“The Anderley Affair”

Taranaki Daily News, 7 May 1930, Page 14

“The Anderley Affair”

By

JOHN LAURENCE

CHAPTER XXX. A TRAP FOR SIR HENRY. “You’ve been followed?” snapped Oster. “Why the devil did you turn in here, then?” “Because we shook them off near 'Leigh,” growled. Entleman. “I’m not such a fool as to turn in here with the police a yard behind me.” ‘•'The police ? Where did they pick you up?” “Who else could it be but the police?” asked Entleman. “Somewhere near Reigate, after we turned off the main road, I happened to look back and saw them, and I kept an eye on them. Then we slowed up and so did they. Somebody who knows these roads pretty well.” “You are sure you gave them the slip ?” “Yes. We purposely went half a mile out of our way and then turned back to Leigh,” continued the other. “No one living here would have taken the road we took. If they lived on that road we should have left them behind. If they lived at Leigh or the other side of it they would have turned to the left through the village instead of following the road we took and following us back to Leigh.” “At Leigh four roads meet. We went down a side road and turned through a gate in a field with our/lights out and waited. We could see the lights of the car stop on Leigh Green, and when they found they’d lost us the driver switched oh his headlights. They waited about for ten minutes and then drove off in the direction of Norwood Hill and we came along back.” “Through-Leigh?” asked Oster. “They might have been playing the same game with. you.” “Wo came back a round-about way through Dawes Green without touching Leigh,” pointed out Entleman. “There’s not the slightest chance we’re spotted yet.” “Of course they’ll find out tomorrow or the next day or the day after,” said Oster. “But not tonight. You’d better have a drink to steady yourself. I’ve, been thinking things out while you’ve 'been away. There’s not much to be frightened of, though Marley was worrying.”

“And the man in black,” said Arnlieim.

“You’d better tell Jackson he can come off the gate and go to bed,” said Oster, moving towards the door., “I’ll be 'back by the time you are.” “Where's he off to?” growled Entleman. “He’s" as cunning as they make ’em ”

“Don’t know, don’t care at the moment,” replied Arnheim, with an uneasy laugh. “Think I’ll take his advice and have a stiffener. Last night and tonight have got on my nerves a bit. Marley badly' hurt ?” “Ribs and arm broken and knocked on the head,” said Entleman, pouring himeelf out a liberal portion of whisky and drinking it off. ,“I’ll go and tell Jackson.”

While Arnheim and Entleman had been taking the advice of Oster, the latter was' on his way upstairs to the attic where. Floyd had 'been taken. She had accepted her imprisonment philoso-phically-after her first fears had subsided. * The place was uncomfortable, and she did not exactly look forward to spending the whole night there. She dragged one chair, a little less rickety than the othere, to the small window and looked out on the night. From that- vantage point she had seen all three drive off and return at half-past ten. “I hope I am riot the cause of all the excitement," she whispered to herself. “But if I am I suppose they’ll come up and tell me.” Mechanically she felt her wrist, which was . still sore from the grip Oster had given it. “I think I’d rather that than stop here all night,” she reflected. “I don’t like rate dr mice.”

■She tucked her feet on the rail of the chair at the thought and wished she had got . a candle or a light of some kind. But the attic was not provided with the electric light of the remainder of the house, and at times Floyd thought she heard little squeakings in the dark, which ‘sent a cold shiver down her spine. “No sleep for you. tonight, my lady,” she thought. . “I wish I was like a man and aKvays carried matches and cigarettes. . A cigarette would do me good and I might have a look round.” Her quick ears caught the sound of a stumbling, footstep on the stairs outside, and as she turned to face the door it-was-opened. In the light which streamed through from the passage she saw it was Oster who had. come.

“Arnheim just told me where he put you, Miss Anderley,” .he ' said suavely. “It is not comfortable here." • “A light and a book and perhaps a little ..better furniture would improve it," returned Floyd coldly. “And the view's not too good at present.” “I have come to suggest you might like to go to your own bedroom, where everything is better,” continued Oster. “If'you will* give me your word not to attempt to escape. It might be dam gerous if you did,” he added. “One of the dogs is loose in the grounds.” Floyd shuddered. One experience with Oster’s bloodhounds was quite enough, and if Oster had told her there and then that she was free and could walk away she would not have done so. The next time there might not be a Chalmers to save her at the last minute. . • „ “What are you going to do with me ?” she asked. “I behaved foolishly tonight,” said Oster, ignoring Floyd’s question. “In fact, I don’t mind admitting I lost my temper a little, and I apologise to you for hurting you. But it came as rather a shock to me to find the daughter of •Sir Henry Anderley was spying on me.” “It is not the. only shock you will get, Mr. Oster,” said Floyd boldly, “as Tong as you continue to tell lies about my father. People don’t believe everything they’re told just because you tell them.” She was puzzled at the other's change of attitude and wondered what he meant. And the more polite Oster was the more confident she became. She took his politeness for fear. • “I don’t expect them to do so, Miss Anderley. But you haven’t answerdd iny question. Will you give me your

word not to attempt to escape tonight?” “I shall be too tired to want to,” she answered lightly. “So if you are prepared to accept the word of an Anderley you can have it. But tomorrow —” “Tomorrow you are free to go where you like,” declared Oster. “You can either walk out' of the house or you can have one of the cars to drive you to Reigate or Redhill, the nearest stations.”

Floyd stared at him, trying to fathom what was behind the other’s offer. But his face was half in the shadow and she could make but little of his inscrutable expression. Was it a trap? If so, she could not see in what way. It was no use worrying too much about that now, however, she reflected. To exchange the discomfort of this attic for the comfort of her own bgdroom was something which overcame any fears she had. -

“I’ll think which way I’ll go and let you know after breakfast.” she said coldly. “I am too tired tonight to make up my mind.” Oster stood on one side to allow her to pass, and Floyd could not help giving a little sigh of relief as she stepped out‘into the light. “You are wondering if it is a trap or a trick, Miss Anderley,” said Oster, as he closed the. attic door behind her. “It; is nothing of the kind. I don’t think it wise for you to stay in this house . longer than necessary, that is all. Neither Arnheim nor Entleman has a keen sense of humour.” “And Mr. Marley,” added Floyd. “He had telephoned me,” lied Oster glibly. “And I understand that his wife has welcomed him back with open arms, so to speak. Marley was always popular with the ladies.” He had. no intention of telling her there had been a railway accident in which Marley had been involved. She could find that out for herself on the morrow. ,

“I hope he told you iny cousin was enjoying her holiday,” continued Floyd, anxious, if she could, to find out what had happened to Lena Oakes. “He has seen Miss Trenchard, and she refused to 'tell him "anything,” said the other calmly. “She threatened, I •believe, to make a scene if he interfere with her. Apparently Marley was foolish enough to speak to her in the lounge of the hotel, and that is a little public for private conversations, eh ?”

Floyd laughed. “I suppose it is, Mr. Oster. Goodnight.” The two. had reached the door of her room, and as she turned a key iit' the lock a smile broke over her face. “I don’t believe he’s heard a word from Marley,” she cried to her reflection. in the" mirror. “He was too glib in giving me information, and he’d have been bound to let me know if Marley had found out she was Lena Oakes. As for welcoming him with open arms- —”

She flung her own arms. out. “I shall ! be welcoming- Oster next,’’ she added scornfully. “But I would like to know what’s happening, wliat’s made them change in the last hour or two. If they have found out about Lena Oakes I should have thought they would have been all the more anxious to keep me here.” Although she puzzled for the next half an hour over Oster’s .change of attitude Floyd was no nearer any explanation at the end of the time than at the beginning of it. But she credited Oster with brains, and was well aware that he had not offered her her freedem for nothing. Of the three who sat up talking long after Floyd had fallen into an uneasy sleep, Oster undoubtedly was the cleverest. Both Entleman and Arnheim recognised that, and of the two, Arnheim feared possible trickery on the part of Oster the more, though Entleman expressed the same fear more often in words. But Entleman’s’. outlook was. that of a big man physically and he seldom looked as far ahead as Arnheim. As Oster canie back from seeing Floyd close her* bedroom door he glanced at the two empty glasses on the table. “I see you have taken my advice,’ he remarked. “I hope you feel the ■better for it.” “What about- the Anderley girl?' asked Entleman. "What are you going to do with her?” . ■ ■ “You have an uncanny knack of, hitting the right nail on the head, Entleman,” returned Oster sarcastically. I was just going to talk about _ber., I have- been up to the attic and have had a chat with her.” . “What did.she tell you?” asked Arnheim quickly. ’ - ’ “Nothing. On the contrary I told, her she could go to her own bedroom and tomorrow morning she would be free to leave the house,” answered Oster, watching the other two closely as he spoke. “What the'devil’s the game ?”. demanded Entleman, frowning. “Do you want —” . “My dear Entleman, when will you learn to look facts in. the face?” asked the other. “What possible object is there in keeping her here? We should be arrested for kidnapping, and I don want to be arrested. Supposing sne does go away tomorrow?- What is going to happen? Nothing.” v ri “She’ll go to the police,” said Entleman. , , . “She’ll go to fiddlesticks. What tale has she got to tell the police, or rather the public? That she, the daughter of a murderer, has been spying in my house because she doesn’t believe what I have said about her father. And the newspapers will want to l\ no ''L ow . she got there and that brings in Chalmers. Do you think Chalmers can affor to let them know that he is. practical y working against the police, that one department of the Government has issued a warrant for. the arrest of Anderley and another department has some obsession that he is innocent? The. first thing she will do'when she leaves here will be to go to Chalmers and he won t let her open her mouth.” .. “She’ll tell him where we are,” pointed out Arnheim. . “If he doesn’t know already, ’ retorted Oster. ‘Tie knew all the time we were in Putney apparently, but he too.< no steps to have us arrested. I expect he knows where you live, Entleman and Marley. Why hasn’t he acted? Because he daren’t, because lie doesn’t know enough, because he thinks that there

might be some truth in what we have said about Anderley.” Arnheim nodded his agreement. “That’s sense,” he observed. “And, meanwhile, what are we going to do ?” asked Entleman. “Ever since Oakes was knocked out we have done nothing.”, “On the contrary, we have done quite a lot,”, answered Oster. “We have thrown suspicion on Anderley —” “He threw that on himself by disappearing,” pointed out Arnheim. “And we have found out that Oakes hadn’t got the missing map,” continued Oster. “And . that narrows it down in my mind-r-he gave it to Anderley. When we find him—” “Why don’t we go out to Yanden and have a look round ourselves?” asked Arnheim. “Marley—" “Marley is out of it for a while,” continued Oster coldly. “I have made a few inquiries myself. If we can’t

find Anderley I propose to make him come here.”

“That’s a good joke,” said Entleman sharply. “How do you propose to do it?” “Tomorrow I shall send a little notice to the papers,” said Oster. 1 “It shall run something like this: ‘Mr. Arnheim, who is staying with his partner, Mr. Oster, at the latter’s house near Newdigate in Surrey, intends to sail for Yanden early next week to investigate on the spot what will prove to be one of the most amazing discoveries of recent years.” “Why will that bring him?” “Because Sir Henry is the only man who knows what the discovery is,” pointed out Oster. “And he will believe that we have got a copy of the map J am sure he has . got.” “He’ll bring half Scotland Yard with him.” .J . “He’ll come, alone,” said.Oster. “Men

who have warrants out against them for murder don’t consult. Scotland Yard in a hurry, I can assure you, my friend.” ; “And if he does’” asked Arnheim. “If he does—when he does,” 'eaid Oster slowly. “He can be hidden her® just as well as where hie is now, on y perhaps he won’t be quite so much i own master.” . «.„*, And when, the following evening, Henry Anderley saw the paragraph, » ter had drawn up, it had exact y effect the latter anticipated. - ■„