The CASTLE ISLAND CASE with CANDID CAMERA CLUES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 10 June 1939, Page 5

The CASTLE ISLAND CASE with CANDID CAMERA CLUES

by HENRY CLAY GIPSON

! VAN WYCK MASON'S

CHAPTER XIX. Once more Allenbv smoothed the *ui•ide note, checked it with Judy's letailoil description of non-existent people on a party which apparently had never taken place. J.otter Ivy letter and line by line, he studied Judy’s pathetic suicide note before him. comparing it with the other until his li|>* straightened on noting a sustained lack of paling towards the end of certain words—an ordinary paling caused hy the drying of the writer’s penpoint. Even a fountain pen. lie knew, does not evenlv distribute ink when a person i* writing normally. In the suicide note, however, every word and every character was precisely the same shade! There could he no doubt, lie presently decided, that the farewell note was a forgery. A clever job thi«. far better than average, a job which would fool mo*t people. Vet. he was sure the note was spurious. “Vow. my lad. let’s see if we can learn who found it so necessary to compose a farewell note for poor Judy With the unique patience of an expert at hi« vocation. Roger Alienin' again considered the deck of cards. Then the letter. "Funny.” he mused, “both Barbara And flail denied knowing Jack Quitman and Btmnv King.’’ Again he studied the letter."

At hazard, lie presently arranged the balance of the suits in similar sequence. In order, lie collected the pasteboards into a deck, taking care to place all the nicked edges on the right side of the card. The result, when he tilted the cards edge on towards the light, was to betray partial but unmistakeable lines ami loops which, failing completely to coincide am! merge, remained unread a ble. Let's see now.” Allenbv lit hi* pipe. Apparently be had taken several strides in the right direction, but, be had not arrived at a proper handling of the lesser cards. Hour after hour be toiled patiently in until, around three in the morning, lie sat up emitting a soft hi«s of triumph. A sense of exhilaration Hooded him like a warming ray of sunlight. Taking a pencil, lie rubbed it lightly over the nicked edges of the cards, and with a startling clearness the words sprang out at. him. Minutes slipped away while lie sat istically. lie wasted no time in self-

ciuigrat ulalions fur a rather neat bit of deduction. 'There were many inferences to be considered and in his mind’s eye he could visualise Grafton's powerful feature* congested with rage, storming at Judy Fortier. What could have caused a scene so tempestuous that Judy felt prompted to scribble a frightened and secret note to her sister? As a rule, people commit murder in reaction to four principal and primitive emotions; revenge, greed, loveiand fear. Promptly he ruled out revenge. In all probability there was little an apparently sweet and gentle girl like Judy could do to arouse such an emotion in Harney Grafton, (treed? WeU. t ha t looked more promising, if one thought of greed in term* of business, a ml certainly Barney was no model of unselfishness when it came to money matters. Love? Possibly; that motive always deserved special attention since, after all. it might tie tip with fear, the

fourth auj lasi of the motivating forces. Suppose Judy had learned, something Grafton wa« determined to keep secret at all costs? This, he decided, appeared the most promising lead of all. Well, no matter what, happened now, Barney Grafton would have some tall explaining to do. Suddenly the miasmas of uncertainly lifted and for a brief space lie saw things clearly. Of course. Barney had written llie suicide fiote. forestalling investigation. Patricia then stole it the night before her "fall.” Grafton had missed it and using a severe bit, Allenby reined his wildly galloping imagination

" Slipping on his shoes with rubber ; soles. Allenbv secured a dark bathrobe. then bent over his suitcase long enough , to extract therefrom a small but power- ' ful automatic. After turning out hi* skilfully muffled light, he sat and smoked in silence during a cautious ten I minutes and only then did he grope hi* way to the library telephone. Listening to the faint rattle of the 1 loose French door straining against some books securing it. lie dialled the police • ami commenced a dogged telephonic pur- ' *uit of Inspector Boyd. While he did so a rain squall swept over Freebooter’s HalJ, hammering on the window beside 1 him with a thousand febrile fingertips. When at last Inspector Boyd answered the 'phone, Allenbv. in a guarded underj tone, gave him salient facts concerning the night’s discoveries. “Good work, sir! Mjghtv fine work about those cards—” Boyd enthu*ed. “Shall 1 come right out? I cAn, you “No. If von don't mind, Ed rather

have you drop over in the morning as if on routine business —say around leu to-morrow. That will be plenty of time Oh, and by the way. you might bring along all newspapers you can find covering the last three days.” “If you wish.” was Inspector Boyd’s slightly mystified reply. “I say. air, you're absolutely positive Grafton wrote that note?”