THE JUMPER

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20911, 16 September 1939, Page 18 (Supplement)

THE JUMPER

By JOHN CREASEY

Thrilling Detective-Mystery Serial

CHAPTER XX.— (Continued.) He was walking in Parliament Street when lie pulled up with a muttered exclamation. Several passers-by were forced to walk round him, and they stared at him in obvious annoyance. But James Dawlish —or the Jumper—had been possessed by an idea, and he cared nothing for what other people thought of it. 'He strode back to the Yard and went to the sergeant’s office, but met Tomkins, who had apparently had a breakdown in the taxi on the previous night. "Any idea where Healy and the men, who were taken at the cafe, are held?” asked the Jumper. “Mile End Hoad, sir,” said Tomkins. "I hope you didn't come off too badly last night?” "If, might have been worse,” said the Jumper. “I’d give a lot to know where that Daimler went.” “I've been looking up the reports that came in from the Surrey police,” said Tomkins, proving once again that he was a very capable officer. "The Daimler was seen in Kingston before the call came out, but apparently t/here's been no other trace.” "Mow long before the call went out was it seen?” asked the Jumper quickly. "Only a few minutes, sir.” Dawlish Continues His Interrogation "So that suggests,” said Dawlish, quietly, "that the Daimler ran to earth somewhere within easy distance of Kingston, or else it has been ditched.” "Evidently not abandoned, sir,” said Tomkins. "Unless in a very out-of-the-way place, and it's difficult to find places like that in Surrey these days.” "Good enough,” said the Jumper, and the cheerfulness which he had felt after the encouragement from the sergeant, was consolidated. Within half-an-hour he was at the Mile End Road Police Station, and one by one he interrogated the four men who had been caught in the police raid on the cafe, and who had put up such a stout resistance. Among them was the giant who had tried to knife him, but this fellow, in common with two of the others, was sullen and morose.

Snide Healy was a different proposition. Snide had spent too many years of his life in pirson to worry a great deal whether he spent more. What did strike the stifty-eyed crook was the possibility that the gallows would claim him. Before Dawlish had called at the Station, Snide had been communing with himself. He had been arguing over the possibilities o.f turning King’s evidence.

Dawlish sensed that when he saw the little crook, and asked quietly: "What do you know about this, Healy? It'll be better for you if you talk.”

"Ow d’we mean better?” demanded Snide, his eyes glittering. "There's such a thing as King’s evidence,” said Dawlish. "Will you talk?”

”1 ain’t got no guarantee that you'll let me orff,” snarled Snide. "I’m not giving you any guarantee,” said Dawlish calmly. “But if you do lalk I'm promising you I’ll do all I can. I want just one thing from you, Snide. .Ml the addresses at which May hew may be found.” It took him another ten minutes before ho managed to open the little crook's mouth, for against liis anxiety to get. the police behind him was the fear in Snide Mealy’s mind that Hick Mayhew would get at him. But Dawlish had the addresses at last, and when ho heard the third—after the Manchester and the Mile End Road addresses had been given—his eyes gleamed. For the address was 7 Ec’ijway Close, Eslier—and he knew that Esher was only a few miles from Kingston. It looked as though he had traced his man. "He did not consider that it was advisable for him to go to Esher by himself, but he hurried back to the Yard hoping that Sir William Davis would be in. Davis had just arrived, and Dawlish put the question in front of him. The Assistant Commissioner was quick to realise that 7 Edgway Close was almost certainly the hide-out to which Mayhew had gone and taken the girl. “That’s going to be useful,” said Davis quickly. "How many men do you want, Dawlish?” "I think I should have at least a dozen,” said the Jumper quietly. Davis nodded, realising that the other man was not underestimating the difficulties of the situation. A dozen men, however, should certainly be sufficient. "Handle it Just as you think fit,” he told Hie Jumper. James Dawlish hurried back to hia own office to send instructions through the seqgeant for three flying squad cars with the full complement of men to be ready within ten minutes, and then sat back to work out a plan of campaign. The telephone bell burred out suddenly, making him jump. He took the receiver off, half expecting some routine inquiry, but his expression changed as he recognised the drawling voice that came over the wires. It was Mayhew I And Mayhew’B words were very terse, and to the point. “I’ve been told,” he said, "that Healy has double-crossed, Dawlish. Listen! You may be coming to Esher. But if you want to see that chit of a girl again you won’t arrive until seven o’clock. Get that, Dawlish? I want another four hours —or you can have both me and the girl—cold!” CHAPTER XXI. Mayhaw’s Ultimatum The Jumper had had many shocks in his life, but never had he been so completely speechless as he was for the. few seconds that had followed Rick Mayhew’s ultimatum. The cool nerve of the crook, in telephoning the headquarters of the police with such a message, took his breath away, although his first reaction was to tell Mayhew that there was not the slightest prospect of his demands being granted. But before Dawlish spoke, he seemed to see the face of Joan Morgan looming in front of his mind’s eye. iHe saw her as she walked away from Crabber the first morning that they had met, a little angry and yet somehow appealing. He had a picture o*l' her again, as she had been when lie had burst into the attic room above the cafe, when she had been standing in a corner terrified, and yet somehow revealing courage, while facing- Mayhew’s gun. But perhaps the biggest factor in Dawlis-h’s thoughts of her just then, was the fact that she had saved his life. Who was he, in spite of police regulations, to refuse to do a similar service for her. He needed no telling that unless he did accede to Mayhew’s request, the girl would die. All these things passed through Dawlish’s mind very quickly, much more quickly than it would have taken to have spoken them aloud. Little things flashed across his mind, pictures of the girl, of Mayhew’s lean, saturnine face. He even realised the triumph that the crook would feel if he succeeded in this last minute effort to clear the country. And then, before he spoke, the real Jumper came to the surface. He was mad to consider the ultimatum for a moment. "You think, Mayhew, that you can get at me like that?” Mayhew’s laugh sounded unpleasantly over the wires. "I don’t know that I think much about it,” he snapped. "I’ve Just told you what is going to happen, Dawlish. Lf you and your precious posse of police get here before seven, the girl will be dead, and, so will I. It won’t —’’ there was a weedling note in the crook’s voice now, which Dawlish was quick to notice”—need more than a slight delay on your part . No one will suspect that you had deliberately delayed the raid. Would they?” Dawlish did not commit himself. An idea was already passing through his mind. “Yes.” he admitted, "it would be done like that.” "And 1 11 say,” continued Mayhew, obviously feeling that he was approacifing the matter from the right angle, "that she's a good looker.” Dawlish s expression changed. His lips tightened, and the fingers of his right hand clenched. He longed for nothing better than to crash his list into Mayhew’s Jaw. 'Had the two .nen been in the room together the Jumper would undoubtedly have risked anything to get at his man. But that was impossible. The only weapons he could use to save the girl were those of diplomacy. He knew •ncugh of Mayhew to be sure that the man was capable of any kind of treachery, and it was possible, even now, that he had killed the girl. The thought sent a cold shudder down Dawlish’s spine. "You say,” he went on, keeping his tone steady, with an effort, "that you will be away by seven o'clock?” "That’s right,” said Mayhew, rather too quickly. "And what guarantee have I got that the girl will be uninjured?” "My word—and the fact that I shall .'eel safe if I know she’s all right,” ,aid Mayhew, keeping the sneer out .)f his voice with an effort. "1 don’t want, you on my heel, immediately, Dawlish. and I have an idea that you’d j ease up the chase if you got her alive. Pleasure has to beat duty sometime.s.” j "Does it?" asked the Jumper quiet- | ly. "I’m not going to make any promises n "I don’t want any promises,” snap- • ped Mayhew. “If you happen to visit