Serial Story The Jade Token

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 441, 5 December 1930, Page 10

Serial Story The Jade Token

(Bp Ralph Trevor) (Author of “Under Suspicion,” etc.) (All Rights Reserved)

SYNOPSIS. A murder is eommiOd in the surger? of Dr. Wallace Langiey. he decoyed from the place at the me. The police find* the murdered rnan named Conrad Ricks, has come America, and had recently aekcd Jules Conn, an antique dealer, a piece of jade set with a 'minable nihy and inscribed with 1 ‘ er oglyphics. This jade token is now lobaing. Scotland Yard have been perplexed s series oi daring jewel robberies. « urtis Burke. a brilliant young detect 'e. who is given control of the case, nnects the?robberies with the murder of Conrad Ricks. Inspector Ames, an elderly detective. assists Burke. Ames is hostile Io hr. Langley. and feeling that he is under suspicion. Langley consults Sir Garvice Watkin a great criminal lawyer. Langley is engaged Io Sonia Cranston, a niece o» Sir Garvice. Sir Garvice tells the young doctor that there is something suspicious about Inspector Ames. >ir Garvice Watkin unites Burke to his country house for the week-end. and there lie meets Ann Marvin, a friend of Sonia Cranston. There is an atmosphere of mystery about Ann Marvin and Burke, although attracted to her, suspects her of being a criminal. A gold crucifix belonging to Sir Garvice is stolen during the night. Looking for clues Burke finds a black bone button of an unusual type. There was on!} one man he knew who wore buttons like that, and that was Detective Inspector Ames, of Scotland Yard. Bufmc visits Professor Browning to Uy and learn something of the history of the ancient jade token which was stolen from the murdered man. Another murder is committed, and jewels stolen. Finger-prints lead to tne arrest of one Joe Denver. Sir Garvice Watkin offers his services in the defence of the accused. Al the trial it transpires that Den- j ve r has been a member of "The Long Arm. a criminal association with an unknown head who directs all its Operations. (.MAPI Eft .Will.— Continued. j "I had heard. Ames told him, "that : fnan> years ago a jewelled crucifix of • considerable value was stolen from the church of the Sacre Coeur. at MonteVideo at a time when Sir Garvice Wat- ■ kin was staying there and it had been ! commented upon that he had been spending a great deal of his time sightseeintr in the church itself. Mind you, ttie assumption was rather thin. There *as no actual evidence at the time, ind it was stated at police headquarters that a man in Sir Garvice’s position would never think of stooping *o low as stiver sacrilege. But that, i believe, was lhe beginning of his mania. I honestly think that that was the first time he had ever stolen anyth ng in his life. 1 also think it is unite possible that it was the last. I | think that from that time he began . his vast organisation to operate on his behalf. Precisely how he started I don’t profess to know, and what’s Hiocp. I’m not interested. ‘However. I took that crucifix to »<wneone in London whom 1 knew had •finally seen it in the church at Montevideo, and I had it identified ss oop &nd thp same. There is not an- I other like it. I believe, in the world. .'Vafiij’-ally I did not say where or by whom it had been discovered. I just handed it back with a request that it he returned to the Church of the Sacre Coeur, and 1 believe it is now safely on its way there, if we could only ge< into Rio Court. Mr Burke," went on Ames, enthusiastically, “I am convinced that somewhere in the house ■we should find something interesting.’’ ‘‘But why should a man in Sir Garvioe Walkin’® position stoop to crime when he’s probably wealthy enough to purchase any amount of jewellery s ”d ornaments?" asked Burke, as yet unable to focus his mind correctly on the enormity of Ames s calm accusation. As far as 1 can see, Ames, trnt’s about lhe only weak link in the i-bain."

Inspector Ames smiled. He knew tnai had he been in his colleague’s Pbce he would have asked much the sane sori of question. On lhe face of it it did seem incredible, and yet ‘ Only the other day." Ames aarwered “1 ended my inquiries into matters concerning Sir Garvice, and Uj*y have been spread over a great tdßßv *ears. His great-grandfather r *s beiieved *.o be descended directly from th a ancient Incas of South A« erica. and Sir Garvice—whom I to be insane—has inherited ti» Inoa tradition which is expressed » his tn ordinal a obsession for gold aat- jewelled ornaments of all descriptions. He arrived in this country from Seulb America twenty years ago. He i« brilliantly efever. He was called to tie Bar. and from that time you know hew extraordinarily successful he has been. But take most excessively bril’fcn*. men he has a kink somewhere. H is * subject upon which I am not unfamiliar, but I do not doubt your friend Dr. Langley whom, kr the way. I never really suspected, tort it was necessary from * r Garvice "Watkin s point of view that I should, conld help us on that point. *T do not go so far a* to assert that Ob man is a congenital crook. Only •oe aids of him j». If he were wholly a crook 1 doubt very much whether w should have ever suspected him. Brit h« made a mistake, ami 1 shall put ii to you like this. Assuming that lhe theft of the crucifix at Montevideo we hie first excursion infn crime, it tai probabie that he recorded if in Die of an heroic 0.-eu. ano that his ysranoa 1 vanity could onij oa satisfactorily appeased by h's displaying it in Mm plane where he could always •m ta Had he locked it iwaj. as premamahdy he has locked ail the rest away. Inspector Robert Ames might rwsrer have run him to earth. “I doubt, Mr Burke, whether you ©an recall any other case among the many and varied annals of crime where the croninaJ has used such remarkable and effrontery as have been MtoUeyed Ir this cate. Take the trial Denver aa a piquant example, cite me an instance of such boldness ? There you had

Sir Garvice Watkin, himself the ‘Long Arm to which he so frequently referred. actually having the aiidscily to stand in the Central Criminal Court to defend one of hie own dupes, and to succeed in saving him from the gallows ’ “As I sat there io lhe court and | watched him it look all my self-con-trol Io prevent myself from getting up end pointing an accusing finger at him and saying: ‘lf any man should be behind the rails. Sir Garvice. that man is yourself/ Bui what could 1 do?" asked Ames, with a gesture of utter helplessness. “I only had my suspicions. yet when he stood there and looked around the court and said: That monster who is an enemy of society, who has brought the. prisoner to his present position, might even be in court at the present moment,’ I ask you. Mr Burke, what could 1 do save admire the man’s brazen nerve, when he must have known all the time that he was that man." "But that’s anolher poinl.” Burke suggested thoughtfully. ‘Did he know', or was lie firmly convinced that there was someone else? Perhaps it might mean that when he was normal he completely forgot his other personality. That even now he has no real knowledge of his criminal amnesia." "That is, of course, a possibility,’’ Ames conceded slowly. ‘ But I wonder whether you can recall to mind any occasion when Sir Garvice Watkin specially suggested to you that Inspector Ames, of Scotland Yard, was not the person he represented himself to be. Can you recollect that, Mr Burke?" he asked eagerly. "By Jove! Yes." exclaimed Burke. "It was Sir Gan ice Watkin who first sowed the seeds of suspicion in my mind against you. J remember it distinctly. It was during that week-end at Rio Court. Mind you. I thought at the time it sounded jolly fishy, but you know how convincing he can be when he is speaking calmly and dispassionately." "Yes." sighed Ames; "I know. But you weren’t lhe only person Sir Garvice approached regarding me. and because of that I’m strongly Inclined lo the belief that he suspects that 1 know more than Is good for me. However, I think lhe best thing we can do is to trot along to Dr. Langley. I’d like a word with him before you make that inquiry/’ CHAPTER XXIV. Dr. Wallace Langley was surprised to find Curtis Burke and Inspector Ames wailing for him at his Harley Street room when he arrived there after his surgery at Ponson Street. Both men looked gravely serious and at first lhe doctor thought that Amos’ animosity against him had reached a crisis. On the other hand, remembering Curtis Burke’s questioning about dual personality and criminal instinct!, he thought that perhaps Burke bad managed to get the Inspector along for a diagnosis. ‘Good morning, doctor." greeted Ames, genially. -We should be glad if you could spare us a few' moments of your valuable lime for a serious little discussion on a medical question that is perplexing us. We are here as friends, doctor.” he added with a smile. .

"The inspector wants you to tell him something about amnesia." explained Burke, with a quick glance at Dr. Langley which the medico interpreted that everything was all right.

"That's right." said Ames. "We want to know whether you think it possible for a man to possess another personality and be unconscious of it; incapable of controlling it by his other self?" Burke turned to his colleague who w-fts standing by the dark oak table in the centre of lhe room.

"Might wp not take the doctor into our confidence?" he asked.

Inspector Antes looked thoughtful for a moment. The whole matter bad caused him some anxiety ever since the moment when he had been compelled, earlier that morning, to reveal his secret to Burke, and now to entertain the conftdenoe of a third person might possible wreck his scheme. He was well aware that Dr. Wallace I/angley and Sonia Granslon, niece of the man whom he had under suspicion, were engaged lo be married.

"Dr. Langley might not be prepared to help us if we mentioned names," he suggested, significantly. "There i< Miss Sonia Graneton I believe." Burke understood, but the doctor, hearing Souk’s name mentioned, immediately demanded an explanation. "What has Sonia got to do with thia visit, Inspector?" he asked, with a trace of irritation. “I trust that Sir Garvice has sot suggested anything. I assure you that Sonia is here as my patient. You know that, Burke," he added. Ames looked helplessly at Burke for a l p ad in this sudden complication. "Miss Cranston came to visit her fiance lhe day before yesterday," Burke explained. "She was overwrought. nervous, and Dr. 1/angley is looking after her." "Nervous of what?" demanded Ames with unexpected suddenness. “Do you mean that she is afraid of her uncle? Burke could see the drift of the inspector's outburst and realised what was passing through his mind. Dr. Langley continued to stare at the police officers with a smouldering suspicion in his alert mind. "Don’t ynu think you might be frank with me?" he asked both of them appealingly, -jf there is anything wrong al Bio Gouri perhaps I might help." Ames realised lhal Dr. Langley must, bo made cognisant of his suspicions and his theory and briefly he. outlined the case up lo the point where they now stood. Burke saw that Dr. Langley had grown pale. His hands clenched until lhe knuckles gleamed strangely while under the tanned flesh. "You are quite sure of this?" he asked In a hollow voice. "You are quite sure?" • How can we be positive until wp know more?" said Ames, answering question by question. "Tnat is where 1 was hopeful you might be able to help us." <To be Continued).