“The Proverbial Murder Case”

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20422, 12 February 1938, Page 23 (Supplement)

“The Proverbial Murder Case”

By WILLIAM SUTHERLAND

CHAPTER XX. — (Continued.) As he spoke the front door was thrown open and men rushed in. “Fire-extinquishers, axes and sand, he shouted at them. “No water. They fell to work. In the few nun- i utes since the first explosion the fire had gained such headway that the stairs were now beginning to burn. Fortunately all the guests of the inn had had time to get on some clothes and they were crowded into the lounge in temporary safety. Mr Bailev had been pushed in with them, where he remained, grasping a siphon of soda water in both hands and blinking owlishly through the door. , Under Haskell’s direction order was soon brought out of the confusion and the the work proceeded methodically. Fire-extinquishers were brought in and the chemicals turned on the blazing closet Once the petrol had burned itself out it was safe to use water, and a bucket brigade was formed. Fifteen minutes later the Are was under con- , trol, and in another ten it was out. The i inn was full of smoke and a smell of charred wood. No one had been injured. The damage had been confined to the closet, which was completely burned out, and the stairs, which although weakened were still fit for use. As soon as the heat had subsided Haskell entered the closet with an eleotric torch and poked about in the ruins. He came out shortly with a, twisted and blackened piece of metal. CHAPTER XXI. Capture Save for the brightly-lighted windows of the library the manor-house ! was in darkness. Just beyund the edge ! of the light from these windows a shadow moved under the trees. It; moved and stopped, and then started ' swiftly toward the front of the house. I Detective-Sergeant May had heard the j sound of a motor-car at the bottom of j the Tlrive-way. The sound was faint, for the car i was moving slowly. May hurried to- j ward it, keeping on the grass beside , the roadway lo avoid making a noise. Around a corner, out of sight of the house, he came upon the car. Inspector Haskell was In It. “Is that you, May?” “Yes, sir.” The defective got in. “Have something to show you,” he said.

Fumbling in his pocket, he produced | a key. Haskell examined it closely in the light from the Instrument board. “Where did you get this?” “Richey threw it away, sir, shortly after he left the inn. I spotted where it went, and picked it up.” The Inspector put the key in his pocket and started the car. “That’s very good work, May. Now, I shall have a little talk with Mr Rlohey. I fancy he is expecting us.” “■He’s In the library, sir. I've been watching him through the window.” “Are there any other lights In the house?” “No, sir. The servants are all In bed.” “Excellent. Here we I don’t think we shall have much trmible with him, but be on your guard." Richey answered their ring at the bell. He was in a dressing-gown, and had a book under one arm. When he recognised Haskell he stepped back with a frown. •'Come In, Inspector. Not more trouble, I hope?” They followed him into the library, a high, draughty room sparsely furnished with oddly-assorted chairs, a desk and a table. A good fire was burning in the grate. Before it, stretched on the hearthrug, lay a huge Alsatian, which growled menacingly as they entered the room. At a word from Richey it subsided. Haskell looked at the dog appraisingly. “I have heard about your kennels, Mr Richey. Y'ou have had very good success with these Alsatians I understand.” R*chey smiled deprecatingly. “Only In the local shows,” he replied. “I haven’t the means to go into It on a very large scale.” The Inspector walked over to the dog and extended his hand. It sniffed at it but did not move. Then he took a glove from his overcoat pocket and dropped it on the floor. The dog put up its ears and quivered slightly. Then, suddenly, it scented the glove. With a rumbling growl it sprang to its feet and lunged at Haskell. Richey and Detective-Sergeant May Jumped to the rescue, the former shouting a sharp command to the animal. Haskell dodged behind the table. In a few seconds the excitement was over, but Richey was breathing heavily and his face was pale. “Close thing.” he said. “I should have warned you.”

Haskell, for some obscure reason, did not. seem disturbed. He smiled and replaced the glove in his pocket. “Careless of me lo have dropped it. I shall be more careful next time,” he remarked. “‘But what I came here to-night to ask you, Mr Richey, was in connection with some trouble at the ‘Abbot’s Rest.' There was a fire there —quite a serious one. In fact, its consequences may be even more serious for Mr Garnett.” Richey's face expressed concern. “He’s not dead, I hope?” The Inspector shook his head. “Not yet. But it is often fatal, you know, to move a man in his condition.” May. standing in the background, raised his eyebrows at this insinuated lie. He wondered what his superior was up to. Haskell continued smoothly: “We have evidence indicating that this fire was deliberately set. It has occurred to me that whoever did it might have escaped from the village by crossing Ihe moor, since the roads were well guarded. Did you see anyone on your way homo to-night?” “No. But that really doesn’t prove very much. There’s no moon, and I could have passed quite close to a man without seeing him.” “That’s true,” Haskell agreed. “I didn’t expect it. but we must ask. vou know.” He took a tightly-rolled sheet of paper from his pocket and spread it on the table. “I have a map of this section of the moor. Would you mind pointing out the route you took on your wav home? That, will narrow the search‘quite a bit.” “Not at all. " Richey advanced to the table, took a pencil and started to trace a line on the map. Suddenly the map seemed lo slip from Haskell s grasp. The stiff paper rerolled itself. Both men reached for it. Richey drawing his other hand involuntarily from

A Thrilling Mystery Story

the pocket of his dressing-gown. I The latter spread the map out again —and looked down to find both his wrists held firmly in Haskell’s grasp. “Handcuff 1” the Inspector said quietly. « May advanced and snapped them over Richey's wrists. "Thank you. Now, Mr Richey, I advise you to come along quietly. You are under arrest un a charge of murder, and 1 warn you that anything you say i will be taken down and used in evi- i dence.” Richey’s dark eyes lit up with a 1 strange light. “Don't be a fool!’’ he j said. “1 had nothing to do with those murders, and I can prove it.” Haskell was engaged in extracting a small automatic .pistol from the : pocket of the dressing-gown. When he j had placed it in his own pocket he said, i “Let me advise you, for your own good, not to set- that dog on us. Ser- j geant May would simply be obliged to , shoot it.” He stood back and indicated the j door with a jerk of his head. “Take him out, Sergeant. You’ll find another , car waiting. I’ll meet you at the vil- i lage in about half an hour.” Richey hesitated, glancing from' Haskell to the dog in front of the fire. | May pulled briskly at his arm. “Come along.” With a strangely pleading note in, his voice, Richey said, “Please don’t j do anything to him. Leave him here. J My caretaker will look after him—until I come back.”

CHAPTER XXII. Explanation, in Part Although it was well into the early hours of the morning when Haskell arrived again in Shilstone, the excite- . merit of the preceding evening had not died down. The inn was brightly lighted, and a steady stream of people ' were coming and going, stopping ,oc- •: casionally in little groups to discuss the fire, and moving on to inspect the damage it had caused. No one was aware of Richey’s arrest, lie had been taken, silently and swiftly, into the police station, escaping the attention i of the crowd around the inn. The dis- j ciplined police machine which for so many weeks had floundered in a morass of inactivity began to function 1 smoothly. The Chief Constable, re-' spending once more to a familiar sum- j mons, had driven at top speed from | Exeter. He was pacing the room, chewing a ' cigar nervously, when Haskell came! in. The latter seemed tired, hut there 1 was a. relief in his face which he had ; not shown before. He sat down at the table. “Evening, sir. Sorry you missed the excitement.” The Chief Constable Jerked his head in the direction of the other room, where Richey sat manacled to a detective. “I see you’ve arrested him at last. What do you propose to do—keep him here for the rest of the night or send him to Exeter?” “1 think he may as well be taken to Exeter, since there’s no provision here for locking him up. After he’s had a bit of time to think it over I’ll talk with him. He won’t say anything now, so it’s no use to try.” “Have you found the map?” “No, sir. T didn’t expect to.” “What evidence have you?” Inspector Haskell leaned back In his chair. “I am now in a position,” he said, “to tell you a part, at least, of the true facts of the affair. I can explain how Richey did the third murder—or attempted murder, I should say.” (To be continued.)

“ Hearty congrats.,” said the tobacconist, shaking hands, when an old customer told him he’d landed a hatful in an overseas ‘ Consultation.’ “ What you going to do with the greed? ” “ Oh, I dunno.. Never could keep money. Burns a hole in my pocket. But you can gamble on this. I’ll lay in a good stock of 'baccy for one thing.” “What hoi I reckon now you’re a blooming millionaire nothing’ll do you but the best imported, eh?” “Not me I Cut Plug No. 10 for yours truly. I’d sooner have a pound of it than a cartload of best Imported. Now then!” “Well, I won’t say you’re wrong. There’s a run on toasted. Why my sales this year are away up!—for all five brands, mind you!—Cut Plug No. 10 (Bullshead), Cavendish, Navy Cut No. 3 v {Bulldog), Riverhead Gold and. Desert Gold. Smokers give toasted a go and find they can’t do without it.” “ Well, soon as I’ve collected my dibs I’ll be along again.” “ Righto I old sport. So long! Be virtuous and you'll be happy.”