THE SPOTTED OUNCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20965, 31 August 1931, Page 15

THE SPOTTED OUNCE.

By JOHN H. VAHEV.

1 (COPYRIGHTJ

A FASCINATING STORY OF ROMANCE, MYSTERY AND EXCITEMENT,

CHAPTER XXIV. It was quite clear that Renter was tho brains of tho conspiracy, and its first inspirer. The other men were on shares, if the plot succeeded, but they were growing impatient, and already grumbling at the portions allotted to them. Another facet of tho case, £hat was not so deal 1 , but might bo assumed to bo true, was Renter's relation to tho widow of tho dead Ralph. Ilast had overheard one of the men express the opinion that she was not Renter's daughter. Ho had quoted a man called Hare as his authority for this statement, and Saithe had agreed, appearing shocked at tho idea that a man should contemplate tho murder of his own kin. Hare was also quoted as saying that Renter had married a rich woman, and quickly run through her fortune. He had also said that the girl was born after the marriage; tho suggestion being that Mrs. Renter had married to legitimise her infant. It might bo inferred from that that tho child was not Renter's Tho registration of its birth in the name of Renter meant nothing. There are cases every day of men who have been benevolent enough to marry young women who have got into trouble. Renter's motive for marrying, of course, had not beon a benevolent one. Ho had married for money. It was not improbable that Renter, having selected Ralph as his instrument, had contrived to persuade his willing tool into marrying his dead wife's daughter to further the conspiracy, and it was sufficiently obvious now that onco the girl's claim succeeded she was not destined long to enjoy tho fortune. Renter would then appear as next-of-kin, even if he had not already forged a will by which he would inherit from Mrs. Ralph. From the evidence of the cheque which had been put forward by tho bookmaker, it was clear that forgery was not ruled out of tho possibilities. The theory was an ugly one. But Renter appeared already to have removed one of his assistants, and had deputed another —Saithe—to deal with Hast. Such a man would not hesitate to encompass tho death of a young woman to whom ho was not bound by any tio of blood or affection. But how was Hast going io deal with the rogues at this stage ? Ho put that question to himself without being immediately able to answer it. Renter, however, was now on tho way to England. He would not shave his beard so long as that preserved tho identity ho had set up in Bruges. No doubt ho usually avoided being seen leaving Bruges by train, and, on his trips to England, went to Ostend by tho canal and embarked there. But if his suspicions were not aroused, ho would most likely return to Ostend later by tho channel steamer from Dover, and if the passport officials there were supplied with a photograph, he could be detained. Then there were the other rogues to be thought of. Wall (alias Saithe), if ho could bo lured to England, could be arrested on a charge of making a false statement to the Public Trustee. _ The attendant at the villa, might be induced to turn King's evidence. , The police in England could be asked to keep watch on Eugene Smith of Bingley. Tho difficulty would lie in synchronising the arrests, so that none of the rogues could give the alarm to the others.

Hast was determined not to spaie Saithe, who had made that cold-blooded attempt to poison him. But the attendant was a minor rogue, had said he would not lie concerned in anything savouring of violence, and was to a certain extpnt in a state of nerves. The nervous criminal can be worked upon; especially when be is in a foreign country, where the methods of investigation are more intimidating than those in England. Hast finally fell asleep, after he had decided that ho must take the Bruges police officials into his confidence with regard to the men at the villa. His first job next morning was to go to the post office and send a wiro to Thomas at Bingley, telling him to keep a constant eye on Eugene Smith, and on no account to let him out of the town without following him. This he sent in code. Then he hurried to the police headquarters in the Burgplaats, and interviewed the amiable officer he had seen on the day before. " But then you have made an important discovery, monsieur." said the latter, when Hast had given him a brief resume of his proceedings. "It is that you wish us to act? "

Hast nodded. " I should like two things clone; only yon must remember that I am not the English police, only a private detective." " Perfectly." " At the same time," Hast went on, " you don't want rogues in your charming city, monsieur, and here is a means of getting rid of them. The man Saithe, alias Wall, must have given a false name at the hotel in the ruo Sud du Sablon where I stayed last. Is it not possible for you, without fuss, to visit the villa and have .him escorted out of the country?" The officer reflected. "If lie protested, it would have to come up publicly, monsieur, but I cannot see that ho can protest. Ho will not want to be thrown into jail hero, and he will not wish above all things to come out tinder the namo of Wall. As I see it an agent might go to this villa, demand if he would prefer to leave Belgium at onco lor England, or be tried on the charge of falsely registering, and other misdemeanours. He will, I think, choose to go, and if your clients will bear the expense, an agent can escort the man to the boat at Ostend. But what of this other fellow V" " Your plan will work admirably," said Hast. "I need not appear at all. but it might he alleged that Ihe hotel proprietor recognised the man as Wall. The other follow will probably disavow .Saithe, and may be left in the villa till Saithe has gone.' Only it would be necessary to make sure that he did not communicate with the man Renter, now in England." The officer smiled. "Assuredly that shall be seen to, monsieur, but we shall also be anxious to deport this second swindler. What do you propose about him, for example? " Hast shrugged. " I have an idea of what I would like to do, but I hesitate to encroach further on your amiability, monsieur. You have given mo much" more help than I would have dared to hope for." " Au contrairee, monsieur," replied the officer, not to be outdone, "it is you who have interested mo, with this campaign of yours against our enemies, the criminals. In time wo shall, I believe, have international headquarters to attack these scoundrels; meanwhile, in liaison though not one, our respective countries foster a new entente."

Hast bowed and thanked him again. " I heartily agreo that that is tho ideal wo should work for, monsieur. Meantime, you encourage nio to ask for further support in my present campaign. May I put tho idea before you ? " "With pleasure. Continue!" said the Belgian. "I thought," Hast explained slowly, " that the moment Saithe and his escort were out of sight, one of your agents might bo induced to accompany me. to the villa to interview the attendant. If I were under your aegis, and allowed a certain amount of freedom, I think I could persuade this fellow to make a statement. He is dissatisfied; he is afraid the scheme may come to nothing; he is worried at the idea of being entangled in a hanging affair, and —" " Generally he is a fruit ripe to be plucked, monsieur," broke in the officer. "Best content! I shall give instructions at once, and I myself shall go with you to see this fellow. But first, mortsieur, perhaps you v can explain this which appeared

in a London paper of yesterday ? Always I buy tho London paper to perfect my knowledge of the language, and to keep myself au con rant with affairs there." Hast smiled. " May I ask if I am reported ill?" Tho official started. " But absolutely. It recounts hero that the well-known private detective, Mr. Hast, is seriously ill." " Yes, I know. I gave that information to a journalist when I realised that an attempt had been made to poison me. 1 should have explained it to you before. And you see the effect is to assure these men that I am out of' action." " That is good. 1 see now. For the moment I was not sure if I had been wise to accept your credentials, monsieur. But wo shall go forward at onco with our plans. I shall instruct an agent at onco to visit tho villa, and to escort this man Saithe to Ostend for embarkation. Ho can \indoubtodly catch the second boat. I shall send him by car if your clients—" " Tho Careys, of Care Hanger House." " Then if Milor Carey will pay, it is already arranged." " I will personally guarantee all expenses," replied Hast. "Again good! That arranges itself. If you remain at your estaminet and wait, 1 shall call to take you to tho villa myself later. Just a moment until I assure myself of tho man's name." Hast felt that ho was in luck. When tho official returned to tell him that the bath-chair attendant was registered under tho name of Roger Stern, ho asked if the police would bo good enough to wire Inspector Fane, of tho Foreign Section, C.I.D. and ask him to have Saitho detained at Dover, without fuss or publicity, on a charge of using a false passport. " If ho detains him for a while we can have him held until I clear up tho case," ho added.

" I shall have it seen to with pleasure, monsieur," was tho reply. Ilast thanked him, paid ten pounds on account of expenses, and received a receipt for it. Then ho returned to the estaminet and spent a little time packing up his newly-made apparatus, and making ready'for a hasty departure. As time went on and he heard nothing from tho police official, ho grew excited and impatient. He went down to see his landlord, paid his bill, with an extra day in lieu of notice, and was chatting with him for half an hour, when a car suddenly stopped opposite the estaminet, and the patron, with a rather disturbed air, announced that ail agent of police, accompanied by a grim official in plain clothes, was at tho door. " They have come to see me," said Hast reassuringly, as ho put on his hat. " Everything is in order. I will return later for my luggage." The patron still seemed doubtful, until he saw the police official shake hands with the " chauffeur," who had been his guest. Hast got into the car, and Mr. Theardy, who was the official in question, smiled at him.

" We have settled your first little affair, monsieur," he said in an undertone. " Already the man Saithe is on his way to Osiend under surveillance. He made no fuss, but seemed glad to get away without publicity, and now we have an agent at the back and front of the villa to see that Stern does not meditate flight." " Did the agent see him?" " Yes, but he said he knew nothing of the other; was only the attendant to a sick man. We have also found that a boat kept by the owner of the villa has been removed since last night. It was a small boat with one of those engines that go outside." "An outboard motor. Good! I suppose we might search the villa once we get into it?"

" When we have interviewed the man, yes. Here we are at the canal bank. My automobile will stop here, and we shall proceed on foot." The car stopped and the official, accompanied by Hast and the agent, descended and turned down Maria van Bourgogne Tjaan. " What shall we do with this man after you have interrogated him, monsieur?" Theardv asked, as they walked.

" I think I shall take him back to England with mo," said Hast. "If he is willing to squeal on the others, then I can keep him safe and quiet until it is time to produce him." Theardy nodded. " Then I shall send my man back now to the car. "i. ou have provided tlio expenses. There will be sufficient to provide an automobile for you and this man to Ostend." lie really was very obliging, and Hast assented. By that time they were opposite the villa, and saw that a face was peering anxiously from one of the ground-floor windows, from which the persiennes had already been removed. " That is he 1"

" Yes," said Hast. " That's the man. I expect ho wonders who I am. But I shall soon enlighten him." Theardy laughed, as ho advanced to the door, and knocked violently. " For me, I shall be more or less silent. I shall leave it to you to interrogate the man." Hast nodded, and at the moment the door opened, and the heavy face of the big attendant stared at them in mingled obsequiousness and apprehension. " What do you want, gentlemen ?" ho asked in bad French. " This is an Englishman who has come specially to see you, and I am the Chief of the Police of Bruges," replied the official, brushing up his moustaches fiercely. " I also am anxious to see you." "Will you—you como in?" said the man, beginning to tremble. " Tions. Tiens!" Theardy smiled sardonically. " Yes, you will let us in this moment, scoundrel! And you will answer as many questions as this monsieur desires to ask you—You will also answer them quickly and accurately! Now then!" (To bo continued daily.)