THE Twelfth Crime A Mystery of Modern London

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 128, 6 July 1914, Page 11

THE Twelfth Crime A Mystery of Modern London

nil nmiin i> By SETON CROSS Author of " The Stoien Governess, " Queen of the Ballet, "The Mill Girl's Secret," etc.

[ COP YBIGHT. J

PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS. ©LIVE BOYD, ward of Peter Holgate, a retired .contractor, who liyes at Chapnam. DAVID M'EWAN, , proprietor of a curio shop. M'Ewan is discovered brutally murdered in his room. t*RANK GORING, M'Ewan'B assistant, who falls deeply in love with' Olive Boyd. He discovers by means of a cypher that M'Ewan's housekeeper has a son, and that Treversh is that son. PHILLIP WHEELER, reporter on the • 'Evening RecoTd,'' with a reputation for "smelling out" sensations. The journalist discovers a woman's lace handkerchief behind a Buddha in the old man's shop. TKe handkerchief was marked "O Boyd." Wheeler discovers from M'Ewan's ! old housekeeper, Martha Pattinson, that both Olive Boyd and Treversh had visited M'Ewan previous to the murder. TREVERSH, a saturnine individual, a friend of Olive, whom Wheeler detects peering out of the side door in M'Ewan's shop. He hopes to marry Olive. CHAPTER XV. (continued). THE GItEAT TEST. •'How's that?" he asked, turning to Goring and indicating a perfect set of finger marks distributed over the surface of the paper. ""By Jove!" ejaculated the other. *' Treversh's?" • "Wheeler nodded and placed the print on to a fresh piece of blotting paper. By the time he had finished his nleal it was sufficiently dry to roll up, and, ■without a moment's delay, he got into his hat and eoat. Twenty minutes later he was at Scotland Yard, sending up his card to Detective J lnspector SuiallHalloa, Wheel.er!" exclaimed the official as his friend was ushered in. "Any news?" • . ; ~ 4< l think so. Have a look at this. And he laid the fingerprints he had secured from Treversh before the detective. i "What is it? The Clapham affair? ; The journalist noddled. Without a word Smallpiece unlocked ft' drawer in his desk" and took from it -a photograph of the impression found en the wall of M'Ewan's bedroom. He laid it beside the paper Wheeler had just brought him. 1 • < The two men ! bent forward eagerly to compare the prints. CHAPTER XVI. PETER HOLGATE WARNED. For some seconds there was a tense fcilence while the two men carefully examined the finger-prints on the impressions Then the inspector! spoke.

"They don't tallyj" he said. "No," agreed the journalist, "they don't." He flicked the ash from his cigarette. '' Well, " he axclaimed, ' 1 this eliminates one factor from my calculations, at any rate." " Whose ; 'finger-prints are they?" Wheeler!hesitated a moment and then, in his characteristic manner, replied by asking another question. '' Have you any records which correspond with' them?" he enquired. "I'll gd and see," answered Smallpiece, and 1 left the room. Although Wheeler, to all outward appearance, was as indifferent and imperturbable as ever, he was secretly' disappointed witli the result. He had felt so certain that Treversh was the man who stole the diamond, and, therefore, M 'Ewan's murderer, that all his previous calculations were upset. The circumstantial,, evidence against him could hardly have been stronger; there was not a single link missing. Treversh was a 1 ' crook'' —he had sent Olive diamonds which, beyond doubt, had figured in the Bond Street robbery—the person who tricked the jeweller had taken part in the murder of M'Ewan. The conclusion seemed so obvious. Yet it had failed. Treversh certainly did not steal the diamond, and the natural inference was that he, consequent!}", was not connected with the curio dealer's death; But on this latter point Wheeler was at variance. Something told him that the man had a hand in the murder—that he was at least an accessory, : either before or after the act. , As for the diamonds —well, they had probably formed part of the "loot" secured by the gang over which Trieversli presided, and had come to him as his share, even as Wheeler himself had suggested to his friend. Just then Smallpiece returned with the fingerprints. 1 * ''You've struck a snag,'' he re-marked,-"We've no record of impressious corresponding to these. Where did you get them?"' ; "I think it. would not be fair to the fellow if T told you," answered Wheeler. "I've evidently made a blunder, and we'll let it rest at that —for the present." • 1 The detective laughed softly. " It's not often you have to admit that. Come what's behind it all?" " I 'll tell you later, Smallpiece,''

answered the journalist. " Probably I 'll have a bit of really interesting news for you before long; meanwhile I am in a fog." , , "You're not the only one!" said Smallpiece, ruefully. Oh reaching home Wheeler found Goring anxiously waiting to hear the ressuit of the finger-print comparison. He told him how the test had failed, and pointed out that, as far as he could see, they must now endeavour to discdver when and how Treversh had obtained the diamond ear-rings. " Well, this is the nastiest knock we've had, Phil," said Goring, bitterly. " It's tumbled our hopes to the ground like a pack of cards." '' It's proved one thing, at any rate.'' ; ''What's that?" "The unreliability of circumstantial evidence," answered Wheeler, grimly. '' Many a man has been hanged on less evidence than that which we collected against Treversh." "But what's to be done? Surely we can't let the matter drop now." "Of course not. There are two things we must, do. The first is to warn old Holgate against Treversh; the other, as I have already said> is to find out where the fellow obtained the diamonds. The one may help the other, though I'm just a little doubtful." "But, the other night you said that if we told Holgate he might question Treversh, and so put him on^isjguard.-" "I did. But then I had not anticipated the finger-prints failing us. What's more, we've wasted enough time and must chance things somewhat. I've half a mind to go round at once while Treversh is still there." "He's not!" cried Goring. - "He! went off a good half-hour since." "By himself?" "No, Olive was with him. I rathey fancy they've gone up to town." Wheeler thought for some time. "Come on, Frank," he said, at length, "we'll tell the old fellow while he's alone; we can then see how he takes it." Together they went round to The Retreat and, in answer to Wheeler's knock, the front door was opened by Peter Holgate himself. "Ah!" lie ejaculated, "so it's the two friends, is it? I hope you've dropped in for a chat. Olive has gone out with Mr Treversh, and I'm all alone.'' "As a matter of fact, we should be glad if you could spare us a few moments on rather important business, sir, " said Wheeler, who had undertaken to act as spokesman. For the fraction of a second a glint of fear shone in Holgate's eyes, but otherwise his expression of affable sur-' prise did not alter. < "Certainly, certainly," he answered. "Come in, both of you." He led-the way into the front room and invited his visitors to be seated. "Iu the first place, " began Wheeler, "the matter is one of considerable delicacy, so that the importance of the information I have to give you must servp as an excuse for what might perhaps, seem unwarrantable interference with your private affairs. It concerns Mr Treversh." • ; The old ,man started visibly and shot a keen,, searching glance, first at' the journalist, then at Goririg. .• "Well, what about him?" .lie asked. "Treversh," the journalist said, slowly ,and deliberately,, "is a thief." . Peter Holgate rose from his chair with- an exclamation of anger and astonishment, • while even Goring was

startled at his friend's blunt announcement. The journalist, however, did not appear to notice the effect of his words and was leaning back, in his chair, with half-closed eyes. "Do —do'you realise the gravity of your accusation, Mr Wheeler?'' asked Holgate, at length. ■'Quite—or I shouldn't be here now." ' "But you dou't expect me to believe it on your bare word, sir?" "Not unless you wish," replied the' journalist, calmly. "I can provide such excellent proof that, if I wished, Treversh could be arrested within twentyfour hours." 'The light of anger, and defiance died out of Holgate's eyes. It was evident that Wheeler's quiet, almost indifferent manner impressed him far more than a wordy and emphatic denunciation would have done. "Will you give me your reasons for making this statement?" he asked. "Certainly," replied the other, and forthwith related how, having tracked Treversli to a low public-house in the 1 orough, he saw him in the thieves' cellar, the acknowledged chief of a gang of criminals. "But are you sure—are you positive that ,the man you saw was Mr Treversh ?' ? asked Holgate, when" "Wheeler concluded. "I am absolutely certain that it was Treversh, and no other." The old man rose from his chair and 'paced the room for some moments, evidently much agitated and bewildered at what he had been told. WTieeier sat ■regarding Mm through partially-closed eyes, while Goring shifted uneasily in : his chair, anxious to learn what attitude Olive's gaurdian would taken. Suddenly Holgate stopped abruptly in front :of Wheeler. "It's impossible! "he said; emphatically. "I tell you you must be mistaken." | A faint smile stole over the journalist 's face, but he made no answer. He was just a little sceptical concerning the old man's belief in Treversh's innocence, which, he fancied, was a trifle too emphatic to be altogether, genuine. And, besides, he had not forgotten the look of fear in Holgate's eyes at the commencement of the interview. "What proof have you, Mr Wheeler?" "You rfeally want proof?" asked the journalist, looking straight at the old man. Again he noticed that glint of fear in the latter's eyes, and his scepticism increased. "Of course"—Holgate hesitated—'"of course, I want proof." | He looked at Wheeler with an expression, so the latter thought, half of jeunning, half of apprehension. I "Perhaps you would be interested to ikuow,'' said Phil, calmly, ' < that! at least one of the diamonds Treversh sent to Miss Boyd was " He stopped to light another cigarette. "Was what?" asked Holgate, with ill-repressed eagerness. " Stolen from Bossignol's siiop in Bond Street," concluded ihe journalist, as he threw away his match. •"Preposterous!" exclaimed the old nian. - ; 4i lf I can prove! nothing else, I can prove that." , . "Look here, Mr Wheeler." said Holgate, suddenly, "it is hardly fair to make these accusations behind a man's rback and expect me—his friend—to believe them. Mr Treversh lias gone away for the week end, but when lie returns on Monday the matter must be