“VIPER’S VENGEANCE”

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 106, 6 May 1936, Page 10

“VIPER’S VENGEANCE”

SERIAL STORY

by

RALPH TREVOR

(Chapter IX Continued.) j A sudden gleam of interest shot info the Superintendent’s eyes. The sight of Mathers had suddenly stimulated him into activity. “ Hop In, Mathers, my boy, and what's the news? ” Mathers came forward. ‘‘l'm afraid ' there’s not very much, sir,” he began, in businesslike tones. “ 1 found our man all right, but not without some ■ preliminary difficulty. He’s living in I an expensive flat near Glarges Street. ■ Been there for nearly two months. I discovered, too, sir, that he's well j liked and that he’s a good mixer. I 1 had a glimpse of him going out to '• lunch. He’s a fine figure of a man, i sir. Nearly six feet, I should imagine, ’ with one of those cleanly-cut pro- i files that, you find out East. He ha.l i his car waiting for him outside the , flat, and he was driven to Throm- j bolds just off the Strand. You know I the place, sir; one of the few where j you can get genuine Oriental dishes | cooked in real Oriental fashion. “ I made further enquiries there, sir, and 1 learned that he lunches there fairly often. Two and three times a week. Everyone likes him. The man I know there told me that Rama Singh is just one hundred per cent loyal. It seems he had told him that the Government of India Bill was the finest piece of legislation :that any British Parliament has ever put through. He sat in the distinguished strangers’ gallery throughout every debate, and I should say that his enthusiasm is unquestioned, so far as I can gather. Yet he has native servants, sir.” Mathers made this statement as if the fact had an altogether now significance, and Adcock raised his eyebrows perceptibly. “Anything unusual In that?” he asked, as Mathers paused in his narrative. “ No, sir and yet, maybe there is. I don’t like a man who surrounds himself with his own countrymen when he’s in a strange land.” “Oh, and why?” smiled Adcock. “ Well, sir, when an Englishman goes abroad he usually manages pretty well with native servants, unless he’s afraid of something. When you’re in Rome, I’m told, it’s advisable to imitate the Romans as closely as possible, sir.” “Sounds like part of a lecture at the Hendon College,” grinned Adcock. “ All the same,” he conceded, “ It’s a nice point. Carry on.” I’m afraid there’s not much more, sir, except that it’s fairly definite that he was at ‘ The Sign of the Twin Moons ’ last night. I had a chat with the doorkeeper, and also with one of the waiters, although, mind you, sir, they both appeared pretty scared when I mentioned his name. When they knew it was an official inquiry they loosed up a bit, but they were careful not to say too much. 1 gathered, also, that His Highness—that’s what they call him down there—left early; before the shooting, that is.” “That would account for It,” grumbled Adcock. “ All the same I'm not satisfied, Mathers. Anything more ? ” “ I’ve been keeping fairly close to him most of the day, but to-night, after he’d 'had dinner at his flat, he just vanished. I waited for him tc come down. There was his car waiting at the door. But nothing happened. The lights in his rooms were extinguished, and I made sure that any f moment he’d pop out on to the pave- J ment. No, sir, I'm afraid I’ve been , well and cleverly fooled, though I’ll r swear he could have had no idea the . place was being watched.” “ How about the back entrance?” ( suggested Adcock, hopefully. Mathers shook his head. “ There ( isn't one, sir.” “And the car remained there all 5 the time? Was anyone at the wheel?” j “ A chauffeur, sir. Maroon livery j and chromium buttons.” ( Adcock seemed reconciled. If f Mathers stated that the man 'had not ( left the building, he was satisfied. “ Naturally I wanted to make certain,” Mathers proceeded. “ I went into the building myself. His suite 1 was in total darkness.” “ He most likely believes the old fable about early to bed . . . ” 1 smiled Adcock. “However, thanks a • lot, Mathers. You’ve dofie well. I • think we’ve earned our sleep. Let's j pack up. Gan I drop you on the way?” “ Thanks, sir.” But the “ packing up ” process had ; to be deferred, for Inquiries informed i * Superintendent Adcock that some one! ■ was below enquiring for him. The' ’ man, so it appeared, refused to givci c his name, but said he had some in-| a formation concerning the affair at the ‘ “ Twin Moons.” Adcock, spurred 1 once again into activity, Instrucled c that. Ihe man be brought up. ** Y’ou ' might as well stay. Mathers," he 1 added, turning Io the younger man. ? ” It's probably someone with n. bee a buzzing around.” moment later Superintendent Ad- r cock found ‘himself staring at. a face! 1 that was familiar. It was the face * of the Colonial he had met last night I f when he had viewed the body of the r man at the night club. “I guess you're surprised In see i [ me, eh, Super? ” he questioned, as he I 1 strode confidently into the room. | a “ Guessing’s not part of my busl-1 1 ness,” Adcock informed him. “Youri 1 name—? ” “ Deering, and the first name's c Bud.” ! 3 “ Well, Mr. Deering, and what can I do for you?” asked Adcock, the 11 personification of geniality. “ Gigsfr?”i c Mr Deering said: “Nuts” and re,-’ ' moved a slice of chewing gum from his cheek. “ Sorry, I’rn just out of slock,” a grinned Adcock, cheerfully. “Say, what is this place?” de- 0 manded Mr Deering. “ Bughouse, or Scotland Y’ard? ” h Superintendent Adcock’s face was s immobile. “It was once the old a palace of the Kings of Scotland, sir, hence its somewhat unusual title. If v you would like to see the bedcham- c her—•” Mr Deering smiled. “ Thanks, , Buddy, you’ve said a lot, and I- asked v for the works all right. But about F this murder of yours. How’s it getting on? Caught anyone yet?”

i “ You will pardon me, Mr Deering,” smiled Adcock, ” but I’m afraid your questions embarrass me. Would you be so kind as Io tell me Io what you are referring?” j “ Don't tell me you've forgotten , what happened last night?” grunted Mr Deering, uncertain -how to fake this policeman. Certainly not,’’ smiled Adcock, i “ the six pips failed to come through I on the. National wavelength at eleven- , thirty.” Who's foolin now?” demanded > the Colonial. ’ Now stow it. Super. ' You know what I’m talking about, i 1 hat affair down at ‘ The Sign of the ' Twin Moons.” We were in on that | job together, remember? ” I Adcock nodded and winked at I Mathers. “ Well. I guess I’ve got some information that's going to surprise you.” I “ I’m proof against surprise at my 1 age. Shoot!” lou remember that young guy who helped me clean up lhe corpse from the dance floor? Well, I’ve been doing a spot of business on my own toa *’ * Linda suspected that guy, so I've been keeping my eyes on him. That’s why I’m late.” “That was very kind of you, Mr Deering, and you've come to tell me that you've wrung a confession from him, is that it? ” “Not yet,” said Mr Deering, “but I guess that when you know he’s been down to a gordarn place near Folkestone to-night, and had words with a dame who was dancing with a dago last night at that place . . well, how d’you like it, Super? ” I'm not surprised,” Adcock told him. “In fact, Mr Deering, that young gentleman told me himself that he had a business appointment in Folkestone to-night. He sells vacuum cleaners, you know. Of course, it's awfully nice of you to go Io all this trouble— ’’ “ Say, you can stow all that, Mister. I That guy might have spoofed you, but he doesn’t kid Sergeant Bud Deering of the Royal Canadian Police on a rubbernecking holiday in London. That’s me, Super. To-night that guy was with a girl I gJinimcd last night dancing with a Hottentot. I saw them dancing before that other guy was bumped off. When the lights went up they’d macle their getaway. If you don’t believe me, look at your list of names, Super, I kinda. bet there ain’t no Hot- , ten tot there.” “ So you're in the Canadian Police," said Adcock. ” Glad to meet you, Sergeant. You can forget the leg-pull, I hope? We’re not all dumbells here.” “ Sure,” said Sergeant Deering, heartily. “ I like a joke or two myself. Hope you don’t mind me butting in like this? ” “ I’m grateful, Sergeant,” smiled Adcock, and he meant it. “ How about a drink before we talk a little more? ” “ I’ve been waiting exactly ten minutes for that speech, Super,” grinned the Canadian policeman. CHAPTER X. Rama Singh Is At Home. To the due North of St. Albans at a point where the speculative builder has not yet encroached, stands a house set well back from the main road. Jn fact the house cannot be seen from the road at all, because it is effectively screened by a dense mass of trees that described almost a complete circle. Even in winter' when the season has stripped the leaves from the branches and made a soft, yielding carpet of them on the ground below, the tracery of their bare limbs is woven so closely that it is difficult indeed from the distance of the highway to discern the grey mass of stone that represents the old house. Locally the house is known as “Beech Grange” because of the pre- ii ponderance of beech trees that form the arboreal circle. “Beech Grange” had once belonged to a landed propretor who owned an estate of con- 1 siderable dimensions around St. Al- c bans. But that was long ago. The r landed proprietor had been long dead. ‘ c The estate, scattered enough when 5 parcelled up in a London estate auction 2 rooms and had been disposed of among a dozen different bidders. As for the house, it had remained for a time in lhe possession of a member of the g original family, but five years ago the owner had deserted It and it had lain o as fallow as some of the neighbouring 9 fields, until one day those who knew 9 the locality well 'were interested to 9 discover signs of activity around the 9 old house. A small army of work- t men descended on it from London and set to work to put it into decent repair and make it habitable. But no one in the neighbourhood ever heard who ihe <1 new owner or tenant was. The workmen knew nothing except the tasks [ that had been allotted to them, although several of them considered it odd at the lime that while the specification for the repairs and the renewals was quite comprehensive, strict t instructions had been given that on no r account were certain rooms to be touched. They were to be- left as -j they were found. The foreman when 5 questioned concerning this odd re- 2 quest, cursed in picturesque English - and sent his men about their respec- s five tasks. Who was he to comment to a. horde of workmen on the contract in hand. If the employer s was sufficiently crazy as to want a s job half done, that was his concern. a So the matter passed into abeyance 9 and was rarely mentioned during the time the workmen were in occupation n of “Beech Grange.” Yet these same workmen would 9 have been amazed had they been pre- 9 sent to note the activities that began anew the day following their com- 9 pielion of the contract. Two new workmen put in an appearance. They came by motor-car. ... an expen- 9 sive-looking car it was, too, and they 9 took into the house a long narrow box 9 which, apparently, contained their implements. 9 (To be continued) 1 1