Salute The Toff

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21188, 10 August 1940, Page 12 (Supplement)

Salute The Toff

OUR SERIAL STORY

BY JOHN CREASEY

CHAPTER XXlll.—(Continued) “Look here, Richard,” began Sir Bruce Wellward, but the Toff laughed again. “You were there all the time, Bruce?” “Of course! Excepting when they told me she was missing, and I helped to look. I—where are you going?” “Just to look round the study,” murmured the Toff, slipping his hand into his pocket. “In case of ” But he didn’t go on. Sir Bruce Wellward’s face changed —changed horribly. Delray was reminded of the animal fury in Irma Cardew’s eyes as the baronet pulled an automatic from his pocket, but the Toff’s gun was already out. The detectives were staring in amazement, Delray was rooted to the spot Wellward snarled. “So you did it—but they won’t get me!” And he turned the gun towards his face, and pulled the trigger. The Toff seemed to have expected it, but was very pale, and his forehead was wet with sweat as the baronet thud- , ded to the ground. Wellward would not need a doctor. CHAPTER XXIV. “A Policeman Can’t Be Guilty” Pete Delray was the first to move towards the study. The first to find Rene pushed close against the wall, with a large settee of leather hiding her from view. The girl was unconscious and her hair was matted with blood, but the Toff assured Delray that it was nothing to worry about. Delray tried to believe it, and did so when the doctor arrived. Wellward’s body was taken away, after photographs had been taken of the scene of the suicide. McNab, Pete Delray, Sir lan Warrender, Gabriel Selsom and the Toff were gathered in Wellward’s library. Warrender was eyeing the Toff uncertainly.

I “How did you realise it, Rollison?” For once the Hon. Richard Rolli--on was not smiling. He had always liked Wellward. And although n the past few days he had been lalf afraid of the truth, he hated to • dmit it. “Well—it wasn’t difficult when we j got here, Warrender. I just didn’t j believe a policeman would be guilty ,—a man who hadn’t been working ion the case long, anyhow. And yet j the girl was missing from her room. The impossible had been accomplished, and I never have liked the impossible. So I started for the study, and Wellward broke down. He had attacked her, of course.” “But you had something to go on?” said the Chief Commissioner. Rollison laughed. “I had a lot to go on,” he said. “Taking the latest affairs last. WellI ward was down at the East End Dive. He spun a story that seemed incredibly thin. And why should he have j instructions to go to the Robo Club? j It’s a dirty place of its kind, but not I for this type of crime. That mes- | sage he had was a blind—to cover i him if he was discovered at Retter’s , place. And he was.” “But why should he go there?” “Because Irma Cardew couldn’t do everything, and he had to see Retter and arrange for further raids—and for the whole protection of the Surrey houses. Before he had had a go-between in Meldrum, but when Meldrum went, there wasn’t a great deal to help him. “But we’ll start at the beginning,” the Toff said. “The first time I suspected Well- ' ward was when that time-bomb \ nearly caught me, at Flay Street. I ' didn’t believe that any one who had gone to the place and left a bomb would leave the door open, and thus warn me. Yet Wellward said he’d found the door open. Obviously, if he’d done that, he had to have some excuse. Then when the Daimler went up, with Tysart and the chauffeuf, Wellward avoided it by going bad: for some papers. In both cases it looked as though he might have suffered, but he arranged it so that he was safe enough.” “Then his niece?” said Warrender. “I think you’ll find—” and the Toff was afterwards proved correct—“that Wellward is in bad financial straits. He had the message saying that Rene was coming earlier—and [ he sent Ritzy Duvanto to collect her. I' The letter she had was in his handwriting. And ” “But why the girl?” (To be concluded on Monday)