“Scandal At Hams Court”

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 291, 9 December 1936, Page 7

“Scandal At Hams Court”

~ \\ (By Allan Grey) "*

u, ■ ♦ I Instalment IS. . ! ► i

There was a complete and stupefle silence, broken only iby a sound tha was hardly a gasp, from Howar , Lane. Out of the corner of his eye: ■ Whaley was watching the younge 1 man, and he saw Howard turn death! • pale. He fired a question: "I ‘‘Well, Lane! What do you knov 1 about that?” ■ Howard Lane ran his finger . through his hair. He looked haggan s and worn. “Nothing,” he muttered. “Nothin, - at all." I “Steady, Howard.” Colonel Ever . ard’s calm voice broke through th silence. “It’ll work itself out.” ‘ For the first time, Whaley smilei J sourly at the Colonel. He wlshei Howard had not the strengthening bupport of his father, but the damag • was done now. Howard Lane squared his shoulders . Whaley decided It was no use per sisling on those lines. But he was thinking hard, and hi told himself that Howard Lane prob ably knew Brice had had Evelyn’s ad i dress. I That suggested—Whaley realise: he was assuming a great deal, but i , did no harm to look at the affair fron every possible angle that Brice ha: actually written to the girl, and tha young Lane knew of it. There was ; strong possibility there. Already hi had played with tho Idea that Evelyi or Howard had a good motive for killing Brice, and that each suspected the other of the murder. Nothing else could explain their behaviour. Brice was a blackmailer; he hac written to Evelyn, and Howard hac discovered it. That was a possible theory.

I the easy way out. t Breathing hard, they reached the 1 little clearing, and saw the black outlines of the hut a few yards away, r There was no movement. No sound fOf any kind. - But before they reached the door, .■something happened 1 Whaley caught his hreath for a 3 moment, and a terrible fear went I through him. For a stab of fire broke through the darkness plainly through s the windows of the (hut. It was Just a stab of flame as would come from a -bullet-shot! 5 But no sound came. And then light blazed up, inside the i summerhouse, and Whaley could see, ivery clearly, what was happening. ; Evelyn Foulkes, her face and figure • glowing yellow in the light, was holding the flaming mass away from her. . Before Whaley reached the door, the . liames had begun to die down, and he turned the handle savagely. She was . destroying something The door was locked. . “Break it downl” snapped Whaley. But precious seconds were wasted as [ the two plainclothes men hurled tliem- ; selves at the flimsy door. They broke , through it at the first assault, but they I stumbled Into the hut, and Whaley, ; hurrying after them, almost fell. Colonel Lane saw Evelyn, her face ; set and determined but a little smile of , triumph about her lips, drop the last blackened piece of paper to the earth floor, and grind it to dust with her heel. By the time Whaley had recovered himself, the damage was done. Whaley’s voice was like ice. “ You’ve overstepped the mark this lime, Miss Foulkes.” But tho only answer he had was a swift, brief smile, and a gleam of triumph in her eyes obvious even in the light of the torches. CHAPTER XVI. Chief Inspector Martin John Whaley knew there were limits to cross-ex-amining witnesses, and he had pretty well reached them. It was an hour after that grim chase through the woods, and the amazing scene in the summerhouse. No possible trace could be found of the writing on the paper that Evelyn Foulkes had destroyed. She had succeeded in her object, and she was satisfied. Throughout the following hour, Whaley had fired question after question at her. He was in a small room on the second floor, with Bilson and another plainclothes man, and Agatha Foulkes. From time to time the elder woman protested, but Whaley silenced her abruptly. But he knew he dared not go any further.

i That meant there was something lr Evelyn Foulke’s past that laid he: open to blackmail—but it -would also explain why the Foulkes were banding together so firmly, and why they would give him no help at all. lie rubbed his chin, thoughtfully, and decided that It would toe a sound Idea to call Evelyn to the lounge. “Fetch Miss Evelyn Foulkes,” he said to Bilson. i Howard Lane bit his lips. Colonel Everard grimaced. The baronet’s eyes glittered. Only Dawson and Conway | Sewell were unaffected by that order. Bilson went out, poker-faced as usual, and Whaley sat on the corner of a table, swinging his legs. Sir Bertram broke the silence. “Dammit, Whaley!" he protested, "it’s not fair to pester that girl at this time of night. It’s inhuman.” “If you've any complaint to make about the way I’m conducting Investigations,” snapped Whaley, “make them

to the Chief Constable But while I'm here I’ll do as I like and when I like. Don’t forget, Sir Bertram —this is a murder job.” The baronet “ fcchaed! " but made no further protest. A faint smile curved Colonel Everard’s lips, while Howard Lane looked straight in front of him. The door opened suddenly, and Bilson came in—alone. Whaley frowned- “ What’s the trouble?" he snapped. BiLson’s face was grimmer than usual. “She’s not in her room, sir. Can’t find her in the house at all I” There was a moment of silence, and then Sir Bertram leapt towards the detective. “Look here, Whaley, you’ve got to listen to reason! You’re driving that girl frantic by all this questioning. She’s probably slipped out to—to kill herself, or—” “Don’t 1” gasped Howard Lane. “She can’t do that I” Whaley was moving towards tho door, speaking as he went. “If Miss Evelyn ?had nothing to hide," he rapped, “she’d have nothing to worry about. Slay here gentlemen, please!” “I’m coming out!” barked Foulkes. Whaley swung round as he reached the door. “ If any one of you moves from this room by the door or window," lie rap-ped-out, “you'll be arrested and taken immediately to Barrington Police Station. I’ll look after everything that needs doing.” “Does that apply to me?” asked Colonel Lane, quietly. Whaley hesitated, and then grunted. “Do you know the grounds well?” “ Passably.” “ Then come with me. please,” said Whaley. He waited for the Colonel, then hurried into the hail, closed the door behind him and turned the key in the lock. Bilson and three plainclothes men were already there. “ Watch this room,” snapped Whaley to the plainclothes men. “ Find all the others, Bilson, and make a line through the woods. Colonel ” he turned to Lane, who was looking more serious than had done all the evening —“ I’d like you to guide me straight to the summerhouse. Will you?” Lane nodded. Without waiting for hats or coats, but taking only two or three powerful torches, Whaley, Lane and two others hurried to the grounds and cut across tho woodlands towards the river. Through the silence they could hear the running water. It was a dark, moonless night, and the lights of the torches made weirdly bright pencils through the blackness. The wind was whispering through tho trees, and bats were swooping blindly In front and behind them. “ Pretty grim, at night,” said Lane. “ I hope to heaven that girl hasn’t damaged herself,’ said Whaley. Lane nodded in the gloom. Whaley had an idea that the explorer was only keeping his spirits up by a great effort. He made remarkable speed across the grounds, and the others had to break into a trot at times to keep pace with him. It was lucky he’d come with them, Whaley thought, for they would have been forced to go very slowly towards the summerhouse. without his help. Whaley hardly knew why, (but ho felt tho summerhouse was the obvious place to make for. He was genuinely afraid that Evelyn Foulkes might have been so terrified by tho suspicion that was hovering about her, and Howard Lane that she had decided to taka

Evelyn’s eyes were feverishly bright, hut the rest of her face was absolutely colourless. Iler slim body drooped In her chair. Only her eyes revealed the amazing spirit that kept her going. Whaley stopped talking, at last “All right,” -he said to Agatha foulkes. “Look after her, please. 1 |Wish to heaven.” he muttered to Bilson, “ that we’d a woman agent here. You 'phoned to Gloucester for one, jdidn’t you?” Bilson nodded. „ “ Until she comes,” said Whalev, have a guard at the window and the door, and don't let anyone hut Miss Agatlu go in to her room. Have the uoor ajar, so that you can hear anvthing they talk about.” “I’ll see to it,” said Bilson. “You’re a lower of strength,", said Whaley, with a wan smile'. “By the way—we’ve got some' relief men liera haven’t we?” “Yes. They arrived at twelve,’’ said Bilso,n. “Find. I’m going to sleep in one of tiie library chairs, and you’d bcltc: come down as soon as you’ve giveE insiructions." The -rest of the household had been allowed to go to their rooms, although as Whaley walked along the passages he saw die yellow light gleaming beneath eacli door. Very few people at Barons Court would sleep muct that night. -But Whaley was too experienced an officer to let his case worry him. True, he had been so near to an explanation on several occasions that the presenblank wall was modifying. But it was early, yet. It was amazing, in fact, that so much had happened Things had certainly moved fast. He look off his collar and tie, and unlaced his shoos, ‘tiie only preparations lie made for his night’s sleep As he lay hack in a leather armchair, his mind played, over the events of Hie day. It, was half past one, he knew. lie had been here' just nine hours. And, lie thought with a rueful smile, he had circumstantial eviderico enough to condemn pretty wel 1 every membe'r of the household. There was no doubt that the mosl important thing had been the midnighl visit of Evelyn Foulkes to the summerhouse. Whaley ground his teetii when he admitted tiie probable import of that visit. Tho girl must have know the letter she had burned was in the' hut, and had taken the first opportunity she had had to go and destroy It. It was probable that Howard Lane’s attempt to leave the house had been on tho same mission, and if that fool of a constable had not messe’d the opportunity up, the letter might have been discovered by the police. The most mortifying thought was that the letter must have been in the summerhouse since the body had been discovered —which meant that Whaley and Bilson had failed to discover It in their se'arch. Obviously, thought Whaley, Eevlyn Foulkes would not have gone to the summerhouse to destroy a letter she had had in her possession, she could easily have burned it in the' house. She had known It was there —outside. She had been game,'' Whaley adnitted. l (To be continued.)