THE RIDDLE OF THE RAIL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19833, 31 December 1927, Page 11 (Supplement)

THE RIDDLE OF THE RAIL

BY FRED M. WHITE.,

CHAPTER XXVll.—(Continued.)

Meanwhile, the affair created a great sensation throughout tho whole of tho American continent. One of tho biggest and most successful financiers had died in tho zenith of his career, leaving an ciformous fortune to his young wife. All this Cora learnt in good time. She learnt that Van Geldt had left his secret meeting shortly after midnight with the intention of going to his house to procure certain bonds. And ho had failed to return to tho hotel where he and his financier friends were settling tho great railroad deal. That exclusive gathering had not troubled anything more about him, becauue the business in hand was nearly finished before ho left and it was found, at the last moment, that the documents for which ho had gone in search were not needed. All this Cora learnt from her husband's manager and confidential assistant. It was part of the case that did not como out in Court seeing that there , was no necessity for it. "Do you know, precisely, what ho came for?" Cora asked the manager when lie was telling her the story. 41 Indeed, I have not the slightest idea," the latter said. "If any man was in Mr. Van Geldt's confidence, I was. But there were certain things that lie told nobody. I don't even know what ho was after on tho night of his death. At any rate, whatever it was, it was not needed. Did you know, Mrs, Van Geldt'" "Why ask mo?" Cora said with an air of innocence. "Of course, I knew something of my husband's business, and I even knew the combination that opened tho strong-room door. Curiously enough, he told me that because he always had an idea that something might happen to him, something very much like what did take place, You are not suggesting that anything is missing, are you?" " Oh, dear no, madam," the manager replied. "In any case, it makes very little difference so far as you are concerned. Everything at the offices is in absolute order, as your solicitors will tell you. Of course, certain big transactions will have lo be dropped now, unless you you will bo able to do after your husband's will is read. But if you like to instruct mo to go on with them, which dispose of the business —" " Oh, there is nothing I should like better," Cora said. " I never want to hear that hateful word again. And I suppose that I shall have sufficient to livo upon ?" Tho manager smiled respectfully. " Well, yes," he said. " There will bo something like ten million dollars at your disposal, probably more. And if you want to draw on tho firm for any amount in reason, I shall be only too happy to make tho necessary arrangements with our bankers."

It was only natural that the death of Van Gel fit should have caused so much comment all over America. And, on the top of it, was the story of the stolen pearls. A sort of double romance and melodrama occurring almost simultaneously to the same woman and she one of America's leading beauties. For days together the press seemed to have nothing else to talk about. A thousand and one theories wero advanced to account, for the way in which the pearls had been stolen and amateur detectives from ail over the States were advancing theories in their favourite newspapers. But the police themselves were absolutely at fault. The head of the department in New York could hold out no hope to Cora that sho would ever see her wonderful treasures agsm. " I cannot understand how it happened/' he told Cora, when she went round to head quarters to see him. don't supnosf- von know it, madam, out we had you rndcr close observation from the very moment tint, '.hose pearls were delivered at your house. I mean, directly after Shifi'any had delivered the complete article. Wo had a hint to the effect that the robbery ,of those pearls would be undertaken from a certain quarter and wo acted accordingly. You were watched from your doorstep to the house where you went. And it wi s one 01 our own men who hung about until you left Mrs. Tamberge's establishment with instructions: nob to lose sight of you ml ' vour front door closed behind you. It was lie who dashed out of the area and fired those two shots. But. as you know, ho v as just a little too late, and I might tell yea quite candidly that I have not the remotest idea whoso hand it was that robbed you." " But the people you are speaking about." Cora suggested. "Well, as a matter of fact, wo have ascertained beyond the shadow of a doubt that the gang wo had in view had nothing whatever to do with the robbery. They were able to prove complete alibis.' And. to be quite candid, they wore greatly disappointed to find that they had been forestalled. You see. madam, there are so many of those gangs in New York that wo find great difficulty in keeping labs with them. At any rate, I might just fcs well confess that wo arc* utterly at sen over this business. We shall have to fall back upon the humiliating device of offering a big reward for the discovery of the missing gems. That may produce them, but even then we shall not be able to (ake proceedings." " I am afraid I am not troubling much about that," Cora smiled. " All I want is my pearls back. And ' f you can manage that for me, I shall be prepared to pay any price in reason. " It should not he difficult," Ihe politeman said. "Of con se, tho:;e are marked stones and very difficult io dispose of. Leave it to me and I will do the best I can." CHAPTER XXVIII. The man called Yario Egerton —which, as a matter of fact, was his proper '"one. —sat in his apartment room iu a biii'-'/. fiat, just off Madison Square, smoking a cigaretto and evidently awaiting the coming of some expected guest. There was a box of cigars on the table, together with a syphon and glasses and a bottle of genuine Scotch whisky, procured from sorno dubious quarter, despite the laws of prohibition. And, on the table, also, was a small pad- : ;ontaining twelve lerge pearls. Egcrton smiled from timo to time as his cyo fell on these, and the mere sight of them seemed to iill him with the liveliest, satisfaction. When, at length, somebody tapped at the door, and ho gave an answer in response, he did not trouble to remove those gleaming objects from the newcomer's sight, " Ah, hero you arc," he said. " I thought my message would fetch you. Sit down, Fishwick, and make yourself at home." "Good Lord!" Fishwick exclaimed. " You don't mean to say you have got them? Well, you arc a wonder!" " Yes, thore they are," Egerton smiled. "The twelve pearls that came so romantically into the possession of the seaman who called himself Kennedy. But I don't think wo need worry any more about Kennedy. Ho is just.a minor actor in the comedy and he was only too glad to get back to sea again, well rewarded for his labour. Therefore, exit Kennedy. And now, what about it?" The man called Fishwick stroked his chin thoughtfully. " Well," ho said. " I should like to hear a bit more about it first. You sold those pearls to Mrs. Van Geldt for a big sum of money, intending, all the time, to get them back again. I don't think there need bo any nice display of feeling between us two, Egerton, because I know you and you know me." " Oh, I know you right enough," Egerton said with the suggestion of a sneer. " You are ft highly respectable man, trusted by your employers, and I suppose you have handled more valuable stones than any assistant or commissioner in the States. As Neidermeyer's traveller, both in America and Europe, you are 1

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known to the trade as quite the big noise. Arid all the time you have been with Neidermcyers, you have been drawing a handsome income in commissions and playing the gamo with them as a strictly honourable and upright man. And all the time, under that cloak, you have been handling stolen property worth millions. You havo gone about disposing of literally tons of gems for people like myself, who have como into possession of them in circumstances, well—wo need not discuss that." " But why go into rnv biography like this 1" Fish wick exclaimed. " Oh, weir, I thought it just as well to remind you. Now I think this is the biggest thing wo havo ever handled together and it will be one calling for ail your cleverness and resource. Now, can you handle those pearis on the table safely V " All, that is a question I have been asking myself ever since I got yo'ir note. I havo had some pretty things through my hands botween here arid Europe and I have never failed yet to get rid of all the stones that you and others have trusted me with. And I don't mind telling you that I havo done very well out of it. Another trip like the last, and I am out of this business altogether, I shall band ir my resignation to Neidermeyer's and they will accept- it with great regret. Then they will pn-bably give me a service of plate, or sorueihuig of that sort, and I shall disappear." " And where are you goiog to, ray pretty maid ?" Egerton smiled. " Ah, well, that is no business of yours. "It is a little paradise of my own, somewhere on the South American continent where* the police are ik t too inquisitive, though I don't fear them very much. Still, you never know, and I am taking every precaution. I am in a position to go now, as a matter of fact, bu-t. J. could do with a. few more thousand dollars, and that is why I am disposed to lako up this pearl business." "And you think you cau manage it v " Oh, I can manage it right enough. But not in America. Somewhere in Europe, I think. I am duo out of the States in a week or two, and, if you like to trust those pearls to rue ■" The speaker hesitated for a moment, as also did Egerton. lle had never seen his ccyjipanion in crime in qui.e the same mood as he appeared in that afternoon. There was a certain air of detachment about him that struck Egerton as peculiar. He had half a mind to make some excuse for breaking off the negotiations and attempt to dispose o". the pearls himself. But that was a lin. .if rascality of which ho knew nothing. 1.,-i knew how to obtain possession of articles of great price, but the disposal thereof was a sealed book to him. Moreover, that meant something exceedingly delicate in the way of finesse and often led the man who did the work: into serious trouble. " It was a difficult job," he said reminiscently. " You see, the whole thing had to be worked within the distance of a few yards. Moreover, there were a good many people about, even at that late hoar of the morning. And I had a hunch, as they say in these parts, and the police were keeping a close eye on our lovely Cora. And begad, I was light. I saw one ol the flying squad lurking in the very next area to the one in which I was hidden and I had to take a big risk when I saw Cora coming along, knowing pretty well that sJio would scream out arr. hat the fellow next door to mo was arm.. 1. It was touch and go, I can tell you. It was only by the sheerest bad luck f.J'-v I didn't get hold of the lot. Still, 1 managed to snatch the bulk of the plunder, and there it is, on the table for you to see. But a bullet passed within an inch of rny head before I was shinning it off down the road and I managed to reach, the car that was waiting for me and got clear. However, 1 managed it, &o we need not discuss that point anj' farther. Now, what I suggest is this. You take those pearls with you on your net trip to Europe and dispose of them, 'iiint is, if you. can." " Oh, there will be no ' if you can ' about it," Fislnvick boas'.cd. " There aro plenty <:i other women in the world who have the same ambition as Cora and they would not mind taking the risk. And there aro lots of dealers who would take tho risk too. Big profit, you know, and no questions asked. Oh, my clear fellow, I know my business. However, please yourself." Egerton hesitated no longer. " Very well," ho said. " That is your side of t)io game, and I am as ignorant as a child as regards it. Take the stuff and make the best you can out of it." "Quite," Fish wick said. -"But where do I como in?" " Oh, halves, of courso. Wo have always gone halves, haven't we'{ We went halves over that Arizona copper mine." "Oh, did wo?" Fish wick said dryly. " We didn't get murh out of that, anyway. Not a penny, as f?c as i was concerned." " All, that was because certain peopln opened their months a bit too soon,'' Egerton hastened to say. " Anyway, it is tlio only failure wo have ever had. You trusted me over that matter, and, I am going to trust you implicitly over this. Now then, help yourself and we will talk about something else " Fislnvick departed in duo course with the pearls i" bis possession and for the best part of a week Egerton s'.w no more of his accomplice. And then, one evening, there came by post u few lines, in Fishwick's handwriting that '.'"ought the blood into Egerton's face and set him pacing the room with curses on his lips. Only a few type written lines on a plain sheet of paper that ran thus:— " Dear Egerton, — " By the time you get thjs, I shall be on my way to Europe with tk se pearls in my nockct. I don't think you need look ».o me for any share of the spoil, because, if you do, you are going to fall down badly. I shall be able to dispose of them and, when I havo done so, .1 shall leavo for the littlo paradise of which I have told you within a month. " You reminded me last time wo met about that Arizona Copper Mine. You double-crossed mo over that and got away with over two hundred thousand dollars, half of which belonged to me. I found it out almost directly, but I said nothing, because 1 have been waiting my turn ever since. And now that turn lias come. " I have settled up affairs with my firm, by which I mean Ncidermever's, and they understand that this is the last trip I shall ever take on their behalf. J am putting a few commissions through for them in Europe, and once they r aro complete 1 shall bo a freo man. They think 1 am coming back to America, but they aro wrong, because the land of my fathers, so to speak, lies in quite another direction. " I may he in England longer than I expect, possibly a month or two, but 1 have not the least fear you will follow me there, because, if ever a man left his country for his country's good, you are that distinguished individual." For a long time Egerton paced up and down the iloor of tho room, his face black with rago and with something like murder in his heart. He know that every w n'd of tho lotter was true, and he knew that Fislnvick had deliberately made uso of him with a view to getting even over that Arizona Copper business. " Very well, my friend," he muttered, under his breath. " Yoy think I am afraid to go back to England, do you? But you don't know that I have been there for the best part of six months every year since I was invited so cordially to turn my back upon the good ancestral home. Well, Fislnvick, wo shall see.'' Egerton turned and took down Ins telephone receiver. Then ho called up the offices of the Cunard Line and promptly booked a passage t-o England by tho .next. boat. t(To bo continued daily.)'