The Three Gnomes (Trevor Lowe Book 7) by Gerald Verner

Author:Gerald Verner [Verner, Gerald]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Endeavour Media
Published: 2019-08-07T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER XIV

the vigil

He reached the little police station at ten minutes past eleven and found Superintendent Hailsham awaiting him. That official had not been idle during the day.

“Acting on your suggestion, Mr. Lowe,” he said, when they were both seated in the local Inspector’s tiny office, “I’ve had the district combed for strangers. The job isn’t quite completed, but up to the present we’ve found no suspicious characters.”

“Good,” said Lowe. “But it’s quite likely, Hailsham, that the person we’re looking for has nothing outwardly suspicious about him. I don’t for a moment believe he’s a professional criminal.”

“No, I agree with you there,” said the Superintendent. “What I was meaning was that all the people other than residents we’ve discovered are either friends or relations of the inhabitants. The inquiry ’ull be completed to-morrow, and then we shall know definitely. Have you found out anything fresh?”

Lowe, in accordance with his promise, gave Hailsham a brief account of his day’s activities, with the conclusions he had drawn. The Superintendent was interested.

“I think you’re right, sir,” he declared, when the dramatist had finished. “I believe this money is at the bottom of the business.”

“I think so,” said Lowe. “It’s the only tangible motive we’ve succeeded in unearthing up to the present, anyway.”

Hailsham nodded.

“And it accounts for the search at Crays Lodge,” he said. “That’s what this fellow’s after without much doubt. He’s trying to find some record, or the actual hiding place, of this hundred thousand pounds. D’you think Bannister can have put it in charge of Mr. Warrender?”

“It’s a possibility,” admitted the dramatist. “Though I don’t think he would do that. He knew he was going bankrupt, and concealing an asset in bankruptcy is a serious thing. No reputable solicitor would agree to become a party to it. It seems to me more likely that Bannister did this on his own.”

“Then why should this man imagine that the whereabouts of the money can be discovered by searching Crays Lodge?” demanded the Superintendent.

Lowe shook his head.

“That I can’t tell you,” he answered candidly. “Probably he’s got some very good reason which we know nothing about. Any more than I can tell you,” he added, “how Cassell comes into it, though it’s quite likely Bannister may have made a confidant of his secretary.”

“And the secretary told Warrender,” said Hailsham promptly. “I’ll bet that’s what happened.”

“Perhaps,” murmured Lowe. “You’ve got to remember, Hailsham, that this money, if it exists, for after all we are merely working on a theory, is anybody’s who can find it. Since it’s already missing nobody’s likely to miss it again. Therefore, it’s not improbable that Cassell and Warrender, having got wind of its existence, may have been trying to discover it for themselves.”

Hailsham made a gesture.

“It’s a pretty involved business,” he remarked. “And as you say, up to now it’s all conjecture. Let’s hope to-night will clear things up a bit.”

Lowe looked at his watch.

“We ought to be starting soon,” he said, “in case Alperton should take it into his head to pay an earlier visit to-night.

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