THE DEPUTY AVENGER

Waikato Times, Volume 109, Issue 18256, 18 February 1931, Page 4

THE DEPUTY AVENGER

Serial Story

(By Ralph Trevor.)

SYNOPSIS. Dudley Varwcll loses £SOO at roulette, after promising his father to give up gambling altogether. Richard Strange comes to his assistance, and promises to take the debt on to Ills own shoulders, and to give it out that Dudley had been acting for' him at the roulette table.

Richard is engaged to Rita Varwcll, but lately has had money losses. I-Io believes that Rita will wait for him. She is a mercenary, however, and breaks off the engagement, at the same time blaming him for encouraging her brother to gamble. Strange Is sick at heart, and bitter towards all women. How to get the £SOO by the end of the month is now ills problem. He inserts the following advertisement in “The Times”: — “Young man will enter into agreement to perform any special service in consideration of the sum of £500.” Mr Stephen Anwell answers Strange’s advertisement. Anwell has lived at Hampstead for two years, the previous twenty being spent in South Africa. He tells Strange that his half-brother, Charles 'Braynton, had years before earned Stephen’s undying hatred. Anwell now wants his revenge on Charles through the daughter, whom Charles idolises. He wants Strange to win Mary’s heart, and then break it.

Strange accepts, remembering how a woman has treated him. At the Braynton’s he meets Nadya Darraeq, who is out to become the second Mrs Braynton; also Carl.Leeming, whose intention is to marry Mary Braynton. He also makes the acquaintance of Olga Brent, a friend of the Braynton’s. Then Strange finds that he loves Mary Braynton as he has never loved before. , At the Braynton’s he meets Nadya 'Darraeq, who is out to become the second Mrs Braynton; also Carl Deeming, whose intention is to marry Mary Braynton. He also makes the acquaintance of Olga Brent, a friend of file Braynlon’s. Strange finds himself amid a circle of dark intrigue. He discovers that Leeming is in league with Nadya.

Then Strange finds that he loves Mary Braynton as he lias never loved before.

At the Braynton’s he meets Nadya Darraeq, who is out to become the second Mrs Braynton; also Carl Leeming, whose intention is to marry Mary Braynton. He also makes the acquaintance of Olga Brent, a friend of the Braynton’s. Strange finds himself amid a circle of dark intrigue. He discovers that Leeming is in league with Nadya, and he sees danger ahead ■for both Mary and her father. Then Strange finds that he loves Mary Braynton as lie lias never loved before, and lie learns that Mary is deeply in love with himself. Can he breaF with Stephen Anwell? He goes to his house to plead, but Anwell is adamant—relentless.

A few hours after Strange has been at AnwcH's house, the old man is found murdered.

CHAPTER Xll.—(Continued.) Nadya Darraeq paused, as if to watch Hie effect of her announcement on the* man who stood in front of her with his back towards the fire-grate, but the face of Richard Strange was perfectly immobile. Not for a second did he permit his features to betray the commotion that was seething like an angry vortex in his brain, and Nadya Darraeq felt not a little disappointed. “What an extraordinarily thorough and curious young woman you are," remarked Strange, quietly. “I suppose I ought to be flattered by these scrupulous inquiries into my life and habits. You must pardon rue if I say [ am not in the least interested."

Once again Nadya Darraeq ignored his remarks.

“That letter," she continued, starins' straight up into his eyes, “told mo a curious story. It mentioned details of a certain compact arrived at between Mr Richard Strange and Mr Stephen Anwell whereby the former, for a monetary consideration, agreed to win the heart of Miss Mary Braynton, and then to throw her over leaving her disillusioned and helpless.” Strange was about to interject, but Nadya Barrack held up an exquisitely manicured hand in protest. "You may, or may not, know, Mr Strange, that last night Mr Stephen Anwell was found to have been brutally done to death —at least so l I gather from the newspapers—and further that that you visited him less than an hour before the outrage was discovered. Does that convey anything to you?” The chaos in Richard Strange’s brain had grown into a conllicting .tumult. There were a great many questions he wanted to 1 ask this amazing young woman, but he swiftly realised that to do so would be fatal. He must strive to profess complete ignorance of everything. “Yes," he pondered, slowly, “it does. It conveys to me the thought that you are not nearly so quick-wit-ted a young lady as I had given you credit for being. Your credulity is astonishing. On the strength of an anonymous letter you come here practically charging me with a crime. I presume you know' that is a serious accusation, and one for which I-—lf I felt so l disposed—'have my remedies in law. But perhaps the law' does not appeal to you, Miss Darracq," he went on, gaining confidence with every syllable, “perhaps the witness- box might not be comfortable to your conscience. That is what your remarks convey."

“Just what do you mean by that last remark of yours, Mr Strange?” This was a new' Nadya Darracq who sat before him now. It seemed to Strange that she had suddenly dropped the pleasant mask which she had worn when she had entered the room. Now she was a woman in whom had been planted the first seeds of suspicion. “Nothing more than I said, dear lady.. But I must apologise if I disturbed your equanimity."

“Look here!" The woman had become suddenly aggressive. “why should we bandy words any longer? You know' perfectly well that what I have told you is true. Let me put to you this question. Has it occurred lo you that, in the light nf what I know', you had every reason for wishing Stephen Anwell' dead? That you, above everyone else, had most lo gain by that act? Shall we assume that you set out on your task of breaking Mary Braynton’s heart with every intention of abiding bv the agreement, you had made with 'Stephen Anwell; that during the process you fell in love with the girl—a perfectly natural thing to do, for T have already said she is an attractive girl. Having discovered your love for her

Author of “The Jade Token,” “Under Suspicion,” eto., eto.

CHAPTER XIII

The Scotland Vard Enigma.

and realised that you could not longer be a party to the deception Anwell commanded you lo practise, you went to Stephen Anwell last night and acquainted him of your decision . Anwell wanted to hold you to your bond which had grown repellent. What better motive could you have had for killing Stephen Anwell?” Richard Strange was a perfectly normal young man. At no l period of his life had he ever felt himself possessed of murderous thought against anyone. It was true there had been occasions when he had been bitter, but there was a far step between bitterness and murder.

At this woman’s words, uttered with devastating calm, ho clenched his teeth and set his lips in a hard, straight line. Involuntarily his hands clenched, too. This woman who sat before him had become possessed of ills secret. In some uncanny way and through a coldly logical process of reasoning she had pieced together a damning 'indictment against him; an indictment that he now realised was overwhelming in its import. Strange felt that he could murder her—'that the instinct of self-preservation was still primitively strong in his breast. She represented a menace and that he ought to 1 remove her from his path. “You little know how near you are to death,” he breathed hoarsely, and watched the colour fade from her face.

“I supposed you would not stop at that,” she told him, levelly. "That was why I brought this with me," and for the first time he saw that she was holding- in her hand a small, but excedingly workmanlike, automatic. The next moment he regretted his indiscretion. “I think you can put that thing away," he told her, his voice more normal. “I prefer to keep it where it is,” she said. “Now what do you propose to do 1?” Do? What could he do? “Perhaps if you will make yourself a little more explicit I may know what you are driving at. It i* s crude blackmail you are going to Do singularly unlucky. My finances are rather on the ebb at the moment.” "You admit, then, that what I have said is true?” “I admit nothing,” and then a thought occurred to him. "And you can prove nothing either,” he went on. “The only man who can prove anything at all Is, as you have told rne, dead.” , “That may be, but the merest hint to Scotland Yard —annonymously, that is—might be sufficient to set them investigating. They do that sort of thing, you know.” “And what may be your proposal. “On condition that you fulfil your contract to the late Stephen Anwell, I give you my word that my lips shall 6 SGcllCCl.” ■■You want me to break with Mary Braynton? Is that it?” Nadya Darraeq nodded. "Yes 1” “And if I refuse?” ■“The condemned man walked steadily to the gallows after eating a good breakfast!’ Thats how the newspapers put it, I believe.” There was a callous coldness in her voice that made Richard Strange flame. “Look here," he demanded, “what the devil’s your game? Why do you want me out of the way at . Carr s Lodge? Answer me that—if you can.” ~ . . When Nadya Darraeq replied her voice was quite calm. “I happen to have other views on Mary Braynton’s marriage," she obliged, “and as her prospective stepmother, I think I ought to have some say in the matter.”

"“As I observed before, Miss Darracq, you are uncannily thorough,. but I decline to 1 discuss the mailer further. “Then I think Mary Braynton should be acquainted with the full facts, she said, with the air of one who had adroitly played her trump card. Strange was half way across the room preparatory to opening the door, but he paused. If she told Mary—if 'by chance sne showed her the letter she said she had received. ... a cold moisture broke out on the young man’s brow. This was not a woman but a she-devil-—a woman who wanted to destroy him. There was the chance that Mary Bravnlon might not believe Nadya Darracq, but Strange knew, that once the seeds of suspicion had been planted in her heart, it might be difficult to prevent their growing. After all, he could not deny it—that had always to be faced. , „ Suddenly his face hardened. He was not going to be stampeded by Nadya Darracq. Surely there must be a way out if only he could find It, but he must have time —time to think, and aC He crossed the room swiftly. “The door is open," he announced, tunelessly. “You can do just as you please.” , , , . , Nadya Darracq jumped to her feet, and there was a fire In her eyes as she looked at his proud figure. “You are a fooi, Richard Strange a bigger fool than I thought you were.” . , , . ~ “Your politeness is overwhelming, he retorted, as she swept past him.

In a little room at Scotland Yard sat Chief Superintendent Bissett. lie was leaning far back in the swivel chair in front of his glass-topped desk, his small, blue eyes contemplating the anaglypla on the ceiling. Bisselt was really the conundrum of the Criminal Investigation Department. He was a small man and rather spare with Ills dearth ol' inches, too. His face, like the resL of him, was lean, and although lie was not l'ar from a pensionable age, those blue eyes of lus sparkled with the eagerness, the lustre, and the vitality of a man only half his age. , ~ He was not in the least what Hie public imagination has painted . the criminal investigator of Scotland Yard, in reality lie looked a rather inoccuous lilt to fellow who might have been a down-trodden clerk in a city office, or measured out endless lengths ol. material from behind the counter ol' Hie remaining few old-fashioned drapers’ establishments, where the woman shop assistant*.has never been able to 1 penetrate with any degree of success. .Superintendent 'Bissett dressed Badly, too. His clothes appeared illfitting; his boots were frequently down-al-heels. Altogether, lie looked as if an exceptionally thorough valeting might go a little way towards making him look respectable. Though most of his subordinates and some of his superiors at the Yard confessed that Bissett was an enigma

to them, they had to admit that he was seldom beaten over any case that had been entrusted to him. Bissett had had almost world-wide experience of criminal investigation and crime detection. For five years he had studied American principles and methods. At one time he was attached to the Surete in Paris; at another he had been roaming around Berlin, always with his nose to the educational grindstone. He had even been out in the Far East for a while, moving unobtrusively as a man of Sissett’s type could so easily do., among all kinds and classes of criminals that infest the waterfront joints of the seaports.

There was one thing about Superintendent Bissett: he was painstakingly thorough. He had long ago discarded most of the orthodox methods of crime detection, because, as he once explained it, he had seen them m operation in a dozen different countries, and in the great majority of cases he had watched them break down under the test of actual experience. It was for this reason, perhaps, that the majority of his colleagues could never understand him and his methods. But there was one thing they had learned: When Superintendent Bissett seemed least active he was really working hard, and when he appeared actually to be busying himself with a case, throwing the whole weight of his' energy into an investigation, it was a sure sign that he was resting. This seemed curiously illogical, yet with a man like Bissett his colleagues knew that' they were dealing with no ordinary crime investigator; they knew that the more unorthodox he was the more successful lie became. Some ol them, it was true, had tried to imitate his methods, but they had failed miserably. There was another curious thing about 'Bissett —no one was quite sure where he lived. His telephone number was known to the main operator at the switchboard, but whereas the number would frequently bring him out of his bed somewhere in Tooting, the same number would also find him journeying down a few minutes after lie had received the call, from Hampstead, Battersea, and even beyond the river bends at Lambeth.

One bright young fellow who had not long joined the Special Branch from 1 lie uniformed force rather prided himself on his shadow work, and when, in the common room, the subject of Bissett’s domicile was discussed, young iFothergill declared that he could easily run his chief to earth.

lie set out almost on the heels of Bissett, full of that confidence which is the tonic of youth. Carefully he shadowed the Superintendent as far as Wandsworth, and then, at the far end of the Common, to use the young constable's own words: “He simply evaporated before my eyes under a street lamp. There were no houses at this point, either, and I wasn’t more than ten yards behind him, but I tell you he just melted away. That man’s uncanny. He’s not real. He’s a blinkin’ ghost.”

(Continued to-morrow.)