“ANNOUNCER’S HOLIDAY”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 January 1941, Page 10

“ANNOUNCER’S HOLIDAY”

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT. COPYRIGHT.

By

VAL GIELGUD.

(Author of “Africa Flight," “Outpost in China," etc.)

CHAPTER XVI. [ (Continued). ‘•No. But suppose the said popular, young lovely is murdered in sufficiently lurid circumstances, and the Home Secretary is played up—and he can be. These old gentlemen are very suscep- • tible to a certain line of approach, and Winstanley had a notable weakness for the stage. Was he. or was he not, prominent al the first night of 'The Girl from Vienna’?”

“Yes., he was,” admitted the /Assistant Commissioner.

“You may not know that he was taken round and introduced to Miss Mahler afterwards?” “The deuce he was!" "Precisely.” “Who look him round?" asked Superintendent Moresby.

“Good for you. you old war-horse!" said Colonel Boughion. laughing. "Go straight for the ham-bone, don't you? I understand it was his secretary who effected the introduction—so my godson tells me."

Moresby picked up a pencil. "Details, please. Colonel." “Rudolf Greer,’ said Frank Boughton. "is a young man of twenty-seven. He has money and an engaging man-

ner. He took modern languages at Cambridge, and completed his education abroad " “And met Prince Xavier.” Moresby completed the sentence, his voice shaking a little with excitement. “Just so. All perfectly open and above board and easy. He may. of course, be a perfectly innocent party to the business, but his present intimate circumstances might repay study. Moresby."

"They shall be studied, sir.” “Good! I'll be interested to hear anything you find out.” “But look here." said the Commissioner, “and this is very ingenious, but aren’t you being a little too clever. Boughton? If we pull in Casimir Kenski "

“My dear Cavendish, this isn’t a question of jugging a well-known cracksman. Casimir Konski has confined his criminal activities to foreign countries. You can’t 'pull him in’ just for being here. And he knows far too much for any of the said foreign countries to move for his extradition. Do believe me when I tell you that you're dealing with a large-sized personality It isn’t a case for a sergeant, a cell, and three months without the option. Incidentally. Casimir won’t bo doing the assassinating with his own fair hands. They’re never dirtied with anything more lethal than a cigar!"

"I imagine we can gaol him all the same," persisted the Assistant Commissioner.

Colonel Boughton sighed. “You don't want him —you want the organisation he’s tied up with." he explained, patiently. “For God's sake Moresby, don't go making any arrests in a hurry, or all cur clues will go west with a bang!”

Major Cavendish got up impatiently. “I shall report that 1 am handing over full responsibility for everything but the executive side of this case to you. Boughton." he said. “Keep me informed. Moresby—bin work to Colonel Boughton from now on.” "Yes. sir!"

The door banged behind the Assistant Commissioner. Moresby and Frank Boughton exchanged glances. Then both laughed, the Superintendent a little uneasily. ■ Don't worry, Moresby. Major Cavendish will come round quick enough when you've pulled it oil." -If Tpuli it off, Colonel " "Of, you'll do that all right,'' said Colonel Boughton easily. ‘Go and mingle in theatrical circles, and don't worry.” In his turn he put on his hat and went out. Superintendent Moresby turned to his desk, opened a copy of the latest edition of "The Spotlight” that lay thereon, and turned up the page on which Miss Greta Mahler displayed her charms to ostentatious advantage. But those charms were apparently wasted upon Superintendent Moresby. In fact, to judge from his expression they were regarded by him with absolute disfavour. He banged “The Spotlight" shut, reached for tb.e telephone, and asked for Geoffrey Allardyce's number. CHAPTER XVII It was an exceedingly bad-tempered young man who answered Super;!:t<-n--dant Moresby's telephone call To hr Colleague-. t, Li l *.ldv,l s, 11 j g Hi t", s- - Gnkfrey .Allardyce was lai-.wn a almost oppressively amiable. Hi . e. nature combined with a certain na’.ur- ■ a! charm, v.as continually being exploited by other members of the An- ' ncuneer:-:’ Room, But then, on duty at the mien-phone Go-gfrcy had neves been "led up the garden path.” Mi - Greta Mahler had done just that ‘ > him, as he believed, and he L-lt both angry and sore, Nevertheless and in -pile ..f the innumerable lyric which maintain the opposite, love i.s by n > means only | thing in t!i<- world It is a failure to appreciate this fact, which ; j-e--.p .-n--sible f- r me,st women’ unhappim- , ! But that is by the way. There m mi fact, ‘iich a widespread and dd-fa.h- ' Hincd thing as the Day's Work And when the Day'.: Work takes the f.-rm of an invitation •.,» became an im iL-i e:.ai member <■' ,s-<rrt Srrv.ee. : apt to 1<;to bowler-hatted qualities,} an<l to appear in ail the tr.ippmgs of Romance. By Un- t.me the s; erm- i ■emi.ant had !m:m I !>. . h.-ne < all for Charles Bland hr r. j n■ f intelligence w,i ind<v<-nt ;; .: ■ tat;- ■; gairty ; ■ • I . { ’ . • - ■ • . ■ ■ ; ■,, - ■ ■ pen an ■ the . ■ l ■ ... I . the knowJ-Mge that .• a r- :t„ .-. http- ' 4 k•iV»*C-- \ *’ * f ' £ j JJ ■ JJ J *,*!<• J” j." ’*, * •

i hand drawer of Colonel Frank Bough- ] ten's writing desk. Geoffrey Allardyce and the Honourable Charles Bland were registered as TQ34 and TQ73 rei' spectively. They wculd probably have i been even more delighted than they j were could they have known just how ; much their temporary appointments ; had annoyed that extremely efficient pillar of bureaucratic proprieties. Major Cavendish . . . The sun was shining. The rather ex- | travagant lunch at the Cafe Imperial—j oysters, duckling, and some capital ’ claret, with special brandy to top up i with—appeared cheap at the price, i Charles Bland even ordered a cigar i before departing to impress his tailor. ! and increase his credit account. Geoffrey ordered a second cup of black cof-

fee. and sat on in the Grill Room. Its i ornate decoration, with its gilding, it’ . full-breasted caryatides, its old-fashion-ed mirrors, suited a mood of elegant replention combined with a certair i mannered cynicism. This, thought j Geoffrey, watching his own reflection I through the fumes of his cigarette i smoke, this was the way to accept disi appointment nt the hands of a woman; Ito fall back upon the enduring consolation of good food and drink; and afi ter to contemplate the faintly twisted ] smile on one's own lips, and enjoy the I exquisite sensation of melancholy i that is no longer sadness. In short, said Geoffrey to himself. I am becoming a philosopher—and quite time too' Another figure appeared in the glass of the mirror and Geoffrey Allardyce dropped his cigarette, burning his hand, smothered a curse, and scrambled to his feet. He had lost all his elegance, and his expression had become for the moment simply mulish. The newcomer was Lucia Reichcnberg. She was admirably, if ostentatiously, dressed in flaming red. but for her stockings and her hat. even her shoes and her gloves flared. By contrast her skin had the pallor of a magnolia. and her eyes looked enormous. They also looked somehow hot. as il she had not slept, and the gloved hand which she extended to Geoffrey was perceptibly unsteady. Unsteady too the voice in which she said, with an unconvincing attempt at badinage: “You might try to look pleased to’see me, Geoffrey!"

“You'll drink some coffee of course? A iqueur?" “I will drink creme-de-menthe," said she! "and be a perfect little devil." "To go with the frock? It’s very becoming Lucia."

The girl flushed slightly, and shrugged her slim shoulders. ”1 felt like it," she said. There was a little pause, and she added, “I followed you here, you know. I lunched in the restaurant next door, and waited till your friend was safely away—” "But why on earth follow me?" “1 wanted to see you, Geoffrey." "That’s very sweet of you, but why?” The girl leaned forward, her chin on her clasped hands, her elbows on the table. "I want you to tell me something.' she said. "Of course." "I wonder. Geoffrey. Well, I wi.-n’i waste your time." Her eyes looked straight into his, and for one absurdly fanciful moment it seemed to him that in their depths they glowed red. as a cat's will glow when it stares into a lighted passage from a dark-room. "Geoffrey—are you in love with Greta Mahler?"

In some ways Geoffrey Allardyce had expected the challenge. He was not sufficiently mock-modest to pretend that the possibility was not an acute one. But he had been brought up not to boast of a conquest. And m any event this was certainly no conquest. And iiis ears burned when he thought of the supper fiasco at the Cosme p 011... I hardly know Greta Mahler,” he said - lowly. V hat has that got to do with it'.'" demanded Lucia scornfully "To a ma:i < no glimpse of blue eyes, a babe face, fair hair and pretty legs, and the tr.ck’s dime. Are yui, Ge- ffrev.' 1 want to know'” •And why should you:'” parried Geoiliey, playing desperately for time and wishing that Charles could have f-’i g>■ttrn biis hat and come back f>>i "You know the answer to that ’ Lucia coolly. 1 heir eVi-$ held, a-; •( .struggling foi psych..l ;gic.-,l mastery u.’.ts! a waiter Hile, uip'ed v. .th the battle i.f .i.-m.,-. dv-metithe. I here ■a;i - a htih> j.jq.., v.lid,- if,,-; green liqueur w.is p used »at | t i V■■ p" kl '. d anti turning u f.l<>w-J ' Y.-u '.han't have hvi Ch . (Ley i 0.;..- y u mat much, at h-a-t I d ; -■ ..-id - 1 thmk you may have m-ed- very real 5 a.lt. .j;..,-;- juvii-- i.f J;.,- ; ■hg But ureM Mahhu . n t. ... . l.u('i..i' Greta Mahh-r . .■ . - , , 7;', -id a lovely 'yL 7 ;.evil of a radio immnmecr, making k-.-c i ’; :a n * ven hiKm'-ed ;i Win-ia-I I'o’iiv m?” ; Rewhenbcrg emtmued to twist glass imd to spcalt. "Greta likes you. 1 know it Greta Wr-.iry of P; v ; ., L '■' " 'he doe !, 4kn ... ; P-wn that y. i( ’* ’ ' - ' ’ •■ ' ■ ‘I ;.i>, L < 1 . t ‘y - Lat J y. L,t •• ■' ‘’.: ■ ; 1 b -• ■■■' ■ - c - K ■ >*u: ■ Uvc, I’m a Y < ■ \. ci I . fuHu ( »»■' '* ' 4 V ? I ■■ ■ ’ I-J • <- < vered jc < 4 b<”