SECRET OF THE RIVER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21401, 27 January 1933, Page 16

SECRET OF THE RIVER

By FRED. M. WHITE Author ol " The Golden Bat." " Queen of Hearts." " On the Night Ejcpiess," etc.. etc.

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FINELY-CONCEIVED STORY BY POPULAR AUTHOR

" CHAPTER XVII Nevil lurked in the shadows at the top of the stairs until lie had seen Jakes pilot the newcomer up to his room, lie had I ample time for reflection before his old servant, returned. To begin with, he wondered how it was that the very man whom Murray his associates had conspired to rob of a large sum of money should be the particular individual who had como down to Ashdown Croft for a weekend, apparently in the <;uise of a welcome guest, when he ought to have been at daggers drawn with those three scoundrels. Evidently there was some plot, within a plot here—something that complicated the situation and rendered it more difficult of solution. But whatever was the meaning of this peculiar state of affairs, Nevil was not going to be satisfied till he had got to the bottom of it. When Jakes returned presently he was given a sign to follow Nevil outside, and there, some yards from the house, they stood face to face in the darkness. " Now, look here, .lakes," Nevil said. " I have told you a good deal about this sinister business, but not everything, because there are points about it that I don't want anybody to know but myself. If you will only do what f tell you and . obey my instructions implicitly I think 1 can see a way to a happy ending yet." " Sir," said the old servitor, " you can trust me to the bitter end. if there is anything fresh " Well, as a matter of fact, there is," Nevil interrupted. " The gentleman you have just seen to his room is the very last person in the world I ever expected to see at the Croft in Mr. Murray's time. I was staggered when I caught sight of him. I suppose he is down, here for the week-end." "So I understand, sir," Jakes said. "At any rate,-I was told to have a room prepared for a. gentleman who will be here till Monday. Haywood, I think it was." " Yes, that's him, all right. I wonder hj?, didn't comb down from town with the other two. That is, of course, if you are expecting Mr. Murray and Mr. Sidey in time for dinner to-nignt." Oh, they are coming right enough, sir. Mr. Ilaywood came in a taxi ho picked up at Swanwick Station." " Then lie didn't come down in his own car? Now, listen carefully, Jakes. Thero aro frequent week-end visitors here and, as a rule, they come down for business purposes." . " That's right, sir, generally on Friday night." " Very well, then. Now, when and where do they conduct their business conversations? You see What I mean." " Well, it's like this, sir," Jakes explained. As a rule, on Friday nights they don't do anything but play bridge and that sort of thing. Then, on Saturday, it's golf or shooting or something of "that sort, until dinner is over, when they go lo the library for their coffee and that's where the business talk goes on. I know that, because I have to go in with the drinks." Nevil 'heaved a sigh of satisfaction. " Ah," he said. " That eases up the situation considerably. Now, this being Friday, there will be nothing doing. Bvit to-morrow night, when the party is at dinner, I want you to creeji into the library and open the centre -window looking out on the quadrangle. You can close it again pretty tight, so long as you leave a string hanging outside by which I can pull the casement back. Then you can clear a space in that big refectory buffet opposite the fireplace so as to give mo space enough to sit comfortably inside and listen to what is going on. Nobody will know that the window is unlatched and I shall take care to fasten it, once I am in the room. I can make my way out afterwards at whatever time they finish their talk. That is all for the present." Nevil, after arranging everything to his satisfaction, went do-.vn the drive on to the road and thence in the direction of Blisset's house. He had plenty to think about as he went along, both as to the past and the future. And then, turning over in his mind that extraordinary scene he had witnessed when concealed above the roof of the laboratory, there came to him an illuminating flash that struck him like a blow between the eyes. It was an inspiration that alternately enraged him and filled him with almost delirioiu delight, He was still trembling with an emotion lie could barely control when he reached Bliasett's front door. "Hello—you—is it?" Tom Blissett said, as Nevil entered his friend's snuggery. " Anything fresh ? " " Quite a lot," Nevil smiled. " But before I go any further, let me ask you a question that I ought to have put to you long ago. .Did you get rid of those shaies ti Murray and Company, as I told you to ? " ~ T " Oh, lord, yes," Blissett smiled. 1 did that the best part of a week what's that got to do with 'the " " Oh, nothing, my dear chap, nothing. Tt only occurred to me that I had forgotten to mention it before. Now, you sit down and listen carefully to what I have to say." Blissett lighted his pipe and pushed the cigarette box across Ihe table to his companion. Then, in detail, Nevil proceeded to tell the story of his recent visit to Blanchin and what, happened both in the laboratory and afterwards. " Well," he asked when he had concluded. " What do you make of it ? I mean.' what do you make of the affair of the (log? It's rather in your line, Tom, isn't it ? " " You mean my being a doctor and all that sort of thing? Well, if you ask me oft'-hand to give you my opinion, 1 should say that the whole thing had been carefully 'Singe-managed so that Blanchin could experiment on the Alsatian without any danger lo himself. All that, business of the steel cage, you know. Beyond all question, ymi saw some dangerous drug administered to Ihe hound and you saw the effect it had on him. That would pass, of course, and probably by this time the Alsatian is himself once more. What you witnessed was a docile and tractable animal turned into a savage beast, but if you ask me what the. drug was, then 1 can only say, ask me another Probably some new discovery of Blan-c-bin's, of which the, scientific world is ignorant. Now, I wonder if it would be possible for you to get hold of a pinch or two of that powder which was mixed with the liquid before being administered to the dog." By way of reply, Nevil plunged a hand into his trousi-r pucket and, between his finger and thumb, appeared a few grains of some grey-looking matter which he carefully laid on a sheet or paper. " There, you are," he said, " I managed lo distract Blanchin's attention for a moment or two and gathered a good pinch of thai stuff from a marble, slab on which it was lying. Then I smoothed the mass with the palm of my hand so that my finger prints should not show. I daro say there is a bit more in my pocket." " Turn your pocket inside out," Blissett commanded. " Careful docs it. Now, then, on the top of the paper with the rest. That is the idea. Of course, I can't tell you what this is, but I can send it up to a friend of mine for analysis. It will take a few days before 1 can speak more definitely." " Oh, well, there is no hurry," Nevil said. " I want to know what that drug i;, and whence it is derived." " If it is a derivative or a by-product, then I shall bo able to tell you," Blissett suggested, " but if it is a new drug altogether, then it; won't be so easy. Is Blanchin working on it to any great extent in his laboratory over yonder?

" T-fc isn't," Nevil said, confidently. " I know that, because he told me most of Irs big stuff was in Geneva." Bli.-sett whistled loud and long. " Oh, Geneva, eli ?" he said. " Now I begin to. understand. It's about a million to one your rascally fviends are dealing in illicit drugs, possibly something new to science." "All this has been an eye-opener to mo." Nevil said, " and yet. at the same time, it confirms a theory which I had at the back of my mind as i was coming along the road." lie throw his cigarette in the fireplace and bent over to whisper a few words in Blissett's car. The latter listened with rapt attention until Nevil had finished, when ho sprang to his feet and paced excitedly up and down the room. " By George, that's an idea," he said. " J' shouldn't bo at all surprised if you have blundered right into the heart of the mystery. It would certainly never have occurred to me. 'But I don t think you have told mo quite everything." "We'll, lo be perfectly frank, I haven't," Nevil said, " because the secret is not altogether mine. But I have told you enough to go on with, and if you can manage to get that stuff analysed for me by one of your scientific friends in Ldndon, then I shall be heartened up tremendously. Meanwhile—" " Meanwhile, the less said, the better," Blissett interrupted. " You go your way and I'll go mine, .and if I am * in Scotland afore ye,' so much the better. But don't build too much upon that analysis. Your end of the investigations is just as valuable as mine, and, besides, they are both means to a common end. With any luck, we shall lay Murray and Company by the heels yet. Lord, fancy that man being the abandoned scoundrel he does not look."

CHAPTER XVHI It was a dark, moonless night when, on the following evening, Nevil set out upon his journey to Ashdown Croft. The frost had gone and the earth was soft and yielding beneath his feet as he made his way silently up the drive in the direction of the house. A church clock somewhere near was striking the hour of eight as Nevil reached the terrace in front of the Croft and then proceeded cautiously in tho direction of the main quadrangle on to which tho great library window looked out. He would have some time, to wait yet, because be had learned from Jakes that the usual dinner hour was half-past seven, so that it would be another hour at least before the party adjourned from tho dining room into the library. There was not a soul in sight and not a sound to be heard as Nevil felt his way to the library window and, after fumbling there a few moments, found the piece of stout string which Jakes had placed there for his use. A vigorous tug, and the casement opened an inch or tw£, after which the rest was easy. A moment later Nevil was inside the library and standing behind tho thick velvet curtains that covered the window, so that ho could close the casement behind him silently and without letting more than a puff of draught into the room. Already the lights were on, four armchairs had been drawn up near the fire and everything seemed to be in readiness for the business conference which Nevil anticipated would follow. He shot across the room r carefully closing the curtains behind him, and hid himself in the big, roomy buffet opposite the fireplace. The buffet was big enough for him to seat himself on the floor and wait, with what patience, he could, for the coming of the conspirators. He heard a clock somewhere in the room chime tho three-quarters and then, to his great relief, the sound of voices outside, followed presently by tho entrance of Murray and his confederates, together with Haywood. Almost at once they seated themselves before the fire and Murray began to speak. " Let's get the worst over first," he said genially, and then we can forget our troubles and quarrels and have a friendly game of hridge. Now, what is it you want, Haywood ? " Haywood laughed cheerfully, after the manner of a man who has dined well and feels on the best of terms with the world. " Oh, I don't want anything," he said. " I am perfectly satisfied with the turn of affairs. And, as far as I am concerned, you might just as well get the bridge table out at once." " Then you don't mean to give up those bonds ? " Sidey asked. " My dear fellow," Haywood said in the same jocular fashion, " why rake up that unpleasantness all over again ? Life isn't all sordid business, you know. Besides, I came down here to enjoy myself. I don't often get the chanco of a week-end in a house like this, and it would be a sin to spoil it." "Ah, it pleases our friend to be funny," Blanchin grinned,but he does not know everything, yes ? " " Quite as much as I want to," Haywood retorted:* " Now, look here, my dear fellow, it's no use going on like this," Murray said. "We want those bonds back again. You cair see a hole through a ladder as clearly as most men, and you must know that it was a put-up thing to get a nice little sum of money out of our innocent friend, Nevil Ashdown. Therefore, why on earth do you want to stick to those bonds, unless, unless —" " Well, finish your sentence," Haywood said. " Unless I want to use them for the purposes of blackmail. Well, my friends, 1' think we have all sunk pretty low, but not quite to that level yet. Besides, blackmail is an ugly business and the penalties are pretty severe. Now, you took mo to a ccrla : nVxtent into your confidence, but not altogether, as Sidey reminded me just, now. So, knowing something about your methods, to say nothing of the way in which you have treated mo over the last few transactions, I took certain precautions. To begin with, I stopped payment of that cheque." " Well, why not ? " Murray laughed heartily. " You knew perfectly well it would never be presented. That being so, what on earth do you want' to hold on to those dud bonds for? Haywood pulled tranquilly at his cigarette. " What dud bonds ? " he asked. " I know.nothing about any dud bonds. 'Certain securities were placed in the hands of my firm by Murray and Company as security for a loan. 13ut suppose I say they were placed in my hands as payment lor services rendered ? You could not fight that, claim, you know. My dear chap, I have got, vou in the hollow of my hand, and the sooner you realise it, the better, it, has been a game of dog rob dog from the first, and I am not in tho least annoyed because you tried to doublecross me. If you like to take proceedings to gel, those bonds back, do so, and I shall be delighted to meet you in a ccjurt of law. But. you dare not do if! So that's that." " Very well," Murray said with an air of resignation. " If you think you have got a hold over us by keeping those forged bonds—" " Forged bonds nothing," Haywood said with a show of temper. " What's the good of keeping up that farce? You could ki,d poor Ashdown with a story like that,, biit you cun't put it across a man who.is up to every trick of the game, like 1 am. Those are not forged bonds. They are genuine securities, as I told you over the 'phone, of the only sound concern you are. connected with and that is Central Copper. Oh, I know what I am talking about. I took the trouble to verify the, numbers on those certificates and satisfied myself beyond the shadow of a doubt that they were tho real thing. Now, if the position has been reversed, you would have served me just in tho same way. You, at any rate, are a good sportsirnti-i, Murray, whatever the other two may be, and I expect you to lake your defeat like a man." (To be continued daily)