THE SPIDER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20982, 19 September 1931, Page 12 (Supplement)

THE SPIDER.

By ELLIOT BAILEY.

(conrniGnT.)

Author of ''The Japanese Parasol." "The Girl in Yellow, The Campden Hill Mystery, ' etc.

A POWERFUL WORK OF MYSTERY, SENSATION AND ROMANCE.

CHAPTER XXXII. That sparkling fuso was the first thing (hat Longridge and the others saw when they tumbled down the ladder in pursuit. A yell of terror came from t|ic fishermen, who turned and fled incoiitinently, and the horror of the thing, which they well understood, even froze the two policemen into immobility. But Longridgo was made of sterner stuff. Springing forward, he snatched the stick of dynamite—for such it was—from its niche in the wall, and trampled out the blazing fuse underfoot, realising as he did so that another live seconds would have, been too late. Then ho turned his attention to Manezra. " So you had no particular trouble with Inm at the end ?" 11, was a, week later, and for tho first time since their rescue Bex and Norah were in a position to hear the whole story. Once I hey had been unfastened on board tho fishing boat, they had soon revived. Even Norah, who after her recovery from (he drugged drink administered to her by the Mallocks had been ordered to dress in preparation of this last move, was none the worse for her accumulated experiences, save for a slight cold that soon yielded to treatment. But Longridgo had been so busy in the meantime that most that had happened still remained a mystery to them. "No," the Inspector said, in answer to Bex's question, " ho was lying face downwards, with his head in Ilia arms, and obviously so obsessed by tho explosion he believed was about to take place—an explosion that would have.blown us and the whole place sky-high—-that ho failed to realise that I had stamped out the fuse. We'd got the bracelets on him before ho woke up to things, and then ... 1" Longridgo grimaced. " .1 lo got violent ?" " Stark, staring mad. ft took tho three of us to hold him down, manacled and hurt though he was. I've never heard such appalling language in my life. He's mad now—always w ill be, I ho doctors say. His brain must have been giving way for months." Norah shuddered, at the thought that she had been in his power. " But what was in his mind rill along?" Bex asked. " It all began, of course, that unlucky day when Norah jumped in tho river after Timothy—not that it was unlucky in all ways," ho added thoughtfully, whereat Norah for some reason blushed. " But why was she abducted? What on earth made him conceive that nightmarish scheme that, she should marry Timothy? 1 know there must have been wheels within wheels, of course, but J'm blessod if I can seo how they fit together." " Nor I," tho girl agreed. " T don't suppose you do." Longridge smiled. " It's certainly a pretty tangle until one holds all the threads—as .1 fancy I do now, thanks partly (o .100 Hariley, who has told us all he knows, and partly to my own investigations. The story goes back a good deal further than your London Bridge adventure, bv the way. so to make the, whole thing clear I'd better take it in chronological order." Both his hearers nodded in agreement, and settled down to listen. " Very well, then," Longridge went on. " Some lime before either of you appeared on the scene, the Yard was troubled by the disappearance of various girls belonging to respectable families—none of ■whom, I regret to say have yet been traced. The last, of these was a certain Mona Lamprey, whose case was being investigated by Detective-Sergeant Jameson. Next, as you know, Jameson himself vanished, and what had become of him romained a, mystery until llanley's confession cleared it up. " You will recall, Morley, that on the morning ho disappeared Jameson met you and told you he was going into tho country. That, was quito correct—he, did ! He went down to Cliffe. Evidently something that von had told hiin about that Manezra business had fired his imagination—he had a genius for putting two and two together that f wish I possessed —and for what followed 1 am indebted to Hanley. His wanderings took him to the, ruins, where he was spied upon by Hanlev and Manezra, and they saw him pick from a rubbish heap a green hat that hq.d once belonged lo poor Mona Lamprey. He evidently recognised it as hers, for ho compared it with the official description of what she was wearing in his note-hook. Then, unfortunately for him, ho descended (ho cellar, and was murdered by Manezra because lie knew too much. Ho was buried closo by, and his body has been found." There came a murmur of horror from tho two listeners, and then the Inspector continued. " Now —enter myself, detailed to trace Jameson. At first, frankly, f thought tho affair was one of revenge on the part of the pals of one 'the Squealer' whom Jameson bad helped to arrest, and I was still pursuing that futilo .line of inquiry when 1 was side-tracked, as I thought at the lime, by the disappearance of Miss Banfield hero. This annoyed me. for Jameson was my friend, and 1 had no notion as yet. that the, cases were inter-related. Thai suspicion, a vague one at first, camo lat or." Ho then went on to give them the details of bis various interviews with the Silver Pathway officials with which tlio reader is already familiar, culminating ill his bluffing the confession (if the secret pas. sage from that lan Goldhurst who had once been Isaac Goldstein. " But it was my noticing tho bill-head that bore the name, of Simon Manezra that proved the turning point of the whole affair," lie continued, " for it enabled mo also to put two and two together, as poor Jameson had already done on far less data. If Manezra was connected with (joldhursl, why shouldn't he be connected with Roger Bindon. with whom, almost certainly. Miss Banfield had left, the club? Goldhurst's shuffling of the bill-head out of my sight was in itself suspicious. The links seemed to join all right, the only weakness in tho chain being that Manezra, was supposed to be drowned. But people havo faked (heir death for their own purposes before now, and I wondered. When I rang you up, Morley, and asked if Manezra had tried to get, into communication with Miss Banfield after the bridge affair, 1 fell, pretty sure of my ground." " And I confess I couldn't sec the drift of your question," Bex admitted, " It and the visit to Cliffe, struck me as boside, tho point, for 1 never thought of Manezra being alive. I'm afraid I let you see il, too, so I apologise." Longridgo waved the acknowledgement aside, " The next step was to go down to Cliffe, and there, for a time I was again at fault. Even my little stratagem to prove if anyone was being concealed upstairs in Manezra's house wag a dismal failure. I had hoped, too, to find some trace of Roger Bindon's motor-boat in the creek, but didn't—for .a very good reason. It. had been scuttled in mid-river by Hanley, under cover of darkness. " And then, when I was wondering what, my next step was to be, I had a

slice of luck-r-I managed lo overhear tlio conversation between Hartley and Ilavers that told me all—or nearly all —I wanted in know. I learned that Manezra was alive, and that he meant to charter Ilavers's fishing boat to make, his getaway to tlio continent. I trailed .Havers, and a talk with him in the train put mo wise to everything. "[t was an unpleasant story. Among other things, a receiver of stolen goods. Mariezra was also engaged in the, white slave traffic:, and had chartered Ilavers's boat or the purpose before. Ilavers himself was making for Shecrncss, whence (i small steamer would take him to Southend en route for bis home at Leigh-on-Sea. Thither, after certain preliminaries, I accompanied him, and when bis boat sailed that evening she carried men from Scotland Yard as well as her ordinary crew. I myself returned to Clilie, to make sure (hat there would be no back door left open for Master Manezra to slip out of. From what. Ilavers bad told me I now knew that Miss Banfield was in his hands, but I'd no idea, of course that he'd also gut. hold of you, Morley. J. saw that, everything was watertight at. Clillo, and thou put off in a police boat from Groonvirh to meet Ilavers's craft, hoarding her some time, before she arrived off I lie creek to give Simon Manezra the most, dinagreeable t»urpiise of his disagreeable life." " .A jolly smart bit of work", Longridge!" ICox exclaimed with enthusiasm. " lie gave us a run for our money all the. same," was the reliedivo reply. " It's a good job he didn't reach those secret collars lio.'d bad built, because, although be wouldn't, have been as safe there as he hoped—l la uley would have given I be, show away— lie'tl have probably blown (lieut, and us up before we could have dug bun out. Still, as it was, it might have ended worse." "It certainly rniglii," Hex agreed. " Ihil. (lie main question still remains, Inspector. What was (he eld brute's idea in gelling hold of Norah? Not entirely, (he horrible one you've hinted at, or he wouldn't have wauled her—as apparently he genuinely did—lo marry Timothy. Had he a reason?" Longridgo nodded, I hough he glanced at. Norah as if doubtful how she would take what lie was about to say. " You're shortly coming info money, aren't you, Mi.-vs Banfield?" he asked bluntly. She flushed, and admit led il, with a quick glance in the direction of tlio amazed Itex. " That was the reason," Longridgo continued quietly. " Money was Manezra's god—heiieu Ihe reprehensible, traffic in which he was engaged under guiso of that potato business, which, in its way, was genuine enough." "Hut how could ho know?" Norah cried. " I've told no one; not even . . ." and again she looked at Ilex. " When a rich undo dies and leaves a slightly eccentric will (o (he, effect that his niece is to inherit everything on tho second anniversary of his death," hongridge, chuckled, " the fact is apt, to get in the papers. Doubtless Miss Banfield's name recalled this to Manezra. and he had only to go lo Somerset, llouso to verify that she was the girl in question. I think his advertisement to get in touch with her, for reasons we could not specify, was sent for insertion before he maclo this discovery. His second and more elaborate plan was thought out afterwards. Ho had a convenient tool in Ivoget Bindon, who, of course, had no idea of Manezra's real purpose, and that young man bribed your maid to pack ami baud to him your bag. which he stowed in readiness in (lie launch. Another fact assisted Manezra. He, and I not Goldhurst, was the re;d proprietor of ! the Silver Pathway. The latter was I merely a figure head, and to do him I justice, had no idea what was going on. " Manezra's already crazy, though cunj n ; ng brain apparently conceived the idea that it might be easier to force Miss Ban'icld to many Timothy than himsejf, and the latter therefore gained and added value in his sight. You were, bv the, way, quite right, in vour original theory regarding Timothy, Miss Hanfiold. Ifo had just been pushed off tho barge by his father when you dived to his assistance —he'd got tired of his half-witted son. So, in more ways than one, he owes his life to you. Speaking of Timothy, by the way—what's going to become of him ?" Norah smiled. "You needn't worry about that, Mr. Longridgo," she broke in. "On my uncle's estato in the country, which I shall now have to administer, a place will bo found for Timothy which will ensure his lot being cast as pleasantly as possible for the rest of his life, I at least owe him that." " I'ju glad to hear il." the Scotland Yard man said warmly, " although, knowing you, Miss Eanlield, T confess I expected something of (he kind. And now—any mure points you want elucidated ?" They shook their heads. " No," Bex said, " it's quite clear now —though utterly amazing. Not. so amazing as another tiling, all the same." " And that is?" Longridge queried. " That I'm going to marry Norah," he answered with content. '1 UK END.