A Coil of Rope

Taranaki Daily News, 21 December 1931, Page 14

A Coil of Rope

(B\>

Frank Gilbert).

CHAPTER V.—(Continued.) "Oh, no,” replied Erlo.- “Here la ■ay eard.” As he handed Harker a card he could see Button straining <c oatoh a glimpse of it. “Ever been in this'house before?” <uestloned Harker, casually. “No,” lied Eric' bravely, hoping be was not blushing. Harker was •Slant, and then, as if satisfied, at the answers he had received, he unlocked • cupboard in the room, and brought forth a coil of. rope. Brio tried to keep his nerves unde? full control, but his eyes must •ntely have betrayed him as he ••ught sight of a coll of rope Identical, to every respect, with thdse which b&d been sent to him. But Harker WM too busily engaged with the rope •ven to'glance at Eric’s face now. Yet Button was not slow to observe Etto’e keen Interest. •’ “Byer seen a rope like that beasked Harker. Both Button and Erlo nodded negatively; «o Harker went on: “A eample of this rope was sent •a to the Yard a. few hours ago, and I MQ expecting a message any minute bow to tell me who are the makers •nd distributors. I am hopeful, yon *6O, that I shall be able to trace ft* origin. I think we have hers a : ,yery valuable clue, and one which i intend io follow all the way, and ' the end we shall find the murdtrtrl" Ho spoke with a calm assurancs which impressed Erlo considerably “But all the same,” continued ilia lacpeotor, “we have much work to do here, first, and I am afraid that M you gentlemen cannot tell me any more I must see you safely off tho premises again. If I find I shall yant your help I shall know where to come." •Cnee more Erie came down those ' ' • stairs, but this time passed out of the front door. They both shook lands ■with Harker, and began to waik off together down the road. “Well, young fellow," said Button, “what ere your plans?” “I must see .about lunch," replied Erie. “I am feeling pretty peckish after thia somewhat strango morning. Would you honour ms with your company at, say, Scott's? 1 feel I could eat a horse. Certainly, I fancy a lobster!” Button regarded him solemmy. He was once again the stolid, dignified deacon, and the idea of lunching at • West End Restaurant he made to ..' appear as one savouring too much of frivolity io merit serious coneideration for one moment. He replied io <7 Brio’* Invitation courteously, yet quite gravely. ”lt is good of you, but I must ask yon to axcuse me, for I am the leader ■Of a Bible Class which meets every Sunday afternoon." ■ That wm all, but H was the tone <B which, they were spoken rather > the actual words which, conveyed to Eric a sense of reproof. ■ ~ He did not press the matter, and wtMD they reached the Uxbridge HMd the two tnen shook hands and parted. £Mo Jumped aboard a passtag omni--7 Ba* bound citywards, and. half, an £gmr later was sitting at a table in enjoying a dozen oysters. As he finished the last, and was UErveytag the menu, a page-boy ap7.. Broached him with an envelope. Wonffalnyly ha opened It end read a •MMage, printed In red ink; “De not meddle in matters which do not concern you. Don't forget yOU have already been. warnodd" •nd bene&th appeared a sketch of • pf rope. **Who gave you this?" he quosItamd the hoy, Sternly. lady, sir,” came the reply, j you know her," queried Erie, ' *Wh «ta." ' _ < before t n now?”, "Well, thore'e a pound for you if you can point her out to me. ; I '. eome here pr titty often.” The boy went away determined to ■' MTfi that pound—for which he imipedlately found In his mind so many tfies— while Erlo chose the remainder of his luncheon, and when he had given the order leaned back and hie eyes searched the faces o' the other people who were lunching in thia cheerful, crowded restaurant. t . , ■But no one there did ha know intjxnately, and no one seemed likely to b« «o interested in his welfare to have troubled to have sent this mysterious card. So ha put away his thoughts of the.card and enjoyed his lunch thoroughly. Ae he presently lit a, cigarette and passed downstairs, he caught sight •f Leslie Webb, the criminologist. ■'BullOi old fellow,” was the latttf’e greeting. "Doing anything •pedal to-day?” “No," answered Eric. “Are you? “Vds. lam just off to have a look at that -•Gradeross Street murder.” Eric aeemed startled, and Webb noticed. Actually there was little ' that Webb missed. “Why," he asked, “what do you , know about it?” “Ohl" parried Eric, “It’s in all tho * l? didn’t read mine till gpedn here for lunch. I was folhg away from my flat when I t telephone message asking if I d care to take up the case, so I benight a paper to read something of "Apd are you going to take up the •fMe?" enquired Eric, slowly. He knew that once Webb started on. a Ibail ft was difficult to shake him off, ' and he was not at all sure that his •WQ position would be too easy tinder Webb’s cross-examination. “J*ve not quite made up my mind y«t, but I think I will. Things are bulet with me at the moment, and fiom *rhat the papers say, it promises CO tte of more than ordinary inter••t. paused, and Eric remembered that bis old 00-director of Novel Enterprises Ltd., had achieved some considerable degree of success as a •tenth. He had, on one or two 00-oasloMft 0asl0M ft been able to render useful •ervice to the authorities at Scotland Yard, and he was thus always sure of a welcome —privately, if not offtolally—whenever he -chanced to . ■ either meet some of the big detectives, ’'/T i; or. to pass through the portals of that great building. -. J ‘1 suppose,’’ -continued Webb, that wouldn’t care to come down to iGradoross Street with me? My -car 2b parked nearby, and we’ll be down there in less than half an hour. Do borne, if you have nothing else speolal- , ■ ly fixed.”, t Eric hesitated. He had not the ■tightest, de'Blre to go back-to Gradptoss Street. He had seen enough of the place, and'taa thought flashed through his mi mJ" that if he did go again and Harker should be -there, fee might’ think it exceedingly strange i©r possibly even suspicious. Yet it would be rather intriguing to visit the feouse of Crime again, with just such • guide as Webb. Then another thought struck him, sava exnresslaa-ta. it.

“Who has asked you to take up the ease?” "Oh,” replied Webb, casually, “a fellow with lots of money, I assume. He must have, because he told me to name my own fee. He is, in fact, the landlord of the place where that poor fellow was found dead.” “What?" demanded Eric, surprised, prised. "Yes,” responded Webb. “That's right.” “What—Ambrose Button?" asked Eric. “Yes," remarked Webb. “But do you know him?" asked Eric, amazed. CHAPTER VL On that Saturday morning in his noiseless sanctum in Throgmorton Street, sat a man, with a sardonic smile on his face. He was deeply engrossed In a document, tha reading of which obviously gave him intense pleasure. That fact was of little wonder, really, for It told him that his efforts of the past few months had achieved their end—that his machinations had succeeded, and that the assets of Novel Enterprises Limited, which he had so coveted as his own, now passed legally Into his own hands to do With as he willed. It was more than a mere physical triumph, although the odus against him had been so great. Success to him had become- of such frequent occurrence of late as to lo£e the full measure of its thrill, but the conquest which was now his was of more than ordinary significance. It definitely marked an important epoch in his life, and yet he had hoped he was but on the threshold of another. Silently, obscurely, secretly, his forces had been marshalled and «et to work ceaselessly, building up an organisation which should be Invincible, and which should operate at his slightest word. Behind it, controlling it to any end he pleased, he was himself, invisible. That . had been his aim, and now he had won. The absorption of Novel Enterprises Ltd., proved that. There were no more than two men who knew him for the man ha really ■as: who could say, with any truth, what his actual name yvas, and what was the full extent of his power. But there were two men! One of them was John Hampden, until recently .chairman of Novel Enterprises Ltd., and the other. . . .? It may, possibly, have been because of Hampden’s knowledge, that Novel Enterprises had been acquired by the man who was known in the financial circles of the Glty as “ The President." The exaot terms under which the acquisition had taken place would have made pretty reading for one skilled to visualise their real meaning. To the ordinary per- ' son they meant nothing more than they appeared to state. “The President" having read these ' terms oyer again, as if, to assure himself that they were exaot, then personally drafted a paragraph for Insertion In the press:— “Novel Enterprises Limited has been acquired by an important group of Glty Interests. Mr John Hampden, the Chairman, and the other gentlemen associated vvlth him relinquish their holdings and directorships forthwith." He rang for his secretary, and a sleek, well-groomed, young man responded to the summons. “ I want this announcement to appear in the usual newspapers.” The man bowed, and went out without speaking. He had been trained to act as the “President" wished, and he carried out his instructions faithfully.* Had he not done so the course of events for quite a .number of people, * subsequently, would have been different—-and-this would have Included the career of the admirable young secretary himself. 80, ta the same London and provincial Sunday newspapers' which, featured a murder in Gradcross Street, London, W.12., there appeared a few lines under the heading “ City .Notes.” ‘ These lines were read, amongst \6thers, •by Leslie Webb who, of course, was not .entirely unaware of the news .that'he wag no longer a Director of Novel Enterprises -Ltd. That morning he had received a telephone message. It was a man’s voice speaking to him. “ There has been a man found murdered in a house in Gradcross Street that- I happen to own. As qsual, the police seem helpless, I. un-. derst&nd you are quite a capable sleuth, with some useful work and results to your credit. I have no clues to give you how. - Would you-care .to take the case? Naturally I want the murderer traced as I shall, I suppose, be somewhat in the limelight as the landlord of the house. I want to toe able to show that I am obtaining expert aid to try and trace the guilty person. Will you take oh the case, ta my interests, and at your own fee; Mr Webb?” Leslie hesitated but h moment, before replying quietly: “ Very well." “My name is Button —" said the ether. He gave his address, adding: “ I should like you to telephone me to-morrow morning, what you have found out. I take it then that you accept my offer?"

The circumstances certainly were unusual, but Webb liked unusual things, and so with a' “Yes," uttered crisply he accepted. “One other tlhng Webb," said Button. "If I were you I should lunch at Scott’s to-day." "Why?” enquired Webb. x (To be oonttauea.j