It is dark in the bush

New Zealand Listener, Volume 6, Issue 140, 27 February 1942, Page 24

It is dark in the bush

SYNOPSIS Strung up on a tree in thick backblocks bush, the body of a nearby shanty owner, James Collins, is discovered by a student, David Armstrong. With Judith Anson, he seeks help at the nearest house, where live George Murray and his nephew John, their housekeeper, Mrs. Marsden, and their guests, a Mr. Graham, and his daughter Ann. The inquest reveals that Collins died ot luminal poisoning, and that the body was afterwards hanged. Graham is arrested, evidence against him being that as Charles Preston he suffered a heavy jail sentence in Australia for a crime for which his secretary, Peter Langley, alias Collins, was responsible; and he is known to have bought a bottle of luminal soon \after reaching New Zealand. Ann refusds to marry David till her father’s name \is cleared. Meanwhile, Judith and Mrs. Marsden become firm friends. She tells Judith something of John, for whom she has cared since he was two, and her deep affection for him is apparent. Mrs. Marsden confesses to Judith that she saw Preston in the clearing, but has kept silence least her story should incriminate him. However, at the preliminary hearing, a drover gives evidence that he also saw Preston in the clearing on the afternoon of the murder. Preston then retracts his story of complete innocence and confesses to his lawyer that a week before the murder he found out that Langley was in the district. Langley came to Murray’s house with a letter for Murray. and, encountering Preston, threatened to tell Ann of Preston’s past. After some days, Preston realised he had no alternative to paying the money which Langley demanded. He went up to the clearing with the money, entered the shanty, and found Langley already dead. Panic seized him when he saw a bottle of luminal on the table, and 1ealised that he might be suspected of the murder. His one thought was to get rid of the body, so he dragged it tar into the bush, and strung it on-.a tree. Even if the body were discovered, it would look like suicide. David goes to town for a few days and meets his lawyer friend Stephen Bryce, to whom he tells Preston’s story. Now read on. CHAPTER XVII. (cont’d.) N hour later David leant back in the easiest chair in Stephen’s room and filled his pipe. "There you are. That’s the story up-to-date. It’s a hell of a mess, isn’t it? What do you make of it?" "Nothing much just now-except that it sounds true." "You think so?" David’s tone was eager. He had a respect for Stephen’s logical mind and knew that from him he would be able at last to get an unprejudiced opinion. "Definitely, yes. Fantastic, of course, but that’s rather in its favour. It’s not the ‘sort of a yarn a man would make up. Too improbable." "But what will a jury make it?" Stephen sat silently smoking for a minute. "I don’t know. From what I hear and read, it seems pretty well impossible to tell how a jury will take anything. Mind you, Ashton’s a brilliant chap; he’ll know more about those jurymen than their own mothers by the end of the second day-and he'll shape his case accordingly." "Then you think there’s a chance?" "A sporting one that’s all. If you get a stolid lot of jurymen it'll be harder. . Still, we can only wait--and hope." "It’s that that’s so rotten. I suppose I couldn’t do anything more? I’m not hard-up, as you know, and I’d spend every penny to get Ann’s father out of this hole. You don't think it would be any use trying to get hold of some fresh man, someone quite independent of Morgan and his man Missen?"

Stephen shook his head. "I don’t think so. Morgan and Missen are both good men and you’re not likely to improve on them in this country. I can’t feel anything’s to be gained by roping in some more. People seem to be tumbling over each other up there already, from what I can make out." " Yet there are absolutely no results.’ "Except that bit of stuff torn from someone’s dress. That’s very interesting and points distinctly to someone else being connected with the crime." "T don’t know. After all, some woman of the district may have torn her. dress when she was going for a stroll a week before the crime. We can’t be -certain exactly how long it was there." "Tt didn’t happen like that. The woman would have come forward if she’d had nothing, to hide. No. The wearer of that dress has some jolly good reason for lying doggo. What about Mrs. Mars-den-or Ann?" .David flushed angrily in spite of himself. "Mrs. Marsden’s out of the question, She’s so sublimely detached from the whole business that she’d have claimed the thing at once and only remarked placidly that it would make rather an ugly darn." " And Ann? Oh, don’t be a fool, David, I’m not trying to make out that she murdered the bloke — but she might have. been on that track and seen her father and have kept quiet for his sake. Don’t you see?" David shook his head. "Not Ann. Judith,- perhaps; she has an uncanny knack of holding her tongue. But not Ann-and even if she could keep it from outsiders, she couldn’t help telling me." "Probably not. You’d know if she was hiding something." ’ The men sat puffing silently for a few minutes. David was finding his pipe tasted better; after all, it was a comfort to have someone to talk it all over with. "There remains-Mrs. Marsden." The other laughed impatiently. " Mrs Marsden! Just as well imagine a domestic cow mixing itself up in a mystery. No, that doesn’t do her justice. She’s too fine and capable and handsome for a cow -but there’s just about as much mystery or passion about her. Anyway she was lying down in her room all afternoon, according to all accounts. Would she be likely to go careering round. the countryside, tearing a bit out of a dress that no one knew she possessed? Picture her doing anything so rash as tear any , ripe even an old one! And, if she id, would she be likely to lie about it? No, definitely-that’s out of the picture." "I mightn’t admit it if I hadn’t met the lady, but I’m inclined to think you’re right. Neither she nor Ann turned a hair at sight of the piece of stuff, did they?" "Not a hair. The only one who seemed excited was Judith. She was-well, for

her, almost upset when I talked to her about it afterwards." " Judith’s no good. She was wandering in the bush at the moment-and hadn't any dress of that colour in her knapsack. All the same, there are possibilities about that bit of stuff. The woman who wore it has some reason for hiding, and the chances are she’s living somewhere near. If she’d been a stranger, she wouldn’t have been likely to have been on that track. . . . One other thing, David -a good rule, according to the novelists-suspect everybody." " How do you mean?" "Cut out all your own feelings and intuitions and suspect everyone who. hasn’t a perfect alibi, I know it’s the fashion to laugh at alibis. That’s the fault ,of Agatha Christie and Co. But there’s no use trying to get round an alibi like John Murray’s. A dozen people saw him in town; they can’t all be lying ér bribed. So we cut him out. But he’s the only one of the household at Te Rata who can prove that he wasn’t on hand at the time of the crime. Isn’t that so?" Yes; Mts 6 ia "Wait a bit. Who else was on the place? Ann, Mrs. Marsden, Mr. Murray. Was that all?" "Well, I suppose there were the station hands. There are always three men working on the place, you know. They board with the married shepherd." " Well, find out all you can about them, They knew Langley, you say, as they helped him muster for the sale. Did any of them quarrel with him? Had one, perhaps, known him before? Where were they that afternoon?" "Yes, I see what you’re driving at, but I think the police and Missen are certain to have done all that." "Never mind éf they have. Who found that piece of green linen? Not the police and Missen. It may have been only beginners’ luck-but you may be lucky again. Give it a go, anyway." "T will, of course, but I’m afraid those men are out of it. I’m pretty sure I heard that they were all working within sight of each other, on the back of the place that day." "If they were, there still remainsGeorge Murray." " David looked shocked. " Mr. Murray? Well, that’s a pretty mad idea. You know the old boy, Stephen. He wouldn’t hurt a fly." " All the more reason to peLnae him." "Good lord, Stephen, you have got it bad. Keeping up the good old thriller tradition of looking for the criminal in the least likely person?" "Why not? Truth sometimes follows fiction — even thriller fiction. Why not George Murray as well as Charles Preston?"

"But hang it all, Preston had known the blackguard before. He had every reason to hate him, Not that I’m weakening in my belief in him. I’m perfectly sure he’s innocent. I’m only trying to show you that there’s no reason to suspect Mr. Murray, but there is reason to suspect Preston. Really, Stephen, you’re an ungrateful beast. Think how good old Murray was to us — the most genial host." "Genial hosts have committed crimes before now. Now, don’t glare at me. I’m not saying Mr. Murray did it; I’m simply saying you’ve no right to take him for granted. You ought to suspect everyone -Mrs. Marsden, the shepherds, George Murray-even Ann." David made a wry face as he rose to his feet. " Thanks. Jolly advice. Luckily, it isn’t humanly possible to follow all of it. All the same I see your point and I'll try to act on your advice." "Believe me, it’s the only way you'll do any good. Don’t go yet. Plenty of time for a spot or two. Let’s drink to the solution of the mystery and the confusion of the murderer." "T’m not sure I want to drink that," said David slowly, glass in hand. "Nor I — because Langley’s better dead and his murderer’s probably suffering enough already. Right old man, we'll drink to Preston, and may he get out of the mess safely and soon." ‘They raised their glasses and drank solemnly. To David it was a pledge. CHAPTER XVIII. When David got back to his hotel he found a message telling him that Morgan had rung him; would he please communicate with the lawyer at nine o’clock next morning? The message gave him a restless night and he was waiting on the solicitor’s doorstep when he reached his office next morning. In spite of himself he hoped for some splendid discovery. "Nothing very urgent," said Morgan disappointingly. "Only that Preston wants to see you and that I’ve got permission for ten o’clock this morning." "Do you know what it’s about?" "Something confidential to do with the daughter." This was enough to set David in a ferment, and, when at last he was (Continued on next page)

{T IS DARK IN THE BUSH (Continued trom previous page)

admitted to the ‘gaol and ushered into the governor’s office, he had persuaded himself that fresh disaster lay ahead. The officials were kind; they could not allow him to see the prisoner alone, but the warders would stand at the door and allow as much privacy as: possible. Presently he was facing Preston across a wide table that divided the room and made it impossible for either to touch the other. The warders were kindly, decent fellows who made their presence as unobtrusive as possible. David's first imipression was that Preston had altered in some subtle way during these two months of prison life. The air of doom that had enveloped him when they first met had gone. It seemed as if, now that fate had overtaken him again, apathy and resignation had fallen upon him. The yoke of the prison was on those broad shoulders once again and Charles Preston, the suffering, struggling human being, had gone for ever. But despite this first impression, David soon realised that fear could still touch the man. Urgent appeal looked out of his sunken eyes and David’s heart sank. Even now Preston had not told the whole truth to those who were to fight his battles; some secret still haunted him, and that, according to the message he had received, was to do with Ann. Preston’s beginning was peculiar. "I’ve sent for you, David, as my daughter’s fiancé to tell you of something entirely private and connected with her alone." Then David realised that these words were simply meant to carry as far as the doorway against which the warders were leaning. The younger man was quick to take his cue. "Tf we are to discuss your daughter’s private affairs," he said, " I’m sure. these officers won’t mind if we speak very quietly." % The men nodded and began to talk to each other, giving an opportunity which Preston quickly seized. "It’s not Ann. I had to use that excuse so as to get you alone to have some privacy. This concerns her only indirectly. I want you to help me. You're the only one I can trust, for her sake you won’t fail me," David nodded impatiently. "Of course not, but be quick. They won’t give us Ipng." : "Langley had some papers hidden somewhere, in or near that cottage in the bush. He told me so. He said he told all his enemies about them so that they’d understand that they’d lose more than they'd gain by his death. He swore he’d written it all out in full-his whole beastly life, all the scandals that involved other people, the people he’d black-mailed-a full list with the names and addresses of the victims. That was how he protected himself because he knew there were people who wanted his death." "But this fear kept them off... . I see," "Yes. You see how this evidence would tell against me — give the last link in the chain, You see how Ann would suffer if the whole of the past were known. Not only Ann-other people just as innocent that we don’t even know. The thought of those papers is driving me mad, David-shut up here, unable to do anything."

"He didn’t give you any hint?" "None; he just laughed and said, ‘Yes, it’s all written down, your story and a lot of others. A complete Rogues’ Calendar." How’pleased the police will be when they get it. So, if I should happen to peg out, they won’t have to look far for the motive. Oh, I’ve found a bundle of papers just as good a protection as a steel waistcoat in my day.’ But I couldn’t get any more out of him, not even when he’d been drinking. Of course I meant to get those papers when I set out for the whare that day, but I was too late. Too late." "Where can they be? Well hidden, for the police haven’t found them yet. Of course they don’t know about themdoes Morgan know?" "No, I didn’t tell him. Why? I suppose because an old lag never trusts a lawyer further than he can help. Be careful how you look for them. Don’t let the police get any suspicion-but get hold of them somehow." "Where on earth can they be? Some cunning place in the bush, I supposeor could he have left them with someone in town?" . "T don’t think so, because, that time when he was drunk, he began boasting about them and chuckling because he said someone would give anything to get hold of them, someone I knew-and they’d be pretty mad if they realised they were only a few miles away from the papers." "Only a few miles away!. But that meant someone at Te Rata-and besides, you don’t know anyone except the people there, But that’s ridiculous. Who at Te Rata would want the beastly papers?" Even as he spoke he remembered Stephen’s conviction that there was someone close at hand also connected with the crime. Someone, even at Te Rata itself. His heart béat fast with excitement and some other feeling; was it dread? "TI don’t know what he meant, I’ve tried to puzzle it out a hundred times. The only solution seems to me wildly fantastic, but I’ve wondered sometimes. Yes. thank you, we’ve just finished." Their time was up. The officers intimated that pleasantly enough. But, as David watched Charles Preston disappear, his last words returned to tantalise him-what had he often wond David walked slowly away from the grey and forbidding building, his thoughts busy with the whole problem. One thing was clear; to keep his promise to Preston and find those papers, he must go back to Te Rata to-morrow. That was the first step; the second was to work ceaselessly to recover that Rogues’ Calendar; once he had found it, once he knew whom it involved, he would be able to pick up the missing link in the chain. He went back to his hotel and packed ready for his journey to-morrow. He would leave his suitcases in town and travel to Te Rata on his newly-acquired but second-hand motor bike. That would make it easy for him to move freely about the country, without being always dependent on George Murray. George Murray. Stephen’s words returned to taunt him: " Even a genial host can commit a murder. Suspect everyone. .. ." George Murray. ... Who was it, "only a few miles away" who wanted those papers so desperately? (To be continued next week), |