High Doom

Waikato Times, Volume 116, Issue 19462, 29 December 1934, Page 19 (Supplement)

High Doom

CHAPTER L.— (Continued.) Carswell -stood with his feet-set wide apart. An obstinate expression had come Into his red face. “I can't agree with you, sir," he said sturdily. "You’re too much up in the clouds for me. I've got Paola under lock and key, and I’m going io charge him with the murder of Marker, even if you don’t." MoKnight raised an eyebrow at this mutiny. 1 "What are you going to use as evidence?" ho asked, with a slow smile god Carswell grinned broadly. “The evidence of my own senses, “The knife . . . All. yes, the knife," repeated MeKpight. "Of course you've examined (lie knife for finger-prints and compared them with the Italian's?” Carswell made no reply, and .MoKnight went on ruthlessly—- " You've found that they arc tnc same, and therefore you are going to

charge Paola witli N lhc murder. Is that it?” "Well I? Carswell tried lo speak, hut I lie words came out lamely. All in a Minute. “Oil, you haven’t compared the two yet then," MeKnighl, said without mercy. “In fuel, I don't suppose you have looked for tlnger-prinls oil the knife at all. . . . Cook here, which of these glasses was Paula’s” Mo whirled round and swept his hand to the two on Hie Moorish table and the one on the sidebroad. Carswell stepped unhesitatingly to the sidebroad and pointed lo the one glass that stood upon it.

"This one it was. I took it out of his hand myself when you arrested him, and if nothing’s been touched in here this is still it." "There you are, you see," said MrKnighl, who could not resist the thrust. "Thru discuses of Paula at

once. You say you took it out of his hand when I arrested him. Man, Carswell, don’t you see what that means? It means.he had it In his hand all the while the lights were out. He never set it down or dropped it. And 1 defy any man living, whether he have the speed and cunning of all the conjurors, to switch out a light, stab a man, all in under a minute, with one hand."

Carswell looked slightly crestfallen and did his best to maintain his altitude.

"This is merely palaver, MeKnighl," he said obstinately. “1 can’t ho bothered wilh Ibis sort of thing, if you can. 1 have, my job to do, and you yourself last night told me lo lake Paola away. You yourself held him as the murderer Mien.” "Ah! Mill, then, Carswell, I hadn’t seen the six glasses. Mill, never mind, you go ahead wilh il. You won’t get very far, i can promise you Mini. Take away Mint "glass and examine it for prints. Then compare them wilh those of Paola. You’ll llnd lliem Ihe same. Then examine Ihe dagger for prints, and compare lliem with Paula’s. And I can tell you here and now- llial. you’ll J in 1 1 Hint those two aren’t the same. You do that anil you'll see.” Me could not resist a smile at the

emotions that chased themselves over the little man’s features. Carswell’s own proper pride fought with his loyalty to his chief and the ways of his chief. Suddenly McKinght left him, and going to the picture again drew the cord that held the green curtain across it. For the second time lie looked upon that picture of a man’s dream, hut now wilh what violence the dream had been shattered!

“Who’s Dono That?” Somewhere within himself MeKnighl was conscious of a lit lie shock, hut his main centre of intelligence was not surprised by what ho saw. It was as though a man absorbed in the intricacies of a jig-saw puzzle should miss one of the pieces and then see il in an unaccustomed place. Me would merely welcome il as a piece necessary lo Ihe whole design; iie would see nothing shocking or abnormal in il. Thus MeKnighl, loil upon Carswell it luid a very different elTeel. He gave a shout and came over to the detective. "My Jove!" he said. "Who’s done Mint?'” Transversely across the canvas Iron) corner to opposite corner two great gashes had been cut with a sharp

knife. The picture had been absolutely ruined by a malicious hand. “Here is another thing that was done here while the light was out,” lie said. “Another tiling your alleged assassin, Paola, did with his one hand . . . no! By heavens, it wasn’t while the light was out. I distinctly remember drawing Hie curtain over Hie picture after Marker had been killed, and Hie slashes certainly were not there before. But it fits in. -My lord! My lord!” He gave a little groan and staggered to a seat, sat down, and put Ids head into his hands. (Jarswell, bewildered, and frankly out of his depth, stared at the mutilated canvas with his mouth agape. “It was slashed after the light went up," Mr Knight was saying to himself in a monotone. “Here, call that man in, will yon?" lie cried, jumping to his feet • and recovering from the Iranre. Carswell hastened to obey. “I'll swear no one entered since last night, sir”—the constable was posilivo in his assertion, and no amount of iitiesfioning would move him from that attitude. “I have been here ever since Ihe inspector spoke to you last night' sir,” lie said lo McKniglil, with a slight touch of grievance in his voice. “And I’ve been here ever since, wailing lo be relieved, f bava.”

"Well, that leaves only one thing left for me to believe,” said McKnight slowly when the constable had again taken up his station outside the room, not without an ostentatious yawn to air his grievance further. “The slashes were made before we left the room.” “Who was left in the room?” asked Carswell eagerly, and the detective considered the question. (To be continued.)