JEWELS OF MALICE

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1034, 26 July 1930, Page 23

JEWELS OF MALICE

COPYRIGHT

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

by

ELLIOT BAILEY

Author a# “ Th* J»omu' Paraac* ' Tb* Gir* ie V«Bo«> “ "Tb* Spt(J*r.“ at*- «u.

CHAPTER XXll—(Continued.) A glance Showed him that she was wearing the emeralds, and conversely told him that his confederates must have bungled again. Inwardly he was convulsed with fury, but managed to greet her naturally, almos-t archly. {‘You’ve been a very long time, my dear. Where’s Basil?” With a rush of words the girl told him all that had happened up to the time when she had so unexpectedly run into Joseph Gregory and received back the jewels. Courtney’s eyes narrowed. “Where i* Gregory?” he asked. “Why hasn’t he come in?” Nancy gave him the lawyer's excuse, and Courtney nodded as if he understood. Actually it did not convince him in the least. “What's the fellow placing at?” he asked himself. “Is he a spy, or up to something on hie own? Whichever it is, he’ll have to be watched. How did he really get hold of the necklace, too? Thompson was not the man to leave It, and run, as he describes.” Such were the thoughts that flitted through his mind, but then he turned Jo the girl and forced himself to act as one having no knowledge of the outrage, and filled with a genuine indignation. “I am dreadfully sorry that this should have occt rred, Miss Hylton, and in my own grounds. I shall communicate with the police, of course, and we must do our best to lay the scoundrel by the heels. 1 wish Basil would come back. He might be able to tell us more." Nancy had forborne to mention her conviction that Basil had removed himself from the spot as quickly as Possible, and a moment or two later shp was very glad indeed that she had done so. A sound from the still-open French wtndcw made them turn, and Basil himself appeared. His hand at his chin, he staggered into the room, and it was obvious that he was in parlous case. Indeed, without being able to 8a ? a word, he sank down unconscious. His father bent over him with the others, and his face was black indeed. u “This is Sayers’s doing,” he thought, “The brute! I told him not to hqrt the lad.” A moment’s examination showed him that the boy’s jaw was broken, ettd lifting him in bis arms, he farcied him upstairs and left, him with his mother. Then he came down aT| d telephoned for a doctor. This needless brutality forced his hand in another direction. He might, after ail, have avoided calling in the police, seeing that Nancy had got (he necklace back, but he could not risk the talk that would be caused if he retrained to do so after his own son

had been so badly injured. There- 1 fore he got through to the Herringford station, and was told that a local inspector and a couple of his men would be quickly on the scene. Nancy, of course, had to stay and give her version of affairs to them when they arrived, and also go with them to the scene of the attack. Before their arrival, Courtney had gone out into the grounds to fetch in Mr. Joseph Gregory, but that individual was nowhere to be seen. “Gone home with another bilious attack?” Courtney muttered. And, as a matter of fact, the lawyer, afraid that he might be asked to go inside, was at that moment walking rapidly in the direction of the town. One of the constables, therefore, escorted Nancy home, after she had given all the information she could. Until the small hours of the morning Sir Malcolm Courtney paced his study floor. His thoughts anent his associates were bitter in the extreme, and he promised himself that it would go hard with them, Sayers especially, when he met them next. For the rest, his mind was mad© up. Henceforth he would go alone —and alone he would not fail! CHAPTER XXIII. The morning after that not unexciting evening at Herringford Court saw Cosgrove, Bruce and Nancy discussing it at the Cottage. Bruce’s injured foot was now almost normal again, but his face was clouded and perturbed for it seemed to him that the girl was in danger now wherever she might be. If there was on© place where she might have expected to be safe it was surely at the Court, and he had just voiced that sentiment. Somewhat to his surprise, Cosgrove did not appear to enthuse over his argument. . , “I'm not so sure,’ he said, thoughtfully'. “I know he’s the local magnate and all that, but there are one or two points that have struck me all along concerning Sir Malcolm Courtney. First of all, his sudden cultivation of Miss Hylton; secondly, the hints about jewellery thrown out by his wife which induced Miss Hylton to wear the emeralds last night; thirdly, as I have ascertained in the town, that Sir Malcolm is head over ears in debt—and that consequently possession of anything of the value of that necklace would be a godsend to him; fourthly, that this latest attempt to obtain them took place on his ground. A rather curious sequence when you come to think of it." „ *-y—es, when y'ou put it like that, was Bruce's doubtful response. “All the same, the fellows in the motorboat had nothing to do with Courtney, nor the bloke with the beard and lead piping on the shore —nor the masked man in London either, if it comes to that.” ~ _ “As far as we know, said Cosgrove, quietly. Bruce shrugged bis shoulders. “What do your fellows at th© Yard think about it?” he asked. Cosgrove laughed. ‘‘They’re bored »tiff about it,” he answered, frankly. After the attack on Bruce and Nancv bv "Bud” Sayers in the cove, he had divulged his identity to the girl and had obtained her sanction to tlie case being taken up officially. Even then she had not been keen about police intervention, and it was mainly the thought that association with her was bringing Bruce into danger that caused her to consent. At once Cosgrove had gone up to the Yard, only to find them up to the

ears in a baffling series of London I crimes. They had listened to his | rather fantastic narrative, and told him to carry on and call upon them if he wanted assistance, but it was evident that the vicissitudes attending 1 Nancy’s emeralds were small beer in their eyes. Now that the local police have been | drawn into it, are y-ou going to voice I your suspicions of Courtney to them?” I Bruce persisted. j “I didn’t say I had suspicions,” w as j the quick reply. “I merely pointed ! out a set of circumstances that may, 1 j or may not, have som‘e significance. I t doubt if I shall say anything to the I local inspector—yet. If you believe j the great man can do no wrong, how | much more is he likely to do under : the latter’s spelt. All the same, Miss Hylton, I tell you frankly that 1 shouldn't wear the necklace again at Herringford Court, in case temptation proves too strong for someone we needn’t particularise further. I'm not sure,” he added slowly, “that I should : go to the Court at all if I were you.” Both looked at him in surprise. “Why ever not?” the girl exclaimed. “I must, as a matter of fact —to inquire after Basil. I maligned the poor boy 1 most fearfully, thinking, he had run away and left me in the lurch. Instead of which he put up a jolly- good fight.” If a twinge of jealousy stabbed ’ Bruce, who shall blame him? But he was a good enough sportsman to understand the girl's feelings. “Yes,” Cosgrove admitted. “I suppose you must do that. All the same, except for that, give the Court a miss for a time. No, I’m not going to tell you why; not now, at any rate.” Leaving the reason of his caution a mystery, he broached another subject. “It’s a curious thing Sam Rugely disappearing just now.” he remarked. “It is,” agreed. “I was just coming to that. Mrs. R. thinks he’s off on a razzle-dazzle in town, and, has gone into Herringford to find out if he took a ticket to London. H© clid once before, I understand, the bad old man, and stayed away for a week. He’ll get it in the neck from her if lie’s done it again!” “That's quite possible,” Cosgrove said. “I caught him myself sneaking back from one of those day-trips when he was supposed to be getting eggs on the cliffs. This time, however, he’ll have to explain his movements to me. It’s just possible he was concerned in last night’s fiasco, but iu that case he s throwing suspicion on himself by being absent just now, and I dou’t think he's such a fool as to do that. Hello! Here comes one of the local police.” He strolled out to meet the uniformed constable, to whom, seeing that he would have to work with the local force now, he made himself known, and through the window Bruce and Nancy saw them engaged in earnest conversation. When he returned the constable came with him. He had asked for Mrs. Rugely. “The mystery of Sam’s disappearance is cleared up,” Cosgrove an nounced gravely. “He has been found lying on the downs, dead—murdered ” “Good heavens!” Bruce and Nancy exclaimed with oue voice. “Whereabouts on the downs?” Bruce inquired. “In the middle of a patch of gorse not far from the side gate of Herringford. Court. Some boys found him. He had been stabbed.” Nancy looked startled, j “I know that patch of gorse.” she 1 ; cried. “It was just there that l came j across Gregory examining my neckjlace!” | Cosgrove stroked his chin. “In the words of Alice,” he observed, 1 “this case grows curiouser and | curiouser!” CHAPTER XXIV. \ While the council of war was being , : held at the Mill Cottage, one of a very ■ ; different nature was taking place in , ! the library of Herringford Court. The : local police had, for the time being at: i any rate, ceased their ferreting about i on the scene of the previous night’s i outrage, and even if they had not it i would have been very unlikely that t they would have paid much attention 5 to the three men who were evidently s such close friends of Sir Malcolm

Courtney that they sauntered across the lawn and climbed informally over the low sill of the library window. Courtney was waiting for them, and he greeted their arrival with a scowl that informed them that he was In a vile temper. As soon as the last of them had crossed the threshold, he pulled down the blind, ostensibly to keep out the morning sun, but actually to prevent anyone outside from seeing what went on inside the room. Then he turned and eyed them. “Sit down!” he snapped. With something of the guilty air of schoolboys called to their head master’s study, they obeyed, and once more Courtney’s chilly gaze swept over them. “So” he drawled, “you have failed again! I am well served, aren't I?” His face hardened. “But for the moment that can wait. There is another matter I want to discuss first. Which of you broke my son’s jaw?” He regarded them all in turn, his accusing gaze finally resting on Sayers, to whom the eyes of the others were also directed. The American winced uneasily. “Well,” he said sulkily, “I had to hit hard —he took a lot of knocking | out—-but I’m sorry If I hurt him.” ! With an unexpected spring, Court- ; uey, who had also seated himself, came to his feet and snatched down a hunting-crop that was hanging on the wall. “You brute!” he exclaimed. “Y’ou struck him with something more than

“SAVAGE- HEALTH MOTORS (as used by Mabel in "Gold Diggers”) for home massage and increased vitality Free Demonstration Ring 44-600. Domestic Vacuum and Radio Co.. Queen Street (opp. Civic). —2-

your bare fist. The doctor says so, and if you did I’ll—” Like a cornered rat- —and as dangerous—Sayers crouched back in his chair, eyeing the crop, but it was Merrill who saved the situation. He, too, sprang up, and grasped Courtney’s raised arm. “Be careful, be careful,’ he urged. “A fracas now might be fatal. You are mistaken, too,” he lied glibly. "Sayers used nothing but his bare fists—l was with him, and I know. The fact was that th© boy put up a very plucky fight, and he had to hit harder than at first h© intended to. If Basil’s jaw is broken it is lamentable, but it was an accident —some brittleness of the hone, no doubt. I swear It.” It seemed doubtful at first whether Courtney would allow himself to be persuaded, but he had always found Merrill reliable hitherto. Moreover, the pause had given him time to realise the unwisdom of an open quarrel with Sayers, one, too, that, would take on the characteristics of a phy slcal struggle with all its accompanying noise. Almost reluctantly, it appeared, he laid aside the whip and subsided heavily into his chair. Then, with a visible effort, he thrust the subject aside and dropped back into his customary satirical vein. "Suppose,” he went on, “we discuss the remainder of last night’s events. You, Merrill, and Sayers, did your bit—a trifle too efficiently. But I should like to know how Thompson failed." It was now the latter’s turn to come under his leader’s obvious scorn, and it was certain he did not relish it. “I didn’t fail,” he grumbled, “not at first. I grabbed the necklace and made off, with the girl after me, but I soon lost her. It wasn’t till I was through the gate that I ran into trouble—”

“Aud let a worm like Joseph Gregory take the necklace off you,” Courtney interrupted, his eyes glinting dangerously. “Slippy” Thompson stared. “Who?" he asked. “X don’t know what you mean. It was that bloke who lives at Mill Cottage that I met—Sam Rugely—an old lag himself, If you want to know.” It was Courtney's turn to stare. “Rugely?” he muttered. “Then how did Gregory—? But go on,” be added aloud, “What happened theD?’ Thompson looked sheepish. “He spotted me looking at the sparklers,” he admitted, “and told me to hand them over. Naturally I was not having any, but he was too quick for me, and landed m© one on the jaw as hard as Bud —” He broke off hastily, realising ifresh that Bud's exploit was not popular. “ . . . hard enough to knock me j out,” he finished lamely. “When I i came round again, Rugely had gone, j and so had the sparklers.” He made no mention of the disappearance of his knife, well aware that the leaving of this clue would infuriate the already ruffled Courtney. The latter was frankly puzzled. Ha believed Thompson, but in that case there was something fishy about Gregory's yarn. Were Rugley and the lawyer in collusion? he wondered. But that for the time being must wait. Just now he had other fish to fry. Once more liis sardonic glance swept over tlie uneasy trio. “You realise, of course, that for the present this is the end,” he told them. “We can make no further move while the police are buzzing around like flies. It’s a good thing it’s only the local force, and not Scotland Yard. The best thing you three can do is to return to London and lie lew until I give you the word. Y'ou, Merrill,

and Sayers can start at once, but I want a word with Thompson alone before he goes.” He pulled up the blin 1, and the pair of them departed the way they had come, and as soon as they were out of earshot Merrill turned to the American. “I’m glad I’m not in ‘Slippy’s’ shoes,” he remarked. “He’s going through it for losing that necklace, mark my words!” “Slippy” himself was of the same \ opinion. As sullen as Sayers had been, i he sat in his chair and waited for the 1 storm to burst. CHAPTER XXV | Courtney watched the departing j Sayers and Merrill through the win- i doiv until they were out of sight, whiio J “Slippy” Thompson stared malevo- j lently at liis back. Under his coat the j latter carried a duplicate of the knife ; he had lost on the downs, and he ; vowed he would produce it if Court- j ney tried any more funny business with the riding crop. To his surprise, however, the other’s atttitude was mildness itself when a! length he turned from the window. He motioned toward a whisky decanter in a corner of the room. “Mix yourself a drink, ‘Slippy.’ “ he invited, “and then listen to what I’ve got to say.” While the other was carrying out his instructions, he appeared to 03 marshalling his thoughts. “Now, ‘Slippy.’ ” he said presently, when he saw that his companion had added a very little soda to a generous allowance cf whisky. “I’m going to trust you more than perhaps I’ve

trusted any man. But—in case the fact should go to your head—l will first of all take the liberty of reminding you of two little knife affairs in London the chief actor in which the polics would give their ears to know. Now I could tell them —if I had reason to Yon understand me, don’t you?” The crook passed his tongue over his lips. . . . . J ,4 I get you. boss,” he whined, but you don’t have to threaten me. you don’t. I’m on your side, I am. 1 shan't let you down.” Courtney, who knew that he would sell his grandmother if it were made worth his while, smiled unpleasantly. Nevertheless, he affected to take him at his word. “A very right and proper attitude. ‘Slippy,’” be remarked, hiding the sarcasm which underlay his word" “Very well then; now that's settled I'll be more explicit.'* *To be Continued on Monday.!