THE SOLUTIONS OF RADFORD SHONE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 9001, 11 December 1907, Page 2

THE SOLUTIONS OF RADFORD SHONE.

BEING NARRATIVES BY OFFICERS OF THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION DEPARTMENT, AND OF THE PROVINCIAL POLICE, IN RESPECT OF > i ALINGS WITH THE EMINENT EXPERT, MR RADFORD SHONE.

Communicated to and edited by HSIMM Mil,!,. [Published By Special Arrangement.] [All Eights Reserved.]

CHAPTER VI.-Continued. "You and I must part company here, Mr Radford Shone," I said, a* we stood on the kerb. "It would be ba;i policy for these cunning foreigners to see your genius in the compai y of my official position. I shall run down to the neighbourhood of Goulding's yard and have a look round. You can meet me, say, at Taylor's Hotel at Northam n't six o'clock, to conclude final arrangements." Shone regarded me with a doubtful stare, but my tribute to his "genius" carried the day. "You won't get talking to Scohuvalinski if you come across him?" he said with affected carelessness. "1 shouldn't wish him to be made aware of the danger from which I am saving him till afterwards. It might make him nervous, and prevent your capture of Takishura."

"Make your mind easy," 1 replied. "If I talk to any one, it will be to Tremayne and his faithless girl—just to establish a footing, you know, for being on the spot to-night. But I'll post you fully when we meet at the hotel."

Seeing that he was reluctant to leave me, I took the drastic course of shaking him off by jumping on an electric car, which quickly whirled me to the yacht-builder's quarter. A dive down a side street brought me to the river front, where I soon came to a pair of close wooden gates; set in a high wall, surmounted by the inscription, "Abraham Gouldlng, Yacht-builder and Ship-chandler." Alongside the gates, flush with the street, was a private dwelling-house with the same name on the front door, showing that the proprietor resided on the scene of his labours. It was obviously impossible to gain access to the yard from that side of the river without ringing the bell either of the yard or of Mr Goulding's residence, and after a moment's consideration I chose the former.

My summons was answered by a sharp-faced youth with a pen behind his ear.

"Is Mr Takishura in the yard?" I inquired, in pursuance of the definite line I had laid down.

The question was met by blank! amazement on the part of the clerk. "I don't think so," he stammered. "It'll be pretty bad for him if he is, and the governor catches him. Are you a pa' of his?" "No, I only wanted a word with him on a matter of business," Ireplied. "Well, then, you'd better go to his busineso address," the youth snapped and would have slammed the gate in my face had not a young man in his shirt sleeves, very grimy and hot, pushed him aside. " What is it, Alf?" demanded ,the newcomer shortly. "The gent has called for Mr Takishura," giggled the lad. "I told him this was the wrong shop for Japs, and that he'd best clear out. That was right, wasn't it, Mr Tremayne?" So this good-lookirg young man with the sooty face and hands was the primary source of Mr Radford Shone's information. I cast a shrewd glance at him, and in so doing encountsred a return glance in which there was also shrewdness, but I fancied a trace of apprehension as well.

"Come inside, sir," ha said. "Perhaps I can be of service to you. Shut and bolt the gate, Alf, and see that we are not disturbed. " Mr Tremayne led the way to an office to the left. It was but a step or two to that we had to traverse, but in those few

seconds I got a comprehensive glimpse

of the yard. I saw workshops, all ' round the enclosing walls, except where, on the right of the gateway, Mr Goulding's house showed a brave array of window-boxes ablaze with geraniums ai;d lobelia. At the far end, the only unenclosed side, ran the tidal river, with the construction shed dipping from the bank into the sluggish stream. The foreman pointed to the only chair in the office, and perched himself on the clerk's high stool. I rather liked the young man's face, the normal expressions of which I judged was frankness itself, though iust'now he struck me as harassed by an unexpected emergency. 2 "Am I right in believing that you are a friend of Mr Radford Shone?" he asked rather nervously. "Hardly that," I replied. "1 never saw him before to-day. lam Defcec-

tive-Inspector Michaels, of Scotland Yard, *.nd my object is to prevent a row between a Jap and a Russian, who are interested in a submarine boat which is being built here —for the Japanese Government, Mr Shone informed us." The ghost of a smile flickered over Tremayne's perturbed face. "And you," he said, "being a trained official and not a brilliant expert, have already spotted that Shone has not been telling you the truth—the whole truth, and all the rest of it, eh?" "It did not need a genius to argue, from your clerk's reception of my inquiry for Mr Takishura, that the boat is no, being built for the Japanese," I reph !.

"Ah, l i'hought that Shone would not have told you that the boat is being built for the Russians," said Tremayne, evidently weighing his words. '"He has been hanging about here for a week, and I do not reckon him as one to follow tiic straight path."

Before 1 could answer him the office door was flung open, and in bouncad a handsome, dark-eyed girl in a high stale of excitement. "Oh, Fred, it's too annoying for anything," she cried, net seeing ine. "Ihat old wretch Schouvaiinski is having tea with father, and Mr Takishura came along the street and made a face at him through the parlor win-

dovv. Schouvaiinski is in such -''right that he swears he won't leave toe house to-night, and he has sunt ; 'or Radford Shone to come and watch ; he submarine." Trernavne had been making unavailing signals to her, but not till the end of her breathless roi*il did she notice my presence. It cauwd her great consternation. I "Who is this, Fred?" she domanded in an awe-struck whisper. "It is a detective from Scotland Yard, Bella. Shone has been to the police," was the young foreman'is reply, accompanied by a significant glance. "Oh, dear," the girl murmured, and there was that in her tone chat told of a disappointment too deep for words. I remembered what Sir Walter had said about there being a "game" on, but for the present 1 could not make head or tail of it, except that Radford Shone had beeu lying to us. ' Here was the submarine boat being built for the Russians, and not for the Japs; and here was Miss Bella Goulding, who, according to Shone, was carrying on with Mr Takishura, on confidential terms with the lover whom she was supposed to have discarded. A silence followed Miss Bella's exclamation, and then I took up my parable. "Now, look here, you two lovebirds," I said, "Shone has been trying to fool me, and I have found him out. If you try to fool me, I shall find you out. What's the game? You won't have a bitter foe in me if you raise the curtain enough to enable me to turn the tables on Mr Radford Shone— always provided that you are not breaking the law." The two looked at each other, and then Miss Bella looked at me. "We should like to tell him, shouldn't we, Fred".' she murmured archly. But Tremavne shook his head. "There's really nothing to tell, Mr ! Michaels, except that you can take it from me that there is no murder planned against the governor's Russian client," he said. "Bella and I are courting, as you can see for yourself, and I played a little prank on Shone, merely to get the ya r d to ourselves after the workmen have knocked off, and while Mr Goulding, who doesn't.favour my suit, is busy with his grog." "Do I gather that your calculations have been upset by the determination of the Russian to remain in the house, while Shone watches the submarine," I asked. "That is so; we are both greatly disappointed," was Tremayne's reply. He spoke with every appearance of frankness, and yet I was not satisfied that I had got to the bottom of the "game," as Sir Walter had called it. That the lovers should set to work to hoodwink Shone so elaborately merely to enjoy a stolen interj view in the yard seemed improbable, I and their chagrin at the breakdown |of the project was out of all due • proportion to it. From their presence in the office together they did | not appear to have much difficulty in meeting each other, and the loss or ; postponement of their evening tryst could hardly account for such a degree of disappointment. "Then I am to understand that

Takishura's part in the business was to aid and abet you in deceiving Radford Shone—that his planned murder of the Russian was a sort of practical joke, eh?" "Yea—yes—that was it!" they both chimed in with an eagerness that discounted the value of the admission. So instead of the boatbuilder's daughter, the Japanese was their ally in thwarting old Mr Goulding's wishes. Radford Shone seemed to have misled us, partly with intention and partly because he had been misled himself all along the line: and I decided that I must treat both him and this interesting young couple as quite untrustworthy. That being so. it was my duty, in spite of their assurances, to,keep observation on the yard that night. "Well," J said, "I seem to have been put to a good deal of- trouble for nothing, and all the fun I shall have out of it will be to tell Shone how you have fooled him. And the sooner I get back to hi;r. the scorer I shall enjoy my laugh," 1 added as I made for the door. (To be continued).