The Mystery of Ryeburn Manor

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 914, 6 March 1930, Page 5

The Mystery of Ryeburn Manor

By

JOHN LAURENCE

Author of “The Sign of the Double Cross Inn,” etc.

CHAPTER XXXl.—(Continued.) “Come along, let’s hear what Thornton’s got to say,” he cried. “I dare say we’ve been hunting the wrong hare.” He greeted his secretary cheerfully and then turned to Vidler, and looked at him keenly. “Any news? I’m afraid i rather lost my wool last night, but it isn’t every day I lose a string of pearls worth £20,000.” “I suppose you thought I'd stolen them?” asked Thornton, resentfully. “Well. I did for a moment,” acknowledge Lee. “What did you expect me to think? I come in here, find the safe's been opened and find you’ve taken the small car and cleared out in the middle of the night.” “I admit my actions were open to misconstruction,” replied Thornton, carefully. “But I’d rather be accused of robbery than murder.” Vidler held out his hands. “Let me explain, will you? Thornton came to Scotland Yard to tell the truth about his movements on the night of Simmonds's murder. He has been very frank. He took a lady to the Coliseum that night, but, like many another gentleman, he didn’t want the fact broadcast.” A TRAP FOR THORNTON Harding lighted a cigarette and avoided looking at the detective. So Thornton was trying to bluff, after all! There was very definite evidence, which Vidler had, that Thornton had not been to the music-hall that night, but the detective spoke as though he believed Thornton’s story. “Thornton has given me the lady’s name in confidence,” continued the inspector. “And I have told nim that I saw her yesterday afternoon and she confirmed what he has told me.” “Why choose the middle of the night?" “Because the lady telephoned him and warned him I had found out,” replied Vidler, motioning Thornton to keep silent. “He at once realised that the sooner he told his story of his own accord the better. To wait until I questioned him might make the story appear untrue. It was an impulse and a sound one.” “What about the pearls?” demanded Lee. Vidler shrugged his shoulders. “That has complicated the position considerably,” he admitted. “And that is why I am here. But, first of all, I want to clear the ground here. We may as well be frank with one another. Thornton says, Mr. Lee, that you believe he killed Simmouds, and naturally he doesn't want to stop in your employment in the circumstances.” “Rubbish. Thornton'” said Lee vigorously. “Where did you get that idea?” “From your own attitude,” said the secretary. “The way you’ve been looking at me —oh, a dozen things made me certain you’d accuse me if you had the chance.” Lee laughed boisterously. "Poor old Simmouds has got, on your nerves,” he cried. “Vidler here knows that I have no more reason to suspect you than Harding.” "You liar.” thought the latter. “I wonder what your game is.” "Well, if you don’t think that, if

you don’t think I took the pearls, I’ll carry on,” said Thornton evenly. “Of course, you’ll carry on. What do you say, Vidler?” “I agree,” answered the detective. “There is no evidnece against Thornton.” The secretary rose. “If you don’t want me, I’ll go and change,” he announced, looking at Lee. The latter nodded, and turned quickly on the detective when Thornton had left the room. “What’s the idea?” he asked. “Trying to trap him?” “He’s trapping himself,” replied Vidler. “That alibi at the Coliseum is unsound. I thought he’d taken the pearls after getting your message, but if he has he’s hidden them pretty cleverly.” CHAPTER XXXII. “What about the woman Thornton was with at the Coliseum?” asked Lee. “That’s where his money’s been going.” “I know that,” replied Vidler. “But she hasn’t got the pearls. I got a search warrant and had her flat overhauled this morning before she was up. Thornton’s playing a pretty deep game, but I don’t know what it is. Meanwhile, Mr. Lee, you’ve got to behave as though you really believed in him.” “I wish I did,” growled Lee. “If I’d been at Scotland Yard he wouldn’t have got away so easily.” Vidler smiled. “If I arrested Thornton this minute,” he pointed out, “there would be so much unexplained that any good counsel would get him off. There’s the girl who was in the house, for instance. Until I hear her story—” • “That’s the girl he’s been keeping,” interrupted Lee. “They’re hand in glove.” Vidler shook his head. “I have good reasons for thinking otherwise,” he continued. “When did you see Thornton last, last night?” “He stopped and watched us playing cards until one o’clock, and then announced his intention of going to bed.” “He was at the Yard at a quarter to four,” said the inspector. “Frankly, I don’t think he had time to take the pearls and drive to town in the time. He must have come straight away. And why trouble to lock the library door after him? How did he get out? There's a soft garden below the window and his footmarks would have shown If he dropped.” “Then who was it?” There was a tone of scepticism in Lee’s voice which Harding did not fail to note. “That’s wtiat I’ve come down here i for —to find out,” he replied. “I think j Thornton—” “If it’s not Thornton it’s somebody ! in the house,” pointed out Lee sharply, j “Perhaps, perhaps not,” said Vidler. i thoughtfully, as he looked out of the j window and saw Sheila walking across I the grounds. Harding caught sight of her at the : same moment,’ and his heart sank as ! he realised the implication behind the i detective’s words. VIDLER MAKES DISCOVERIES “I'll leave you to talk,” said Hard- j

ing hurriedly. “I’ve had enough of detective work for an hour or two.” The detective smiled as Harding went out. “I’d rather Harding than a professional,” remarked Lee. “Though I don’t think he’s found out much.” “Perhaps there’s not much to find out here. You get a fine view from this window.” Lee .walked to the detective’s side. “Miss Sunderland's rather upset, isn’t she?” asked Vidler. Sheila was at the moment disappearing behind the shrubbery in the direction of a small wood which formed part of the grounds of Ryeburn Manor. “Women go to pieces when there's trouble about,” observed Lee. “They’re all right in the house making clothes and looking pretty, but they’ve no staying power.” “I don't agree with you," said the inspector. “My experience of women is that they'll hang on just as long as a man will where sheer physical strength is not in question. Women

have more ability to conceal tbeir emotions than men have.” “What’s Harding doing?” Lee pointed to Robert Harding hurrying across the lawn in the direction of the wood. “That’s a case in point,” said V'idler, with a laugh. “Now. if Harding had gone first, Miss Sunderland wouldn't have followed quite so openly. She would have taken a more roundabout route hidden from this window, for instance. But Harding goes boldly after his quarry, eager to catch up with her.” “What the devil do you mean?” demanded Lee. “Do you "want me to •believe Harding hurried away because he wanted to follow Miss Sunderland?” “That’s exactly what I do want you to believe,” replied Vidler, rubbing his eye. “Miss Sunderland’s a pretty girl and Harding’s not unattractive. Lee’s face darkened. “I’m not going to have any lovemaking between those two down

here,”, he said sharply. “I’ve had enough trouble as it is, without those two adding to it.” “They’ll make their own trouble,” said Vidler, philosophically. “Don’t you worry too much about them. Young people will be young people." Lee chewed viciously at his cigar and watched Harding until he had disappeared. “I’ll tell Maria .o keep a tighter hand over her,” he muttered, turning away from the window. Excuse me, I’ve got some jobs Lr Thornton to do.” Vidler chuckled softly to himself whei) he was left alone, and then began a close search of the library. He

knelt down on the floor by the safe and peered for a long time at the carpet before he rose again with a dissatisfied grunt. “I didn’t think it was likely I’d find something,” he said to himself, “so I’m not disappointed. As the door was locked on the inside the burglar must have gone through the window, as the chimney is too small. There’s a Sherlock Holmes for you! Markham would enjoy that piece of reasoning.” He leant out of the library window, and immediately saw the ledge running round the house. “So that’s why there were no footprints. A ladder, I think, is indicated.’’ Five minutes later Vidler was standing pn the rungs of the ladder he had placed against the library window, and was looking closely at the ledge along which Harding and Sheila had made their perilous way in the darkness. During the next quarter of an hour the inspector's movements might have caused some amusement to those who might have been watching. They consisted chiefly in. placing the ladder

against different positions round the ledge and running up it to look closely at the ledge and the wall above it. HARDING IS FOUNT OUT Twice he picked a thread of material from a rough edge of stone in tin. wall and slipped his prizes into an envelope. And twice he shifted the ladder backward and forward each side of Harding’s window, before hi lowered it and returned it to its place “So he went through Harding? room, eh? Now, I wonder!" (To be continued tomorrow)