DEAD MEN'S SHOES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23206, 28 November 1938, Page 19

DEAD MEN'S SHOES

By JOHN GOODWIN

CHAPTER CI. "we must save your HUSBAND 1" "Use them! One tiling I want you to do before you go back. Set down in writing your account of the case to date; the facts, the things that happened— great things and trifling tilings. Bring it, if you can, to Griffiths by 11 o'clock to-morrow. You can send a fuller one on your return, and keep us posted. The solution lies at home —between the Stannary Mine and Norchostor. If there's such an answer, you must find it ; if you don't, nobody elso is likely to. Bring it to me, and we'll work it out together. We'll surprise them yet!" Sonia sprang up. "I'll do it! 1 always meant to—and never really believed I could. You've made me believe it! The way you've taken hold of this case and lit it up, from a blindfold story of mine, when I was all in the dark —it's amazing!" Granger bowed to her. a flush of admiration on his cheeks. But Sonia, with a gesture of gratitude, held out her hands to liiin. He took them in his, Mr. Griffiths calmly scribbled a name on a slip of paper. "This address is a firm of private inquiry agents; a large organisation—costly but efficient," he said. "I don't like using such people as a rule. But you might find them useful." "Thank you," said Sonia, taking it. "I'm certainly not going to spare costs. I'll try them. But I think I shall havo to rely on myself." "L think so, too," said Granger. Sonia shook hands with Mr. Griffiths. The next moment she was gone. Granger turned to Griffiths. "That girl's a fighter. >^ o am J, „\ n d if she can get me what I want, this is going to bo the case of a lifetime, Abel. It will make history." CHAPTER CII. A STRANGE INTERVIEW Tho brakes squealed as the northbound train slid into King's Elm station. Sonia collected her despatch-case' hurriedly and jumped out. There was no one to meet her. But it. was only a matter of a two-mile walk. She took the short cut, the footpath across the fields. the journey from London her mind had been rearranging the elements of the Cootc mystery from a new angle—or trying to. Was Granger right? Was McGinness tho man she wanted ? As if in answer, as she passed on to the high road, near the main gate to the park, she saw a tall-figure approaching—a gaunt and pensive face under an umbrella. At first she did not recognise him, so different ho seemed from the Hugo McGinness she had met on the day following Coote's death. She expected no greeting from Mr. McGinness. But on seeing hor he blinked, hesitated a second, and came towards her raising his hat. "Mrs. Chalmers! Can I havo a word with you?" Sonia stopped. He seemed embarrassed and upset. "I suppose —I oughtn't to say anything. But I didn't hear till last night about'* this tragic business of—of—" "My husband's arrest?" said Sonia calmly. "I know, of course, how terrible it mlist be for you and for him. 1 have just returned from Bannister Coote's funeral. I was his executor, as you know. And his friend." Sonia's eyes strayed over his clothes. "Not only did I never hear anything about the funeral, but I haven't even thought about it. I ought to, of course. But, in any case, I could hardly attend the funeral of a man my husband is accused of killing, could 1? Especially when I know he is as innocent of the charge as you are." "Surely, he's innocent! Chalmers not only never had any intention of killing him and it would have been folly if he had; but he didn't do it." "You believe that!" said Sonia, in surprise. "Certainly I do! Mrs. Chalmers, you don't imagine that if I believed the contrary I'd have the brutality to come and offer you sympathy?" "It's so good to hear this," said Sonia. "You see everybody else seems to think he's guilty." "You're wrong, there to start with." McGinness replied. "They don't. Nearly everybody in this district believes the opposite, mainly because those two missing men haven't been accounted for. I want to help your husband. I want to see justice done. It was murder, and if Chalmers is to be cleared, the man who did that thing has got to take his place in the dock. That's what you feel, isn't it?" "I don't know what to think. But I'm beaten. Who is the man?" "You have no suspicion?" She looked at him and made a hopeless little gesture. "None." "What is your husband's belief? He saw a good deal of the inside of the case, didn't he, before he was arrestI ed?" | His eyes were on her face—dark, greenish eyes, watchful as a cat's. Sonia shook her head. "I'd like to talk to.von about that," she said. "Listen," said McGinness. "I've my I own view of this case. Chalmers-has an ordeal to face; he isn't through the i wood yet. There might be even worse j danger for him than he's in now. But j —1 forsec his acquittal; he'll be cleared triumphantly. Mrs. Chalmers, I am a cautious man, but I'm telling you this iu confidence, because I want you to understand that I'm his friend, and yours. I'm working quietly and confidentially on your side. Count on me." "I will!" said Sonia. "It's wonderful to find somebody one can rely on. I feel that you can see farther through this case than anybody. Will you advise me and guide me— tell me what I ought to do? Will you come and seo me up at the house? I'm going there now. There's no time to lose, and we can get on to it right away." McGinness glanced quickly up and down the road. "Mrs. Chalmers, that wouldn't do. The police are going to subpoena mo as a witness in this case. ,\s you will not be one, it's better we should avoid each other —openly, at any rate." "I see. 1 think we could get round that difficulty. But you know best, of course." He pressed Sonia's hand in a cold, bony grip, and, turning away, strode rather hurriedly off down the road, disappearing in a veil of rain. She watched him out of sight. McGinness tlid not hear that queer little laugh of hers. "You double-faced beast!" she muttered under her breath. CHAPTER CHI. "that's tjik chap you want" Sonia still felt the grip of that gaunt, clammy hand on her palm. It struck a chill through her. Granger was right. Hero was the man. McGinness on Brian's side! He had tried so hard to impress that fact on her. And had she not been on her guard he would have succeeded. She halted, thinking. Of one thing sho was quite certain. McGinness. was scared. Sho saw in the first minute that she woidd never get any closer to McGinness. He was suspicious of her; a suspicion that there was no overcoming. Rounding the shoulder of the hill she saw a small, stocky female figure tripping through the rain toward her. A wisp of wet red hair under a trim black hat; a dark waterproof and black

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Author of "Sealed Orders," "Paid In Full," "The Shadow Man, etc. A story of a crime that was beyond solution until a loving girl followed her intuition.

scarf, an impudent little freckled face —Judo Stubbings. Her mouth was pursed in a silent whistle- —a frequent trick of hers. Her eyes lit up as she saw Soiiift. "Hallo!" she said. "Got back, have you? Time you did. Yes —I know I'm a sight. You see, I've been to Mr. Coote's funeral." "You went! Why?"

"1 thought-1 would. I feel all creepy up my back yet. And I'm just that much surer that it was never your man that did him in. "They buried him private at the old Coote chapel in your park, three o'clock. Hearse and coffin from Dorchester mortuary. Police guard—throe coppers in plain clothes an' black ties —they came along with it. Mourners, Mrs. Selby and Deborah. And me. An' old McGinness, last but not least. Ho hasn't been gone long. You met him ?" "Yes."

"Ah!" said Jude. "Well. I can give you news of him, for I've been watching him. That's the chap you want!"

CHAPTER CIV. JUDE AT THE FUNERAL Sonia caught Jude by the arm. "Tell me about this!'' she said. "Come on—we'll go up the park by the side gate. I've got an idea. You say the police were there?" "They were. And McGinness. He was running the slioav. You'd think nobody counted except McGinness. That man's as sly as a rat; but all the time lie's the real big noise in this Coote business. L know it. He settled all about the funeral, never even announced the date—ho didn't want a crowd. I'd never have heard anything about it only for your man Grant. The sexton and masons were let. into the park early this morning. Grant tipped me off. Motor hearse came swingin' up the road right on time—straight from the mortuary. McGinnoss's car followin' it. Then the old Ford from the village, with Mrs. Selby an' her daughter. An open car with them three police in it followin' that. Guthrie's men." "There was nobody else. We all went up to the chapel, where the parson was waiting, the sexton and the two masons who'd opened up the old granite vault outside. That's the family grave. You know the place, don't you?''

"Xo." Sonia stopped at the bridle gate in the park wall, felt for her key, and let .Jude through. "Never been near the chapel. Go on—l want to hear about McGinness." "I bet you do! Let me get at it in my own way. The coffin was fetched out of the hearse, an' the service was hold bv the graveside. Three wreaths of flowers on it: no cards to them, except McGinness's. 'ln Affectionate Memory!' Old McGinness standin' by, got up like a street-corner preacher, his head bowed down. The three coppers to one side with their hats off. "And on the other side the Selby women. Ma Selby cryin' into her handkerchief. She was cryin', too. Deborah as white as chalk, and looking as vicious as a cat. I saw her eyeing me—wonderin' what I was there for.

"I sa.v there were three people mixed up with the killing of Coote, and two of them was there to-day. 1 tell you I'm right. An' it's the masterpiece ever 1 see in my life. They've got a nerve! Those two watching—and the old woman eryin'. MeGinness, he took no notice of the Selbys; never spoke to them or looked their way, first to la.st —they mightn't have been on the earth. But I can tell you he's hand-in-glove with them, for all that. Deborah was in Norchester last night, an' she went to his house. That I do know." "Did she?" said Sonia. "Then surely the police know it, too —if it's worth knowing. That girl was watched; Howe had her watched." "Was she? I don't know. Howe's lost his job. And Guthrie's lot don't seem to think they've got anything on MeGinness. But I'll tell you what J believe, an' I'd bet a year's rent oil it." "Selby killed Coote! And MeGinness knows where Selbv is. He's sitting tight an' running the show for the Selby's. Before Selby got away the night of the murder he fixed things so it would look like Mr. Chalmers' work, an' no way out of it for him. MeGinness is in it up to the neck. The only one he's up against is that girl Deborah, because she's lost Bannister." Sonia stopped short.

"My dear JudcL I don't say I've any fault to find with that. It's clever, and it^ pretty nearly fits; but it's guessing. Who's to prove it? You haven't a shred of evidence."

"Haven't I? But I might get it, and I'm on the way to it. Drat this rain, it's cornin' down heavy—shall we go up to the old chapel? You don't mind —you ain't nervous about that?"

"Yes' —let's go!" said Sonia. "You've given me an idea —my head's swimming with ideas. Come on—what happened then ?"

"As soon as the funeral was over," said Jnde, as they tramped ahead through the downpour, '"the Selby jiair left, and most of the others cleared, too; but MeGinness he stayed behind while the masons hauled back the big stone slab that opened the vault —ran it back with pulleys and cemented it down. A few hundred pounds of granite over Coote.

"I waited till everybody else had gone except McGinness. I knew he'd been keepin' his eyes on me, though lie never seemed to look my way. 1 know a good bit about McGinness. There was a time lie uped to come to the Ring o' Bells a lot. He walked with me 011 the way back to his car. He was uncommon civil, not to say soapy j and he's a way "with him. Wo got talking. He asked if I'd heard about young Chalmers bein' arrested for the murder. Well, of course J had! You couldn't blame the police, said McGinness, but as a lawyer he was pretty sure they'd made a mistake, an' Chalmers wasn't the man who did it." "Did he?" said Sonia. "What did vou say?" "Would I give myself away to McGinness? J said it was rough on Mr. Chalmers, in a way, and rougher on his wife, but, of course, he was for it, anyhow, whether he killed Coote or not.". "Mr. McGinness listened to me. He said I was an uncommon sensible girl, an' had my head screwed on square. When lie was gettin' into his car, what d'vou think that old black crow had the nerve to ask 1110?" "Not to be his wife, T suppose," said Sonia, "and share the Coote legacy with him?" Jude grinned. "No; he said he'd a place open as parlourmaid and to look after his house accounts at Norchester for the right sort of girl, an' would 1 like it? Offered me 30 shillings a week an' two evenings off." "Offered you that!" exclaimed Sonia. "What did you say?" "Looked surprised, an' said I'd think of ifc. He told me to think quick. Surprises you! What should lie want to give himself away by an offer like that for? He's no fool. Queer, isn't it? I'm goin' to take that job. I'm his match. Once I'm in there, there's not much of McGinness's doings 1 won't find out about." Sonia winced.

"Now don't be silly!" said Judo. ' You wouldn't stick at anything to pull your husband out of it, would vou?" "I wouldn't stick at anything," said Soma. "It's you I'm thinking of. That man may get dangerous. I believe invself he is."

Judo tilted her freckled face hack and laughed aloud.

"Him! That old dog would make the error of his life if be tried to get fresh with me. It'd bo all to the good if lie did try it, but he won't. But hero wo are at the chapel. Come on. stou may as well see while you're hero." (To be continued daily.)