THE GREEN LANTERN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22435, 3 June 1936, Page 22

THE GREEN LANTERN

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Bv BEN BOLT T J Author of "A Shot In the Night, «M« «M.

CHAPTER Vlll.—(Continued) ' ■ . ffl&Btr ''ih®! The Honourable Bill put them up, murmuring aloud-a liii© "f his favourite poet: "'Whore the .strong command obedience is best.' • " You're clean dippy. . • Water on the brain, 1 guess. . . But y've sense enough to get this —if yp' don t spill the beans by the time I do the count' out, I'll put the kibosh 011 you for keeps." That the lady meant exactly what she said Pallisier never for a moment doubted. The pistol was pressed hard against his ribs, and ho wondered if it would go off if' he brought one of those raised hands of his down on her charming head. Then he remembered the notches which its handle was supposed to beur and decided that the odds were a little uneven. Meanwhile Miss Ip began to count. " One . . . two . . . three . . . four —" He intervened before she could sav " five," and his own voice had a ring which struck freshly on the lady's ears. ' • "It isn't fair to you, Minnehaha, to let you go on. I really must tell you." " What the blazes d'you mean?"' " If you look out of the little window behind, I'll bet you half a crown that you see there's a taxi following us middling close." " Hell!" exploded tjje lady. " We're being tailed?" I " We say- shadowed over hero—but I believe it has the same meaning." " Who?" snapped the lady. " Not that ruddy skate, Sullivan?" " I regret to have to say no. Those two revellers who were at the club couldn't bear to see me go off with you. J . We're like brothers, good brothers aro shockingly jealous of the ladies who take the fancy of —" " Bunk I" barked Miss Ip. "If y'think y-'are going to get away with a bluff like that —" "It isn't a bluff. I'll make a bargain with you. Take a look out of that window. I promise I won't so much as wink while j-ou do it, find if you're not satisfied we can—er —continue the doings." The lady lifted herself with remarkable celerity, and a second later was standing with her back to the driver. " Drop those paws to yo'r knees. Keep 'em there. If you move I'll get you, even if I go to the hot chair." "There's no electrocution this side," ho said. " I shouldn't like you to act under that misapprehension. We're so out of date that we use the rope hero still. . . But my paws are on my knees, and 1 give you my word—the word of a Pallisier— '■ " Word of—" jerked Miss lp rudely, but nevertheless she accepted it, and for a little time looked steadily out of the window. What she saw was no doubt convincing. After a few seconds she spoke harshly. " Don't move till I pass the word." In a twinkling she was back in her seat again, but with her pistol still at cover. " 1 know when I'm beat. Where's this whereabouts?" The Honourable Bill smiled and looked out of the window. : "Constitution Hill! Top end." <■ " Pick up that tube. An' listen close. . . Y'are goin' to tell the driver to stop. When he stops you step out of this flivver. Then y'tell the fella to take me on—" " Where?" " Aw, to the dickens!" " Outside the radius, I'm afraid." said the Honourable Bill cheerfully. " These taxi-boys are wonderfully obliging, but—" " Anywhere, you Rube. if you'vte got the wit to savvy." " 1 get you, Minnehaha! And then?" "You behave natural. Say au revoir, same as to a lady—" "That means I kiss you!" "The Heck it does! . We'll cut that! . . An' you'll stand oy till I shut the door, which won't be till he moves off. 1 shall have you in sight all tho time remember. An' if you give a sign—" "Pop goes the weasel, what?". . . I'll see we won't part in anger, Minnehaha 1" "Then get busy. An' remember I've got ears." "Noticed 'em long ago," chuckled Pallisier, reaching for the tube. "In a beauty show they'd take top prize." Then he put his mouth to the speak-ing-tube. "Slow down and stop at the next lamp." "What'for the lamp?" demanded tho lady suspiciously. "Must give the man something definite," he answered, as the taxi began to pull up. 'There's no catch in it, my dear." The taxi came to a standstill, and he made for the door on the near side, brushing past her to reach it. She gave him a dig with the pistol by way of a reminder as he stepped out. Then leaving the door open he gave the driver direction as instructed, noting as he did so that the taxi-cab with his friends in it had come to a halt some distance away. "I step off here, Jehu," !he said. "But the lady wants to go to Paddington. What's the through fare?" Tho driver made a pretence of looking at his meter. "Five bob will do it, sir." "And cheap at the price," laughed Pallisier. "It's been a wonderful rido. Never knew the parks so gay. Here you are." The driver grinned as ho took the fare and the tip, then Pallisier turned to close the door. The pisitol still covered him and ho grimaced at it mockingly. "Good-bye— no! Confound it! [ was forgetting—Au revoir, Minnehaha, and as dear Henry Hall says so sweetly to the whistling world daily: 'Here's to the next time!' I hope it won't bo long. It's been a perfectly ripping time and—" "Shut the blasted door!" said the lady curtly, and as he shut, it and raised his hat she slithered across the seat to tho opposite corner where the speaking-tube was handy. "Right, JehiH" said Pallisier, anil waved his hand energetically to tho taxi behind in signal to advance at speed. The response, however, was not immediate and wondering what was wrong he hastily slowed his head round to get the number of the taxi he had left. He repeated it to himself rapidly several times to memorize it, while lie watched the driver of the second leave his wheel and move to tho front of tho car. "Engine stopped!" he muttered. "Self-starter a dud." He glanced round at the vehicle which hold Minnehaha, then added a little savagely: "That's torn it to tatters." A quarter of a minute later the taxi carrying his friends pulled up—the door already opening for him. The car ho had left was out of sight. "Paddington!" he snapped to ,th>B driver of number two as lie climbed in. P.Q.R. banged the door behind him "Why Paddington, Bill?" ' "On tho offient of off-chances! Don't emppose Miss lp will go there though she's a starter. Wo ought to have been at her heels." "Engine stalled 1" explained Patterllbn.

A THRILLING STORY OF MYSTERY AND ADVENTURE

"It just would," said the Honourable Bill gloomily, "and now we ve lost that charming little lady, I u bet a pound." "We've got the number of her taxi a * "So've 1 my sleuth," answered Pallisier, and repeated it glibly, ".tat iot of good it will be to us. There are no flies hovering round Minnehaha s shapely head. I3y this she'll have hopped from the taxi to another, and is now tooling gently on her way to tho place I hoped sho might have taken i,ie„ which I'll wager isn't the London Palace." "Where does that caravanserai come in?" asked P.Q.R. "It was the address Minnehaha gave before we decided to take the air in the parks. False, of course." _ "How d'you get 011 with the lady?' asked Ringrose. . ''Oh, topping!" The Honourable Bill leaned back and laughed. "I wouldii t have missed the experience for worlds. I: was taken for a ride —Chicago style —almost." ■ "You don't mean —" "Automatic against my ribs, old son, all the way from the Admiralty arch 011. Most poignant position with ino doing gym. stunts, reaching for the roof of the cab with both hands while Minnehaha invited me to spill the beans about Sullivan and you two. Wouldn t believe mo when 1 swore I'd never set eyes on Sullivan before to-night "She's wise to him then?" jerked Patterson. "Very wise, and more than doubtful of my veracity. Don't know just what would have happened if you fe - lows hadn't been tooling along behind. She was giving me the count-out, when I begged her to take a look through the rear window. That put her out of her stride a little, and , she decided | wo had better part—and here I am. "And here's Paddington. . . Do we get out?" . , , "Any taxis down the approach r The commander put his head out ot tho window and announced curtly: "One. Wrong number. Waste of tune to hang about I should say. Better cet in touch with Sullivan as soon as we can. Mav be glad of anything wo can tell him, y'know." * "Right. Give tho shuvver the oftce, P.Q.R. You're nearest the speakmS?ngn?e gave tho taxi-driver fresh instructions, and a moment or two later, the Honourable Bill, remembers ing something, asked a question. "'You two meet anyone as you ,ett the Paon d'Or?" , "Heck!" ejaculated P.Q.R. I should say we did! I'd forgotten. The swallowtailed little man and the geisha Jane who were in that dust-up at the Golden Carp were just entering. "Haven't wondered what they were doing there, I s'pose?" _ "Why, no! That club is popular with all sorts-" . , r „ "Didn't notice tho fellow who was having a row with your cabby when you took it? M "No; we were too keen tci get after you. Who' was he?" "Your chum Chojiro Ritsuo! "The deuce!" "As I see it he had returned to the Paon d'Or with that pair you met, and now, having time, I'm asking myself why?" , . "Any answer?" asked Commander Patterson brusquely, "Why, yes! Grey matter is fermenting strongly. I'm thinking of what you and I were discussing at the Paon d'Or. What if he had brought that pair to have a little talk with Mitinehaha. after first exchanging ideas with Slier himself?" „ T: "Whv should he?" asked P.Q.R. "Weil, she's running with Monkey Spano, isn't she, or Sullivan is all at sea; and someone has got Michael Swinnerton. What?" "Phew!" whistled P.Q.R. "You think one or other holds him and that they're getting together Middling long shot, isn't it?" "I'm waiting for any other explanation of the facts," answered Pallisier quietly. "Queer thing that Chojiro should hurry back to tho Paon with that pair so promptly, when you think of it. And you and 1 know that the swallow-tailed gent was doing sentry-go in Grosvenor Gardens. Put three and three together an' add all the etceteras and the result is one to make you think and then think again. Looks as if those two crowds had joined up with the Froth-Blowers and were singing the anthem; 'The more wo are together — He broke off. and then added in a ye'ee wrung quite dry of all persiflage: "Ihat match-merchant oF Sullivan's seemsi to have run against it finally, and he was following Spano's crowd. You and 1 were up ■ against tho Japs at the Goldon Carp, a Japanese Official was hand, in glove with Minnehaha at the Paon d'Or, and same man after an affectionate farewell with that little Madonna returns to the club with two of his friends to —to —what d you think?" ~ "To meet that Madonna gun-moll 1 answered P.Q.R. "Yell! As the lady might say. And what about her being a sort of liaison officer between the two parties?" "There aro wilder ideas, Bill,' said llingrose. „ "You can bet on it that there are, replied Pallisier quickly. "One of them being thai; the Lady lp may be entirely 011 her own in the business," broke in tho commander brusquely. "My stars, 1 never thought of — "No need to, Bill," averred Kingrose "If Patterson is thinking that girl is some way crossing Spano and her own crowd he's off the road. Among gangsters that sort of thing simply isn't done. Ip would know that once it - was known she'd be bumped oflf within twenty-four hours. Gangsters don't squeal. They're loyal to their own lodge, and even when shut up never give away their killers. It's an axiom back home that ' Gangsters die dumb.' " "Maybo," conceded Patterson. ' Bub if enough were offered —here in England—there's no saying that tins temptation would be withstood." " Well," answered P.Q.R., " ask Sullivan. He knows tho tribe and he'll toll you." Mr. Sullivan was available when they arrived at Grosvenor Gardens. He was deep in consultation with a. gentleman from Scotland Yard, of the name of Inspector Godbold, who immediately recognised the Honourable Bill. "You in this business, Mr. Pallisier?" he asked quickly.. . , * "On the rim of it," laughed Pallisier. "Acting special constable you know, an' enjoying the luck of the amateur." Then he added firmly:: "I won't bo bundled out of it, Godbold. If you try, I'll start a.P.E.O. and show your department how things should be done." • • . ... "What's a,P.E.0.?" inquired the inspector with a laugh. "Private Enquiry Office," answered Pallisier promptly. "Sort of institution that shows the C.I.D. how much hotter things can be done by .fellows who know their job. What? And remember if you kick I'vo got the start of you, which is the way it always is in—er—real life." "All right, Mr. Pallisier." The inspector grinned. Then the glinlt of mirth died from his oyes, and his face grew grave. "Learned anything fresh !>" "Picked UP several pieces: of the jigsaw puzzle I think. Want fitting into place and all that, but I've a notion they'll bo in tho picture all right when you fit in the iocking piece." "I should like to hear, aiud so would Mr. Sullivan, I'm sure." Cfo fre cdiitinued 'daillyj " * ''