“THE UNLATCHED DOOR”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 February 1941, Page 10

“THE UNLATCHED DOOR”

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT. COPYRIGHT.

By

FRANK PRICE.

(Author of “Behind the Curtains." etc.)

CHAPTER VIII. (Continued). The house was quiet but she seemed to sense sometning ominous in its calm. She did not know where Nancy was had scarcely seen her since early morning. It was almost as though her hostess had avoided her of set purpose—as though she were afraid to talk lest she should betray some, secret which must not be told. Yet she had been ready enough to discuss her troubles and invite sympathy through the hours during which the two girls had lain together, sleepless, in Barbara's bed after Martin returned home and shut himself in the den. Nancy had asked to be taken in. declaring that she could not face her own room alone. They went to bed and lay listening for any sound of movement from below. Nancy could not keep still. Every nerve in her body seemed to be twitching and her thoughts ran round in circles, expressing in harrowing whispers: “What can he be doing? Why is he so quiet? He must be terribly angry with me to shut himself away like this! If I only knew what has happened—if he saw Roger Borden and what was said—and done! Oh. I hope they didn't meet! Roger would tell him all the lies he threatened to —they would quarrel—fight! He looked like a madman when he went out. He would not know what he was doing —if they fought and Roger was killed —!" Barbara spent herself in vain efforts to soothe the distracted wife. It was ail she could do to refrain from crying out: “There has been no quarrel. Roger Borden has told nothing and Martin has not killed him. He was dead before Martin left you here. I killed him!" It would have been a relief to say that —to cry it aloud and free her mind of the load which was crushing it. but she kept the words bad:. Confession could do no good to Nancy and the consequences to herself were too terrifying to contemplate. She dare not face them! The slow hours passed. Dawn came and widened into full day. They heard Martha. Nancy's maid, come out of her room and go downstairs. A few minutes later there was the sound of a door opening and then heavy, dragging footsteps on the stairs. “He is coming up!" Nancy whispered and listened intently. Barbara could feel her trembling. “He has passed our room—he thinks lam there!" Another door opened and shut. "He has gone into the dressing-room. Perhaps —perhaps he doesn't want to disturb me. I must go to him! I must! I must!" Nancy slipped out of the bed and from the room. Barbara made no attempt to stop her. She was utterly worn out and, anyhow. Nancy and Martin must meet some time and have matters out with each other. She heard tremulous knocking on a door panel, a few murmured words and the click of a latch. They were together, she supposed: and now for the first time, she was really alone and could give her mind unreservedly to consideration of her own position. The next thing she knew was seeing Martha arranging a tray on the bedside I table.

"I vo brought your breakfast, miss," said the girl. "I've brought your breakfast, miss," said the girl. "Oh. lovely! Be an angel and pour me out a cup of tea. Martha. Make it hot and strong. What lime is it?" "Half-past ten miss." "Gracious! I feel as if 1 hadn't been asleep five minutes. Is Mrs. Winterton up?” "Oh, yes. miss. She and master were down to breakfast at the usual time." "Together’" "Yes. miss; though they both looked as if they could have done with a lot more sleep than they'd had. But of course, master had to be at the bank at his usual tune. I hope you enjoyed yourself last night, miss." "Last night" Oh. curate's eggy—good in parts, you know.” Barbara emptied her first cup and leaned out to refill "1 suppose the morning papers are downstairs'.’ Will you bring me one, plvase?" ' Yes, miss," But when it was brought, and Barbara hastily turned its page;:, none of the streaming headlines told of a "Tragedy in West End Flat" or "Wellknown City Man's Mysterious Death." She concluded that Borden's fate had not been discovered m time for the news to be published m the m. ruing papers, and the thought comforted her It seemed t<< her that the longer the time that had t-lap>-<■;! between Imr il:i;ht fr in the ffi t t , i; . | >j ;t . miffing ■. f Burden's body the grraTr w< re the chance', that tier ; re .-mm ■ had been unn< lived She break fa ted. r. , i:; . . slowly and thoughtfully The atfemp’i to luoe up m the ihifn-u!' •• t.e: position. which hr; had f... tinted earlier in the morning. wa m m-rffi succes ful now. I', wm no g, d ;i'-kmg hemelf what she mm.', dm b<<au-e the am. We; depended ei'dlfe! '. oil the W 111 m which future ts .shaped '.hetm< !- She i'eiiev.-d he had t ■ f the flat withmit leaving the famtmt clue m her Visit If that Well t.".e ! ,- w:i: only rm- ri tir e f r n<-r f !: ■.•. lies having bl.ej> there Dat t,ley m and, if • mid he < .framed admi> .-d n, yv, :iy Pie n-milled the I ;. .• n>. face when ,e j. . ;. m . . , O , • ’’ll hu: ’.’.'lilt ■<

hostess in the lounge arranging some flowers. She looked round and Barbara noticed that her face was pale and there were dark circles about her eyes. Inere was a curious aloofness in her manner when she spoke. "Hello darling. Have you had a good rest?" "I slept like a log after you left me. How are things with you. Nancy?" "They are all right. " “Do you mean —Martin?" "Yes. He —we —we made it up. We're friends again." "Did he go to Darnely Mansions?" "N<>, no! He never meant to —he never said he was going there! 1 was mistaken in thinking he did. He was just walking about on the common!" Nancy was speaking quickly and her hands worked nervously. Barbara stared at her with a sinking heart, sure that she was not telling the truth. "I must have been crazy to think he had said that and to repeat it to you. Don't repeat it to him, Barbara —don't ever repeat it to anybody!" . "Of course I won't. It isn't the sort of thing I would repeat. You needn’t be afraid of me. Nancy." "I'm no —why should I be?" said Nancy quickly. It's only that, now we have made things up. I don't want Martin to be reminded —” , ".All right. I understand. I'll never; say a word." There was an awkward moment while they looked at each other in uncomfortable silence: then the telephone bell rang and Nancy went to answer it. "Martin did go to Darnley Mansions: he knows Roger Borden is dead." Barbara told herself. "He has told Nancy and they are afraid of what would happen if the threats he made were known. They are afraid of me! I have a feeling that that ought to be funny, but I can't see the joke! Oh. it is awful! Awful!"

She was feeling on the verge of a complete breakdown when Nancy called her to the instrument to speak to Roy. His isvitation came as a positive godsend and she set off to meet him without having seen Nancy again. A bus took her to the Admiralty Arch where he was waiting for her, and in a few minutes they were cosily seated in a quiet restaurant facing each other across a table. "How are things in the House of Winterton this morning?" Roy asked. "Nancy is looking rather tired," Barbara replied, her attention wandering to the man at the table next to her who was busy with the first edition of an evening paper. Her fingers itched to snatch it from him. She heard Roy say: "Did Mr. Winterton enjoy his walk last night?" "His walk?" She turned to him quickly. "Why do you think he was walking?" "1 saw him." "Where?" "Just at the top of Brixton Hill." "But—but he didn't go in that direc-; tion!" Barbara remembered her pro-i rnise. According to Nancy’s story Mar-! tin walked on the common, away from London and Roger Borden's flat. If he' should ever be questioned and tell that! to the police it would not do to have! Roy claiming to have seen him going) the opposite way! "You must be mis-j taken." "There wasn’t any mistake—not of I identity, at any rate!" replied Roy with’ a grimace. "My taxi driver and I nearly died of heart failure—and Win-,' tenon must have got the shock of his life! He stepped oil’ the footpath to avoid a bunch of people, and if my driver hadn’t swung his wheel like lightning we should have been into him! He knew what a narrow shavei he’d had—l caught a glimpse of his! face under his hat as he jumped back!” "Oh!” Barbara was relieved "That, shows you were mistaken. Martin j wasn't wearing a hat on his walk." - ! "Will you bet on it'.' .A pair of gloves to a kiss" And I'll describe the hat! a grey trilby, with a black band " ! "But he wasn't."’ she persisted "1 saw him come in and A waiter came up for ’lie order and j Roy turned to him. Barbara was glad uf the hitorrupliuH, She hnd begun e! that in her anxiety he w < tn ik-! mg too much of her denials. It would never do to set Roy wonderin'; whv, she attached so much importance to a trivial detail. r\ chair scraped on the! floor and she saw that the man at the next table had risen. He walked towards the cash desk, leaving his paper; untidily on the iloor. Barbara picked , it up and glanced through it Most of. the contents seeme I to be sporting! news, but prv-vnth she found what she; ■Air looking for .MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR IN WEST ' END FI.AT. "SHOT TENANT AND INJURED SFRVAN'I FOUI. BLAY SUSPECTED." The dead body of Mr. Roger B. t ■ ' de!’. a South African merchant. w.w i Too n U! A e,. , jt ;i |. l(c h , night He had been through the forelwcad and a revolver lay beside ‘ J 1 ’"’ dy H. ■• an v . })u . ln . li'-ved hnv,. i ;r( .n m his employ fm ! ■■ o day was f. tmd lit . tin r l,a:l ■-! mMon . Cuj ar Stre< I WC nidcrmg fr*>m serious injuric-; tu the ami lt . an utivonscmus <- ndita.m ■■ lv • ,r " i; ; an <■' ciue which' 1 " the (; .Mr 80..-. •d tnan . .'uffermg fr><m , »m" Will ■w-B.f'i ’j' r \‘t' (T<> br rui'uuwd j