THE ROGUE OF FITZROY ROAD

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 76, 30 March 1931, Page 14

THE ROGUE OF FITZROY ROAD

By

KENNAWAY JAMES

(Author of “The Missing Mannequin,” etc.)

chapter XIX. The “East And West.” Prior to one o'clock lie made his wa> to the Duncannon Hotel, an hostelry which surprised him. Air. Noggins nau never 'been a great reader, but theres was one thing upon which he did pride himself, and that was upon his acquaintance with the works of Charles Dickens. Because of this, the Duncannon astonished him, for all the walls of it* spacious upper bar were covered with almost life-size paintings of characters from “Pickwick Papers.” After his first surprise he began to wonder ■whysuch a thing could be. Who was the artist who had lavished such labour on his favourite classic? Why had he done it? Primarily, Mr. Noggins assured himself, because the Duncannon was adjacent to the Golden Cross, in the Strand, which was a coaching house in the time of the Pickwickian s wheiT they encountered the stranger Dick Swiveller. Mr. Noggins decided to investigate the matter at a later date. At the moment his thoughts were interrupted by a man who came t.o him, and, regarding the rose in his buttonhole, addressed him. “Mr. Noggins, I believe, ** he said. “My name is Melton. X think we are meeting here to-day.’* / Mr. Noggins acknowledged his identity ,and accepted the newcomer’s hospitality to the extent of a glass of stout. Having seated themselves in front of a huge mural picture of Mr. Pickwick in the Pound, they turned to the subject of Mr. Noggins’ enemy. "Alfred Bennett has told me a good deal about it,” said Melton, who might have been, by his appearance, anything but a detective. He had a mild face, mild appearance, and a mild voice. He was short and looked five years lees than his age, which was thirty. Nevertheless. lie had a manner which commended itself to Mr. Noggins, and made him feel as though his vengeous affairs Would be safe in the hands of Air. (Melton. f Alf Bennett has told me a good deal about it,” the detective repeated, “and, though it’s not quite niv job to Ibe interfering in matters of this kind, I feel I must do something for Alf. He has put ra« on to one or two things in shares which have been a sight bette** for me, week in and week out, than ever the Force has been. Now I should like to have a -word about Mr. Sarker. So far as we know at the Yard the grocers’ shops are all right. There’s clubs under them, we know, but they’re always well conducted so far as we can find out, and they ail seem to be under [different proprietorship. It’s a new one on me to hear that they’re all run !by ;the same man, and that that man is the owner of the shops.” , “Alf seems to nave told you quite a Idt,” said Mr. Noggins, amiably, lest he -should give offence to the detective. “He probably told me less than he [thought he did,” replied Mr. Melton. ‘‘lt's up to us at the Yard to put twos and twos together. Mr. Noggins. Now how would it be if you told me a few of the things that are on your mind ? 1 promise you I’ll do nothing officially. If what I gather is right, I expect you’d like to bring this devil to book yourself. Off your own bat, so to speak ?” “That’s quite right,” said Mr. Noggins. “And if you’ll listen to me I’ll tell you a few things. I’ll tell you everything, for I like the look of you, and I trust you to keep it all to youiself. You see, there’s a lot of things nil mixed up in this. For instance, Barker’s son and my girl seem to be making a match of it, and, although she’s a funny sort of girl, independent and so on, I like her, and I think she’s got a bit of grit in her. I like grit.” Here Mr. Noggins suddenly broke into laughter^. /'“l’m afraid I shouldn’t say that, being a grocer who sells sugar,” he said, taking off his spectacles and wiping them, as he always did after an outburst. of mirth. / "However, as I was saying, the whole affair is a bit mixed up, and I don’t want to go and make my own people unhappy if. I can help it.” Melton," tho detective, having assured Mr. Noggins of his own collaboration to that end, Mr. Noggins went on to tell him everything from the beginning. Firstly there was the story of the death of Molly Fenbv, then of his watemng Sarker and piecing together bits of evidence which he had quietly gathered together. And then came the story of the night when a Chinaman had scaled Sarker’s wall. Of this Melton was well acquainted. “Well, it all comes down to what We’re going to do,” said the detective. “So far as I can see the best thing is to get hold of this Chink, but there’s so many of them and they look so much alike that it’s not going to be too easy to find him.” “Well, I’ve got something which may be able to help a bit,” said Mr. Noggins, taking out his wallet and, after some fumbling, producing a small, irregularly shaped piece of cloth. “Have a look at this,” he continued, “it was torn from the Chink’s trousers by my dog.” “Damned good dog,” said the detective. “He’s all that,” replied Mr. Noggins with enthusiasm, as a vision of Dog came into his mind. Meantime Melton was examining the cloth. “It’s not ordinary English cloth,” he said,” “so I must agree that the midnight visitor, was an Oriental,” he said slowly. “Also it’s wovn pretty badlv, and it's just possible that the man wlio wore trousers in this sort of condition hasn’t got another pair. Or alternatively, he’s the kind of chap who would make a patch serve. If that’s the case, perhaps it won't be so hard to find him.” “And what will you do if you find him ?” asked Mr. Noggins. “Ah,” said Melton, “that’s a thing we’ll have to decide later* on. It depends on what we can find out a none him. But, as I’ve said, I’ll do nothing officiallv until you give me the right of way. What I propose to do now is to go down to Lintehouse to-night, to the Chinese quarter, and make a few inquiries. I've got men down tlieve who have a good idea of all crook activities and who are what are called ‘narks,’ men who give Information to the police. On the whole I think I’ve’ got a good deal to work on.” Mr. Noggins beamed and ordered a second glass of stout. “Yours is an interesting job compared with grocery,” be said. “Well, so far as this little game’s concerned, you can come down to Litneliouse with me. if you like,” replied Melton. “It will interest you quite « * -

F “Well, I'd like to,” said Mr. Noggins, “but 1 m just wondering if 1 ought not to see Mr. Morden Sarker. lie rang me up this morning and asked me to see him, and —” “Man alive!” cut in the detective. -“You didn't tell me that before. Of course you must meet him. I don’C quite see what good it will do but even the cleverest men drop things out when they think nobody's taking too much notice of them. In fact the cleverer the nieii the more likely they are to spill the beans. It’s the ordinary half-baked sort who don't say anything. They have a sort of animal caution. When are you going to meet him?” “Well, I hadn’t decided, but it’s going to be awkward to see him this afternoon. Itfs a busy day at the shop and I can hardly leave old Joe Bennett in charge. That means that I should have to see him to-night or not at all.” “Then you sec him to-night,” said. Mr. Melton with emphasis, “I’ll have a prowl round by myself. You can come with me another night.” At this point a man sitting at a small table within two yards from the pair rose and left the room. He had entered later than they and had apparently been absorbed in the midday sporting edition of an evening paper. Neither Noggins nor Melton had noticed that he had been keeping quiet note of them and that he had leant forward a little to make pencil notes occasionally on the margin of liis newspaper. Once Melton had, with characteristic curiosity caught a glimpse of the writing, and had noticed the names of various horses running in the big race of the afternoon. Biit it was not to write down the names of horses that the man had bent forward, but to overhear as much of tlie conversation as he could. He itaa left the room as unobtrusively as lie had entered it. Yet within half-an-nour Mr. Morden Sarker was in full possession of the details of the meeting and of a partial, account of the conversation. “Yes,” repeated Melton. “You go and see him, and be careful.” That afternoon, Mr. Noggins rang up Sarker, and arranged that they should meet at the Royal Motor Club, of which Sarker was a member, at six o’clock in the evening. There were, therefore, considerable happenings on that evening. There was Melton going to discover Sing Loo and there was Mr. Noggins keeping rendezvous with Morden Sarker. It was what golfing men would call a foursome. An observer of the whole happenings might have awaited the results with interest. But there was no observer with any knowledge of what was transpiring. Mr. Noggins had kept his tryst with as much secrecy as appealed to his transparent mind, whilst, at the same time, Melton, the detective, was in Limehouso Causeway, exhibiting the usual reticence so necessary to liis calling. Air. .Melton knew how not to attract attention. On his various visits to Limehouse he generally managed to look something contrary to that which ho was on his previous visit. He put no particular faith in disguises, but relied rather on always being inconspicuous. At times he would present himself at a Labour Bureau as though he were just another seeker after work, and looking exactly like the' rest who hoped that such a catastrophic gift might never be given them. On another occasion he would be found outside a public-house waiting for it to throw open its doors to the workless with money to spend. He would even air his views on the beneficence of a Government who made all this possible. So, at the moment when Mr. Noggins was ascending the steps of the Royal Motor Club, Mr. Meltorf was descending the two steps which led to the saloon bar of the “East and West.” The company in the “East and West’* was just such as one might expect in a tavern bearing such a name. Chiefly it was composed of Chinamen, lialf-eastes, dagoes of all descriptions, and a few Englishmen, all oblivious to an indefinable smell. At times one smelt, tar-ropes/ at others unwashed humanity. Again at times one might imagine one detected the aroma of the betel and the bhang. At others the smell of stale opium smoke. Always a mixed company; always a smell. It -was into this tavern that Melton walked with unconcern. Seating himself and. ordering . beer he . awaited a visitor who, he knew would not keep him waiting long. This was a half-caste, who had he been washed and presented in respectable clothes, might have been m a position to deny that he was anything but English. Dressed in a loincloth he could have passed for anything. Alfeiri, for such was his present name, was thus able to mix with all classes in the; East End. He made a police spy of the v ideal kind. Approaching Melton, and seating himself .by that gentleman, he awaited Melton s first words. Melton, having ordered a glass of beer, edged a little closer to him. Then he whispered: “Do you happen to know a Chink named Loo? It may be Chang Loo or any other Loo. But I’m looking for a Loo in the dope game.”

(To be continued daily.)