"SECOND CHANCE"

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 September 1940, Page 10

"SECOND CHANCE"

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT. COPYRIGHT.

BY

HOLLOWAY HORN

(Author of “George,” “Two Men and Mary,” etc.

CHAPTER VI. (Continued). She nodded. “What I'm going to tell you is in confidence, George.” “I understand.” “It isn’t fair to ask you to help me.” “Yes, it is,” he said quietly. "Whatever it is you want.” “I believe he’s being threatened.” “Threatened. Who by?” “That, man in the Revue we’ve just seen, Teddy Wilson.” “That gigolo?” “Yes.” “What makes you think it, Mary?” he asked quietly. She told him. He listened gravely. “There are things which I can’t tell you, Mary,” he said. “Official secrets and that kind of thing. But I may be able to help you. If I am able, I shall.”

“Thank you, George,” she said and slipped her arm in his but as suddenly withdrew it.

“Why won’t you tell me?” she demanded. “Because I mustn’t.” “Then I think I know,” she said. “I’ve suspected it for some days.” “But you’ll remember, my dear, that I didn’t tell you,” he said gravely.

“You’d better' come into my dressing room at the Theatre,” said Wilson as he and Ferguson had turned towards the Market Square that evening. “All right.”

Ferguson followed him along a depressing corridor that smelt of damp, from which several doors opened. ‘“lt’s such a long time since we had a chat that I’ll send my understudy on for the first house. There are only about a hundred people in front anyway.” “But I shan’t be here long.” “That depends. You sit down and make yourself at home. I won’t be a minute.”

“That’s all right.” he said when he came back. “I told Lucia you were here.” “Oh?” “You don’t seem to mind.” “I don’t.” “The old love story over?” “Quite.” “Pity. You knew we were married?” “Yes. I don’t think, Sternberg, that you can know what a filthy little cad you are.

“Cut out the high hat stuff. And not so much of the Sternberg. I'm Teddy Wilson, just as you are Ferguson.” “Ferguson happens to be my name—one of my names, anyway.” Teddy Wilson grinned: “Fine!” he said. “But I did want to make sure that you had no hard feelings about Lucia!” “I haven’t.”

“What else could a poor girl do? When you were put away for three years she had to do something. And you couldn’t expect hex’ to wait. Besides you weren’t likely to have a bean when you came out,” “I hadn't.”

“And I know you had a tough deal in that business they put you away for.”

“The point is, Sternberg, what do you want with me? I’ve got no money —or practically none.” “I know that. What I want is that emerald necklace that old Murray was going to give to his new wife.” “You'd better ask your friend . what was his name? Slim Bailey.” “Cut out the funny business,” Wilson snapped. “You know Slim’s doing a stretch.”

“Yes. He got six years. Poor devil! If I had known what I know now I wouldn’t have identified him that morning.” “Slim was working for me. It was me who put him on to that job.” “This is news!” said Ferguson.

“You told Lucia about those emerelds —she was staying there —and she told me.”

Ferguson was watching the other man closely. “I didn’t know that you knew her intimately then,” he said after a silence. “There were lots of things you didn’t know!” He made an expressive gesture with his thumb as he was speaking. “I x see. You unspeakable little rat!” ‘Now, if you’re wise you cut that stuff out. You're doing very well in this one-horse joint, but if they knew where you’d come from it would be a different story. A few words dropped in any pub and the news will be all over Mossford in no time.” “This is a rather curious form of blackmail.” “Blackmail nothing!” the other protested. “I don’t want any trouble.” “What do you want? That’s the second time I’ve asked.” "The Murray emeralds.” “I don’t know where they are and if I did I shouldn’t tell you.” “We’ll see. I know the solicitor who defended Slim.” “Then he's probably a very rotten solicitor." "Don’t you believe it. He's as smart as they make ’em. Now I know what happened that night. Slim told the lawyer, and he told me."

"The one satisfactory thing in this talk so far is ths discovery that you haven’t got the emeralds,” Ferguson said. "May I smoke?” , "Sure. Here . . have a cigarette?”

"No. thanks. I prefer my own.” Wilson suddenly sprang to his feet and backed to the door for Ferguson had taken from his pocket what looked looked like an ugly little black revolver. But, with a smile, he pressed the trigger and from the short muzzle of the“gun” a cigarette appeared. “Youv'e still got is?” Wilson said in a relieved tone and went back to his chair.

"Yes. For rather more than two years it was stored with my few other effects.” Ferguson said. “But I'm afraid it startled you."

“Just as it startled Slim Bailey that night.”

“You're right; it did.” “Do you mind telling me the tru about that night?”

“No. I’ll tell you. The lady who was then my fiancee and I were spending the week-end at the house of the head of my firm on Berkhamsted Common. “So far that’s right.” “The ladies went up about half-past eleven. The men in the party did the same half-an-hour later.” Wilson nodded.

“I am a light sleeper and my room happened to be just over the library. I heard a noise, and presently heard it again.” “Yes. That was what you said in court.”

“Then I slipped on my dressing gown and went downstairs. When I opened the door of the library I saw your friend Bailey kneeling in front of the iron-bound box—lt hardly amounted to a safe—which he had opened. I covered him with the . . .”

Ferguson held up his cigarette case as he spoke.

“He began to spin me a hard-luck story about a wife and children, but it didn’t ring true and I pressed the bell that would rouse the servants.” “Then he bolted,” Wilson put in. “Then he suddenly laughed,” Ferguson corrected him. “I had my finger I on the triger and unfortunately pressed it so that a cigarette shot out. Then he bolted. The big French windows were standing a little open and he was through them before you could say knife. I rushed after him, but he seemed to disappear into the darkness the moment he was through the window. As I stood there, Mr Murray’s butler came in and a moment or so later some of the other men, including Mr Murray. The police were communicated with, but the burglar was clear away . . for the time.” “Go on. Now we come to the important part.” “They found that the case containing the emeralds was missing.” “Sez you!” “Yes. I say so.”

“Now then I’ll go on with the story. Slim got away and got to where he’d parked his car.” “But why bring me here to retail all this?” Ferguson asked. “It all came out in court.”

“Because I’ve got a proposition to make to you. But first of all I want to see that we agree on the facts. Slim, as I said, got to his car. In the meantime you had phoned to the police, who got into touch with all the likely towns a man would go through on the way back to London.” “But they didn’t know he was in a car.”

“Of course they did. It was obviously a professional job or that safe would never have be opened. And professional burglars use cars —even if they are stolen. Anyway, he had a crash in Watford —on the direct way home — and was half-dazed when the police found him. They had got the message and serched the car. The next morning you identified Slim and his number was up.” “Poor devil!” “Big rewards. Big risks.” “You didn’t take any risk.”. “No. That’s brains,” Teddy Wilson said with a grin. “But just follow this. When old man Murray examined the safe he found that the emeralds which had come from India for nis wife had gone.” “Yes.” “There were two people in that room —you and Slim. Slim didn’t have the emeralds when he got to Watford. You can bet that car was thoroughly searched!” “It’s all very mysterious, but I can't help you. Nor would I if I could.” “Either you or Slim had that necklace, and Slim hadn't. What did you do with it?”

“But as Slim darted through tne window Mr Murray’s butler came in." “No. Not quite. He never saw Slim. All he. had to go on was what you said. I heard him give his evidence, remember.”

“So you think I’ve got them’” “I do. I think that you’ve got them safely stowed away.” „ “They are worth fifteen thousand pounds,” said Ferguson. “That's right.” “If I were a crook and if I had them, should I be working for a few pounds a week in Mossford?”

' “For the time being . yes You know that when the other affair cropped up your Mr Murray as good as accused you of it.” "He did accuse me of it.” “I thought you’d passed them to Lu-

cia.” Feguson smiled. "That would have been the thing to do, I agree. But, doubtless as she told you, I didn’t.” “I’m not so darned certain even now that you didn’t.” “To your own wife?” "She wasn’t my wife then. And she’s still pretty deep. Fifteen thousand pounds is a nice nest-egg for an actress to have.” “Then why not ask her? It is at least possible. That it never happened doesn’t seem to influence you at all.” "She was in love with you at the time.” 'That’s a matter I'd prefer not to discuss with you.” “I think you've got them,’ Teddy Wilson said quietly. ‘ You're welcome to your opinion. I don’t care two hoots what you think." “Now . . I could sell those emeralds for you. Ferguson smiled. “You’re really too childish for words. If I had them should I hand them over to you—to you, Sternberg—to sell?” “Yes. It would be very awkward if the police found you had them.” “Very awkward. I agree. I suppose it's no use my insisting that I haven’t got them?” “It’s either you or Slim or Mr Murray.” (To be Continued).