“FIND THIS MAN”

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 52, Issue 3771, 19 June 1936, Page 4

“FIND THIS MAN”

By

AIDAN DE BRUNE

(The Author of “ The Dagger and Cord,” “ The Shadow Crook,” “ The Unlawful Adventure,” “ The Grays Manor Mystery,” etc.)

CHAPTER XIX. For long minutes there was silence; the two girls crouching close to the door, terror in their hearts. They could hear Charlie Western tramping up and down the corridor. Once they heard the lock of the door opposite click followed by the gruff command: , “Get into your room, damn you!” Then slow and careful footsteps came to their door. Someone, they believed the man, was standing close to the panel, listening; the girls believed they could almost hear his heavy breathing. Then followed another spell of silence, broken by a heavy rapping on the wood of the door. “Miss Breton!” The man’s-voice was soft and silky. “Are you there, Miss Breton?” For a moment Ivy did not reply, then: “I am here. What do you want?” Charlie Western did not answer. Ivy thought she could hear a low chuckle. The handle of the door was siowly turned and the woodwork creaked under the sudden pressure applied to it. “So you are there!” The man’s voice held a satisfied note. “I want to speak to you. Will you unlock the door please?” The girls remained silent. Again a long pause and then the restless feet of the man beat on the floor of the corridor outside the door. Suddenly the steps turned and the girls heard them retreating towards the head of the stairs. “Where has he! gone?” Mary breathed the question into Ivy’s ear. The younger girl turned—then laughed at the sight of her companion. “Oh, Mary! If you could only see yourself! You do look funny!” Mary ran to the mirror, to give a little gasp of horror. She was in her outdoor things; her hat pushed rakishly to the back of her head; her hair tangled and towsled; her dress rumpled and torn. “You look as if you had been in a street fight.” Ivy could not control her laughter. “It wasn’t much better.” Mary’s skilful fingers were rapidly repairing the damage. “Oh, Ivy . . . . ” “What happened?” The younger girl came and sat on the foot of the bed. “Did you go out?” Many nodded. “I had a telephone message from Mr Kithner—or I thought it was from him. He wanted me to go down to the office about some matters that seemed to be in a muddle. That was about an hour and a half after you left the house. I got ready and went. There was no one at the office and the place was in darkness. There was no one in the building.”

“Richard Kithner?” “I think so. You know his voice is very similar to his father’s.” “And then?” “I was angry and worried—but I never suspected what had happened. I came straight home and went up to my room. Just as I got to the head of the stairs that man ” “Charlie Western ” “I think it was him. He caught hold of me. Then another man—l think he was Richard Kithner—helped him bind and gag me. They carried me to this room and flung me on the bed. Richard Kithner asked me where the securities were. I wouldn’t answer. He told me they would make me and and threatened ..... Oh, Ivy, they threatened unutterable things!" “You poor dear!” Ivy thought for a few moments. “I wonder what they did with Faith and Alice?” “I think they are locked up in their rooms, upstairs.” “But The younger girl was plainly astonished. “How do they expect to get away with it?” "I don’t know. No, that is wrong. I think I understand. Charlie is . . ...” She paused and looked at her companion significantly. “I won’t!” Ivy spoke viciously. “Oh, I heard him. I know what he and his mother propose to do. But . .... I won’t marry him! I Won’t .... whatever he does!” “It is the only way we can get out of it. If you get free . ... ” “That’s the one thing I am going to do.” Ivy laughed. “Go on, dear.” “Then Mrs. Western came in and sat on the bed and dropped oil and butter all around me. Ugh! She’s awful; worse than the men. She told me that you had become insane that the doctor had been called to you.” “But ” Ivy was astonished. “You knew where I was—at the Union Club.” “They told me that you had been taken ill there and had been brought home. Then, when you recovered consciousness you were entirely mad. Mrs Western told me that she had only just arrived at the house and . . . and I thought there was something in that, for she was still wearing her coat and hat.” “What were the men doing while she was up there with you?” “I don’t know.” Mary hesitated. “I think they were down in the library. Richard Kithner said something about the safe, as they went out of the door.” “But how did they open the safe?” “I don’t know.” Again the girl hesitated. “You told me that Charlie Western had lived here for some time. He may have got hold of a key of the safe—or taken a mould of it, perhaps.” Ivy nodded. The supposition was quite probable. Charlie Western had used his stay in the house to get hold of a key to the front door. Then she remembered. When she had first gone to the library she had placed her bag on the desk. In it was the key to the safe. She had left it there. In fact, it was there at that very moment. The safe must have been opened between the times she first left the library and her return. That would explain the unknown person she had bumped againsj; in the dark. “I think I understand.” Ivy spoke slowly. “Richard Kithner telephoned you to go down to his father’s office; making believe that he was his father. That would be about half-past nine. I suppose you told Faith and Alice that you would take the key and let yourself in, when you came back?” “Yes.” “Then Mrs Western and her son came. More than likely they did not arrive until the maids had gone to bed. I know they like to go to bed early. They locked them in thenrooms and tried to find the securities. They couldn’t find them and waited for you to come back. Oh, it was easy—so easy—and we fell into the trap they set.” Mary nodded, miserable. “I let you down, dear,” she said. “But I never thought ” “Who would have thought they would have done such a thing.” Ivy laughed mirthlessly. “But now they have the bonds and shares what more do they want.” “To safeguard themselves.” The elder girl spoke with conviction. “By forcing me to marry—that.” Ivy made a grimace. “Well, I won’t —that’s definite. So there you are! Now that what are we going to do?” For a long time there was silence. What could they do? They were locked in a room in the upper part of the house, with no chance of communicating with the outside world. In the corridor, without the room, prowled a man, untterly unscrupulous. He had found the money he had come in search of. Now he had to safeguard himself—and there was only one way of doing that. He had to force her to marry him. If only she could get out of that room, with Mary. She could do that, true. She had the key in the lock,

inside the dor. But she had to get down to the library—to the telephone. What would she do there? Ivy’s face flamed. She knew what she would do—try to get in touch with Jack Lome; call him to her aid. He would deal with these scoundrels effectively. But, where would she find him? Suddenly she remembered. Jack had said that he would be at the shop early that morning. He expected a truck-load of stuff to come there about six—for the truck would have to go out to one of the nurseries for another load that was required that day. She looked at her watch. It was just four o’clock. She had about two hours to wait—two hours in which to plan how to get down to the library. She settled herself on the bed more comfortably. She must find a way! The sounds of steps in the corridor brought her alert. They stopped at the door and there was a long pause. Ivy guessed that the man was listening at the panel. She motioned Mary to silence. He must not know whether they were still in the room, or not. Again came the hard knocking at the door. Neither of the girls answered. “Miss Breton!” The smooth, oily voice held a rough edge. “Oh, come on! I know that you are in there with that other girl. Open the door and let’s talk things out. Come on, don’t be a fool! We’ve got the money. If you’re sensible you can have a share.” Charlie Western was offering her a share of the securities he had found in the safe. Why? Ivy tried to think. If she was right in her interpretation of her godfather’s will, then the money belonged to him and his mother. She had no claim to any part of it. What did the man’s offer mean? Were they afraid she would prosecute them, when she got free? Prosecute them, for what? True, they had told the constable that she was mad. Again she laughed, silently. Had she not been mad, in that wild scene in the library? There was some other reason for their action—for this man’s offer. He was lying, of course, or .... . She strove to remember the wording of her godfather’s will. There had been legacies left to persons who served him. She had been left the buhl box and its contents. She had been given the use of the house and furniture for three months; then it was to go to Mrs Western. How could that be interpreted? Mr Kithner had told Mrs Western that the house and its contents were the residuary part of the estate and that the testator’s debts would have to be paid out of their sale. That, if she wished to keep the house and furniture she would have to pay the debts out of her own pocket. Then, everything in that house, except her personal belongings and the buhl box, belonged to Mrs Western. But, could she claim the securities that had only been brought into the house the previous day. Hao! they not been given to her, Ivy, under her godfather’s definite instructions ? “Come on, Ivy; don’t be a fool! I shan’t harm you!” A long pause. Then the man flamed to sudden anger. “Wlell, stop there, if you want to. You can't get out and you’ll get nothing to eat while you keep that door fastened. You’ll come out, soon enough, and I’ll be waiting for you.” Impatient steps went down the corridor and a door slammed, loudly. Still the girls waited. Again Ivy looked at ,her watch. The hands were slowly approaching five o’clock. Only an hour to wait; and in that time they had to get out of that room and down to the library. For another half-hour the girls waited in the bedroom; then Ivy softly turned the key in the lock. She believed that the time had come. She opened the door and peeped out. There was no one in the corridor. Very softly, she crept to her godfather’s door and tested the handle. The door was locked. How could she secure that door, if only for a time? She laughed quietly as she returned to the room where Mary waited. Tearing one of the sheets into strips she wound a strong rope; then beckoned to the other girl. In !he corridor, she secured the rope to the handle of the door where Mrs Western slept, then shut the door of the room they had just left and strained the other end of the rope around the handle. Now Mrs Western was 'a prisoner. Beckoning Mary, Ivy left the head of the stairs. There she hesitated. If only she could find the room where

Charlie Western lay she would fasten that door in a similar fashion. But it would be dangerous to delay and search. They must go down to the library at once and telephone for help. ' The house was as silent as a tomb as they crept down the stairs. In the library, Ivy glanced about her quickly. She gave a gasp of relief to see the Revolver lying on a corner of the desk. She picked it up and turned to the door, locking it. Again she glanced at her watch. It wanted twenty minutes to six o’clock. She dialed Jack’s number, and waited. If only he was at the shop, waiting for the carrier! The steady buz-buz of the hell alone came over the line. There was a movement in the hall, outside the door. fiomeone was creeping down the stair*. The handle of the library door was softly tested. A muttered oath came through the door. Another glance at her watch and again she dialed the florist’s shop. For long minutes there was only the buz-buz of the bell coming over the line. Then followed the click of the connection. Almost at the same moment something heavy shook the door on its hinges. “Quick, Jack! Quick” Her words were followed by another crash at the door. One of the panels split from top to bottom. “You’ll lock yourself up, will you?” The voice outside the door was thick and full of passion. “I’ll get you out, my girl, and then look to yourself. You’ll do what I want, or .... ” “Jack .... it’s Ivy . . . Muriel France speaking. Come to ... to IVy Breton’s house. Oh, quick, quick! He’ll get in if you don’t make haste!” “Muriel, is that you?” Jack’s voice came over the wire, anxious and hoarse. “Where are you? At Miss Breton’s? What’s the matter?” “Oh, don’t talk! Come quickly. Mary and I are in the library and Charlie Western is trying to break ■ the door down. Oh, come and save us! He’s going to .... ” A rapid series of thuds pounded on the split panel, splintering it from top to bottom. Another couple of blows and part of the wood fell into the room. A face—lvy hardly recognised it as Charlie Western’s—peered in at the' opening. The girl sprang to her feet and seized the revolver, “Keep back, or I’ll fire!’’i “Ivy, you daren’t!” Mary was crouching at the younger girl’s feet, behind the desk. “You’ll .... you'll kill him!” “Kill him! The beast! I wish I could!” The girl was sobbing.with excitement. “Kill me? Would you?” Again the man crashed his weapon at the door. “Just you wait until I get my hands on you!” “Charlie! Charlie, dear! What on earth are you doing?” A highpitched female voice sounded from above. “Your fault!” The man turned on his mother with a snarl. “I told you to watch those girls and you let them get down here. Go upstarts, I tell you! Keep out of this! That girl’s got a gun, and she’s mad!” Again the door shivered under a hail of blows. Ivy raised the revolver, her face white and strained. Very deliberately she pointed the weapon at the door and pulled the trigger. The sound of the explosion filled the library; the acrid smoke made the girls cough. Then something heavy fell in the hall, outside the door. “My God! You’ve shot him!” The elder girl threw herself face downwards on the floor sobbing. Thunderous knocking came on the front door. For a moment Ivy could not understand. Then realisation came and her face cleared. She laughed hysterically as she ran to the door. “Jack! Jack! I want you; I want you!” She flung open the door and with a queer little cry fell unconscious across the threshold. (To Be Continued).