"THE MYSTERY OF THE PEARLS"

Wairarapa Daily Times, 2 March 1934, Page 7

"THE MYSTERY OF THE PEARLS"

COPYRIGHT PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT.

CHAPTER IV.—Continued.

I , He fell asleep wondering, fell asleep I with a small cardboard box under his pillow, wrapped round in brown paper I and sealed, a box to which there still I clung tiny scraps of mould. And he woke up from a wild dream of chasing § Mary Reynolds in a mad race in cars I without lights, to the prosaic smell of bacon being cooked. 15 And Stuart Reeves, being a practical man, wasted no time in dressing, for the adventures of the night had made I s him decidedly hungry. Nor was he in a speculative mood then. The events of the night before had not left a j deep impression on him. At the time they happened he had been keyed up ; to the highest pitch, had felt so quixi otic that he would have run the gaunt- | let of Scotland Yard without hesitation, if it would have saved Mary Reynolds an hour’s anxiety. But with the morning sun had come a certain reaction. Midnight is ever more romantic than mid-day, and Reeves wondered just a little, as lie placed the sealed package in one of the drawers of his dressing table if he were not making a first-class fool of himself. ‘ ‘ Sleep well, sir 1 ’ ’ asked Mrs Braclcenbury genially, when he appeared downstairs. "Like a top,” answered Reeves. "Your country air and beds rvould make anybody sleep, I believe. The only think which could possibly wake them would be the smell of bacon and eggs cooked by Mrs Brackenbury. ’ ’ The landlady’s round, red face crinkled with pleasure. "They will be ready in one minute, Mr Reeves.” "And I’ll make one more guess,” cried Reeves gaily. ‘‘You make the best coffee for ten miles around.” The landlord appeared, genial, fresh from the garden. "That she do, Mr Reeves, Lulu’s

coffee is champion. ” Reeves smothered a smile at the pet name. ‘‘Any more news of the murder ’ ’ he asked. Brackenbury shook his head. “Nothing new since Joe was in and they ain’t put that in the papers. The inquest’s to-morrow. I wouldn’t like to be in the shoes of them at the White House. ’ ’ “Well, I don’t know anything about that officially,” said Reeves. “I’m going in to Reigate this morning to fix up things, and afterwards I’m going to call round there and tell them definitely I’ve bought it. I may pick up something. If not, I suppose we must wait for Joe this evening. lie seems to know a lot for an ordinary policeman. I didn't know they told them.” “The inspector married his daughter,” chuckled the landlord. “I daresay Joe could have been a sergeant by now, only he didn't like the responsibility. ’ ’ Later, in Reigate, Reeves made no comment to the agent that he intended to pay a visit to the White House that morning. “They told me yesterday that if I wanted the house I could have it, but, of course, that depends on what the present owner says about the agreement, I suppose. If he wishes, I’ll take over the liability. I want 'it put through as quickly as you can.” It was not until he was driving back that he began seriously to think about his encounter of the night before; began to realise there was something queer about it. He had been so thankful to get away himself, had been so full of the idea that the unknown man was one of the official watchers, that he had not sought any other explanation, had not even considered whether that midnight encounter might have some repercussion on the occupants of the White House. “He didn’t look to me like a policeman,” he reflected. “And now I come to think about it he certainly didn’t behave like one. If he ’d been one he had a perfect right to be there. I thought at first he had bolted from sheer fright, not knowing what had jumped on him.” He remembered that he had fled with no other thought in his mind but to put as great a distance between himself and the White House as possible, before the alarm was raised. And, as far as he knew, no alarm had been raised.

But if the stranger wasn't a policeman, who was he? What was he doing watching the White House at that time of night? Was lie, too, after the pearls? ••Well, he won't get them now," lie reflected grimly, as his car swung round the corner and pulled up outside the White House. Standing by the gate Reeves recognised the sergeant who had stopped him the day before. “Thought I'd stop this time before I was stopped,’’ he said facetiously. “You might have told me what you were after, sergeant. 1 suppose you are satisfied it wasn’t my car?” “We’re satisfied you weren’t in it, replied the sergeant cautiously, and added, as Reeves made to go through the gate, “Anything special you want, sir ? ’ ’ “I’ve just bought this place, ’ replied Reeves airily. “And I’ve come to tell them.” The sergeant took off his helmet and scratched his head. “You haven’t heard the news then, sir?” he asked. Reeves steeled himself to appear unconcerned. He wondered if everyone in the White House had already been arrested. “What news?” he asked, lighting a cigarette. “The inspector and a couple of men arc inside,” continued the sergeant lowering his voice. “They hate leason to suspect —” I-Ie broke off as a voice called out, “Hallo, Reeves, come to see the bailiffs?” It was Billy Reynolds, who grinned cheerfully at the sergeant. “What’s this I hear?” asked Reeves. “The sergeant was just bcgining to tell me —” “Oh, somebody’s got it into their heads that we borrowed your car while you were asleep, raced to Grinstead, wiped out Whiteoakes with a convenient poker, and dashed back looking innocent. So they’re searching our belongings for clues and finger prints and bloodstains,” said Reynolds flippantly. “What do they expect to find?” asked Reeves. “Goodness knows,” retorted Reynolds. “You’ve come at a bit of an awkward time.” “But the police can’t come and search anybody’s place arbitrarily like

BY JOHN LAURENCE (Author of "The Double Cross Inn,” "Mystery Money,” “The . Riddle of Wraye,” etc).

"They searched your car all the same yesterday,” said Merton quietly. "And" found Mary’s vanity case behind the driving seat and a couple of cigarette stubs of the kind I usually smoke. I had a cut at putting the car right as you know and Mary, of course, would sit in the driver’s scat and test the controls. She’s mad to try every new car, aren’t you, Mary?” Mary 'nodded. Her face was half turned away and Reeves could not see her eyes as Merton made his explanation.

"But they’re not suspecting you on flimsy grounds like that, surely?” "Somebody said a girl had been seen driving the car away from Grinstead,” continued Merton, "and somebody else recognised Mary and myself in a car early yesterday morning driving here.” "In a Speedway?” "He didn’t recognise the car. As a matter of fact we were out driving just after dawn, and' we were doing a bit of honest thieving as I told the inspector. We were picking mushrooms and if you don’t get up pretty early for them somebody else has them. The inspector sniffed audibly when he was shown the remains on the dust heap. It's lucky we ve all got a sense of humour, but it’s going to make the village unbearable to live in. The very fact the police have decided to search here will be enough for the unthinking mob. We shall be pointed at as the murderers, until they get the right man and hang him. But if they bark up this tree for long he’ll be well away and run to earth.” CHAPTER Y.

For the first time a note of real seriousness had crept into Merton’s voice. "As far as lam concerned, you needn’t stick to Hie agreement if you want to clear out before,” said Reeves. "Oh, no, we mustn’t do that. We must stay and face it out. We couldn t run away, could we, Tommy?” Mary Reynolds spoke quietly, almost breathlessly, as though she were afraid that Merton or her brother would accept Reeves's offer. "It’s dreadful to be suspected of murder,” she continued. "But everybody would think we were guilty if no ran away.”

“We’re not running away,” said Merton emphatically. “I’m not lea\ijig this district until they’ve got him, whoever he is.”

The inspector came out of the door as he spoke. He shrugged his shoulders slightlv as .Merton looked at him with a quizzical smile. “I’m sorry, sir, but I'm only acting on ordeis. Well, Burrows, wlmt is it?” i The policeman who had been looking round the kitchen garden had come up unnoticed.

“One of you gentlemen lost a pocket knife?” he'asked, holding out his hand.

“It” mine,” said Reeves. “I must have dropped it yesterday. Where did you find it ?” “At the end of that row of cabbages.” The policeman pointed to the row where the three cabbages had been pulled up, where, Reeves reflected, he had seen Merton burying the package. “Where those cabbages have been pulled up,” added Burrows. Reeves said “Thank you,” mechanically as he pocketed the knife. He felt the sudden tension in the air as he saw a look of suspicion in Mary’s eves.. She moved away a little with Merton as the inspector and the policeman walked up the garden together and he was left with Billy. “This is a pretty rotten affair,” said the latter. “They'll be after you next Reeves, because you slept at the house. I'm surprised they believed you. But if Mary wants to stick it, Tommv and I will be on the spot.”

“I "expect they’ll look a bit more closely at me before they finish.” said Reeves. “It seems to me in any case I’m in it, and four heads are better than three.” (To be Continued).

this,” protested Reeves. "There must be some reason.” Reynolds shrugged his slroulders and his face became serious.

"I daresay they’ve got plenty of reasons, but they’re not telling us,” he said. " The inspector produced the search warrant and that’s all there is to it.”

"I hope I’m not responsible in any way, ’’ began Reeves. "I seem to have brought you trouble —” "Rot. You’ve added a bit of spice to life. Come along and see the fun. Did you come to any decision about the house J ’’ "Yes. I’ve paid the deposit this morning and everything will be fixed up in the next few days. But of course you and your sister can stop here just as long as you like.” "She’s out in the garden. Come round this way. I believe one of them is going to dig up the ground for us. It’s time it was weeded.” The sergeant grinned cheerfully as the two moved off. Reeves grinned back, and the sergeant would probably have given Ms stripes to know , that that answering smile was due to the thought rf the little package now safely resting in a drawer at the inn. Reeves wondered at the supreme confidence -, of his companion and, indeed, a moment later that of Mary and Merton who were standing watching one of the police slowly walking up and down the garden. Not one of the three showed the slightest trace of anxiety. "Your car seems to have brought us trouble,” said Merton with a smile. "The police arc not only certain that a Speedway was seen outside Wliiteoakes’s place, but that it was your Speedway. Haven’t they searched you and your place yet?” . "God forbid,” ejaculated Reeves unthinkingly, and added quickly as he saw the sudden change in Mary Reynolds’s eyes, “I don’t want the police suspecting me of anything. I can’t make out why they suspect you either. ’ ’