THE MYSTERY HOUSE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21640, 4 November 1933, Page 11 (Supplement)

THE MYSTERY HOUSE

By LAWRENCE PHILLIPS Author of "A Friendless Millionaire," "The Tangle,' etc.

CHAPTER XXll.—(Continued) Then as thev walked back in silence, Gillard's • words with reference to the knife struck him. and he stopped suddenly to say to Gerald — " What did Joe mean about knowing the knife? " " How yn earth can I say? " returned the other with the snappishncss of overstrained nerves. " Come along to bed—it's morning already."

It was Gerald who admitted their early visitor the next morning. " I have called in respect of the death of Mr. Cater," he .'iinouneed in official tones, " and should be glad of a few words with Mr. Narracott."

" My name is Narracott,"' replied Gerald; "come inside." Paynter was descending the stairs as they entered the library, and Narracott beckoned to him to join th^iu.

Their visitor (they gathered later that he was Detective-Inspector Hele from Exeter) produced a notebook and settled it 011 his knee. " 1 want a statement from you, if you don't mind, Mr. Narracott, of the discovery you made of Mr. Cater's body." Gerald went over his story in a weary manner. When he came to an end, Hele nodded as though satisfied so far.

" You saw 110 one in the drive, or had met no one, Mr. Narracott?" inquired the officer. " No one," was the answer, slowly but firmly given. George, who knew his friend and his manner, suffered from a bad shock; he was convinced that Gerald had wot spoken the absolute truth. What did it mean?" he asked himself in horror. " Gerald isn't given to lying, but he's lying now or 1 am greatly mistaken." " You will be wanted to give evidence at the inquest—it has been fixed for to-morrow," said Hele. " I'd like to look at the spot if you could come with me."

All three rose from their chairs, and walked out into the hall. The inspector halted before a trophy of arms which decorated the wall.

" Some fine specimens here," he commented. " You know, I suppose," he went 011 in an apparently casual manner, " that the weapon that killed Mr. Cater has been identified as being one of these? Hero is the empty sheath, I fancy." He swung round facing Gerald, and his steely blue eyes seemed to bore into the other man's brain. Narracott went as white as chalk, and gave a slight reel. Paynter, upon whom the influence of the inspector's disclosure was not lost, exclaimed in horrified tones: " Good God, what is that you are saving?" Helo glanced at him for a moment, and then his eyes went back to Gerald, who was looking the picture of dumbfounded misery. " Had you missed it?" inquired the detective, holding Narracott with his eyes. The latter shook his head, and George spoke without thinking of what the result of his words might be. " I saw it there the night before last. I noticed it particularly."

"Ah!" was the dry comment of Hele. "We will go into the drive, if you don't mind, and investigate tho spot where you found him." The tivo men followed him silently, immersed in their unpleasant thoughts. Hele did not keep them long. He took some measurements, made ono or two notes, asked -some questions, and then said good-bye. As soon as he was out of earshot George broke the silence. " That's very awkward about that knife, old man, and I was a silly ass to speak as I did. Have you any idea as to the thief?"

Narracott shook his head dismally, and plodded 011 in sombre silence. Paynter's nerves were getting badly strained; matters were looking bad for his friend, and he could not understand his attitude.

" Great Scot!" he thought, " it only needs their finding out the big bust-up he had with Cater, for Gerald to get a rope round bis neck." He made a quick decision. " I'm off to send a telegram to Hugh Kennedy to come along." he announced. " Why?" inquired Narracott dully. " Because it will want brighter brains than ours to clear up this mess," declared George. He departed for Yelverton and sent a wire.

" And that is why you are here," he declared as lie finished his story. " What do you think of it all?"

CHAPTER XXIII INVESTIGATIONS Hugh knocked the ashes from his pipe before he replied. " I fancy you said something about a horrible mess," he said at length. "I am inclined,to agree with you. I certainly think that you want some one to hold a watching brief for you tomorrow at the inquiry." Gerald grunted something that sounded like grudging acquiescence. " Very well, I'm your man, then. But 1 want one or two pointers. Did you, for instance, walk straight from the house to the drive?" " Yes." " No one passed you, I think you said? Could they have done so in the darkness? " " 1 don't think so." " And you are sure that you saw no one going away from where you found the body? " Kennedy's question had a slight touch of emphasis, and he watched Narracott closely as he waited for the answer. " You heard that I told Helo I hadn't," Gerald replied, moving uneasily; " and look here, Hughie, go off with George there, and crossexamine him. I've been through a lot lately, and can't stand much more." Kennedy saw that he could not do much with him in that state, so he turned to Paynter. " Clonic along and tell me where they found the man " Hugh was slightly annoyed and much puzzled; he expressed himself as such when he and Paynter got outside. " Whatever is tho matter with the man, George? " " T can't make him out at all." responded the other; " finding the body can't have upset him like this." They had reached their destination by this time, and Hugh looked around him.

" Pretty black here at night, 1 should think; there's only one patch of daylight in all this tunnel." Ho pointed to a spot one or two hundred yards off. "If anyone remained in the shadows lie couldn't bo spotted at night." Ho stood for a while in silence, looking around. " Hallo! What's this? ho exclaimed, as 110 moved toward tho bushes at the side of the drive. George followed him, and noticed upon close inspection that some small twigs appeared freshly broken off. " I say, Hugh, that's where tho murderer hid when he heard Gerald coming along." They moved the bushes to one side, and found that they had uncovered a small space which might, conceal a man. " Now, I wonder whether your friend Hele has spotted that? " mused Kennedy. " It would explain why Gerald saw no one, but it doesn't explain his tomfoolery now."

"By jove! " began Paynter, and Hugh looked at him inquiringly. " Only an idea thai occurred to me," he grinned as he explained. " I won't trouble you with it. They went back together to the house.

" T say, Gerald, old man, we've found a-clue," exclaimed George boisterously. His friend gripped the arms of his chair, and turned a white face with it. look of fear in his eyes toward him. " What have you found? " he asked hoarselv.

George explained, and the look of fear passed as he spoke, and a different

A STORY OF ROMANCE AND MYSTERY

(COPTRIGBT)

expression, one of dawning hope, succeeded that of gloom. " But there is the knife," lie murmured gloomily. " We'll discuss that now," replied Kennedy. " George says that he saw the. thing the night, before last. Are you certain on that point? " " Positive." " That, is very important, for wo have to find out whether anyone had the opportunity of access to the weapon, and we have only to cover yesterday. Who were your visitors, if any? " " First there wa§ —" began George, hut Narracott broke in with great vehemence as he sprang from his chair. " No, no, I forbid further discussion, do you hear? Let them suspect what thev like about me. f'll say that ] took it myself, if you like." Both men stared at him with amazement, fearing for his intellect, his manner was so frenzied. Paynter was the first to recover himself, and lie said soothingly as he winked at Hugh—• " All right, old man, keep your hair on; it's only Hughie's confounded legal mind wandering round a bit." Gerald quieted down anil resumed his seat. " You will make my task pretty stiff if you go 011 like this, you know," protested Kennedy. " However, 1 wonder if the people at the lodge could give us any pointers. Shall we stroll down there? " said he, addressing George. " Come along," answered that gentleman, and disregarding a half movement of protest on the part of Narracott, they set off. " Has the trouble turned Gerald's brain?" asked Kennedy. " Hugh, I think I've got hold of one end of this tangled skein; he's shielding someone, and I've a shrewd suspicion as to the personality of that someone. 1 think that he lied when he said that he didn't see anybody, and before you condemn him too hastily I may tell you that I should have probably lied if I had been in his place." Hugh stopped dead in the road. " Now, look here, George, you had better tell me all that you know, and all that you think you know, or I'll take the next train hack to town." So Paynter told him the whole of what he knew concerning Cater and the professor. .. ' - " Now, my idea is that the girl—though, mark you, it's altogether against what I have imagined of her—met Cater in the drn*e and, whether with the full intention of doing so previously or driven to do it in self-defence, stuck tho knife into him."

" How did she get it? The position of tho wound —in tbe back, you know—rules out self-defence if she did stab this man." " She was one of two visitors yesterday," replied George quietly, " and that explains Gerald's outburst." Hugh nodded. W r ith puckered brow ho smoked in silence for a while. " This is the deuce and all of a

mess," he declared finally. " If they get hold of that quarrel at Plymouth, and poor old Gerald won't open his mouth, he's as good as done for. By the way, who was the other visitor? " " A Mrs. Hooper, who came about a

housekeeper's job." Hugh dfd not make further inquiry; later he wished that ho had done so. " Come on to the lodge. What you tell me makes me more anxious to

meet the inhabitants." Leila admitted them. There was a look of anxious fear in her face, curiously like to that which Gerald wore, Paynter thought. " Yes, the professor's upstairs," she answered to their question. " Oh, Mr. Paynter, isn't this horrible! Can you do anything? "

" Perhaps you can give me some information before we see Mr. Elkington," said Kennedy, studying her attentivelj'. " The presence of the dead man at the hour in which he was murdered has to be explained. Can you account for it?"

She shook her head in answer. " Did you hear anyone pass the lodge? " Again she made a negative movement. " I was very tired and slept very soundly," she said. " I heard nothing."

" Have you no suggestion that may help us to find the reason? " Kennedy was certain that the girl flinched at the question, but again she shook her head. Kennedy ceased questioning and with George followed the girl to the professor's room. That gentleman they found very bright and cheerful, even when the subject of the tragedy was broached. " Very sad, very sad, indeed! Not—er—a man of great intellectual power, but possessed of a very genial manner, very genial."

" Can you tell us why he was here last night? " inquired Kennedy,. " You see tho impprtance of finding that out. It may lead to the discovery of the murderer."

" I have wondered once or twice myself,: as to the reason, whether he was going to see Mr. Narracott on business, for instance. Curious that he should find him like that, wasn't it? "

" Why curious? " put in Pavnter roldlv.

" Well, wasn't it, you know? I understand, too, that the knife or dagger, or whatever it was, has been identified as belonging to tho house." After a considerable amount of talis yielding no result, the two men left him feeling that their errand had been hopeless.

They spied the burly figure of Inspector Hele in front of them and hastened their steps to join him. He turned and halted when he recognised them. " I was just going up to the house to inform Mr. Narracott of the arrangements for the inquest," lie said. Paynter introduced Kennedy.

" Pleased to meet you, sir. This is ai| awkward business. Are you down in connection w'ith it? "

" Mr. Narracott is an old friend of mine," replied Kennedy evasively; "but we want to see you to show you something we came across when poking around a little while ago." They led him to the spot where they had found the broken bushes and stated their opinion that the murderer had hidden there. Hele examined the bushes and the ground behind carefully. , " I'm afraid we can't build much on that," he observed at last. His two auditors concealed their disappointment at his words. " I suppose you haven't been able to got any fresh information, sufficient to furnish you with some kind of clue?" Kennedy inquired, in as casual a tone as 110 could. " What is puzzling my friends and myself, is the reason for the man being here at all." " Just so," agreed Helo, rubbing his chin. " Looks like an appointmeut, but rather a strange hour foiMme. The position of tho body wheu first found, may help." Kennedy glanced at him quickly; he was sooner than Paynter to seo what lay behind tho words. " He was, as you know, stabbed in the back; the force' of the blow threw him forward 011 his face, in the direction of the house, Mr. Kennedy," Hele said significantly.

Paynter grasped the point at last. "Good Lord!" lie exclaimed. "You are not suggesting that he had an appointment with Narracott?" "Now, Mr. Paynter,, I've not suggested anything about anybody at present; I am leaving you to form your own conclusions."

" Well, 1 tell you plainly, that they jolly well don't agree with those that you seem to have formed," quoth loyal George. (To be continued daily)