“The Anderley Affair”

Taranaki Daily News, 30 April 1930, Page 14

“The Anderley Affair”

By

JOHN LAURENCE

Ritherdale did not wait for the rest of the sentence He tore down the stairs, and found, to his relief, when he got through to London, that Chalmers himself was at the other end of the .wire.

“There's nothing we can do,” said the latter, when he had digested the hews, “but to wait for Hunter. If Harley": spots him and gives him the slip—well, I don’t know exactly what will happen. They are bound to keep low, I imagine, but I don’t think they will murder her. I will get all the men I can spare making inquiries.”

“I shall book a room here,” said Ritherdale. “Get me on the telephone as soon as there is any definite news, and tell me what I can do.” But Ritherdale was destined not to stay the night at the hotel, nor in fact to go to bed at all that night. As he came out of the telephone box and walked into the lounge again a man came into the hotel and looked round in a startled way. He was carrying a newspaper which he flourished wildly.

“There’s been a terrible accident on the railway,” he cried. “On the four fifty-two.”

“The four fifty-two,” cried Ritherdale sharply,, holding,, out his hand for the paper. “A friend of mine was on that train.”

The paper was a special edition, and there was little. real news of the accident in it. But what there was turned Ritherdale cold, experienced journalist though he,..was. Two of the dead had been identified up to the moment of going to press, and six of the injured. Among the names of the injured was given that of Alan Hunter/ of the Foreign Office, suffering from concussion. There was no mention of Marley, either among the injured or the dead. “How can I get a fast car?” he asked, turning round to the clerk. “At Parade Motors,” answered the other promptly. “Telephone and ask them to send up the best car they have got,” ordered Ritherdale. "Tell them expense is no object, and I shall want it all night. Tell them to hurry.” He turned without waiting for the other’s answer and raced up the stairs' to Lena Oakes’s room and told the two sisters the news. ' ' ■/' “If Chalmers telephones tell him to leave a message for me at the Warden Hotel at Redhill,” he said.' “I shall go there and make all the arrangements so that I can be found. I’ll telephone you here when I get any news.” The reception clerk, who w'a<s firmly

of the r belief that the journalist was

an important detective from Scotland Yard, had evidently impressed the motor garage with the same idea, for when

Ritherdale returned downstairs he found that the car,was already waiting for him Outside the hotel. . “Red'hill, and drive as though the devil were after you,” cried Ritherdale. “If there’s any trouble over the speed limit, ■ I’ll see you . through all ' right.” ( As he sat back he wondered if Marley had been knocked out sufficiently to be taken to hospital.

•He hardly noticed the route the chaffeur was taking, and it was only when the car began to go down the long hill into the town that he stopped thinking of possibilities. At the station he leanit that the injured had been taken to a cottage hospital and the dead temporarily removed to one of the waiting rooms, and „that particular platform closed. c'

He showed his press pasis, and explained that he was a friend of someone on th® train. It was with a certain amount of fear that lie entered the waiting room to begin his gruesome task. A sound of sobbing from one of the seats told him that already some unhappy woman was mourning the loss of someone dear to her. ‘When he left the uniting room he left it with knowledge that Marley was not among the dead. ' ■ ‘ :

As he went down the station steps to the uniting car and ordered it to drive to the hospital he acknowledged to himself that never before in his life had he ever wished or hoped to find a man had been killed in a railway accident. But (better for Marley to be killed, he reflected, than for Floyd to run the risk of (being found out by m’en like Entleman and Cator. Both of them were merciless in their different ways and both of them would sacrifice Floyd to save their own skins.

At the hospital he found that only three of the injured had not been identified. All three were seriously injured and unconscious, and when Ritherdale explained that he was a friend of the two men on the train, one of whom was Alan Hunter, whose name had already been given out', he was taken to the .ward at once.

Two of the men were strangers to him, but the third he recognised at once as Marley.. ■ . < ■

, “That’s the man I know,” he said to the sister who had accompanied him. “Is he badly hurt?” “He’s suffering from broken ribs, a broken arm and shock,” answered the other. “Of course we can’t say yet how serious it is. He will be x-rayed in the morning. Was he a close friend? Has he got a wife or any relatives?” “Then you think it is serious?” said Ritherdale. “No I’m not a close, friend. I believe he has got a wife. I will get in touch with her if you like.” “Well, it may be worse than we know now,” said the sister. “There may be some internal injury. It is difficult to tell at the moment and we have been rather overwhelmed. It was a dreadful affair.” J “What about Mr. Hunter?” asked (Ritherdale. “He was a very close friend of mine. I hope he is not—” “No I think he will be all right in the morning. It is slight concussion, but he was already showing signs' of coming round about half an hour ago.”

“I will leave a message for him,” said Riverdale. “It will ease hie mind when he does recover. Otherwise he •will be worrying and that will make him worse.”

As briefly as possible he told Alan what had happened, and that Marley was in hospital unable to communicate with his friends.

Ritherdale had no intention of letting Marley get in touch with Cator, arid his first step was to ask to see the flight surgeon.

“I already have your name, Mr. Ritherdale,” he said with slight smile. “Two of our patients seem to be rather important, Mr. Hunter and Mr. Marley.” Ritherdale laughed. “They are rather,” he agreed. “You have heard from Mr. Chalmers of the Foreign Office, I suppose?” “And the local superintendent of the police has been here. It was not known definitely until you came and identified Marley that he was one of the injured, and a message was sent up as soon as you had told the night sister. I understand Marley is to be watched. There’ll be a policeman somewhere in the hospital now, I expect. I was told you were coming in a car and every facility ; was to be given to you.” “Good old Chalmers,” reflected Ritherdale. “I suppose he got on to the Cable Hotel the moment lie heard the news and learnt that I had gone off to the hospital.” “That’s very good of you,” he said aloud. “I have left a note for Mr. Hunter. With regard to Marley, I gather he is rather badly hurt?” “I am afraid so,” answered the surgeon. “Though it is impossible to say to what extent until we can make a more detailed examination tomorrow.” Downstairs,' in the hall of the hospital, Ritherdale wondered what he should do. The first thing was to telephone the Warden Hotel and arrange for a room to be reserved for him, and the chauffeur who had driven him. “He’d better drive straight round there,” he reflected. “I’ll walk to the station and pick up a story or tw® for the paper if I can. There’s just about time to telephone something.” - - . The car was a big comfortable saloon and he put his head inside to speak to the driver just as another saloon turned in at the .hospital gates and drew up behind his car,. He heard a deep voice say: “Shan’t be long/Jackson. If Marley’s here we’ll soon find but.” It was Entleman! '

Ritherdale did not move. Entleman was the one member of the four who knew him by sight, • the one man he did not wish to see him. Looking through the windows across the car he saw Entleman running up the steps of the hospital, a,nd Ritherdale promptly stepped into the saloon. “There’s a' car just driven up behind us,” he said to tlie driver. “I want you to follow it. It may be a matter of life and death.” “This car will beat anything on the road, sir,” said the driver confidently. “You asked us to send up a fast one, so we did.”

“You had better back her out of the gates and keep the engine going,” said Ritherdale. “We can’t afford to run any risks.” “I’ll drive on. the; side lights,” said the other. “It’s easy following another car and they won’t- be so likely to spot us. Couldn’t drive fast on them unless tliere was another car ahead as a guide.”

Teh minutes later Ritherdale, beside the , driver, was. keenly "watching, the red tail light of Entleman’s machine as the latter went along the road to Reigate and finally turned off on the Leigh' road. As to Floyd, the neighbourhood. was a strange one to him, bitt the driver said that he knew it.

“Leads, to Newdigate and Rusper,” he said. “Know these roads well. A bit narrow and twisty, but that’s all the better, for they won’t spot us. Could almost drive without lights.”

“When they get to their place you’d better drive straight on and stop when you are out bf pight of the gateway,” said Ritherdale.' “I’ll drop off and go back. You go along back to the warden and get on to the telephone to Mr. Chalmers, or better still, go and see the superintendent of the police at Redhill and tell, him .where we arc, and leave it to him to act.”

“There’s going to be trouble, sir?” asked the driver. “Hadn’t I better hang round.” , “I don’t think so,” answered Ritherdale. “I can take care o>f myself. Better get • back" and tell the superintendent.” ■ * ■ '•'

‘ “I shall be the best part of an hour, supposing he hasn’t much farther to go,”. said the driver. “What’s the time now?” asked Ritherdale, and answered the question himself. “Ten to twelve? I’ll keep an ear open for you about one to half past. Tell the super not to act without-Mr. Chalmers’ advice.”

“There’s Leigh coming,” said the driver. “The road turns round to the left here, and there four roads meet.” As they came round the corner Ritherdale peered anxiously ahead. He could no longer see the red taillight of the car .they were following. “Stop at the cross, roads, and stop your engine,” he said sharply. I m afraid they’ve given us the slip.” “They have, sir,” . the chauffeur emphatically, five-minutes later. Ritherdale shrugged his shoulders. “I’ll get them tomorrow. Better drive back to Redhill. Go another way if you can on the off chance we run across them.”