"NO HONOUR—"

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22179, 5 August 1935, Page 17

"NO HONOUR—"

CHAPTER XX. —(Continued) " I can't really tell if ho is tho man," ho said, " but I think ho is. There is nothing wo can do at present except watch him. You had both bettor stay hero until ho goes homo, then follow him and find out where ho goes. One of you must watch tho house and iollow wherever ho goes, and the other report to mo. " This might turn out to be tho most important job you havo ever handled," ho concluded. " See that nothing goes wrong, or there will be trouble." Tho hour was late, but Vinser had not thought of bed when ho returned to tho police station. There was far too much work for him to do. The reports of tho men who had examined tho houso in which Rocs was found dead wero awaiting his attention and there was, too, a moro detailed report from Clarkisson. In addition, he wanted to make a few inquiries in tho hope of confirming a nmv theory he had built up. His first inovo was to telephone to London. There was a man at Scotland Yard who was reputed to have a nodding acquaintance with every criminal who had ever come to tho notice of that 'organisation and to be able to recite, almost offhand, a description of any ono of them, together with their characteristics, idiosyncrasies, their strengths and weaknesses, tho kind of crime in which they usually indulged, and their most likely companions. Unfortunately for Vinser the man ho sought was not at tho Yard. Tho inspector asked to bo put through to tho paragon's private residence and was lucky enough to catch his man just as ho returned from a theatre. Vinser carefully repeated Dorothy's description of tho man at the garage and asked for information, laying particular stress on the peculiarity of tin* ears. " Sorry," answered the man, who was afflicted by the name of Muggins, " I can't tell you anything .about him, although I havo a recollection of mooting those ears somewhere. I could soon find out if ho has boon through our hands if I was in my office. Don't want me to go down there now, do you ?" " No, I don't think so. Tho morning will do. Ring mo up as early as you can. If I can manage to got a photograph of my man without him knowing I will send that up by road. Do your best for us." Tho inspector then turned to tho reports. He took that of tho doctor first. Ho did not expect anything fresh and he was not surprised to find that it merely confirmed what Clarkisson had already told him. Rccs had committed suicide, there was no doubt about it, and Vinser was confident that ho knew why tho man had chosen to end his life. His visit to Crooker and the attack showed that Rccs was very worried about something. Tho policeman believed that Saiulyman possessed some "paper or document that, if it becamo public, would seriously compromise Roes —perhaps both Roes and Henderson. It was quite likely that the two men had been but two more of tho dead brewer's victims. Probably they had staged their masquerade on tho night of the murder with the idea of either burglaring Sandyman's house or else of forcing the old man to give up whatever he possessed that was so vital to them. This theory was strengthened by their later visit to the house and by Rees' visit to Crooker when he was led to believe that the little man had broken into the house in Gordon Crescent. Rees had struck tho publisher either because ho feared that the latter was about to call for help or because he knew that Crooker had recognised him, and had struck to kill. When he returned to his own house ho had realised the hopelessness of his position. In addition to the fear that the mysterious document would be found, there was the knowledge that the attack on Crooker would surely be brought homo to him, and in a moment of utter hopelessness ho had taken the quickest way out of his troubles. As Dr. Drake had suggested, ho was a criminal without enough stomach for his job. Henderson's flight was easily explained. Probably when ho learned what Rees had done —Vinser did not think that Henderson was concerned in tho attack on Crookor —there had been a violent quarrel and Henderson, fearing that detection was inevitable, had decided to run for it. Alternatively, he had como across the body of his friend and, fearing that ho might bo accused of murdering Rees, had not waited to take tho chance. The fact that his flight was all 11,e more likely to direct suspicion to him would probably not occur to a man in u panic, and his driving on the road was evidence enough that ho was in a panic. Tho report of the detectives who had examined tho house that tho two men shared was far moro interesting than was tho doctor's. The detectives had not found the tramp disguises—but there was evidence that clothes had been burned in a kitchen grate, and in an outhouse one dotcctivo had found an old cap which probably had been worn by ono of them as part of tho disguise. What interested tho inspector most, however, was tho finger-prints that tho searchers had boon ablo to find and photograph. There was plenty of surface dust in tho house —probably because of the absence of a servant —and there had been 110 lack of good impressions. There wero several that appeared to be old and wero indistinct, but of recent prints, made no moro than forty-eight hours beforo tho examination, there wero only three different sets; ono sot that had been identified as those of Rees, another undoubtedly Hondorson's, and a third, moro interesting than any of the others, finger-prints that wero exactly the same as those found on the bludgeon that was used to bring down Sergeant Jameson. Obviously four men were concerned in tho crime or crimes. Henderson and Rees wero in it somewhere, Nash, because lie had tried to shield them when Henderson broko into Kettling, was evidently an ally, and now tho man who had attacked Jameson was, by his finger-prints, connected with Henderson and Roes. Four men, and among them Vinser was sure was the murderer of Sandyman. Rees, tho inspector decided, would never bo able to steel himself to commit a cold-blooded premeditated crime, and if ho was not the culprit, Henderson was not. It was either the two together or neither.

By COLIN HOPE Author of " The House In the Way," etc.

(COPYRIGHT!

A FIRST • CLASS MYSTERY THRILLER

Thus lie was loft with a choice between the butler, Nash, and the mysterious stranger. Moreover, Vinser now had a good idea of the identity of the stranger. Ho sat far into the night going over the problem time after time. Ho tried to see it from all viewpoints and tried —this was the hardest task of all—to guess what motive lay behind the murder of the brewer. At last he decided to call it a day. As a matter of fact, it was far beyond 2 a.m. when ho finally left his office and, with a pipe between his teeth, set off to find a well-earned sloop. Actually ho had one hour only before the extension telephone awoke him. At the first ring he turned over and grunted, while his wife, after asserting her conviction that being married to a policeman was not the best thing that could happen to a woman who valued her night's rest, listened to the eager young voice at the other end of tho line. After much shaking—oven punching —she managed to convey to her spouse that bo must get up and take the received from her shivering hands. Vinser's "Hullo, what do you want?" was very weary and querulous, but after he had listened for a minute his tone and his whole manner underwent a remarkable change. " Good," he cried. "I half-expected ho would. Still in there, you say? Yes, you did quito right to call me. I'll come along at once. If he leaves, follow him, don't worry about me." Mrs. Vinser showed her disapproval of the whole business by pulling tho clothes over her ear and going to sleep, while' tho inspector, whistling very softly but none the less discordantly, shed his pyjamas and dressed hurriedly. There was not the lightest sign of tiredness about him. He might well havo been rising from a ten-hour sleep. He wheeled out a somewhat ancient bicycle, then restored it to its shed. If anything unexpected happened, tho machine might bo in the way. There was a good throe miles walk in front of him and he set out at a pace that would bring him to his destination in less than three-quarters of an hour. As lie hurried along tho quiet country road his impatience increased. Ho heartily wished that dawn was further away. He could not expect his quarry to give anything away when daylight robbed him of his sense of security. At last he reached Kettling, the dead brewer's house. As he hurried along the road a shadow left tho cover of the hedge and came forward to meet him. "He's still in there, sir," the detective said. "Franklin is higher up the road, watching the house. We thought he had better let you know. He has been here since just after midnight." " Yes, I'm glad you called me. Tell me what happened before I go any further." "There isn't much to tell you sir. It has been a pretty simple job. We kept watch on the garage after you left us and it was tamo work. "Nothing happened at all, and not one customer came near the place. He spent all the time tinkering with that car and closed up the parage about halfpast eleven. It wr** lucky that Franklin had his bicvclc with him, because his nibs got on a bike as soon as he closed his place and came this way. " Franklin kept well behind him and I followed on foot. Ho didn't hurry much and 1 was not far behind when ho made his first stop." " At Roes' and Henderson's place?" Vinser interposed the question. " Yes, sir," the constable went on. " But he didn't stop there long. He approached very carefully and as soon as he saw that there was a policeman on duty he came away as quickly as ho could. " He came on here then and it looked as if he was a bit doubtful about going in. He scouted about for a long time and he went up the drive almost on his hands and knees. "He was properlv scared about something. Perhaps he thought there were police here,.too. Franklin and I were following him and once I stubbed my foot against- a tree stump unci he jumped af if he had been shot. "We both lay low, but it was a long time before he'went on after that and he was twice us careful as ho had been before. " Ho seemed satisfied that the coast was clear at last and he went round to the back and tapped on the door, and directly after that tho door opened and Nash lot him in. " Did the butler seem to be expecting bin*?" Vinser asked. " No, sir, I don't think he was. In fact, when he opened the d° or ho seemed frightened. He said You fool, what have you come hero for . and the other bloke said 'Lot me in. Don t stand there gaping. What has happened to Henderson and Rcps, j (To bo continued daily)