THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF ALONZO

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 368, 9 March 1932, Page 12

THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF ALONZO

By

No. X. TOO MANY COOKS! One of the many reasons why Mr. Alonzo MacTavish had never been an inmate of one of His Majesty's prisons was because he .possessed an uncanny instinct which invariably told him when gome enterprising C.I.D. man was taking a shade too much interest in his move ments.

And this instinct was not only confined to the police. For Alonzo had manv enemies outside the forces of law and order. The sport of upsetting other swell cracksman’s plans was one in which Alonzo MacTavish. was very fond of indulging, and this weakness had procured for him many hitter enemies in every part of the world. Directly Alonzo saw Marney and Klausen together, he knew that something was afoot. Walking, after dinner, down Cork Street, he had observed Marney. overdressed, and with his usual large cigar, swagger out of the Bristol Restaurant. This fact by itself meant nothing, but when Alonzo noticed that from the garage- entrance opposite the Bristol, Klausen emerged, walked down the street and joined Marney, he knew that something was going to happen which boded no good for someone—possibly himself. Marney and Klausen were bitter enemies, and Alonzo reasoned that when bitter enemies get together, it is probably only for combination against a common enemy whom they dislike more than each other, and no doubt existed that rw*. greater enemy lived, as far as that pair were concerned, than Mr, Alonzo MacTavish.

He had spoiled their individual plans on a dozen occasions. Marney had served a three years’ sentence in a French prison for stealing rubies which had actually been “removed.” by the enterprising Mr. MacTavish. Klausen had effected one of the greatest coups of latter years in the criminal world, by substituting a paste imitation for the Maharajah of Tinpoon’s *State sword, only to find afterwards, that Mr. MacTavish had in turn substituted an imitation and removed the real one from Mr. Klausen\s rooms in St. James’ Street. At the back of his head Alonzo was rather surprised that Vokell was not joining the other two in their plans. Vokell hated Alonzo a.s much as Marney and Klausen put together. MacTavish smiled as this thought came to him, for, at this very moment, from the end of Burlington Avenue, Vokell appeared, and with a quick glance up and down the street, joined the other two.

Alonzo knew now that his surmise had been correct. They were out for him, and the question was how.

At tile bottom of Cork street Marney stopped a passing taxi cab, and the three got in. Luckily, the driver accidentally stopped his engine, and the delay necessitated by the restarting of it enabled Alonzo to summon a cab which was crawling along the far end of Burlington Street. “Follow that cab* in front,” he demanded, and sitting back, well out' of view from the cab windows, lit a cigarette.

/ The evening was falling as the two cabs drove up Regent Street, and so long a journey did the enterprising trio make that it was almost dark before the first cab stopped outside an unpretentious house on the outskirts of Edgwarc. Alonzo, stopping his own taxi further down the road, paid off the man and watched his three adversaries enter the small house which stood, surrounded by a miniature garden.

He had no idea as to what his next move would be, until he saw a light go up in one of the windows on the first floor of the house. Apparently, this was the room which the three were going to use, and Alonzo’s curiosity as to what was going to be discussed there was almost unbearable.

He walked quietly down the opposite side of the road, until lie was directly in front of the house. Standing under a tree, in the shadow, he looked carefully at the other windows, but could discover no sign of life except in the room on the first floor, where the light showed.

Presently, the street being deserted, 'Alonzo slipped quietly across the road, opened the wooden gate, and slipped round by the side of the house. He moved all round it, keeping in the shadow, listening carefully, but no sound came from within. It seemed to him that there was no one within, except the three conspirators. His mind was made up, he returned to the back of the house, and taking a miniatui'e picklock from his pocket commenced operations on the kitchen door. Two minutes later he was standing in the kitchen listening intently. Then he made a careful inspection of the ground floor, but, as he had thought, there was no one there. Moving slowly and silently he then proceeded to crawl up the stairs, and, at the top a gleam of light showing under the door indicated the room where Marney, Klausen and Vokell were in consultation.

Alonzo moved to the door, and slipping a small automatic pistol from his pocket and holding it in his left hand he commenced, inch by inch, to turn the handle of the door until it was possible for him to push the door slightly open. Luckily the lock was well oiled, and Alonzo succeeded in opening the door an inch or two, without disturbing the three within.

He placed his ear to the crack and iistened. From within the room came the sound of glasses being filled and of a syphon being squirted. Then the nasal American drawl of Klausen came distinctly to Alonzo’s ears.

“Say,” said the American, “I tell you that we’ve got the low down on this MacTavish if we play our cards properly. J tell you that he’s after that Von Hatten necklace, an’ I’ll tell you how I got wise. I got the idea of having a go for it myself, an’ I wanted to know how the land lay, so I went down to Surrey to have a look at the Von Hatten mansion. I was lying in a hedge, when who do I see crawling along a lane a. few yards from me, but Lon Ferrers, MacTavish’s side-kicker. Ferrers had got a pocket camera and was takin’ snaps of the house. Well, you know what that means—it means that MacTavish is going to have a go for that necklace, because lie always photographs a house where he’s goin’ to crack a crib, from every side —he’s a careful feller is Alonzo MacTavish! Now, what’s the night he’s going to try and do the job? There’s only one night when he can do it and that’s next Thursday night. There’s a dance on there that night and the old Von Hatten girl will be wearing that necklace, and when she takes it off it’ll go into the safe. Next morning it’ll be sent back to the Safe Deposit, where

PETER CHEYNEY.

even MacTavish couldn’t get at it. that’s the only night he can have a See?”

■‘Veil,” said Vokell, in his high-pitched foreign accents. “Vot’s the big idea?” “The big idea is this, hoys,” said Klausen. “I guess we don’t love each other much, but I reckon we’re brothers compared with what we think of Alonzo MacTavish. He’s spoiled our game a dozen times. Marney here, has done time for a job that MacTavish cracked. MacTavish has had stuff of me that it’s taken me months to plan to get. Gee! I’m sick of that feller. I guess you’ve got one or two things up against him, too, Vokell, ain’t you?”

“Vim or two things!” hissed Vokell, “I’d like to murder zat MacTavish!”

Klausen laughed. “I bet you would,” he said. “So would I, but we got to get him first. That feller’s full of brains, but I think that this time he gets what’s coming to him. Here’s the big idea. Next Thursday night we’ll all go down to Marstead in Surrey, separately, and we’ll watch that Von Hatten house like cats watching a mouse. There’s only three sides of it that lie can get in through, an’ we’ll watch one side each. Directly that guy appears and gets into the house we’ll telephone through to Scotland Yard and wise ’em up. They’ll be after him fast enough. He’s not too popular with them. He’s given them the slip too many times. When he gets into that house it’s goin’ to take him threequarters of an hour to get the safe open. It’ll only take the flying squad half an hour from the Yard in their fast ear, an’ MacTavish’ll Avalk right into their arms. In the meantime, we make a quiet getaway and disappear, an’ we’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that we’ve got MacTavish out of the game for a few years. Well, what do you

“I think it’s a big idea,” said Marney, ‘l’m for it.”

“So am I,” said Vokell. “I’ll feel relieved ven zat man is be’ind the bars.”

“All right, then,” said Klausen. “This is how we do it. I’ll take the front of the house, Marney can take the right hand side, and Vokell the left hand side. MacTavish can't get in from the back that I know. Directly we see him at it, whoever spots him runs round and tells the other two. I’ll have my car hidden down the road, and we’ll drive to Hatstead, which is only five minutes away, and telephone 'from the public call office. Everybody understand? All right, let’s have a drink.”

Alonzo heard the sound of the syphon once more. Then, with the utmost care, he closed the door, descended the stairs and made his way carefully out of the house by the same way that he had entered.

Outside, he walked quickly in the direction of Edgware Station. As ho walked along Alonzo smiled to himself. Klausen had had a big idea, but Air. Alonzo MacTavish had thought of a better one.

An hour later, arrived hack at his flat in Earl’s Court, Alonzo sat down at his writing table, and after some little thought wrote three letters. One he addressed to Air. Alarney, one to Air. Klausen, and the third to Air. Vokell. Having completed this task to his satisfaction, Air. AlacTavish smoked a cigarHonour Amongst Thieves! On the following Thursday night a beautiful moon illuminated the stately towers of the Von Hatten home at Marstead. It was half past three in the morning, and the ball had been finished an hour. Crouching in the long grass which bordered the lane running along one side of the house, Alarney shivered and wished that he had brought a heavier overcoat.

Suddenly someQnc approached him. Ho looked up. It wtfs MacTavish. “Everything’s 0.K.,” said AlacTavish, with a smile. “Come along!”

Alarney scrambled to his feet and followed Alonzo, who, making a wide detour, made for the other side of the mansion.

“What about Vokell?” whispered. Alarney. “He’s watching round there, isn’t he ?”

Alonzo grinned. “Don’t Avorry about him,” he said. “I’ve knocked him over the head Avith a sandbag. He’s in the tool shed—bdund and gagged. Someone will let him out in the morning—if he’s lucky.” They worked their way round to the side of the house which Vokell should have been watching, and Ma*tiey saAV, with no small admiration, a thin steel ladder Avhieh ran up to the first floor AvindoAv. Alonzo prepared to mount. “After me,” he said, “and not a sound.” When Alonzo had disappeared through the window, Alarney clambered up and joined him. He found himself in a dark passage. “Give me your hand,” said Alonzo. “I don’t Avant to use a torch if possible. I know the way.” He took Alarney’s hand, and together they Avalked quietly down the passage. Half a dozen yards down, Alonzo stopped, opened a door quietly, and led Alarney into a room Avliich Avas in utter darkness. Marney found himself pushed into a chair. “Sit there,” said Alonzo, “and wait until I come back. We’ve got to use a blowpipe on this safe, and I’ve got it just along the corridor. Don’t move, and don’t make a noise. I shan’t be a minute.” Alarney sat in the darkness. Minutes passed, but still there Avas no sign of Alonzo. The minutes lengthened into a quarter of an hour, then half an hour, and Alarney began to feel decidedly uneasy. At last he made up his mind to go. Alonzo had fooled him, that Avas certain. With a muttered curse, Alarney rose from his chair and commenced quietly to make his Avay in the direction of the door. Suddenly he stopped dead. He could hear someone breathing! Alarney stood listening intently. There was no doubt about it. Someone Avas in the room. A cold sweat broke out on Alarney’s forehead. This Avas no place for him! There was something eerie—something uncanny about this breathing. He continued his progress towards the door, and eventually with a sigh of relief his fingers found the door handle. He turned it, and pulled the door. It was locked! At the same moment a hand closed over Alarney’s as it lay on the door knob. Marney turned and struck out ! with his fist, and an exclamation broke ! from the other man. With a gasp Alarney recognised the voice. It was Klausen! j “Klausen!” he gasped. “What are

you doing here?” " “And ’ Avhat the hell are you doing here ?” muttered Klausen. A third A r oice, Vokell’s, joined them. “My Gott! Ve’re all here!” hissed Vokell. From somewhere at the far end of the room a A-oice sounded —the A’oice of Alonzo MacTavish. “Keep quite still, gentlemen,” he said, “and don’t move. Other you’ll disturb the whole household. I expect tha t you are all ’very surprised to meet each other here, and, personally, after my dealings with all of you, I’m rather surprised at the' idiot A\'ho said that there was honour amongst thieves. “I expect that you would like me to satisfy your curiosity. Well, I’ll do so. I saw you meet in Cork Street, and came to the conclusion that you were up to no good. I followed you to the house—Klausen’s house—in Edgware, got in through the back door, and overheard your little plot to put Scotland Yard on my track the night that I came here after the Von Hatten necklace. My next step in the game, knowing what a bunch of double-crossing crooks yoti Avere, Avas to write to each, of you, making an appointment to see each one of you separately. At. this appointment I proposed that I would split the profits derived from the sale of the necklace, if that particular man Avould act as accomplice to me in the robbery. Each one of you, knowing (hat the others Avould be Avatching on the other side of the house, agreed. You Avere quite prepared to sell each other for a share of the loot. “However, our friend Klausen made one mistake. He was perfectly right when he said that I took pains to find out about the inside. It may interest you to know that at this moment, I am standing in the entrance of a secret passage leading from this room to the outer grounds. I came through this passage soon after the ball and removed the necklace from the safe in this room, which safe is still open. Then I Avent to each of you in turn and brought you up here and sat you in a chair. There is only one door leading from this room, and it is locked. There are no windows at all. No\a\ gentlemen, I am going to loaA'e you Aia the secret passage, and on my way back to toAvn I’m going to ring up Scotland Yard and inform them that the Von Hatten necklace has been stolen, hnd that if they will go down to Marstead that they will be in time to get the men who stole it. I’ve rather turned the tables on you, haven’t I?” r -^^ ere 'vas a scraping sound, and Alonzo s A-oice came to them a little more faintly. “Good night, gentlemen,” he said. And I hope it keeps fine for you!” (To be continued daily.)