JEWELS OF MALICE

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1036, 29 July 1930, Page 4

JEWELS OF MALICE

COPYRIGHT

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL AKBAvr;r\n.VT

by

ELLIOT BAILEY

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CHAPTER XXIX. Leaving her lying on the mattress, he went back to the launch and again commenced to skirt along the coast until he reached the reef-strewn bay, where Bruce and Nancy had first met. There —if it had not been of set design—he.did what would have been a foolhardy thing. He increased his the inevitable happened. There came a crash and the sound of renth ing timbers, and as the water surged aboard. “Slippy” jumped for the reef, on which he had neatly impaled the launch He alighted safely and 1m mediately the craft slid back and Sa “That’s that!” he remarked. “Now for Act III.” . . .. Making his way long the reef to the shore, he scaled the cliff and once more approached the vicinity of the Mill House. Edging up to it under cover, be marked a certain amount of activity going on. and presently saw three persons leave it whom he put down —correctly—to be Bruce Lorimer. Miss Emily Hylton, and Bella, the maid. . He waited until they were clear of the premises, and then rooted out a short ladder from the middle of a shrubbery, placed it against the house, and mounted nimbly to Nancy’s bedroom window. This was open to admit of ventilation, and in another moment or two he was inside the room. For five minutes or so he rummaged about, and then with a smile of triumph slipped what he had come for in his pocket and descended the lader. Replacing the latter among the bushes, he melted away into the darkness. Haif an-hour later he was back in the cellar with the still unconscious girl. A couple of chairs, as well as a mattress, had been brought there, and on one of these he seated himself and commenced to read a paper by the light of an oil lamp. Thus another couple of hours went by, until he heard footsteps coming down the passage. Sir Malcolm Courtney entered. and “Slippy” rose to greet him with the comfortable assurance of a task well done. It was noteworthy that when Sir Malcolm Courtney approached the little group who were awaiting him on Herringford platform it was Cosgrove who acted as spokesman. The local inspector, Fittall, was looking perplexed and uneasy. For the first time, as soon as he heard that Nancy was missing, the Scotland YaTd man had thought fit to express to him his own ideas concerning Courtney, and although, as he expected would be the case. Fittall had laughed them to scorn, pointing out that the baronet had been in London all day, he was secretly a little more shaken than he cared to admit. It was. in reality, to make sure that Courtney had gone to town that he and Cosgrove were at the station now. That he had started off in the morning they had already proved, but the morning train had stopped at more than one place en route at which he could have alighted and managed a surreptitious return. The midnight express, however, was non-stop from the metropolis, so that if Courtney were on board he could only have entered it in London. That he had actually done so was evident as soon as they saw him alight. In answer to this not unnatural Question as to what the three men were doing there, Cosgrove informed him briefly of the girl’s disappearance adding significantly that he was an officer of Scotland Yard, and watching the other closely for any signs of dis comfiture at the latter intelligence. But Courtney seemed whollv con ccrned with the news regarding Nancy. "God bless my soul!” he exclaimed. “What next? Disappeared vou say—how?"

Cosgrove motioned to Bruce. “Lorimer hero can give you the facts, as he gave them to me ” <ti AH I know.’' Bruce said unhappilv. “is that 1 was undressing when Miss Hylton arrived at the Cottage to sa.v that her niece had been told by aii unknown man that someone was tampering with her motor-boat, and that I was down by the shore investigating the matter —a lie. of- course, as was his statement that he had been sent to report the matter by Mrs. Rugely. A\ ben Nancy did not return, her aunt who had waited up for her, roused the maid and went out to look for her Not only did they find no trace of Nancy. but they found also that the launch was not at her moorings. Then they came for me. With them 1 searched the whole place—in vain—an J? ually came into Herringford to tell Cosgrove. I’m afraid there’s teen broke Pla> " 116 eiHie<! ’ a,Hi It’S voice

Bless my soul,” Courtney murmured again, as if he found the news astonishing. “Did you try mv house? ’ he asked suddenly. “Nancy Hylton may have gone for assistance nere.

1 ought to have mentioned that " Bruce said. “I took the liberty of disturbing Lady Courtney to find out bU .Bi h .?’ s seen n °thing of Nancy.” ’ Ah.” Courtney sighed, as if he regretted the fact. “Well, a thorough search must be made, aud I’ll help you all I can. What about the emeralds’’ Have they gone, too?” * Bruce nodded.

“I’m afraid so; Miss Hylton can’t find them in Nancy’s room. But it’s the girl I’m worrying about.” “Quite so; quite so”; was the sooth mg reply. “What about it, Fitall?" “I’m sending all the men I have available to make a search at once.” the inspector told him. “I’ve a car here, Sir Malcolm, so if vou care for a lift—— "

“Thanks,” the baronet responded, it 11 save a taxi.” On the wav lie told them enough about his day in London to show Cosgrove that he* had a cast-iron alibi, and the latter under stood only too well Inspector Fittall’s triumphant nudges to his ribs. The latter’s theory was that the girl had been struck down and robbed, and that her assailant had made off in launch, and he had telephoned the police in neighbouring seaside towns to be on the lookout for anyone coming ashore. But Nancy—or Nancy’s body- he expected .to come across close at hand.

For some time Courtney himself took part in a fruitless search—which, of course, discovered Nancy neither dead nor alive—and then, on the plea

that he must return to his own familv he departed for the Court. a few minutes later he was in the cellar After a glance at the bound and still insensible girl on the mattress he turned to “Slippy” Thompson, who had risen to meet him. “So you’ve got her.” he remarked in tones of satisfaction. “And tin emeralds?” From his pocket “Slippy” produced the case he had purloined from Nancy’s room. “All serene, boss,” he said. “Not a bileb anywhere.” “Good.” was the quiet reply, "hgt what’s the matter with her?" indicating the girl. “Is she asleep, or what?” “Slippy” Thompson cackled hoarsely. “Doped,” he answered. “Had to do it to keep her quiet.” Courtney bent over Nancy and examined her with the ligbL “I hope you haven't overdone it," he muttered somewhat anxiously. “Don’t you worry about that. boss. She'll come round again befor- long Then I guess she’ll have something to say to you, for she’s a spirited young thing.” Courtney smiled —unpleasantly. “That'll make it all the more anraing to tame her.” he replied. "Slippy” Thompson regarded bus reflectively. ’’What's the next move, boss?” he asked. Courtney’s face hardened. “The launch.” he said, “my launch But it'll have to be tomorrow nigh:, now. I wanted to get off straight *. away, but that fool Jules wires that he's been delayed with his cargo and can’t be at the rendezvous till tomorrow, curse him:”

“Slippy” shrugged his shoulders. “ ’Twould have been too late tonight in any case.” he opined. “It’ll be daylight in a few hours.” ’’Time enough to meet the ship where I’ve arranged to meet her,” Courtney snapped. “Listen, now; you've not done badly tonight. Thompson, but there’s still another job lor you—tomorrow. Have the launch round by the exit to this passage •«. 11 p.m. sharp—and for heaven’s sake keep the engine quiet and don't advertise that you are there. Understand? Then clear out—yes, through the cliff j exiL I can't take you through the house at this hour with those police fellows hanging about. So long!” He listened to his subordinate’s retreating footsteps until they faded into the distance. “Back to the house now,” he mut(tered, “in case Fittall calls there for anything.” But first of all he turned the light cn Nancy again, and stood looking down at her, his fingers caressing the emeralds in his pocket, his face triumphant. And at that moment Nancy opened her ex es CHAPTER XXX. She was like a child awaking from the throes of a bad dream, but unlike a child who gazes round on the wellremembered objects of her bedroom and is reassured. Xancy’s bewilderment was obvious. “Where am I?” she murmured first of all. Then, as she became aware of the light shining upon her. the man’s figure behind it, the fact that she could not move her legs or arms, a note of fear crept into her voice. “What has happened?” she cried. “And who are you?” “Do not be alarmed, my dear i Nancy.” Courtney answered, in what he meant to be soothing accents, “you are in my care now, and quite safe. I shall even hope to be able to untie | you after we have had a little talk.” She recognised the voice, but a subtle intonation in it that she had never heard there before, aud the fact that for the first time be addressed her as Nancy, defeated his purpose. Remembrance of what had | taken place on the shore of the inlet swept over her, and with it the waru- | ing that Cosgrove had given her regarding Courtney. In a flash she knew this man for what ne v.-as. She ■ strove desperately to regain her full faculties, still deadened by the effects I of the drug. “Sir Malcolm!” she cried. "How dare you treat me like this? Let me go at once.” “I am afraid that is .impossible, little girl,” was the suave reply, ''until we have come to some sort of under standing. Then, if you ere reasonj able —as 1 hope you will be—l will do all I can to alleviate your—er — : uncomfortable position.” His words, and above all the ne*” and hateful familiarity that had crept into his voice, perturbed her still more. But at all costs she knew that she must keep her courage up. and find out how matters stood. “Do you mind explaining this —this outrage?” she asked. He laughed, admiring her pluck while he did so, but some innate strain of cruelty in his character urged him to harry her yet further, as a wild beast will play with its wounded prey, or a cat torture a mouse it has caught He resolved all at once to be candid and open—and watch the effecL I “Very well, my dear. I will explain. ! It will amuse me, aud should interest i you. Let me see, where shall I i*®* j gin?” He paused, as if making up hi* mind on the point, while she waited j tensely. j “At the beginning, of course.” he resumed. ’ usually the best place “You will recall a certain suitor of i yours. James Baxter —an old fool j course, to aspire to your youth and beauty, but sixty in men is often «• age of folly. Naturally, you refused ! him. and he retired in dudgeon. vo»- | ing vengeance. Soon afterward he i died, and you admired his forgiving spirit when you found that he had left you an emerald necklace which for value aud beauty is a 1 most uni matched, although the conditions at* tached to the legacy were somewhat unusual. (To be continued tomorrow.)