“The Anderley Affair”

Taranaki Daily News, 13 June 1930, Page 14

“The Anderley Affair”

By

JOHN LAURENCE

He paused and pulled at his cigar. Floyd and Alan were watching him, fascinated, enthralled by his story. Both Chalmers and Ritherdale knew much of it already,Ahough the journalist had only known it in broad outline. “The most forceful personality of the four was a lieutenant named Kahn, Richard Kahn. While he and his companions were away, Dunks or Oster must have crept back to the submarine and hidden himself on board. That night he shot Croner, Muller and Herts and put a bullet through Kahn. The latter got away, but only to die alone in the forest. On him was found the fourth map, and a dying, half-finished account of what I have told you. It was brought to me by one of the natives. a fact of which Oster, as I had better call him, became aware. “The war prevented any active search being made for Oster, but I had a sharp look-out kept on that part of the coast. I knew that sooner or later an attempt would be made to get the gold. The facts I had communicated, officially, to the Government at home. “It was not till three.years after the war that the first attempt was made. It came in the innocent form of a party of scientists who wanted to study the flora and fauna of the country. There were four of them, / and I sent one of my men to keep an eye on them and report. ‘When I heard that they were continually poring over a map which was three parts of a square, my mind flashed back, and I gave orders they were to be brought to headquarters. What I didn’t know then was that they had already suborned my secretary, and every move I made was communicated to them, so they got away. “I made enquiries up and down the country, but it was of no avail. Messrs. Oster and company had made good their escape. “Some time passed and I began to think that they had given up all hopes of getting the gold, but knowing the desperate character of the man Oster I could not reconcile myself to this decision. .

“Then camo Marley on his own, and he tried to. trace down from the gossip of the natives where the gold, was hidden. He failed and Oster, through Arnheim, instructed him to open up negotiations direct with me. He had already bribed Oakes, and I had got rid of the latter. I pointed out to Oakes what a fool he had been. I rather liked him, because he was very capable in some ways, and had risen from the ranks as it were. I always have had a sympathy with a man who gets there on his own. “But there was a streak of weakness in his composition, and the lure of a fortune dangled before his eyes found it out. He had managed to make a copy of the map I had, but had had sufficient cunning to keep that fact to himself. It was this copy which his sister brought to you, my dear;”- he said, turning to Floyd. She squeezed his hand ly“Go on,” she whispered. “I don’t want to miss a word of it.” - - ...

“Marley had the nerve to approach me direct and offer me a share if I would give them a free hand and a copy of the map I had. Naturally I refused, and I suppose I spoke a little more forcibly than he expected. “Twice afterwards my life was attempted, and, as Chalmers ‘and you know, Alan, they got me in the leg.” A cry of alarm escaped. Floyd and her eyes widened with anxiety as she looked at her father. “Oh, no, it is nothing f-eally' serious,” he said reassuringly. “Well, all these facts were reported and a close watch was kept on Marley,” he resumed, “but he 'proved - too elusive and got out of the country. When I blackguarded him, however,.he got angry and let out part of the scheme Oster had evidently already got in his mind'. That was to have me discredited arid recalled and replaced by soineone who would prove more amenable.” . ■ • ' • . . '

“It was here that I came • in/’- said 'Chalmers quietly. “I’ve known Sir Henry a good many years. It was on my advice that the Colonial ‘Office openly believed the rumours which- began to be spread about Sir Henry. Secretly, however, with all the facts before them, they followed my advice. It was hoped that if Sir Henry was recalled Oster and the rest would come out into the open so that the gold could be recovered. We had not been able to get in touch with Oster, though we knew all about Arnheim and Entleman and Marley. Even if we had picked up Oster it might have proved very difficult to prove the case against him after all these years.” “It was when I learnt that Oster, through Arnheim, had sent apparent proofs, a photograph among other things, of the way I was treating the natives, to the Colonial Office, that I wired to be recalled, as arranged with Chalmers,” continued Sir Henry. “As you know, I came.unexpectedly. I had previously heard from Oakes that he was getting frightened and I warned Chalmers.” .

“I had arranged for him to come and tell me what he knew,” said Chalmers. “He actually had an appointment with me for the mo»ning after ho was murdered.”

“Oakes’ murder complicated the whole situation,” said Sir Henry, ‘but 111 come to that in its order. Oster had got a pretty efficient spy somewhere in Yandah and a cable was sent saying that I had left by aeroplane for England. Al! four men met at Oakes’ flat that nightriand discussed the situation. Entleman .was all out for murder. He was always crude. Oster had enough murders on his conscience and Arnheim was frankly against murder. Oakes got scared and as soon as the others had gone, with the exception of Marley, he told the latter-that ho intended to go and warn us. Luckily for Oakes at the moment, but unluckily for me as it turned out, Oakes’ servant was in the flat or he would never have got to Putney. Marley must evidently have followed him.”

“He did,” said Ritherdale. “I got his story and confession.”

“Maijey’s confessed!” exclaimed 'Floyd. “Oh, thank heaven! Why didn’t you tell me before?” There was a note of gladness in her voice. Little mattered to her now her father was cleared of that horrible charge. “Oakes told me all he knew, much of

what I knew already,” continued Sir' Henry. “But his most important piece of news, the only news that mattered in fact, was that Arnheim lived next door and that a thorough study had been made of all my wife’s friends. They had even gone to the extent of having false number plates made to the cars they used, my own and Hunter’s among them, so as to throw people off the track.”

“It always puzzled me why we could not find Arnheim’s home address,” said Chalmers. “We didn’t find out his business address until a few weeks before vou came over, but he always dodged my men when they tried to follow him.” “Because he had the office next door under another name,” said Sir Henry. “That Oakes told me, as you know, Chalmers, and there was a communication between the~two offices. He always went out’ through the second office. When Oakes had finished talking we went out into the garden. I wanted to have a look round, naturally. You remember I had put my revolver in my pocket when Oakes was announced, Hunter, before I knew who it was.. As I was nearing the wall, with Oakes just behind me, I spotted a man in the shadows raising his hand. Instinctively I pulled out my revolver and fired just after the other man had.. He got Oakes' and then I was tripped up from behind and cracked over the head.

“It was an hour or so before I came found. I saw at once that Oakes was dead. I didn’t notice my own revolver was lying beside him. I staggered back into the library, intending to telephone for the police. It was then I noticed the place had been searched, and the idea flashed across me to take a direct hand in the game. “There was one man I knew I- could rely upon absolutely, O’Shea, and I roused him up. He ’got me one of my suits, a black one, after the first police search. That, a black silk muffler and an old, black skull cap —” “You were the man in black!” exclaimed Floyd. “Oh, if I had known! You frightened me nearly out of my life!”

Her father patted -her hand affectionately. ■- - “You were a braye little girl to enter that house,” he said. “We shouldn’t have let you if I hadn’t been there. When Chalmers told me —”

“Chalmers, knew you were the man in black?”

It was Ritherdale’s turn to be astonished.

“It would have been difficult for me to keep hiding without Chalmers’ cooperation,” said Sir Henry smiling. “Naturally he was told. He knew so much that I knew he would believe what I had to tell him about Oakes’ murder. It took some time to persuade him not 'to make wholesale arrests, to agree to my temporary disappearance and' further discrediting. I promised to keep am eye bn Floyd, and there was always the chance that she would pick up something useful.. She had the daytime. when I could not mo've about.” • “That was why you 'were waiting at the wall when that horrible dog was following me,” exclaimed Floyd, turning to Chalmers. The latter nodded.

“1 was there most nights. Sir Henry and I used to meet there and talk things over when he came back. During the day he was hidden in his own house, in O’Shea’s room or in the summer house .at. .the bottom of the garden. He was in the latter place when the police made their unexpected search. It was O’Shea who warned him, O’Shea who gave him Oster’s address in the country. “You remember Arnheim told the inspector the address when the latter asked for it, and that was why O’Shea .sidled .off.. He was ordered to go straight, back to the house, but he called at the summer house on the way.” ■ • “I- was over the wall and in Arnheim’s garden pretty quick,” . continued - ' Sir Henry, taking up the story. “Luckily there’s' plenty of shrubbery in both gardens. It never seeihed to occur, to the police to search both places.” ' “I am afraid I father put the inspector off by admitting a few footprints were mine,” .said Chalmers with a smile.

“I‘ had got the idea in my mind to scare Oster and his companions, to frighten them. into, action. Chalmers agreed with us that, they might do something foolish,., might make a slip if they were scared. Oster eventually did, by bolting. I followed them down to Newdigate. O’Shea drove me down and left me there.”

He outlined how he had followed Oster back to Randock Mews, how he had gained possession of the' maps rind had lost them again, how he had been brought to Putney, and had divided the conspirators amongst themselves. ‘“I think the time has come to have a look at the cause of all the trouble,” said Chalmers, spreading the maps out on the table.

He held up the transparent sheet with the lines marked on it.

“You saw Oster doing something with it ?”

“Yes. he heated it and fitted it over the maps in some way,” said Sir Henry. “Allow me.”

ITe held the sheet in front of the fire and the others watched it eagerly. Slowly two words, came out, followed by a cross, “Gold Here X.” Sir Henry did exactly what Oster had done, placed a pin where the lines of the cross intersected.

“All we have to do is to place this corectly over the maps,” he cried triumphantly. “If the cross comes on one of these three there will be no need for the fourth.”

“Where is the fourth, by the way?” asked Ritherdale as he bent over and watched Sir Henry. “Chalmers has had it ever since attempts have been made to get it,” replied the other. “That’s got it. See, all these lines come along roads when you place it this way, and here’s where the pin goes through, just where four of these paths meet,” he -added with a triumphant ring in his voice. “There’s one thing I don’t understand,” said Floyd in a puzzled voice. “What had the badges got to do with it?”

“Marley explained that, practically,” replied Ritherdale. “He confessed pretty fully to me. They were merely convenient places in which to hide the maps.” He told her about the Vingt-et-un

Club and the use Oster and his companions made of it,.. . x “That put me off for quite a\ long time,” he confessed with a laugh. “Heavens, but what a story for the Monitor!”

“I think there’s only one thing more to be done before we go to Ibed, said Alan Hunter quietly, filling up the glasses. ‘‘And that is to drink' to the health of Sir Henry Andcrley.” As he held up his charged glass, he looked at Floyd. The uttered toast he gave was “Sir Henry Andcrley,” but the toast of his eyes told her to whom he was drinking. THE END.