THE MYSTERY OF THE PEARLS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21239, 20 July 1932, Page 19

THE MYSTERY OF THE PEARLS.

By JOHN LAURENCE. Author of "Tha Riddle of Wraye," "Mystfcry Money," "The Double Cross Inn." etc.

(COPYRIGHT.)

THRILLING STORY OF MYSTERY, ROMANCE AND ADVENTURE.

CHAPTER Xl.—(Continued.) " Get in quick,- sir, before anybody comes along," ho said.' "It -would look funny if two postmen were seen getting into a' car with their mail bags. They'd think wo were bolting with registered letters.'!

The car was moving before Merton spoke.

" Glad we've found you, Reeves. Better get rid of that cap and coat as soon as possible." Sanders leant over and drew the blinds on each side. " Better run no risks, sir."

Merton turned and drove slowly across the Heath, and then back again to Parliament Hill Fields, and down the Highgate Road toward Oxford Street. " I. have engaged a private room at the Purley, in Dean Street. The proprietor knows me pretty well and won't take any notice of what we do. I told him we were going to a private fancy dress dance That was a pretty good bit of work getting the pearls back. What did they arrest you for. Sanders didn't tell us that."

" Loitering with intent," chuckled Reeves. " I expect they've searched Perry's pl&ce through and through. I hope the rain last night didn't wash away that bottle."

" Not likely," said Merton. "If ft had, we'd have known about $ by now We've got to tread pretty warily. I don't doubt they've purposely released you so that you will lead them to the pearls."

" Is that a hint that I'm not tho one to try to get them back ?" asked Reeves

" We'll talk that over in the res taurant," fenced Merton. " It's not go ing to be easy to get hold of them."

It was some hours later before he and Reeves had worked out a plausible plan for obtaining tho pearls, one of which hold out every prospect of success. But neither knew then, that Sergeant Hawkins had made his preparations, % too, preparations which were ultimately to bring him promotion. Hawkins had unorthodox methods, and consequently they wero usually more successful than those practised by many of his colleagues. Tho modern criminal is not only more resourceful than his forerunner of Victorian days, but ho is considerably "less stereotyped in his methods. At one time it was possible to track down a criminal by studying the method of the crime. Once, for example, a burglar used a poker to stun anyone who interfered, he always did, and all the poker burglars were required to prove an alibi when such a weapon had been used. Out of those who could not it was Certain the wanted man would be found. Twenty or thirty years before Sergeant Hawkins came on tho scene, the murderer of Whiteoakcs would have undoubtedly been discovered by this simple process of elimination —or not discovered at all. But the steady spread of education has enabled tho modem criminal not only to keep in touch with modern progress, but to read far too much about police methods, and so avoid tho pitfalls, to a large' extent, which are ever waiting him.

Detective-Sergeant Hawkins had not only broken away from the regular ways of investigation, but he had managed to impress his methods upon thoso who worked under him, as well as on his superiors. When he had asked that Reeves and Perry should be released, they were released —after he had taken the precaution of making a thorough search of Perry's rooms —and indeed, the whole of Number 6 Merton Villas.

(To be continued daily.)

" I'm convinced they're inside that house," he declared emphatically to Inspector Phillips, as the two sat talking in the latter s room in New Scotland Yard. "And I'm convinced they won't remain thero a single second longer than Reeves and Merton can help. Reeves' times tally to tho minute. Ho must have gone pretty well straight from telephoning to Perry's place. I'vo been over the ground between tho Broadway and Russell Road, and tliero is no possible quick hiding place which Jhe could rely upon not to be discovered'.' " He may have lifted a grating and dropped the bottle and everything down," suggested the inspector. "You remcmbber those pearls in tho matchbox, thrown away because we were too hot after them ? " " I've had all. the drains and gratings examined," replied Hawkins briefly. The telephone bell rang.

" You'd better speak to Hawkins direct," said the inspector, aftor a moment. ' " It's Dangerfield."

Dangerfield was the man at Hampstead keeping an eye on Reeves. " That Sergeant Hawkins ? Sorry, but I've lost touch." The detective swore. Ho had relied upon Dangerfield, but even his best man was liable to trip up. He'd done it himself. He listened to what the other had got to say before making any comment or blaming him. " I came on two o'clock," continued Dangerfield. " Fuller reported no one had been in the building or left it who couldn't be accounted for. He'd got the assistant porter with him most of tho time—in fact, all tho time except from one o'clock till I relieved him, and the forter knew everybody. This afternoon 've been alone. I'm sure he's never left the flat. He didn't go out to dinner. When Fuller came on again at nine I got the porter to go up apd ring Reeves' bell, as 1 felt a bit uneasy. Reeves has got a woman who calls, and she happened to be cleaning up. I'd seen her go into the building, of course. Sho told the porter that when she'd come in at seven Reeves had already gone. She supposed he had gone up to town for dinner, and could not say when he would be back. There's no reason to suspect she's not telling the truth. I'm telephoning from the station." " Tell Fuller to keep going," ordered Hawkins. " I'll 6end someone along to ■keep him company, so that one can come off and report if Reeves returns. And you como up to the Yard. I'll want you at Tooting." He banged on tho receiver. " Reeves has given Dangerfield tho slip." " You think Merton has got in touch with him ? " " Looks like it, doesn't it ? I was pretty sure when Merton was lost at Reigato there was something in the wind. Funny how they're keeping away from tho telephone. ' They must have got an idea we're tapping it. I'd just like to know how much they're in it." " I can't make out why you're after them when you say you don't think they did it," said the 'inspector. "It seems to .me all you've got to find out is winch one did it and which are shielding him. Of course, they're sharing what they get of the pearls." "Bunk!" retorted Hawkins. ' Reeves has got the best part of five thousand a year, Merton is pretty well off. and the Reynoldses won't starve to death.' It's not money's the trouble. What I would like to know is why Bates is so interested in tho pearls and why he didn't come and tell mo about Perry. I've been having a look into his alibi."

" Oh, I thought you'd cleared that up. I thought he'd been seen at the Ring that night ? " "So he had. But where did lie sleep 1 " ■

" I thought it was in one of those lodging houses off the Waterloo Road ? " " He took a room there, and he was there in the morning when the landlady called him. / But that doesn't Bay he slept there."

You'll find it difficult to prove anything,'* said Phillips. " I'm having a few inquiries made in a new direction," explained Hawkins. " I hope to hear something in the morning."

He did not say in what direction his inquiries were being made, and the inspector did not ask him. The other had evidently got a hunch of some kind, and the inspector was content to leave it at that. When Hawkins had an intuition for a new line of investigation he generally proved himself right. The inspector himself was of the opinion that Merton was the man actually responsible for tho murdor of Whiteoakcs, though he was prepared to admit that the murder had not been premeditated, that. Whiteoakes had probably surprised Merton. As for Hawkins' argufaent that Reeves and Merton had plenty of money and therefore had no reason for stealing, the inspector brushed it aside as foolish. He had seen men steal things out of all proportion to their incomes, risk every thing for less than a single year's income. The courts were filled every day with men who had embezzled less than a week's wages and ruined the whole of their future propects in consequence. It was the old story of something for ing, and Inspector Phillips saw no reason to exempt Reeves and Merton from the common rut of people. " Like to give mo any idea of what you're going to do? "ho asked. " Have you got enough men? " Hawkins nodded.

" I'vo got the road,guarded at each end bv two. There's an empty house, by a bit of luck, overlooking the back of Perry's place, and wo could see into their rooms if it wasn't for the dirt on tho windows. It wouldn't be possible to get away over tho back gardens if there was trouble. There are a couple of men there and one will be availablo in the road running parallel to Russell Road. I can't see how they can get away. Perry's there alone at present." "And Bates ? " " Bates has made no move yet, though he knows Perry's back. Whether he smells a rat or not I don't know. I think not. Perry's scared out of his life. Murder's something beyond him. and the thought he might be dragged into it will make him do everything we want, [f Bates comes, I shall know all he's got to say to Perry within ten minutes of his going." " \Vell, I hope it comes off," said the inspector. " Reeves must have done some pretty quick thinking to get rid of that bottle."

" There's no doubt ho was in Perry's room all right, but you couldn't hide a pin in it, let alone a bottle."

The two sat talking until the arrival of Dangerfield, half an hour after he had telephoned.

" Let me see your list of people going in and out," said Hawkins. After a few minutes he suddenly began chuckling, and slid tho notebook across tho table to Phillips. " Oh, he's gone all right," he said, turning to Dangerfield. "I see you've got a note of his leaving. Lucky you put down everybody or we'd never have spotted it until it was too late. As it is, it may be too late now." He reached across to the telephone as his two companions looked at him with a puzzled air. " Get me Tooting, quick.'' Hawkins put his band over the mouth of the receiver and grinned cheerfully. " One postman entered the building this afternoon and two camo out," he said quietly. "Of course, no one woula pay any particular attention to a postman."