"GAY VENTURE"

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 November 1940, Page 10

"GAY VENTURE"

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT. COPYRIGHT.

By

T. C. BRIDGES.

CHAPTER XXIII. (Continued!. “I believed Tarver did murder Kemp,” he said. ‘Eve and I heard him and Kemp quarrelling one night on the promenade deck of the ship. Shortly afterwards there was a splash and a cry of ‘man overboard!’ Kemp had vanished. Tarver, of course, vowed he had committed suicide.” Sagar nodded.

"It looks as if Tarver was a pretty bad fellow,” he said. "It’s on the cards he followed Eve to town and kidnapped her so as to prevent her talking and giving evidence.” CHAPTER XXIV. Keith stiffened. “You told the police?” he said abruptly. “I haven’t,” Sagar confessed. “Fact is I’d forgotten all about Tarver until just now. But I’ll do it right now. I’ll ring up Exeter.” He went out and Keith sat staring blindly out of the window. All his thoughts were of Sagar. He was struggling to sort out his impressions of the man, "wondering whether he himself was altogether wrong in his suspicions, yet feeling quite unable to stifle them. Sagar came back. “I’ve told them,” he said. 'The Inspector asked me the same thing you did —why hadn’t I told them before. Anyhow they’re going after Tarver right away. I reckon they’ll get him all right.” Keith frowned. “Somehow I can’t see Tarver in this. Even if he did get through that storm alive he hadn’t a penny. And surely England is the one country he would have kept out of. He must have known the risk of arrest.”

“If it wasn’t Tarver who got her, who could it have been?” Sagar asked. “Eve’s not the sort of girl to lose her memory or go straying off.” Keith bit his lip. Sagar was voicing the same thoughts that he himself had been thinking all the way down. He got up abruptly.

“I must go back to London. Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Sagar.” Sagar, too, rose. “I wish I could be of some use, Captain Hedley. Is there nothing else you’d like to ask me?” “I can’t think of anything,’ said Keith. “Goodbye.” “You seed Sagar, sir?” Jan asked as he met his master. “I’ve seen him,’ Keith answered. “And didn't get nothing from him, I’ll be bound.” “That’s perfectly true,” Keith agreed glumly. “I don’t know whether he’s an injured innocent or one of the cleverest blackguards unhung.” “Last word’s the true one, sir,” said Jan briefly. “But I’ve seen someone as might be better. The policeman come by a minute ago. Decent looking chap. We’d catch him if we walked sharp.” • “The very man,” said Keith. “Come on.”

Keith and Jan had not been walking more than five minutes before they sighted the policeman’s tall upright figure. They came alongside and Keith wished him good morning. The policeman responded civilly and the three fell into step. “You’re a stranger, sir," said the policeman. “Yes. I came down to see Mr. Sagar. My name is Captain Hedley.” “Not the Captain Hedley as was lost in the desert.” “The same. Only you see I was found.” “You were lucky, sir. I’ve seen enough of the desert to know how lucky.” “Were you in Egypt?” Keith asked. “Yes, and with Allenby in Palestine and Syria.” “I was in the Fusiliers,” Keith said, “but not till after the war.” “Then maybe you’d remember my son, Sir. Dingle’s the name.” “Indeed I do. I remember him as a smart young Corporal.” “He’s a Sergeant now, sir,” said Dingle with pride. Keith nodded. “He was the sort to get on. Tell me, Dingle, how much do you know of Miss Nisbet’s disappearance?” “Not as much as I’d like to, sir.” “When did you last see her?” “No longer ago than last Saturday.” “You saw her then!” Keith’s voice was eager. “Was she coming or going?” “She was leaving, sir. She was in Mr. Sagar’s car. And here’s a funny thing. I stopped' as the car passed and when I saw her I saluted, but she never paid any attention at all.” “Did she see you?” “She couldn’t help seeing me. I wasn’t five yards from her and the car was going slow up Meripit Hill.” “Did you see her plainly?” A slight frown crossed Dingle’s broad, brown face.

“Not to say quite plainly, sir. Her face was >n shadow like, but I’d have known that blue dress she had on anywhere.” He paused. "What was you thinking, sir?" “I don’t know what I was thinking Dingle. Miss Nisbet and I were engaged. and to come and find her missing has hit me rather hard." Dingle nodded gravely. “I’d think it would. Well, sir, our people will do all they can to find her. Are you going back to London?" “I suppose so. The search is all at that end.” “I wish you good luck sir, and if there’s anything in the world I can do you’ve only to ask.” He pointed to a by-road. “I turn off here." Keith shoo!; hands and thanked him. “I’ll call on you if I want you, Dingle. You may be sure of that.” Dingle turned up the side road and Keith and Jan walked on. But as soon as Dingle was out of sight Keith pulled up and faced Jan. “Anything strike you particularly in what Dingle said, Jan?” Jan nodded. “I knows what you mean, sir. About Miss Eve not noticing Dingle,"

“You’ve hit it. What do you make of it?’

“Well, it might have been the young lady was that worried she didn’t notice nothing.” “It might, Jan. But it might have been someone else,” said Jan. Keith’s face was tense. “I was waiting for you to say that. In that case Miss Nisbet never left Devonshire at all.” “Nevei- left the Dower House, you might say,” rejoined Jan. He nodded. “It might be,” he added slowly. “I wouldn’t put that trick past Sagar.” “What are we going to do about it, Jan?” Keith asked. “It looks to me like we better do a bit of scouting. Evidence is what we want.”

“Just so, but how are we going to get it?” Jan pondered. “One thing’s sure,” he began. “Sagar, he wouldn’t keep the lady in his own house. He’d have hid her somewhere What about that there old house on the hill?’’ “You, yourself, said that was too ob- ; vious,” Keith answered. “It's the first | place anyone would think of. But it may not be Sagar at all. There is another man who might have done it,” Keith told Jan about Tarver. Jan listened carefully, then spoke. “Tarver might have wanted to do it but I don’t see just how he would ha’ done it. It ain’t what you might call easy to kidnap a grown woman —not in broad daylight on a fine Saturday afternoon.” Keith considered Jan’s opinion for a few moments, then nodded. “The more I think of it the more convinced I am that you are right and that Tarver had nothing to do with it. All the same I won't take any chances. I’m going on to Moreton to telephone Mr. Trask and tell him the whole story. Then I think that you and I will set to work to get that evidence you talked of. I’m not going back to London until I am quite certain Miss Nisbet is not in Devonshire.” In order to avoid all chance of suspicion, Keith drove back to Exeter. At a garage in a side street off the Close, Keith hired an ancient car, and this they loaded with food, blankets and materials for camping. Keith also’ provided himself with a pair of powerful glasses.

Before leaving the town he wrote a letter to Dicky, explaining the situation and telling him that, in spite of the Tarver rumour, he was not leaving Devonshire until he had made certain that Eve was not hidden in or near the Close. Then he and Jan had left Exeter in the old car and driven by side roads round to the little village of Belling which lay to the west of Crofton.

From this place a cart track crossed the moors towards Crofton, and the two waited until dusk before driving up it. The car they hid in a hollow half-way up the hill, then carried their goods up to a camping place amid the tall gorse which covered the top of Ruff Tor. Keith meant to keep a watch on the Dower House. Eve, if she was hidden in or near the Close, had to be fed. He hoped to see someone leaving the house with food and so to find out if his suspicions were true.

Night was closing down by the time that he and Jan got settled. They their meal by the light of one candle in an old-fashioned lantern, then rolled up' in their blankets and slept under cover of the little tent Keith had purchased. They were out before daylight and Jan made coffee over a spirit lamp then Keith went to his post of observation. It was chilly and everything asoak with dew. Grey dawn rose in the eastern sky and slowly turned to pink, but there was no sign of life about the Dower House except a curl of smoke from one chimney. Then through the still air came the sound of a door opening. The sound made Keith stiffen. A minute later he saw a man appear and walk along a path which led beside the kitchen garden in a northern direction. Quickly he focussed his glasses. “Holt!” he said, in a whisper. “Holt, right enough, sir,” came Jan’s voice close behind him. “And got a basket, too.” “He’s going towards the Close," Keith said eagerly. “It do look that way,” Jan agreed. Holt wont along the path leading to the Close, then left it and began to climb the hill. Keith lay like a stone, but his heart was beating hard. Holt stopped, bent down and picked something from the ground. Ho wont a little further and stopped again. An angry exclamation escaped Keith. “He’s picking mushrooms,” Jan chuckled. That s what it be. Fooled us proper that time, he did." Keith frowned, but Jan was not disturbed. “Best wait a while," he suggested. “It might be camouflage, so to speak." He couldn't think anyone was watching," Keith argued. As I said before. Sagar ain't missing no bets," Jan answered. But Holt went on picking mushrooms and, when he had filled his basket, returned to the house. Keith s face hardened. I m tired of this. I’m going down to have a look.” “What at, sir?" “The Close, of course,” Keith said impatiently. “This is my chance.” "Your chance to be spotted. Anyone can see you from the house. Listen, sir. It’s going to rain afore long. That 11 give you the chance you're wanting.” Keith bit his lip. He was savagely impatient. Yet he knew Jan was right, so settled down to wait. Towards midday clouds began to blow up. it began to drizzle, and soon the whole face of the country was hidden by a veil of thick, fine rain. “Reckon us might be moving," said Jan.

(To be Continued),