“THE UNLATCHED DOOR”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 February 1941, Page 10

“THE UNLATCHED DOOR”

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT. COPYRIGHT.

By

FRANK PRICE.

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

CHAPTER VI. (Continued). She went in and a moment later Mr. Parkes, standing shakily in his own doorway, heard her agitated voice at the telephone. Evidently she got through without delay for her confused attempt to explain their discovery came brokenly to him. There was an interval during which he heard her moving about the sitting-room, then she came out with a glass in one hand and a golf club in the other. "I brought you a drink and this.” she ■ aid. handing both to him. ''You’ll feel safer with that in your hand.” ‘■l feel better with that inside me!" he returned, having emptied the glass at a gulp. "As for this." he looked al ’.he club, "well, it can’t do any harm. Are the police coming?" ‘ They said they’d be round at once. Must I go for the man on the beat? Can't I stay with you?" "Better get him if you can. I think this is about his time for passing. You can come back if he isn’t about." The lift was still where they had left it. He put her in and sent it down. Then he walked over to the man lying

in the hall of Number 11 and bent over over him. He was still breathing with an unpleasant, gurgling noise and. seeing that his wife had begun to unfasten his collar and tie before she was interrupted by the discovery of the other man, Mr. Parkes laid down the club and continued the work.

A noise behind him brought him to his feet. The door of Number 10, the fiat between his and Borden’s, had opened and three people were standing there. "What's on here?” asked one of them. "Anything wrong with old Kinger?”

Burn Kruger! Roas’ 'im! Lorr ’im fry in hell!' came another voice, that of a lanky young man who was half clinging to. half being supported by the first speaker, a rough looking, thickset person who seemed singularly unadapted for displaying to advantage the evening dress he wore. Behind these two was a very lovely girl whom Mr. Parkes recognised as the tenant of the flat from which they had all come. "I don't know anybody named Kruger." said. Mr. Parkes, “but these has been something dreadful going on in Mr. Borden’s fiat here. His servant is wounded and insensible, and he himself is lying dead yonder.” He pointed to where the light he had turned on shone into the hall.

, "Dead? Kinger dead!” exclaimed the thickset man. He turned a face blank with shock to the girl. "What do you know about that, kid?” "What do you mean?" she retorted angrily. "How should I know—” she was interrupted by the lanky youth to whose befogged brain Mr. Parkes’s statement seemed to have penetrated. "Kruger dead? Of course he's dead. Why shouldn't he be? Said I'd kill him myself! Said I'd—" “Stop the fool's mouth!” hissed the girl in a whisper that barely reached Mr. Parkes, and the youth was quickly silenced by a push from a huge hand which must have shaken his teeth. "Shut up!" exclaimed the other man as he struck. He turned to Mr. Parkes. "He doesn't mean anything—you can . see he's blind to the world and doesn't! know what he's saying,” he said eager-I ly. "Hold up. you fool!" He shook ■ himself free of the younger man who i promptly sat down on the landing, j "But. look here, if what you say is : true. I'd better have a looksee. I know : Kr—- Borden and—" He was advancing with the evident > intention of entering Number 11. Mr. j Parkes barred the way. "Better not," he said. The police arecoming; my wife rang them up and I they'll be here any minute now. The ■ fewer people go in there before they arrive the belter.” "It's just before they arrive I want to —•• the man was saying when the girl caught him by the arm and swung| him round. "What are ymi talking about "" shej demanded in a tense voice. ".Are you j as drunk as .Sammy? Of course you l mustn't go in there The less you have I to do with this, the better. Pick 'hat : idiot up and get him out of sight before i the police arrive and begin nosing; round!" "But— ■ " "Do as I te’.l you!" The girl was i suddenly shrill ami imperative. The, man looked at her sullenly for a me-; ment as if trying to read what was ini her mind It was evident to Mr. Park-J ex that he, too, had been drinking: heavily though the result was not so! obvious as in the case of the other. "Oh. ail right!" lie . aid after a ■ He stooped and. catching Sammy by I the collar began lugging at him. Just then Mr. Parke:, was relieved t hear a metallic clam;' followed by a 1 humming The bit came up and Mrs. Parkes stepped out •?" it with a| liceman in uniform "This i- my husband, ulficrr she; said, "ami that's where -where it all j is.” She pointed to Number 11 .Mi "The lady tells me you found him.”! he said. .hut a- he is '" Yes. He hasn't really been m , though V.r got hr ci'llar ami tie .<T 1 seemg the dillicuFy . f !i; breathing , The dmu- was <y» ri everything exactAnd tinethcr mt.:! m ><!<• dead tm- ! ,;nt ■ tile lenmil of the ilat !; r .nn' i J». ~ ■, j | S • , • /• ;. . ’ <m the r ard d wn taw. but ’he- <■ . rn mm tell y • m ; < ab .t 1: I : He • t >h< sal am! I;. -- m ■ ■.’ Sm ■ Im J v. mm: ".a ‘: ■■ -. ;• I■;■. s; <! a :■’ Is tie' e;-. 1

“We don't know a thing about what happened to that chap there or to Borden, captain," he said. “My friend and me were visiting with Miss Carlake —"

“You can explain about that later," the officer cut in. "This lady tells me there’s an inspector on his way and he’ll be taking charge. I'll just get your names and addresses to save time."

He produced his note book and entered the particulars as they were supplied:—Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Parkes, 9. Darnley Mansions; Anthony Revelstone, 729 Kennington West Road, (that was the name and address owned to by the thickset man); and Samuel Lander, of the same address. Revelstone supplied the last details. Mr. Lander being :n no condition to do so for himself.

By the limo the entries were complete to this extent there was a sound of several heavy footsteps downstairs and Mr. Parkes sent the lift down. It came up again with a load which included Inspector Kenway of the C.1.D.. Dr. Chivers, a police surgeon, and several plain-clothes men laden with cameras and various appliances. The doctor went straight to the in-

: jured man while Inspector Kenway, ’ after a keen glance at the five people j assembled on the landing, turned to j the uniformed man and held a whis- ; pered conversation with him, after 1 which he spoke to the surgeon: ! “What do you make of it. Doctor?” j “Severe concussion. He’s had a very 1 nasty crack on the back of the head." i “I think he fell on the corner of the I hatstandUhere," said Mr. Parker pointI infl’ "Yes?" The inspector looked at him | quickly and then at the hatstand. "Quite possible. Are we likely to get anything from him. Doctor?" "Not at present—perhaps not for a day or two. Ho may remain as he is for a long limo. The best thing for you to do is to call an ambulance and send him round to Charing Cross Hospital. I can do nothing for him here." "I'll do that. See to it, Flexman,’’ The inspector addressed one of his subordinates. "Mark where he lies and get a picture or two; they may be useful. Don’t disturb anything else and send a man to remain with him. He mustn't be left till he has spoken. You and I will have a look at the other man. Doctor." They went along the hall, the inspector narrowly scrutinising the floor and walls on the way. They passed the cloth cap and the grey hat. Inspector Kenway stopped and stooped to look closely at a white mark on the carpet. ; There was another farther along and | a third just outside the lighted room. I Here the inspector paused in the doorway. keeping the surgeon beside him with a restraining hand while he looked slowly round as if trying to photo- i graph the details on his memory. "Now you can go to it, Doctor," he' said, when he was satisfied." but don't j disturb him more than you must." “There's really no need for me to I touch him," saidd the other as he bent; over the body. “Shot through the: brain and death would be instantan-] ecus. The revolver—" He looked at i the weapon lying on the floor and a j puzzled frown gathered on his fore-i head. After another quick glance at the; bullet hole his hand went out to pick J the revolver up. “Don't touch it!” cried Inspector; Kenway sharply, and the doctor with-1 drew his hand with a startled grin J "There may be finger-prints on it but they won’t be those of the murderer —; if this is murder. That’s an army re-i volver and the bullet that made that tiny hole in this chap’s forehead wasj never fired from it." CHAPTER VII "That is exactly what 1 was thinking,” said Dr. Chivers. "This revolver, would throw a pretty big bullet —45 at i least, but is probably a .22 1 shall find when 1 made an autopsy.’. "The bullet i- still there, then'" "Yes.” Dr. Chivers had raised Bur-i den's head sufficiently to examine it al! round. "There is no exit hole. That! confirms the other observation. If he had been shot with this revolver there i would probably have been a hole as I big as my first a! the back of his head ’ where th< bullet came out, considering i the short range at winch :t mt; t littc. been filed lam assuming that he was killed fiaun somewhere in this room.” "I think that is a safe assump:e n." "But there IS no burn nor powder mark < n the fi<-sh. ’Die bullet was tir- . cd from a distance ..f 'everal feel al "From tin- dour. for instance?" In-1 spector Kei’v.av had gone down on hiY.-, that would tit But why the door ’ D 1 ’• L fl’.Tv I liC l.’lM’i£■<';(>»■ 1 ‘G , :h<- j.latter abuv<« the picture tail uver a o>r:-er ef the dour Dr. ChiverInert* \va< a rttUJH: .' with v .ar• • li.iped crack- radiate,e f: ■ :