“THE UNLATCHED DOOR”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 February 1941, Page 10

“THE UNLATCHED DOOR”

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT. COPYRIGHT.

By

FRANK PRICE.

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

CHAPTER X, (Continued',. “Where now?" he said. "Across Piccadilly Circus. she answered. "I can get a bus at the corner of Regent Street. ■ ■•Right. Just a minute. I'll get a couple of papers." He went to a newsboy. Barbara strolled on and paused at the kd'rb. In the gutter close beside her an old match seller was standing with his wares on a tray slung round his neck. He must have been a big man in his time, but now his great frame was gaunt and bent and she saw with pity how his hands were twisted and distorted as if by rheumatism. Sho took a coin from her bag and held i’towards him.

"Thank you. lady.’ he said, putting out a hand to take the offering. The hand was black with grime: so was nis face now that she looked at it. There was a stubbly growth of white beard on his chin and his cheeks were lined and sunken. She stared at him with a feeling of repulsion. Why should any man allow himself to get into that state of dirt? She would have snatched her hand back, but his eyes held her. Big, grey eyes, they were, blazing from under thick white brows with a fire that seemed to scorch her own. Suddenly a change came over .iis face. It was as if recognition leaped into those flaming eyes. The coin he had taken from her fell tingling into the gutter and hft stooped hastily and began feeling about for it. Barbara shrank back to avoid the groping hand and felt an arm at her waist.

"Doing—Your day’s good deed?” said Roy.

“Come away!” she whispered and hurried onward.

"What is the hurry all at once?” he asked, falling in beside her. "That old man!” sho said. "I don’t like him! He looked as if he recognised me!" She glanced nervously over her shoulder and instantly increased her pace until she was almost running. "He is following me!” "Following you? Nonsense! Why should he? And if he is. I’ll soon stop him. Wait!"

He caught her by the arm and sho had to pause. They looked back. The match seller had certainly moved in the direction they were taking and. judging by his distance from them, his speed must have been equal to their own; but he was still now, with his back to them as presented his tray to the passers-by. "You see?” said Roy. “The poor old ruin is only thinking of gathering in his few coppers. What on earth made you imagine he was following you?” “I don’t know. There was something in his face and —and —1 suppose 1 was just being an idiot!" That was it. she told herself. Sho had been thinking of detectives and shadowing and all the paraphernalia of pursuit as she had so often met it in fiction and, just because that old man was so unusual looking, she had lost her nerve and made a fool of herself and. if any of those clues the police claimed to have did point in her direction, that was- the last thing she wanted.

She resisted the temptation to look behind her as they crossed the Circus. A bus drew up as they arrived. Roy handed her one of the papers he Had bought, they said good-bye and she got on. There was no room inside, so she climbed to the upper deck, and Roy waved to her with the paper he had kept.

The bus moved on with a jerk which swung her round so that she was facin the direction from which sho and Roy had come and she saw the match teller again. He had followed them! But he was once more standing still in the gutter. She saw his gleaming eyes, but they were not bent on her. He seemed to be staring at Roy—staring with a fixity she had never seen equalled, And h<- was different, somehow.

7 he stoop had gone from his should

ers; there was a suggestion of power in his great form. The bus swung out t<> pass a standing van. drew in again and the corner was shut out from her field of vision. She sat down, breathing hard. Had she been mistaken altogether" Was the look of recognition she had seen in those strange eyes brought t • them by the sight of Roy instead of herself" And what did it portend'.’ A question which had been forming ito-lf in her sub-conscious mind took shape: Was the match sellerreal" The grime on hands and face, the hopeless stoop, the sordid rags in which ho was clad—none of these fitted in with that last glimpse she had obtained of him Was there another and quite different man hidden beneath them" And. if SO. who was he-rmd why was he so Intensely interested in Roy" Surclv Roy was not being shadowed by detectives in disguise! CHAPTER XI As the bus carrying Barbara U -.mperiled fr,.in - Roy Hrmci Icy wab ked slowly m'he direction ■ f Ciiekspnr Slie«-t, He finl not look round and e<.meijtn’ntly wj-; unaware of th<’ f;u t that lite old match seller v.a. near and that lie at i.nee began move m Hie same dire«-ti.’ti Disregarding the crowd.- -.’.inch thronged the pavement! at that hem-, I?, v ,h<,ok (> m ;he even-• mg paper he had beon w;n'ini' and 1 >-!a::c<-! imrncfily '.hri'iigh the lau-a ! aw-'iint < f the Borden ca-e '1 here w;r much more Ilian ha i fiiiblr hed a; the «a: h <-/|n • Th,- i muimik’.t.. hat! be.-’, >i,,. . ~,r v ' k-’-en a j.lac.- mi the front page! >nd bn’ h’-adhm- were la-hed a-.. U« ‘'. fh'-i rr v? ■ 1 ■ bottom ‘.'-t *!p- .’.re;.Ciihirun iL'i-’i, ' «T \ ( t J f; : f w-’-.m 1 ?• ; irt.. ; L

What he found was not what he had expected. He came to a sudden standstill in the middle of the footpath, ignoring the waves of humanity which seemed to surge up against him and

split into separate currents, washing past on cither side, staring at a name that leaped out at him from the print. It was his own name. He read:

“The police found on the dead man’s table an unfinished letter which referred to someone he described as ’Young Hemersley. son of Matthew,’ who, the letter stated, is in London. They arc desirous of getting into communication with this person if possible. Information regarding him will be welcomed at New Scotland Yard." A big man. indignant at finding his homeward way barred, jostled Roy roughly and brought him back to a realisation of his surroundings. He began to move again, his face grave; and troubled. He had no idea why the I police should want to see him. but decided at once that his best course was' to go straight to Scotland Yard and find that out. There were plenty of people who. seeing that notice, could supply the authorities with his address.

He had no reason to fear for himself, but ... he wished Barbara was still with him. He would have like to know what she would advise him to do!

He went to the kerb looking for a taxi, but all those in sight were engaged. The match seller. 20 yards away, watched him, his gnarled fingers beating an irritable tattoo on his tray, Roy, decided that, after all, there was no reason for undue haste, walked on again, unconscious of his follower. Twenty minutes took him to police headquarters where he asked for the officer in charge of the Borden Case, He gave him name and business and, after some telephoning had been done, was told that Inspector Kenway, who was in the building, would see him at once. He was shown into a room where a square-shouldered man. whose rather stolid face was lighted by a pair of keen blue eyes, was sitting behind a table on which were several piles of documents. Roy walked to the other side of the table, rather uncomfortably aware of the comprehensive glance which raked him from top to toe. "Inspector Kenway?" he said. "That is my name. Yours is Henterley. I understand?" "Roy Wilson Hemersley to bo exact. My Father's name was Matthew James Hemersley. So when I saw this paragraph in the evening paper quarter of an hour ago 1 concluded it referred to me and came along to see what it was about."

“Thanks for coming so promptly, Mr. Hemersley. Take a seat.” Inspector Kenway motioned him to the chair which faced him and Roy sat down. "1 don’t know if you can help us —I take it you are willing to. if you can?” "I don’t know a thing about Borden’s death except what is here," said Roy. tapping the newspaper with his finger. ’’But I sec you believe this to be a case

of murder and I suppose you are hoping I can help you to catch whoever did it. 1 haven't the faintest notion i how you expect me to do it and 1 don't mind telling you that in my opinion: whoever, shot Borden did the world a ’ good turn. He deserved a lot worse! than he got.” "His moral character doesn't affect j my duty—or yours. Mr. Hemersley.' | "Quite right. 1 know all about my 1 duty as a citizen and I’m ready to do! it. but 1 simply had to get that off my chest to begin with. Now we can go; ahead. What do you want me to tell ■ you?” ' Did Borden know how you felt ! about him?" "Couldn’t help it. if he ever gave it I a thought. What was he saying about 1 me in that letter’ 1 I should like to sw it." 1 here is no reason why you shouldn t. Inspector Kenway took a sheet of note-paper from one of me heaps of documents before him and i naiided it to Roy "There is nothing! secret about it." Roy read the fragment:— "Dear Shorty.—Young IlemerslcyJ son and heir, for what it’s worth, of Matthew, is in London, I saw him at! the Boldovina tonight, don't know if he saw me, and do 1 care? Do 1 hell'’ But if ne means to make trouble" . . j He went back to the beginning and > read it again, his face hard and his brows gathered into a frown. The mockery in the phrase “son and heir: for what it's worth, of Matthew." Ins blood pounding with anger. He; looked up to find the inspector watching him keenly and flicked the pa;,«-r' back across the table with a gesture of ’ disgust. ; 1 should think veu guessed how I felt about him from that!" he -.aid. Y-u might also have known that though he was. aware of my feelings 1 had nev. > told mm of them.' Ik- doesn't say so.” The inspector! took up the letter and glanced at ' Not in o many w..rds but he d>'<■ay that lie only km-w of my being m 1 -■ nd. n by having n me ia : night and (hat he didn't know if I meant t.C make trouble " Do you mean that lie v. ,ul<i hav. known if you mid -.p •,, He certainly wm:!d' ' R. •. laugh. : PeHiaie it's hn.T.y fo; <• that »!;■ letter Wove we hadi;'! a. tually 1! At Iru tup the tJ’M" v/hm u. s wnL ' What - that”* lb \ .-.at j*. “ |i * ’ ’■■•Mtip.ji niy own ‘ate ■ U urn give a harm- * ■ . ■ w. :.s ' mW , «-■ . i < 1 l. L*’ ( Hr.d )