THE ONE GIRL IN A MILLION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19807, 30 November 1927, Page 20

THE ONE GIRL IN A MILLION.

BY LOUIS TRACY,

CHAPTER X. MB. KNAPP BACKS THE PLANETS. The three men discussed tho tragedy seriously after dinner that evening. Mr. Knapp, devotee oi a pseudo-science though he was, had an innate good taste which forbade any further probing into planetary influences on lives which might goon be threatened bv the law of the land. Furneaux was curiously reticent ut first. Lawson, feeling rather like a small boy attending a debate on metaphysics, said little, and that only in answer to a direct question. , They did not, it is true, attempt to j evade the main issue by talking of events J in England's prospects in the iorth- I coming lost march. lhev tacitly ad- j jnittpd being puj-.zled, and men in per-, olexity are not prone to garrulous speech j —unless they are natural born froth- i blowers, a modern infirmity of noble I minds which could not be charged j against any of these three. ' At last, 'the American set the converysational ball rolling. " Have you fixed up anything about our visit, to Miss Joan to-morrow j evenin' ?" he said, turning his big eyes | on Lawson. " Not yet, sir." said the younger j man. " t knew that Mr. 1' urneaux would visit the Court to-day. 1 assumed j that Miss Burke would show him my j letter, and came to the conclusion that j I ought to wait until Mr. Furneaux told i mo how it was received before taking any further steps in the matter. , " In other words, Mr. Knapp, you will j appreciate our young friend s reply as a i perfect example of the art of passing the j buck," said Furneaux drily. Knapp smiled with charming disregard j of the detective s tartness. " Yes," ho cooed. " 1 guess it s up to you to open the pot, Mr. I"urneaux. j "Whether you hold a pair of Jacks or a j full house, we can t expect you to let us in on official secrets if theio aio any. But I have my own good an suf- j ficent reasons to be interested in that : little girl's welfare some twentv-four ; hours from now, an' I mean to liavo a word with her then if Superintendent . Grainger's strong-arm squad doesn t stop rue." „ " Official secrets ! repeated 1 urneaux j with a certain bitterness. " They don't exist! The onlv secret we have to un-j ravel is tho identity of the murderer. j And we are as far off as ever from know- ; ledge that- will satisfy a judge and jury. ! Every definite fact points to Anthony . Burke as his uncle's slayer. Even his boots tally exactly with the footprints i in the mould between the Monk s Path j and the boundary wall. What do voil j say to that, Richard?" end lie, gazed, fiercely at Lawson, as though challenging a denial. j " I am a fairly credible witness for the defence," said Lawson quietly, "So is Mr. Grainger, not to mention Mr. I Hornby and every other person who saw the poor lad's ' body on Wednesday night," " Meaning that he Mas wearing evening dress slippers, and not boots or shoes.

*' Exactly." " Well, I'm glad you saw the point, came the grudging admission. " Thank goodness, the average murderer always makes some blunder of the sort. The thing was well planned, but in a desperate hurry. I am not at all sure that the actual crime was intended until a few minutes before the shot was fired. Of course, the pistol was brought from London. Why? Because no other equally effective weapon was available. Was it meant to be used? Yes, in a sense, because it was used. But there was 'always a chance that its use might not be called for. I wish I knew when it came from Burke's flat. His wife says she cannot tell us. She was aware that her husband owned the thing, and re- / garded it as a curio, but he never handled it, and never dreamed of having it loaded. She had no notion it was missing from its nail over a bookshelf, where it hung with an inscribed college oar and a pair of skis, until her aunt arrived in tears and a taxi after seeing an early edition of an evening paper on Thursday." " Mrs. Burke, I understand, was indisposed all Wednesday evening and Thursday morning?" put in Knapp eagerly.

"Yes, confound her! she .vas," snapped the detective. " And, confound her again! she can prove it. A doctor saw her twice. It, was her servant's evening out, and the girl wanted to stay with her, but Mrs. Burke telephoned a stage f r jpnd— a young woman who had acted with her in the musical comedy recently closed down, and that girl came, bringing with her another girl whom she met en route. When t'no maid reached home at eleven o'clock she made coffee for the three of them. No. That cock won t fight! When the shot was fired Mrs. Burke was a hundred and fifty miles awav, whereas Joan Burks was exactly twenty-five feet distant." Knapp gazed luminously at the angry little man, but uttered no word. Singularly enough, Lawson only smiled. 1 ~>r some reason which ho could not define he believed Furneaux was being purposely provocative. Nor, indeed, was the belief ill-founded. He simply was not sufficiently well acquainted with a singularly-constituted mentality to realise that the detective's nimble brain ■worked best when its most plausible deductions were scoffed at. In ordinary conditions Lawson would have noted the instant result of his retort about the footprints—how it had opened up a flood of analysis. But the mere mention of Joan's name in connection with tho crime seemed to have a benumbing effect on his senses. The only thought that suggested itself was that Furneaux was trying, for some occult reason, to say something deliberately offensive—a notion so absurd that he flouted it, and even averted his gaze lest he should bo tempted to speak. Whereat the detective cackled derisively, and refused to consider a oneBided argument. - Knapp broke an awkward silence. " I've a sort of notion," ho said, apparently musing aloud, ' that you an' I, Mr. Furneaux, ought to learn how to smoke, a pipe." V " A most profound em,ark, friend from beyond the seas! I pray you, elucidate." Well, it's this way. Thi> is the first front-rank mystery I've come up against. I've seen men shot, of course. One can't, have lived in Texas an' Montana without an occasional movie stunt of that sort. But there was nothing mean about it. Two guys met in tho street an' pulled their guns. They had said all that was necessary on some previous occasion. One fellow got tho other, an' it, was always proved that, the gentleman who passed out had drawn first, so the verdict was that the deceased • died from lead-poisoning. Now, that's all right an' proper. But when you camo to a civilised place like Chicago—no, not Chicago—l wonder why in thunder 1 thought of Chicago—a piace like Noo York, folk were killed just, as Sir Robert was. A woman, maybe two, would bo in ,it-.~a man or two —an' the poor si iff who was buried at Woodlawn hadn't a tiling to say about it. But, my sakes, didn't the cops get busy ? They wouldn't take it. lying down, as—forgive me, Mr. Furneaux—you boys over here seem to do. Why, they'd hold half a do/,en people at least,. Mind you, I'm not savin' a filing about the final result. Over in the States we have a high respect for British justice. You get your man an' hang him before our man's lawyers have lodged the first motion for a new trial, an' everybody knows that if the game is called three times the last jury finds the criminal innocent. it's not fair, they think, that any human being's feelings should be hairowed bv these incessant prosecutions. An' that's what is tying Tnc un in knots now. Sir Robert is dead. .Who killed him ? No one seems to know or care. But that won't matter a row of beans a month hence. All at once Rome guy will bo brought before a judge

FASCINATING STORY BY A LEADING WRITER.

(copriucnr.)

an' charged with the offence, and the next tiling you'll seo is that ho's to bo hanged in such-an'-such a gaol on a Toosday. Is that really goin' to happen this time?" Furneaux was pleased to smile .rather i amiably. I " Yes," he said. " Next Friday, after I the adjourned inquest, Mr. Grainger will I probably arrest the murderer, who, after ! various legal processes, will be tried and ] convicted at the autumn assizes. It is possible that the inquest may be adjourned for another week, but 1 think that will be unnecessary." "dee!" exclaimed Knapp, with the wide eves of genuine admiration. "So you've found the trail, then?" " I'll eat my hat if a tuppenv-hapenny I case like this bests me." ; " Well, well! Keep me wised up. I ! want to see this thing through to. a | finish." | Knapp glanced at a clock. " Mr. Lawson," ho said, "if I were you ] I'd ring up Miss Joan straight away, an' ' make that date for to-morrow evenin'." i Lawson was well aware, of course, that his patron had chosen the hour because j , of some combination of planets which | would be favourable to his purpose. He j wont out at once. " And now," said Furneaux, after a pause, *' perhaps you will tell mo in confidence why you believe that you and I might bo well advised if wo atrophied our brains with tho fumes of nicotine ?" "Sure thing!" exclaimed the American gleefully. " There's only one of us three who is "a smoker, an' ho sits there suckin' at his pipe an' thinkin' hard, while you an' [ talk like a couple of parrots." Furneaux indulged in one of his Japanese grins. " ft' silence implied even a capacity for forming an opinion 1 would agree with you." hp cackled, " but no ono knows better than you that it generally means cerebral vacuity. Now, I go to tho other extreme. I hold with Talleyrand that speech was given us to concoal our thoughts. Lawson is a decent lad, but he has not yet learnt that first great principle of statecraft. Don't you know what is the matter with him ? Pie's suffering from a severe attack of calf love."

" What? With little Joan?" " That's the trouble. It would bo all right if ho dared tell hor " " What's to stop him ?" "In all probability she is a great heiress. Rumour has it that Sir Robert Manning was a wealthy man, whereas poor Richard has four hundred a year, plus a small share in a pretty good business. So, it can't bo done." " It would be rather sharp work, but why should he kick if the girl is willing ? Gosh! Some of our million-dollar buds marry their pop's shuffer. Of course, they most always change their car next year, but these two young people measure tip fairly level on tho social scale, I guess." " Well, you see, Joan is quite alone in tho world. She may be worth a couple of hundred thousand pounds, and she is not engaged to anyone. I asked her to-day." Knapp's expressive feature-. worked hard to warn the detective that Lawson was back in the room, but the little man | had suddenly grown obtuse. He said what he had to say, and said it clearly, nor did ho appear to notice that Lawson found some difficulty in choosing his words when ho spoke. " I—er—was fortunate in catching Miss Burke before she—er—left tho house," he announced in a staccato way quite foreign to his usual frank and easy utterance. At any other tiino he would have enjoyed the -astonishment both his hearers displayed at fiiis simple statement of fact. He was not hesitating in order to create an effect, however. Hi clenched his pipe between his teeth, and reached to a matchbox in a brass stand on the table, nor ! did he seem to remember that the average match will break if used too roughly. Without trying to strike another match bo removed his pipe. " Mr. Hornby and Rector of Yare are with her," he went on, speaking more collectedly, but with dull evenness. "They have persuaded Joan—l mean Miss Burke, of course—it is stupid how one drops into the way of using Christrian names | without tho slightest warranty. . . . Well, these gentlemen think that she ought to stay with friends until the present trouble is ended. The rector's wife is at tho Court, too, and they are taking Joan—damn it! —there I go again'!—anyhow, she is going now to the rectory, and will remain there until after the adjourned inquest. She regrets, therefore, that she cannot receive you to-morrow evening, Mr. Knapp."

Furneaux only stared. He appeared to be weighing Lawson's statements—trying to determine what, if any, effect this new departure might have on the course of events in tho near future. In reality, he was wondering what Lawson would do. It would not have surprised him in the least if Mr. Knapp lost his trustworthy agent within the hour, as he did not know at that moment of the business appointment made for the following morning, and the junior partner of Embery and Son was far too loyal a soul that any private worries should be allowed to interfere with the interests of his client and his firm. But Knapp's behaviour soon drew the eves of his companions. Ho whipped some papers from an inside pocket, and consulted one of those cards on which the signs of the Zodiac were printed. As he leant forward to peer at it in a strong light the others saw that it was covered with figures and hieroglyphics' in ink. Ho checked certain calculations rapidly, with the air of a man who sought confirmation of something which was already a firm conviction. " Where's Yare?" she said at last. "Ten miles away. Mr. Hornby lives there," said Furneaux. "Ji happened to notice the name of the piace this morning while glancing at a petty sessional list in Grainger's office." Tho American shook his head. "Nothing doing!" he exclaimed emphatically. "Me .for Cedar Park at 8-45 p.m. to-morrow. That little girl has got to he there, too. She can't duck it, not If the Pope made her rector-friend an archbishop between now an' then." " She will certainly be at the court about .3-30 p.m. to-morrow afternoon," put in Furneaux.

" Why ? She's never planning to attend those funerals 1" " Not if she listens to the advice of everyone who has her well-being at heart. But the double ceremony is fixed for 2.30, and it will cover a considerable time, because the service in the church will take a full half-hour. When it is over the lawyer, tho trustees, and tho beneficiaries under Sir Robert's will should meet in tho library, where the will must be road. J cannot imagine such a gathering being transferred to the Yare Rectory. Possibly a change of venue may be legal, but it is not customary, and custom lias nearly the force of law in England." .Mi'. Knapp nodded. Ho was sure of his astrological deductions. " I knew there was a joker somewhere in (lie [>ack," he said. " Tell you what, Mr. Lawson, I'll go with you to that meeting to-morrow morning. It's not far from tho Black Bull, an' we'll hit the pike t'n Cedar Hill after lunch. I want to see how they I ury folks this side, anyhow.' '

" May I ask what meeting this is?" inquired Furrieaux. " Some wise guys will blow into a lawyer's office at llverton at 11 a.m. and try their darndest to dig a. hole in my wad. Lawson hoivj will 101 l thorn just where t.lie operation ceases. 1 shan't say a word until they ask for n cheque. Then I'll skin off a fat. percentage for cash." I'm a child in these matters," sighed Furneaux. "Well, good-night, gentlemen! I may not see you to-morrow, but I'll undertake that there will be no difficulty as to your being admitted to the court if you call there after the funerals. May I recommend that you leave your car at the village inn ? There is a good Rampe." " I get you," said Knapp. "No need for all the world to know we are poking our noses into something that doesn't concern us." .(To be continued daily.)