THE BLUE DAFFODIL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22198, 27 August 1935, Page 17

THE BLUE DAFFODIL

By FRED M. WHITE Author of "Tho Secret of the River," "On th» Night Express," "Blackmail," eta

(COPYRIGHT)

QUICKLY-MOVING LOVE AND MYSTERY NARRATIVE

CHAPTER XlX.—(Continued) She moved toward the door, closely followed by Tanberg. Evidently he was not going to lose sight of her whilo she was in her present mood, lirentford turned to Vera. " Darling," he whispered hurriedly, " you will have to make your way homo alone. Thero is 110 help for it. 1 must help Med way as far as possible." Five minutes later a taxi driver with an unexpected ten shilling note in his pocket was following another cab at a respectful distance. The journey was a fairly long one, ending presently in one of the many respectable streets botween Barons Court and West Kensington stations. Brentford could see the foremost cab stopped before one of the houses there, and the girl alighting with Tanberg behind her. " Pull up," Brentford directed. " Then back your cab round the corner. Wait for me thero till 1 return when 1 may want you again. In any case there is moro whero that note came from. Do you know tho name of this street P"

" Right you aro, sir," tho cabman grinned. "Been hero nfore, 1 have Name of the street is Glanby."

The pair in front still stood on the pavement. Evidently Tanberg was trying to make tho girl do something which did not fit in with her present mood. Brentford cropt cautiously along the deserted street, taking advantage of the fact that tho couple had their backs toward him. Soon he was hidden in a doorway on tho far side of the road from whence he could both see and hear what was going on. " Now don't be silly, Doris," Tanberg was saying. " Why spoil the evening for a bit of temper. It's quite early yet, so why not an hour or so at some night club? We haven't had a dance for ages."

There was all this and much more before tho girl began to weaken. At last she smiled and laughed with a gesture of surrender. Tanberg pushed home his advantage. " All right," she said. " Just for an hour. But I must go into the house and make a few changes. Another frock. I won't keep you five minutes." She was as good as her word, for presently the two cabs were moving westward.. Arrived at a somewhat dubious club where both proprietor and patron were inclined to take risks, Brentford found himself duly enrolled as a member on putting a pound note on th© desk of the cashier. Now he was free of the club to do as he pleased and dance or drink as the mood moved him. The place was crowded with all sorts and conditions of people from wearers of the strawberry leaves down to members of the swell mob. There was an utter lack of ceremony so that the choosing of partners called for no introductions. No doubt there was a thrill for her ladyship to find herself in the arms of a man pointed out to her as a well-known swindler or burglar. She and her gildeu sisters had come there in search of new sensations, leaving theatres and evening parties behind them with moro than a chance of taking part in a police raid and appearing at Bow Street in tho morning. All of which Brentford took in with a cynical eye. Still, he was there for one purpose only, and of that he was not likely to lose sight. He sat down at a remote table with an expensive drink before him —some vile brand of champagne which he had not the remotest intention of drinking. From where he sat he could see everything that was going on. He could see the pretty girl in trie arms of Tanberg, and his gorge rose at the sight. Then something happened. A large woman old enough to know better, was revolving in the arms of a professional partner with, most conspicuously displayed, a pearl necklace of price about her fat neck. Tanberg, who was dancing with a visitor who obviously came from some South American state, made a slight slip and came violently in contact with the lady of the pearls. A strange lapse on the part of so perfect a dancer.

This all took place in a Hash, and only a split second later the obese lady was on her feet helped by Tanberg, who was making the most profuse apologies. But in that instant Ronnie discovered that the pearl necklace was no longer round the neck of the owner. Tanberg released his partner, and came back to the table where just now he and the girl called Doris were seated. The pretty girl welcomed Tanberg with a smile when he came back to her, and in doing so, knocked her handbag on to the floor. As he stooped to replace it, Brentford noticed that he hastily released the catch, and placed something inside. As if this had been a signal for trouble a great cry arose that Lady Longton had lost her famous pearl necklace. Instantly half the dancers there, were on their hands and knees looking for the missing treasure. Above the din there rose the voice of a youngish-looking man making a challenge. " No occasion for all this bother," he said. " I know where tho missing necklace is to bo found."

A tense silence followed. The speaker led the way to the table where Tanberg and his companion were seated and pointed an accusing finger in the direction of the girl. " The necklace is in your bag," he said. " It was passed to you by someone 1 could not see for tho moment because of the many dancers on the floor. But I am correct in what I say." Tanberg jumped angrily from his chair. "Monstrous I" he cried. "Infamous! I can vouch for this lady. She is incapable of such a thing." " Nevertheless 1 cannot withdraw what I have said," tho accuser went on. " I represent the police. Scotland Yard, to be exact. Search that bag, Jones."

Out of nowhere two policemen appeared. True, they wero in oi'ening dress, but tho word policeman was written all over them. The pearl necklace was quickly exposed to view, and placed in tho pudgy hands of the owner.

" Yours, my lady?" sho was asked

" Mine, undoubtedly," came tho reply. " So very clever of you. officer. But I make no charge." Tho Yard man suppressed a smilo. He could quite understand why her ladyship preferred to make no charge seeing that publicity of that kind was the last thing she desired. " I am afraid tho matter is out of your hands, my lady," cairvo the reply. " As a matter of fact this young woman has been under my eye for some time past. Jones, pleaso." Jones aforesaid laid a hand on the girl's arm

" Better come along with me," 110 said. " You had better not interfere, sir. Only make things moro unpleasant."

This to Tan berg who was beginning to expostulate. Ho dropped back with a vague threat of what might happen later on. A few seconds later, and the dance was in full swing. Taking advantage of this, Brentford approached the man who appeared to be in charge of the plain clothes men. " A word with you," he said. " 1 canio hero to-night at the urgent request of Chief Inspector Medway. There was no time to call in professional assistance, hence my intrusion. My name i s Ronald Brentford, at one time of the Intelligence." So was I, ' the other man said. "Detective Inspector Evan Brookes. There were numbers in those days." " And mine was S.B. 106," Ronnie smiled.

" All right, sir," Broches replied. " Say on." " Well, 1 followed that girl hero at tho special request of Mr. Medway. But moro especially her companion. 1 have been watching them carefully the last hour. I didn't actually see the man steal tho necklace, but I saw how cleverly 110 bargid into Lady Longton and her partner, and I actually saw the pearls hidden in tho hand-bag by the fellow who calls himself Tanberg. My belief is that the girl is innocent." " (Jhl What you say does make a difference. But tho girl has drifted into queer- company of late. When I said I had had my eyo on her for some time I was exaggerating a little because 1 didn't want to lose my case. 1 won't charge her yet, but wait until we can get hold of Medway. All the .same I shall have to detain tho young woman for the present. If we decide to release her Lady Longton won't weep." Brentford decided to leave it at that for tho moment, the moro so as nothing could be done until he had seen Medway again. But he felt that his evening had by no means been wasted. CHAPTER XX The task that Medway had set for himself was not nearly so difficult as that assigned to Brentford nor did it entail so long a journey. Moreover thero was no call for pursuit in the ordinary sense of the word seeing that tho dark lady came and went on foot. A leisurely stroll as far as Regent Street and a turn or two ended in a block of modest flats on a two-storey basis, and into ono of these blocks the woman entered. Medway was so close behind her that he could actually see the number of the flat wherein his quarry entered. She closed the door behind her, leaving Medway to study tho neat brass plate with wjiich it was decorated. From this Medway learnt that the occupant was one Madame Nordiva, teacher of theatrical dancing. After a little hesitation he laid a finger on the electric bell whereupon the dark lady came herself to demand what her visitor wanted.

"Just a few words with you," he answered. " You see, 1 am a police officer, and therefore—" Medway allowed his voice to trail off incoherently, hoping that the announcement would have some effect. But the dark lady never turned a hair. She merely regarded her caller with a cold contempt, waiting for his further explanation. " If I may bo permitted to enter?" Medway suggested. "As you will," the woman said coldly. "I am quite alone here, andunprotected. You may or may not be what you pretend, but I am not afraid."

Medway could see as much for himself. This was not the type of woman to be afraid of anything. She stood quietly aside so that he might pass into a neat sitting room in which Madame Nordiva indicated a chair. Then she took a seat opposite him and signed to him to explain. "First I had better give you my card," Medway said as he took out his case. "Just as well for you to know that you are not dealing with an imposter." " I can see that," MaUame said. "1 am rather a good judge of a man—l have had much experience of your sex."

There ivas> a concentrated bitterness in the last part of the remark that was not lost on Medway. -" Though you never can tell," he said. " It i- just as well to be on the safe side especially when you are unprotected and have on your person a piece of jewellery worth anything up to £5000." For the first time the woman showed signs of interest. But of fear there was no suggestion at all. "How do -mi know that?" she asked. " 1 could make u mystery of it if I liked," Medway said with a smile, "but i won't. As a matter of fact I was in the Regal Palace dining room to-night when you came in. I saw everything that happened so far as you were concerned which is why I took the liberty of following you here. Now it struck me as a very strange thing that a man like Mr. Tanberg should take such an action on your part lying down. He would have made a fuss had he only dared—perhaps given you in custody." " Me," the woman laughed "He dared not." " Yes, 1 gathered that much. Hut 1 am not sure he wouldn't have murdered you had the interview taken place in some dark corner. That is how I read his face." " 1 have heard worse guesses," Madame Nordiva said in the coolest possible tone. "As a matter of fact, those fine diamonds were given to me years ago, and recovered by means of a trick. 1 merely took a dramatic step to get my own back. I knew that Efan Tanberg dared not interfere. But what is all this to you, Mr. Policeman? You are not here to try and bounce me out of what is legally mine." "Perfectly correct," Medway said. "It is Tanberg whom 1 am interested in. If I wero not sure that you can give me a whole lot of information about him I should not be here at this moment. Of course. I can't make you speak. . ." " Nobody could do that," the woman said grimly. "Tanberg is nothing to me—absolutely nothing." " Not now, perhaps, but what about the past?" Medway asked shrewdly. "I gather from what you say that at some time in the past Tanberg gave you those diamonds. He must have been very much in love to have done that." Medway fired this shot blindly, but he could see plainly that it had struck a mark. Just for a moment the woman's expression changed to one of concentrated fury. A woman scorned, Medway decided, and a joalous ono to boot. Very well," Medway went on. "I presume that the fair girl of tho restaurant has usurped your place." "One of many,' tho woman breathed heavily. "But tho only one who wears your jewels, madamo. Therefore, tho very latest of Tan berg's loves. lam not concerned with her for tho moment—she is in other hands. But as to Tanber-. You have no love for him loft." ' Love!" tho woman cried. "Love! Don't make mo laugh." " Women are strange creatures," Medway went on. "Lovo turns to hate, and as suddenly reverses. 1 have known n woman givo a criminal away out of revenge, and then weep bitterly because she has done so. Let mo jog your memory,. How long is it since Tanberg was known to men as Paul Manstar?" Ho had touched her at last; tho arrow had gone homo to tho feather. He saw the dark eyes dilate, and tho widening of the nostrils. But not with fear. "1 am not quite mysel. to-night," she said. "My nervo is not what it used to bo. Come and see mo again, Any night after six o'clock will find mo here. Now please go." It was shortly after nine tho next morning that Brentford called Medway up and told him of the previous night's adventure. Half an hour later the two were in a police cell interviewing the girl known as Doris Reeve. She smiled faintly and dried her tears as Medway described the situation. (To be continued daily)