. “ Whoever it was has got nothing to worry about If he didn't kill Lester Brice ” He paused, for he knew Pauline Vines had not known the name of the dead man before. But she hardly seemed to realise he had given her that Information, and he was satisfied she had never heard of Lester Brice. “ Even if he was In the woods at the time of the murder." went on Whaley, “ he’ll not be in danger if he’s innocent. By keeping his name from us, you’re doing him more harm than anything else." He spoke soothingly, and he could see his words had a good effect on the woman. She nodded, slowly. “ I —l’ve known him for several months," she said, “ but I didn’t say anything about It because —well, I didn’t know how Miss Agatha would take it if she thought I was going about with a man—”

, Agatha Foulkes’ eyes softened sud- , dcnly. Whaley was looking at her, ; and he decided ho liked the woman. “ Don’t be an Idiot, Pauline," she ■ said. “ But tell everything you know." Paulino flashed a look of gratitude l towards hor companion, and went on: > “ He’s the owner of a garage In ■ Barrington,” she said. “Mr Thomas 1 Dawson —” s Whaley nodded, congratulating himi self on the way things were going. ; Thomas Dawson ought to bo able to say several things of Interest. Ho l asked: t “Is Mr Dawson a big man or a ■ small man, Miss Vines?” ! "Small,” said Pauline Vines, and she stretched out her hand for tho bag that was resting on the table. I Agatha handed it to her, and with ’ trembling fingers the secretary took a ■ snap-shot from the bag, passing it to Whaley. I Whaley’s face was Inscrutable, but inwardly he was elated. For the man’s nose might well have , been called a “ beak " by anyone who wanted to be dlsrespeotful. This was • the man the warders had seen In tho woods. “You saw him this afternoon?” 1 Whaley asked, passing the photograph back.

Miss Vines shook her head. “ No- I was to meet him near the summerhouse, but I saw Sir Bertram .coming, and I slipped Inside. That was when I saw the —man —move, and [heard him sneeze.” ' Whaley nodded. | “When I got outside," went on Miss Vines, “ the warders were coming, and I fainted. So I didn’t see Tom —” “I see,” said the Chief Inspector. “Well that’s helped a lot, Miss Vines. Coming Colonel?” He flashed a smile towards Agatha Foulkes. “I think you can have your patient In peace now,” he said. i Agatha Foulkes smiled back at him. I In the passage outside the two Lanes and Whaley walked slowly towards the head of the stairs. “I’d give a lot to know why Miss Vines was attacked," said Whaley. “I suppose It was someone in the house," said Colonel Lane. “ Ninety-nine per cent, certain,” said Whaley. “ Miss Vine says he came from the door, and I don’t think we’ve any reason to think she’s keeping anything back, now. She would’t have told us about this Dawson fellow if she’d wanted to bide anything.” There was silence for a moment, and then the Colonel asked bluntly: “Do you suspect _ anyone," Inspector?” Whaley gave an enigmatlo smile, “ Judge for yourself," he said.

The Colonel nodded. Ho was sure, In his own mind, that Whaley suspected Sewell, and certainly It looked as if the American was guilty. Ho was the only man who had been missing when Pauline Vines had screamed. In the hall, Bilson was waiting. Whaley excused himself and joined his subordinate, “ Sewell’s In Jenny Lea’s room,” said the Sergeant, who was inwardly excited, Whaley could see. “ But I think we’ve got something on him. Chief.” “What.?” snapped Whaley. “ One of the servants saw him outside, ten minutes ago," said Bilson, “ and thinks he went out about 20 minutes ago.” Whaley rubed his hands together. “ Things are certainly getting nasty for Conway Sewell,” he said. “ Let’s go and have a talk with him.” With Bilson, this time, Whaley went upstairs again to Jenny Lea’s room.

Jenny Lea was up and dressed, now, and was sitting in an easy chair. Sewell was lounging on a settee, and he looked up with his challenging grin as the policemen entered. Whaley didn’t waste time, now. “Where did you go, twenty minutes back?” he snapped. Sewell stared at him, insolently. “I didn’t,” he said. “You've been imagining things, OHlcer. I haven’t stirred from this room.” "No 7” murmured Whaley. He turned to Jenny Lea. “Is that true, Miss Lea?" Jenny opened her eyes wide. She had recovered most of her composuro now, and she was acting her part. Conway Sewell had strengthened her resistance to police cross-examination. “Why, yes,” she said, “Con’s been with me every minute.” (To be continued.)