THE NOVELIST

Otago Witness, Issue 3889, 25 September 1928, Page 74

THE NOVELIST

The Mystery Maker

By

SEAMARK

(Copyright.—For the Otago Witness.)

CHAPTER X.— (Continued). “ You see the neatness, chief ? ” Hawker Baid. “ Varris reports back at the old address, where Tembridge is waiting to take him under his wing. Tembridge is even better at disguises than Stayne himself, as we well know, and you can bet yoyr boots Varris is now unrecognisable, spirited away to some other out-of-the-way dump where only trained rats could get at him. The only piece of advantage we derive from the whole thing is that Stayne’s secret runway is now of no further use to him. We’ve busted that up, and that’s about all we have done.” “ Your use of the plural, I trust, only embraces the outside men on this particular case ? ” Marbury asked. “ It’s not much use jabbing me like that, chief. We’re doing our best and getting the kicks all the time. I’m asking for a bit of moral support from here. If I make the arrest will you guarantee that we go through with it? ” “ Why didn’t you arrest him this morning ?- You had evidence that he was actually with Varris, an escaped convict. The landlady would have proved that. -You could have held him, at the very least, for being an accessory after the fact. “ I was considering doing it. And then Stayne gave me an outline of where we should stand if I did. I couldn’t even prove it was Varris he was with! I couldn't even prove that Varris had ever stayed there. The next thing that would have happened would be to see Tembridge installed there, disguised so that not even the landlady could tell him from Varris himself And then there’s that wretched statement to the press. They would give us the laugh from one enS of Fleet street to the other.” The chief referred to his notes. “ Up to the present moment,” he said, “ spurious bank notes to . the value of £52,870 have been received back at Threadneedle street. More are coming in every day. The matter has now become so serious, and the forgeries so difficult to detect that a special staff is now employed at the Bank of England to deal with it. The average return of fake notes has now’ swelled to £5lO a day. Of all the danger points in this affair Stayne’s is by far the most menacing. Once he became embroiled in it we knew we had a real fight on our hands. For that • reason alone we roped in our best to handle it. And for that reason alone you were put in charge of the men on the road. It’s your fight, Hawker.” Hawker looked diffidently at the empty firegrate. “That means I don’t get the warrant, eh?” he asked. “ Not necessarily. You know Stayne’s end of it better than I do. You know where he stands. You have already told me the line he intends to adopt if we swing a charge against him. It seems to me that as fast as you collect new evidence against him he riposts with alibis -that prove conclusively that he was_ not there. When I say ‘conclusively ’ I merely refer to a judge and jury, of course.” The intonation w’as as moderately regulated as though the chief were discussing the merits of various holiday resorts for that year’s vacation, but Hawker was not deaf to the bitter, accusatory note of failure that bit through it. ° * * * Hawker plunged. “Chief,” he said dispassionately, “ let me put it this way. I can’t do much while he remains at liberty, checkmating every move w r e Inake. I say ‘we ’ because I mean that I am not alone in this, fight—Stayne is twiddling you lound his fingers as much as he is me. I can do a hell of a lot once I get him cooped up in a 12 by 8. Once let me get him isolated away into a cell, and I’ll have all the evidence you want. I’ll bust up his alibis inside 48 hours. I’ll get my witnesses lined up so that Lord Chief Justice himself couldn’t pick a hole in their depositions. I’ll have the whole layout fixed against him so that Lloyds would bet 10 to 1 on a full conviction.” “ Yes ? ” said the chief gently. "I certainly will,” declared Hawker. “ You know as well as I do that Stayne alone planned the escape of Varris from gaol. He alone put it through. He alone has kept him out of my hands ever since. That’s crime enough to sling any man into the jug for a good long stretch. You know as well as I do that he worked that passport business, and you know—better than I do—that he is up to his ears in this banknote swindle.

Marienne Varris went to him right away. Demorvel has killed himself. Lady Demorval doesn’t know which way to turn. The Embassy over there is at its wits’ end, yelping to us for help by every post. Both Varris and his sister were employees there. They know the full strength of it. If they were on the straight, why didn’t they come to us? No. Being crooks, they prefer the crook course. Marienne goes to John Stayne for help, and Varris himself takes five years’ penal rather than open his mouth. That’s the evidence, chief—and it ought to be enough. You know it’s the truth, and I can establish it up to the hilt as soon as I get Stayne shut away. On top of that Stayne tells me he is going over i to Paris to-night. Once he gets over there where will I be? Hey? In the name of God, tell me where I’ll be! ” Marbury looked up and his eyes met Hawker’s. “Stayne goes to Paris to-night?” he repeated.' “ Told me so himself. Boasted it. Chief, you’ve got to give me that wari rant. You know what these French police are. If I’ve got to hold up this business, Stayne has got to go under lock and key! ” Marbury reached over for a new pad. I There was neither hesitation nor diffidence in his voice. • “ You get it, Hawker,” he said. “ I’ll j stand by you, if I have to get remands ! till the cows come home. Why the devil didn’t you tell me about Paris before? Heavens, man, things, have moved too fast even for me. Get him! Arrest him on sight.” Hawker did not pause for thanks. He saw the brief order written and signed. He saw the chief bang his thumb on a bell push and pass the order over to the messenger who entered; and he saw the messenger depart. Without a further word he went out, a rankling sore simmering hotly in his breast. If Marbury had only only done that two days ago—when all the fingers of common sense and logic pointed avidly in that obvious direction—the whole job ■would have been over and done with by now. He went down to his own office and . waited for the order, discussing the j entire case with his team. His own pointed belief was that as soon as he had roped in the Mystery-Maker the whole problem of the Continental banknote swindle would be laid bare. And at last he had got the chief round to his way of thinking. No longer was he harassed with the knowledge that he was working alone and in the dark. The chief was in with him, and the whole power and resource of the Yard was now lined up behind him. He knew the signs; he knew what it meant when the chief dropped that assumed air of courteous sauvity. The mask was off, and the chief was out for a fight. He would stand by now to the last clang of the bell. Hawker made his dispositions, apportioning his men where they would do most good in this new drive. He ’phoned the house opposite, where he had taker the front rooms. “ Anybody arrived ? ” he asked pointedly. “ Yes sir. An old gentleman with a slight paunch and a stoop to his shoulders, - heavily pebbled glasses and walks badly; fallen arches or flat feet, I think. We let him go through.” “ Good! ” breathed Hawker to his crowd. “ Varris is in. We get ’em both together. How long ago was that?” he asked. I “ A little under an hour, sir. Nothing | further has happened. Three men arrived ’-soon after and sent word through. They’re operating at the back, in the house behind Bb. They’re dressed up as , decorator?. You’ll notice them in long white coats. We haven’t heard from them for half an hour, but I reckon they’ve tapped that tunnel by now. They were to report back here again inside j half an hour if they ran up against a snag. Looks to me as though they’ve got through.” * * * “Fine! Hold on there. We’ve got ’em now by the scruff of the neck. Stayne. himself will be along soon—in a few minutes now. He may take some fool disguise, but tabulate every man who goes in. x The boys round at the back j will safeguard that end of it. Arrest out of hand any man who comes out! Get that? Make no bones about «t. Arrest ’em, and I’ll stand for it all The warrant for Stayne is coming through right now; and we’ve got the blighters where we want ’em. They’re I making a break fpr the Continent to-

night, and our job is to grab ’em all before they can get to Victoria. If you let me down on this I’ll rub your faces out. Has the window cleaner been out again ? ” “No sir. I’ve seen him in the break fast room again, in his ordinary kit. He’s changed back again.” “ Well, don’t risk him again. If the butcher boy calls, haul him back to the shop and get him identified before you let him go. That brute could gctTiis living as a quick change artist in vaude ville. Shadow everyone who goes through, if it’s only the rate collector.” “ I’ll see to it,” came the cheerful response from the other end. “ And another thing—has anything come through from our man on the Exchange ?” “ Yes sir. That’s how we knew here, that they were making a break for it. Tembridge has telephoned through reserving two firsts on the Boat train through to Paris.” “ Two ? Sure it wasn’t three ? ” No, sir; two. They booked right through. And a couple of district messengers were sent for later on to see to their luggage.” “ Great stuff, Tom. Which messenger office was called ? ” “Victoria, sir; just by the station!” “Well, don’t even trust them! Question ’em when they arrive and make ’em show their credentials. Bind them to silence and then let them through. We’U have this business fixed up and exploded before the sun goes down. I’ll be along there inside half-an-hour. Keep vour end up.” “ You bet.” Hawker banged the receiver down and hurried through to the great main yard, where his car stood panting against the kerb. In 20 minutes he was round in the front room, the whole atmosphere electrical with expectation. Tom, his sub ordinate, was waiting for him. “The Exchange man has just been through again, sir,” he said. “It was Tembridge on the line. He’s ordered a taxi to connect with the boat train.” Hawker rubbed his hands. “ Planning out fine,” he breathed.' “ Pity that Ex change man wasn’t put on before,” he said. “ How long has he been -at th- 5 board ? ” “Something under an hour. Couldn’t get headquarters’ permission before There s been a hit of love-spat between us and the P.M.G. over it.” “Do they suspect us yet at 8b?” Don t think so. Calls come and go just the same. “It doesn’t matter, anyway. We’ve got ’em cooped up inside.* Varris and Tembridge are there; Stayne is on the way. As soon as they are all in we’ll go up and raid. I’ve got men posted al Victoria, and six have gone down to Dover—just in case they work another miracle—which they won’t, curse ’em,” “ Are you going out, sir ? ” “ Yes. Your orders are to watch—and wait. And act on instructions. Don’t argue about it. Just grab ’em off as they come out. I’m going round to -ee what’s doing at the house at the back. Keep me informed of anything happening by ’phone. Daleson is on the ’phone round there: got the number ? ” * * * “ Sure I’ve got it. Our man is attending to our section of the switchboard. He’s guaranteed me a seven seconds’ service.” “.Great stuff. See you later. I’ll be back again in a quarter of an hour. We may be able to make a surprise entrance from round there and take ’em in the act. I’m just itching to get Stayne napping. He’s had it all his own way up to now. But I’ve got the backing from the inside now-—and I’ll roast the liver out of him.” Hawker hurried down the stairs and out into the bright sunlight. He strode swiftlv down the square and crossed ov the road. All of sudden his pace slacked and he stared. His heart took a violent jump into the region of his throat, and little imps of joy began dancing about in his soul. Coming towards him was bis chief, Marbury, head of the C.1.D.; Marbury, the ice-cold block of logic, the terror of the wrongdoer, the man who held in his hands the swift direction of all the vast authority and power of Scotland Yard —Marbury come to take charge himself! Just for a moment Hawker paused indecisively. There was no mistaking that elegantly groomed figure in the smart Raglan and the soft grey hat. Never a detective on earth looked less like his part than the slim, neat figure walking quietly up that square. But to those who knew him. the look, the walk, the dress, the air of quiet assurance and that indefinable, unanalysable air of authority - that grows round a man in hitrh State employ all betrayed him. “Marbury of the Y’ard.” If a further hall-mark was required it was there in the slim, black cane with the big ivory knob, carried slantwise under the arm at just that well-known angle and the pale lemon gloves slipped casually in his left hand crooked over the stick. Marbury came on, approaching without even a sign of recognition. He took Hawker, flat eyed and square in the face—and looked not at him, but through him, sheer through him, as though he either did not exist or' was as dirt beneath his perfectly shod feet. Hawker thrust a pipe into his mouth and.fumbled for a match, taking a cue long since known between them. “Got a match, sir? ” he asked affably as Marbury drew alongside. “I have—-yes.” The chief stopped, and the box was handed over.

“ Varris is in there. 'Stayne hasn’t turned up yet, but he’s on the way.” Hawker was talking through lips that were stiff and motionless. Marbury turned away indifferently. “ Oh, yes,” he said, in the same odd, ventriloquial way, “and what else?” t “ They’ve booked through to Paris. Next train from Victoria. Two of them. They’re aiming to park Varris somewhere on the way. Two district messengers arrived to fix their luggage through. They’ll be in disguise, -'and won’t risk bobbing up at the Customs. An old trick, but it doesn’t get bv this time.” Hawker puffed away stolidly at his pipe. Marbury carefully flicked a speck of non-existent cigarette ash from his coat sleeve. “Are you going in, sir? ” he asked in between puffs. “ Yes. I’ll hold it from inside. Wait for my signal, before you raid. A blind will be pulled down in the front room. When, that comes down, step into it. lively. But that won’t be until Stayncappears. We can rope in the others and put them on the grid. Tembridge may stay dumb, but I can make Vari is recite his piece. Are you going round to the back ? ” “Yes, sis. I was on the wav. Three men are already round there.” * “It will be a cellar entrance; bound to be. You’ll find the trapdoor and station your men underneath. Then wait tor a signal. Any sort of a noise in the cellar above will do. Knocking over a barrel or loosing off a gun. When they hear that let them come swarming up. The Dover end all fixed ? ” Six down there. With photographs of them all. Stayne they know on sight.” nodded, slightly bored, and hand for the matches. “ Thank you very much, sir,” Hawker touched his hat in polite salute and passed on down the road. The chief continued his quiet stroll up tjie square. At 8b he paused, walked up the steps, and knocked. Belham the imperturbable opened the door.' What sign passed between the two was not visible, but it went over to perfection. Marbury stood for a moment, idly swinging his cane, chatting away as though discussing the advisability of waiting for someone who obviously was not in. .Eventually Belham bowed* held the door wide, and the chief entered. As soon as the door was' closed behind his back he made a leap for the stairs, going up them two at a time. “All ready, Tembridge?” he called through to his assistant on the first floor. “ All ready and waiting, sir. There’s a thousand pounds in notes in your wallet, and your passport is in your pocket.” Stayne was pulling off his moustache as he went up, refolding it _back into its tiny’ silver case. Up in his room he got through to Number One again. “More trouble?” came the soft voice from the other end. “All fixed now, sir. With a bit of fast work from you. I think we can make it. Perrigo goes over to-night. We’re on"his trail all the way.” The soft voice cut in gently. “There must be no arrest, Number Three, you understand that? This matter must never comb up in the courts.” “ Obvious. Perrigo and Canning will not trouble any judge in ermine. They go the way of Kuhlmann, Velpan, Murdis, the Little Dancer, and a good many more we needn’t mention. I will see to all that. Best they’ should die in Paris, 1 think. It will look like suicide and the French police will stand in. Their end is already fixed—and they’ll do it of their own free will! ” “ One day’,” said the chief softly, “you shall tell me how. I’ve yet to hear a story from your own lips—and I think it’s time we met. Kuhlmann was a stroke of genius; Murdis w r as an inspiration. Yes—one day we must meet. We owe it to each other, Number Three.” “ That will be when you are out of harness,” said Stayne with almost a hint of an old-standing grievance in his voice. “ I’ve had perfect help from you up to now—-and now I want some real fast stuff, chief.” “ I know.” The voice at the other end was tolerantly good-humoured, but somewhere in its fibres was that ring of steel, that undercurrent of deadliness that marked the man who dealt continuously in matters of life and death. “ I know —our man has been listening-in top.” » * * A gentle chuckle came over the wire, and the level voice said, “Well? Anything you want from our end will be delivered at your door, in plain vans, tout suite. What can I do?” “ If you’ve been tapping in on the line there isn’t much in me telling you, is there ? ” said Stayne. “ To begin with, I Believe you want two . long-service district messengers. “ Never wanted anything more urgently in my life.” z “ Don’t worry. They’re arranged for. They’re here now dressed and waiting. It is not necessary for you to know their numbers. Commissionaires. I thought they would be better than district messengers, and they’re- nearer to your own height. On a* quick job, I think, they will pass all right.” “ And a taxi driver.” Certainly. I couldn’t see how else you were going to work it. Suitcases are in his cab right now. He shall be at your door in 35 minutes—that it, JO minutes after the commissionaires arrive. Your own order for a taxi has already been cancelled by hand. I couldn’t trust the ’phone. The rank

number is on your exchange, and the Y’ard man might have got it. Was that what you wanted ? ” “ Perfect.” . “ Anything more, then ? ” “No. Except to tell your two men that-they will be questioned by Hawker’s men. . Their job is to get our luggage, take it to Victoria, and book it right through to Paris—register it. The two big suitcases go into our carriage. We already have a whole first class compartment booked. When Hawker hails them just tell them to play up to surprised innocence. They’ll get through all right. Just one more thing. I think you had better send a second taxi to wait for us. The two commissionaires will go off with our luggage in the first taxi. Then the second one drives up a minute or two later. Hawker will let the first one go; only too glad to get the commissionaires out of the way.” “ Agreed.” Again the amused chuckle floated over from the other end. “ That’s all then, chief. And—thank you!” “ Please don’t. I hope the Channel’s flat. To our first meeting.” “ Not, I hope, for years. You are much too smooth to work with.” Stayne hurried out, and relocked the great library into its place. Tembridge he found down in his own room. He was already dressed for his part, looking the capable, dependable commissionaire to the life. His get-up was perfect, even to the thick-soled, industriously polished boots. The knapsack hung across his back at just the. right angle, and his cap w-as as square on his head as though balanced and held there by straps. “ There’s yours, chief,” he said, pointing to another complete suit on his bed. “ They’re watching us from the house opposite. Better change in here.” “ I'll go and show myself in the breakfast room first, just to satisfy Hawker that I’m moving round unmolested. He won’t raid till he gets the signal. That will be just five minutes too late for him to get to Victoria. Where’s Varris ?” “ In the breakfast room, for the same reason—showing himself.” “ How does he feel about it ? ” “ Beginning to like it, I think. He’s all primed and knows just what to do. His taxi-driver’s license came through this morning in the pocket of a suit that had ostensibly just been returned by the cleaners. I’ll say Number One certainly knows how to get things through. The Post Office detectives would never have dreamed of examining that parcel It actually carried a genuine cleaner’s label.” Stayne went through to the breakfast room. As he entered Varris looked up and started badly. His face drained white and he half rose from his chair. Then he said, “ Oh, it’s you, is it ? Gosh, you gave me a. fright.” “ Keep it up—keep it up! ” said Stayne quickly. “'-They’re watching you from opposite. How did you spot me? I got past Hawker with it just now—and he knows Marbury well.” “ That tie,” said Varris grimly. “ It’s the same one you were wearing this morning. You don’t trump the same trick twice, colonel.” For the benefit of those across the way, Stayne raised an imperious hand. “ Come with me,” he said, and Varris, the much-wanted goal breaker, went meekly out. By the time they got back to Tembridge’s room the assistant had got Varris’s disguise ready. The great wardrobe was wide open, and from it Tembridge had taken a taxi-driver’s dress, complete right down to the obvious signs of long usage, and the shortpeaked cap. “ Quick, jump into that lot,” he said, “ I’ll fix your face up as soon as I’ve seen what the real taxi driver looks like. You take his place at the wheel. And you carry on driving a taxi round London till we get back with the job done. As a taxi driver you can get digs anywhere you like. Better take some clothes out into the cab with you; leave them inside with our luggage, and then carry them off with you when you leave the station. Fresh number plates will be in the cab. Change them quickly. The driver will tell you where you garage—somewhere in one of the Government Service garages. The changed number plates won’t excite any interest there, it happens too frequently to that bus.” * * * Both Stayne and Varris were rapidly changing, while Tembridge was rummaging about in the bottom of the wardrobe among a heap of leggings trying to find a pair to fit Varris. Stayne, halfway through making up his face to a dull, weatherbeaten red, tapped Varris on the arm. “ Are you all right for your piece ? ” he inquired. “ All set and ready,” replied Varris cheerfully. “ But you’ll have to give me a minute or two at that wheel before you come out. I’ve never driven a taxi before.” “ You’ll fall into it all right. The gears are simple. Now get this, and don't make a slip, for God’s sake. You will be waiting down in the front hall. The commissionaires will arrive and enter the house. That will give us time to put the finishing touches to our make-up. Then the taxi arrives. The commissionaires—Tembridge and myself —begin carrying out the luggage while the real commissionaires are downstairs waiting in the servants’ hall. The taxdriver stays at the wheel.” “ Yes, I’ve got all that.” “ Belham appears at the front door and asks the taxidriver to give the commissionaires a hand with a particularly

heavy steamer trunk. During the time of waiting ! shall have had time to finish off your make-up to get you as near a,s posisble to the Secret Service driver. The driver 1 enters, 30 seconds elapse, and you reappear, helping us with the trunk. We fasten it down with ropes beside you. You get up on the seat and wait for us. You’ll have time to feel your gears and clutch them. The real driver' accompanies Belham down for a drink. Tembridge and I climb into the cab and you drive off just as the second taxi arrives. Got it?” “ Fine.” Varris rubbed his hands together and his eyes shone. “ You’ll be as safe as houses. No one would ever suspect the man wanted for breaking out of Scrubs Prison to be fooling round London on the seat of a fully-licensed taxi cab. Licenses aren’t obtained as easily as that, and there’s a devilish stiff road knowledge test to be passed. Know your way "round London pretty well ? ” “ Well enough on all the main points. But I reckon I can get away with it. What I don’t know I can ask. And, anyhow, I shan’t be too particular about picking up fares.” (To be continued.)