“The Anderley Affair”

Taranaki Daily News, 16 May 1930, Page 14

“The Anderley Affair”

By

JOHN LAURENCE

“Not at present. Spring it on them if wo make any discoveries,’’ said Hawes. Chalmers laughed softly to himself as ho went out. The superintendent was a good enpugh man in his own line, good at collecting facts, but he was rather behind the usual brilliancy of tho Yard in drawing conclusions from them. One© ho had formulated a theory which would fit the facts as ho knew them, ’ho was not prepared bo admit there was any other theory. In this case Chalmers felt that he could not very well blamo Hawes, for more brilliant men than he were firmly convinced of Sir Henry’s guilt. The facts certainly were damning. He had no doubt, either, when the superintendent had finished his search of Sir Henry’s house that tho facts would bo more damning still. “Weren’t you afraid I should warn the servants that a search was being carried out this afternoon, Hawes?” ho quizzed the superintendent as the two were passing over Putney Bridge just before three o’clock.

“These things have a habit of leaking out,” returned the other cautiously and naively. “I took a few precautions to see this one did not.”

Chalmers smiled to himself. He would have done exactly the same in the superintendent’s place, and there yas no doubt about tho surprise of Jennings the butler, who had been left in. charge, when the two motor-cars drove up to the house with a dozen detectives on board. Hawes intended to jnake the search a very thorough one. The detectives, evidently acting under previous orders, spread themselves out over the bottom half of the house, while Hawes himself, accompanied by Chalmers and Jennings, went up directly to Sir Henry’s dressing-room “I have reason to suspect that some of Sir Henry’s clothes .have been stolen, Jennings,” announced Hawes, who had no intention of giving away tho real object of his search for the moment. “They may throw a light on the murder. Whether one of the servants is concerned or not I don’t know. We have found some clothing of Sir Henry’s. Can you tell us what is missing?" Chalmers set his lips. He didn’t like traps of this kind, but it was not his affair and he could not interfere. The imperturbable Jennings betrayed no astonishment at what the other had said, nor did he ask the obvious question which arose in his mind as to the number of men required to come from Scotland Yard to find whether some of his master’s clothes were missing or not. He immediately 'began a search of Sir Henry’s wardrobe as though ho had received. an everyday request. “I can assure you, sir,” he said quietly as he laid a number of suits on a table, “that all tho servants are absolutely trustworthy. Sir Henry trusted us and \ye trusted him.” “He seemed to have a lot of clothes,” remarked the other.

“Not more than usual for a gentleman in Sir Henry’s position,” said the butler in dignified tones, and then, “I am afraid you aro right, sir.’: Sir Henry’s black' suit. I just wanted to rnalke sure.” '

“Sir Henry may have given it to one of the servants without telling me,” said Jennings, who was a little puzzled by tho obvious pleasure the detective had taken in the discovery. “We’H have' a look through" their wardrobes later;” said tho supefinenden. 'i ■ , ' CHAPTER XXXII. SUPERINTENDENT’S DICOVE RY. It was some time before Jennings had finished making an inspection of the minor articles of clothing “I can’t definitely say about things like shirts and socks and ties,” he said at last. “Sir Henry always kept a good stock, and if one was missing I should doubt if I would know. The only thing I can’t find is a black silk muffler of Sir Henry’s. It was a favourite one of his that ho often used.” < “Ah, that’s significant,” cried the superintendent. “Beginning to- come round to my point of view, Chalmers?” “I am interested in your discoveries,” returned Chalmers cautiously. “Though they don’t prove —” “If ho’s here that will be the best proof,” chuckled Hawes, who was wellpleased with himself over the discoveries he had made. Chalmers tek out his handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead. “It’s hot in here, Jennings,” £o remarked. “I don’t, notice it,” said Hawes, and, turning towards the servant, added, “Get all the servants into ono room, all of them, mind you; the outside servants as well. We’re going to search his place to see who —what you are hiding.” The face of the butler was a blank, nor did it change as he said respectfully, “Very well, sir. Is there anything more I can do here?” * “No,” answered Hawes curtly. “I shall be down in a couple of minutes. Ask tho inspector to come up.” He walked over to the dressing-table, and Chalmers watched Jennings go out of the room. At the door he turned swiftly and there' was a look his face which would not have pleased the superintendent if ho had turned round. But somehow it brought relief to Chalmers’ mind. It told him that Jennings, the ever-faitliful Jennings, had found out what was the real object of all the detectives in tho house. “I’ll go downstairs and wait in the hall,” he remarked. “I expect you would ipatlier give your instructions privately to tho inspector, knowing my opinions.” “Nonsense, man,” cried tho other. “You can go where you like, stay where you like, hear everything I have got to say. Why, I believe you are half afraid we shall find Sir Henry.” “I think you will get a surprise, Hawes, if you do, and a bigger one if you arrest him,” retorted Chalmers. “I have no alternative,” retorted the superintendent. “I have got tho warrant in my pocket, as a matter of fact. Thero’s no doubt he’s the man in black and not- very far away. That black muffler hid his face, I dare say. Hallo, Inspector! Wo’ve found out the missing clothes.” Chalmers went downstairs as the inspector crossed tho room and found immediately ho stepped out of it that detectives had already been scattered at various vantage points throughout tho house, ready for tho search to begin. He stood idly in .the hall, and watched the servants coming' up, "oiio

by one, and passing into a room on the ground floor, shepherded by one of the men from Scotland Yard. Most of them looked indignant, but it was only Mrs. O’Shea who spoke-to him. “What’s it all mean, Mr Chalmers?” sho asked, trying to suppress the anger in her voice. “Why should the police come here and bully us?”

Chalmers shook his head. • “I am afraid I cannot tell you, Mrs. O’Shea. You must bo patient and let the police do their duty. They won’t be hero very long.” “And good riddance when they go!” she sniffed, eyeing one of the detectives. “I never did like bluebottles; they’re pests!" “Bit of a temper, eh?” laughed the detective, as Mrs O’Shea passed out of sight. “They all seem a bit huffy. Sir Henry was popular, I gather.” “They know what you’ve come for?” asked Chalmers,

. “Somebody spilt it as wo camo in,” said tho other, who was unaware of Chalmers' identity. “Don’t say anything to the superintendent or there’ll bo trouble. Friend of the family, sir?” “Yes,” answered Chalmers. As ho replied he saw Hawes and the inspector coming downstairs, and the latter immediately began to give orders to his various subordinates.

“I’ll stop hero and wait the result,” said Chalmers.

“As you will,” replied Hawes. “I’m going to question, the servants while they are looking round.” Chalmers glanced at the clock. Twenty-five past three. In half an hour at the most, with all the men Hawes had brought with him, it should be definitely known if Sir Henry was in the house or not. And at the end of that half-hour, the longest Chalmers had passed for many a long day, Hawes 1 came out of the room in which. the servants had gathered accompanied by the inspector, who had entered it but a minute before. One look at the superintendent’s face told Chalmers that Hawes had Jailed in his quest. 1 The two men were followed by O’Shea, tho gardener, who had found Oakes’ body. “I have asked Arnheim to come round and show me where he saw Sir Henry getting over the wall,” said Hawes. “We might pick up something there. He’s not here. These servants —” He broke off with a start. “You come out with me, O’Shea.” Tho Irishman grinned cheerfully at Chalmers, who instantly made up his mind to accompany the other two into tho garden. “I was on the watch in the garden myself for some time, and perhaps I can help,”, he said politely. “As I have reported, a number of attempts have been made to enter Sir Henry’s house, and Hunter was kidnapped after one of them.” ( , “I daresay he wanted something he had left behind,” grunted Hawes, not to bo moved from his fixed ideas. “Pity you didn’t manage to nab him, and then wo shouldn’t bo searching now.” “I never thought it was Sir Henry,” answered Chalmers truthfully. “How long have you been in tho Anderley employ?” asked Hawes, turning to the gardener. “All my life,” replied, O’Shea. “And he can’t do any wrong, I suppose ?” “Sir Henry didn’t kill that man, if that’s what you mean,” said O’Shea quickly. “Sure, an’ if it comes to that I wish I’d killed him myself. The master wouldn’t soil his hands with him.” Suddenly Hawes gripped the other by the shoulders/ and,'swinging him round, thrust his face close to the other’s and glared into his eyes. “Where are you hiding him?” he demanded sharply. “Do you know you aro liable to be jugged for ten years as an accessory after the fact?” “If I could keep the master out of your hands and go to prison for the rest of me life, I’d do it,” answered O’Shea with a grin. “He’s not so little I can hide him in me pockets.” With a gesture of annoyance the superintendent strode towards the wall dividing the two gardens. From behind him Chalmers heard the crunching of footsteps on the gravel path and'turned to see the inspector and Arnheim coming along it. • “Just about here,” said the latter, in reply to a question by the superintendent. “I saw him distinctly. We’d got all our lights on. It was just on the other side that he shot our dog.” “If Mr. Oster had told, tho truth the other night, we’d have been here and got him,” grumbled , the inspector. “Mr. Oster didn’t know till I told him after tho police had been," answered Arnheim evenly. “We had some very important papers to go through, and wo thought—” “Like all amateurs, you think to-mor-row is as good as to-day,” snapped Hawes, whose failure to find Sir Henry had put him in a thoroughly bad temper. “Hallo!” • He was bending down by tho wall as ho spoke. “Seo that, Inspector?” he asked. “Go along and bring me a pair of Sir Henry’s shoes and those of all tho women in tho house. If that was Sir Henry he had a woman with him or waiting for him. Sho must have dropped from the wall where she’d been watching. Look at those too marks. I never thought of that. 1 thought it was a man sheltering him.” “Chalmers cursed under his breath, for tho superintendent had found the footprints of his own and Floyd’s shoes, where they had jumped into the soft earth. “Where is Mr. Oster now?” asked the superintendent, while they were waiting tho inspector’s address is The Gables, Mays Green, near Leigh, Reigate,” replied Arnheim, without any hestation. ‘Do you want mo any more, sir?” asked O’Shea as tho superintendent made a note in his pocket-book. “No, you can clear off to tho house and stop in it with tho other servants,” answered Hawes. “I’m not satisfied with you, O’Shea. You’re a little too glib in your answers.” (To bo Continued).