THE ' SIX-HOUR MYSTERY

Taranaki Daily News, 29 September 1930, Page 11

THE ' SIX-HOUR MYSTERY

By

ANTONY MARSDEN

The surprise that awaited Ed. Roper was—that as his left shoulder slid . beyond the outer edge of the pillar, a right hand pushed his elbow smartly forward and a left gripped his wrist. He turned his head —lie Was already powerless to m.ove his body, for by this time his captor’s right arm slipped across his chest and was locking his elbow painfully — and saw a tough-looking individual who had been standing flattened against the outer face "of the post. Roper gave vent to a hoarse cry of pain and astonishment. “What the —” “Police,” the stranger told him curtly. “What are you doing here?” Roper plunged violently; but the other merely drew his -wrist back and downwards, almost breaking his arm. “All right—all right, damn- you!" Roper gasped, struggling, no more and twisting round as far as he could to face his antagonist. “I live here. That’s what I’m doing, see? Damn you, let go my arm —” “Since when?” the plainclothes man inquired.' “Since—well, when I say I live here, the owner’s a friend of mine. I’m here more days with him—” “And leave by dropping out of a back window, eh? That won’t wash, my lad. “I—l don’t know what you’re getting

at.” “Don’t you? You came here 15 minutes back; and just-now you climbed out through a window at the other, side of the house. You’d better come with me.” “It’s a lie!” Roper peered round at him, perplexed as well as resentful. ‘‘l came out through the door, same as I went in. Say, what in Hell’s name are you trying "to frame up on me ?” And then he stopped dead, as the sudden explanation flashed into his bewildered mind. Karin- I—the 1 —the woman in league with him, if Wooleroft’a suspicions were correct —an unknown alliance frem without, threatening Woolcroft’s scheme. He dared not try to break away> but he stood obstinately to his ground, refusing to budge. “Who are you, anyhow? Let's see your warrant. You’re no more a policeman than I am!” “You’ll see my warrant right enough when I get you home. Come on—step lively!” But Roper still stood firm, although the agonising pressure at the back of his arm began to make itself felt again. “It you’re a busy, take. me to the hour . My friend, will answer for me there, .sure enough. You’re going to find you’ve made a break; my '■ * ■*' *■ The Other shook his head, “That’s not mv orders—” And he added, in a voice sharp with curiosity: “What’s your .friend’s name anyhow?” , “bind out!” Roper’s suspicions were intensified; and as the other urged him cut towards the road ho continued savagely: “What’s yours, if it comes to thn.fl Where’s your authority? How in heli do I know who you ate?”“Maybe you’ll know Inspector Thornton at the station,” the other suggested quietly. “Come now, are you going to take this sensible —Or d’you want me to whistle the nearest constable and frogmarch you home?” But the mention of Inspector Thornton made Roper’s demeanour undergo, a remarkable change. Far more than any warrant, the name' of his old foe per- , suaded him that lie had been' dll at sea iu suspecting this stranger to be' Karin’s accomplice. . This, was the genuine ar-ticle-that he ■ was up -against, however Thornton had managed it and at once there stood out the prime need of drawing the detective away from the house. That need.was paramount. If Thornton were at Twickenham then Thornton knew more than they had guessed.; he had not got there by mere shadowing—of that Roper was sure, for Eddy Roper war an old hand at the shadow game, and his belief in his clean get-away from Waterloo remained unshaken. But at all costs Woolcroft and Jakes must bo given a clear field for the next hour or so. . Woolcroft was rushing things, Roper surmised; had his hand not been forced he would scarce venture on the desperate course of kidnapping Karin and the gill, as he seemed to have done? The loot was not yet in his hands—but must be very shortly, tho way things were shaping, if he were going to succeed, at all. Woolcroft’s immunity was all-import-ant; nothing else mattered for the moment but that. . A talk with Thornton at the station would hold up the police for a. while, though. And even if such a talk brought Roper unpleasant consequences, in the long run the gang’s success would amply repav him. It was a case of temporaiy sacrifice, for the common good. Roper decided to go quietly. “All right!” he growled. ‘Have it your own silly wav. You’ve made a bloomer, lac die, I don’t' mind telling but that’s your funeral, I guess!” He made no more resistance, but let himself be led away ' without demur along the deserted lane. And as the tv c set out towards Twickenham they heard 10.31) strike. ■W » « *’

Jim Nash, when the key of the inner vault was turned on him, lay in the darkness helpless to stir a limb for a full five minutes or more. The launch trip had been short, and h’O transference from the landing-stage to the house swiftly carried out. He judged the hour must still be something short of ten-fifteen. For a while no sound reached him; till his ear caught the opening of a heavy door at the foot of the cellar stairs, followed immediately bv the unlocking of his own little cell-’ He saw the coloured man come stooping in, his huge silhouette against the Fght distorted grotesquely by the burden he carried. It was Irma. Jakes swung her down upon the flags at Jim Nash’s side, and backed out, reIrcking the door after him. Nash wriggled towards her. ?t almost before he moved, he heard her voice in the darkness# Mr. N ah, Jim, it’s ypu?”

“.ou’re all right—you’re not hurt?” But it was not so much a question as a gasp of relief. “J —where are wo? What has happened?” she sighed; and now he caught the faint whiff of chloroform from the SG-i- which the negro had loosed from her mouth. “jiou’v. been doped—like me. I was afraid —” , But he broke off at that. The relief of finding her alive was almost too much for him. Indeed, of the two the gill was just now the more self-possessed in spite of her fear. She stirred a little close-, till their bodies touched. ' Then at once, in a low, urgent tone: “Jim! I must talk to you—can those men hear?” “1 guess not—” They listened for a moment. Through the locked door came, muffled, the harsh sei" "'ing sound of a shovel on stone; and "presently, unmistakably, the rattle of iron as the stove was raked out. “Sounds like he’s getting supper on!” opined Nash grimly. The girl wriggled closer still. “Jim? Were the lights on when they brought you in? Could you see the hMJ—” “Sure. Why?” “The bicycleshe breathed. “I saw no—” '■ “But it was there!” she went on eagerly. “My bicycle—tile one father bought this week for us both to use. Jim? he’s here! He must be here!” «>Sst—speak lower.” This was news indeed. So far, Nash was assured, the mug did not even suspect their quarry’s double identity. “Did they say anything? Have they got wise to—the two of ’ ?” ' ‘‘They didn’t speak. They were just si ring at the bicycle —the man who brought us Here, and a third man a Nash thought swiftly. “Listen, kid. We’ve got to pool our knowledge now—it’s our best hope —” And after the tiniest pause, as though inviting her. to sp'‘ak: “I’m going to ask you something stirai'dit out, Irma. How much have you been “told about tjjis darn business, eh?” Blit the girl’s answer was a little cry of despair.. “Uh, Jini, you’ll not trust me now, whatever I say. Now that you know I lied to you—” Somehow, the pathos of it went straight to his heart. This girl—this chila—was innocent, or virtually innocent however near the wind her elusive lather might be sailing. Nash was already convinced of that, nor was his faith in her filing to be shaken. Very tenderly, he replied: “You mean the one little fib about your name—and mighty uncomfortable you were about 'it,°eh? Forget it, kiddy!. We’re all square on false names/1 guess—and I didn’t believe it, anyway.” . . “My father begged me; ah! but Id not. have lifed to you, only I promised to Leip him. But, Jim, that was the only thing I deceived you in—you must believe that. I knew our name was Karin, cf course, but I never knew—” Her voice faltered, as she fought against her tears. “I never guessed that father covild have dealings with Such men, or that—that he was afraid of the police—”/ Nash broke in, passionately protec“Irma, dearest, quit worrying about that! Your father told you the same y„ he spun me to-night, I . guess. A seCiet service mission and some mysterious diplomatist that he must meet alone? Well, now, I’m going to spill some more. And if your pa doesn t like it,' whv, he should have put you wise himself or else kept you out of this mess!” And in short, rapid sentences he began to give her the gist of, what he had wo.med out of Woolcroft at the bungalow, after Irma had left; Karin’s true quest; the “stuff,” whatever-it was, to di" mysteriously for which he had come to° England; the plan or measurements, which Karin alone possessed, and without which the gang could not hope to f< let tall him—“Ah, no—l never knew!” she broke jo, trembling. # # # * .

But Nash went right on: ‘’Of course, yon didn’t, j.. I never supposed you did. I’m telling you now, because we’ve both jumned into this right up to the neck, and it looks like we’re up against things. But there’s one point wants making plain, I guess; whatever this stufl is that your father’s after, I figure it’s h.'s by rights—even Woolcroft admitted that.’And I’m proposing—short of any harm being threatened to you—that we stand by him, still?”

“Ah yes!” ( “It’s that darn bike that worries me, Nash pursued. “D’you recall something that your father said —something about a kind of pull he’d got, knowing where bis enemy lived? Well, Woolcroft lives right here —leastways, it seems he’s sort of made himself at home in .the place,” Nash added grimly. ‘‘And if you’re right about the bike, your pa's here, too. But Weolcroft said—and he’d no reason to lie-that he was taking darn good care not to live where the “stuff” was buried. So if your pa’s got busy digging around here, he's wasting his time. Maybe, though, he knows of two alternative sides/* Nash went on more hopefully. “Even so, he looks like needing a whole lot more time than he bargained foi — bit* he’s got it—he’s got it, see. He can round all night, and no one Stopping him, so long as Woolcroft doesn’t tumble to it that there’s two of us' But once that cat gets out of the Ug, your father’ll have to streak!” I he girl listened, breathless. *n °ves! And he foresaw that time ui'dit’be short! H<? has our passport all made out, for us to get- back to America. I don’t understand, but I can see it all now. He made me keep the passport on me, whenever he went out — it's tucked inside my frock now. And I—l’m entered in it as his wife” she went on with a little gulping laugh—“because he said the name of Karin .mustn't. appear in it, Mr. and Mrs.~

Smith! Oh, Jim, 1 don’t want to hide any ...ore from you!” “Let’s hope he’ll soon- be using it!” Nash muttered, but his tone lamentably failec to conceal • that he thought the hope was a slender one. And for the first time now, unable longer to maintain the note of optimism with which he had sought to reassure her, Nash betraved his resentment. “What makes me wild, is, you getting dragged into this! Say, kid, I’m backing' you father, thick or know that. T guess? But only so far as no harm comes to you. You’re different, you’re—oh, your father'll have to shift, for himself! It's you Im thinking about”. * * A sudden frenzy seemed to master him. She heard him writhing "and twisting about the floor aS he tried desperately to loose himself from the ropes that bound him. But he had tried his uttermost five minutes dgo, before lima was brought there; no strength could stretch those knots, and the least, movement of his swollen ankles and wrists became agony. gave up, gasping and sick with p->in as the girl’s low voice came to him: ‘•Jim—Jim! You're not to worry

about me. I helped him willingly. He I'ceued me—” ’ “Much help he’s giving you now! Nash groaned, and went on bitterly, “And I’m to blame as well—l should have kept you out of this.” “But how could you?” With a quick little twist she pressed her face against h:s arm. Ah! Jim, it's you that matters! You’d not be here if I hadn't bro' ght vou from the hotel.” “Say, if I coull bluff these guys into turning you loose, and if I sort of stuck th’ngs° out till you got clear away, maybe we’d run across each other later on, some place “I’., know no happiness till we did,” she murmured, very low. “But that's just, bucking!” he broke off with a groan' as despair seemed to master him. “They’ve CalleJ ' our ' bluff and, anyway, they daren’t let either of us go now!” “It’s nou your fault, my dear—my dear!” „ “No It’s your father’s, mostly—sure. And in a'frenzy of mad rage against the man who had brought the girl he loved to such peril he cried: “Oh, God! why couldn’t, he have left you out of it? What made him bring you over to England at all?” (To be Continued)