Complete works of peter.., p.539
Complete Works of Peter Cheyney. Illustrated, page 539
Alonzo, the smile gone from his face, returned to the sitting room. One thing was obvious. The house was being watched. The men outside were plainclothesmen! Suddenly the explanation struck him. The whole thing was a trap to get Goylaff arrested, a trap set by Radker, and one into which he, Alonzo, had walked, with the innocence of a babe! Evidently, it had become obvious to Radker that the police knew who had stolen the necklace from Carthews, and he had made up his mind to make a quick getaway, leaving the necklace to be picked up by his accomplice, who would walk straight into the arms of the police.
Sitting in the darkness, he thought rapidly. Then, an idea struck him—the roof. If he could find a way to the roof, he might easily walk over the adjoining roofs of the Sackville Street houses, and descend a hundred yards away. This was the only chance!
He left the Radker flat, closing the door quickly behind him, and mounted the stairs to the upper floor.
On the sixth floor he found what he wanted. A collapsible ladder led to a trapdoor in the roof. His foot was on the first rung of the ladder, and he was just about to mount it when another idea came to him.
Supposing that this was not a trap to catch Goylaff, but a trap to catch himself, Alonzo! Radker was an old enemy. Supposing for the sake of argument that Goylaff had not been drunk at all, that he had simply feigned the drunken stupor, knowing perfectly well that Alonzo seeing him, would certainly search him. Supposing Radker, whose brain might easily be behind all this had telephoned McCarthy and told him that a watch kept on his flat might lead to the arrest of the celebrated Alonzo MacTavish. The idea seemed to Alonzo to be the right one. Also it would account for McCarthy's boast that he would have MacTavish within the month!
There was only one thing to be done. Alonzo realised that he must fall into the hands of the police, but without the diamond necklace in his possession. And how was this to be done without losing the necklace? Suddenly in the darkness, a smile broke over Alonzo's face. He walked quickly down the flat corridor, flashing his light about him. He soon saw what he wanted, and returning quickly to Radker's flat, he sat down at the writing table and wrote a note.
WHEN Alonzo had written and sealed his letter, he returned quickly to the top floor, mounted the fire escape, got through the trapdoor, and found himself on the roof of Gratton House.
Peering over a parapet, he could see, quite easily, the figures dotted down the street—plainclothesmen who were waiting for him to emerge.
Then he proceeded to make his way along the rooftops, working up towards Sackville Street. About half-way up the street, a narrow lane ran between the houses, and a convenient fire escape enabled Alonzo to make his way down into this lane.
Here, he dusted his clothes carefully, screwed his eyeglass into his eye, and lighting a cigarette, casually commenced to walk down the street towards Gratton House.
He was just passing the door when he felt a tap on his arm. He turned to find himself face to face with McCarthy.
"Good evening, MacTavish," said the Chief Inspector. "I think I've got you this time, haven't I?"
Alonzo smiled. "Have you?" he said. "Exactly what do you mean, McCarthy?"
The C.I.D. man's smile became a trifle broader.
"I mean that you've got the diamond necklace that was stolen from Carthews, in Bond Street, MacTavish," he said. "Got anything to say?"
Alonzo laughed. "Nothing at all, Chief Inspector," he said. "Except that I think you're wasting your time. I think that someone has made a fool of you."
"Have they?" said McCarthy, grimly. "Well, supposing that you come round to Vine Street Police Station and be searched."
Alonzo shrugged his shoulders. "Just as you like," he said, "but I shall insist on an apology for this, McCarthy!"
McCarthy looked a trifle surprised as he led the way through the narrow passage which led to Vine Street Police Station.
Arrived at the station, a most thorough search was made but, of course, no necklace was found. McCarthy scratched his head.
"It's darned funny, MacTavish," he said, "but I was assured that you had the necklace in the Gratton House flat, and that you would be going for it tonight."
Alonzo lit another cigarette.
"Chief Inspector," he said, "someone has been pulling your leg, and I think I know who that someone is. Did you get your information from Radker?" A glance at McCarthy's face showed Alonzo that his guess had been right. "Well," he continued, "you can take it from me that he's made a fool of you and got away with it. Radker telephoned me before he left London, and told me that he had left a dog locked up in his flat and would I mind going round and releasing it. He knows that I'm rather fond of animals. He also told me where I could get the keys. I went round there and found no dog. Then it struck me that, in all probability, he had told you that I was going there to get the necklace, so that your attention would be focussed on me, and he would have a chance to get away with it. He's had you on toast McCarthy, and I feel so sorry for you that I won't even make you apologise for trying to arrest me for being in possession of a necklace that I've never seen!"
And with these remarks, Alonzo, settling his hat at its usual angle, strolled out of the Police Station, leaving Chief Inspector McCarthy muttering words which were certainly unprintable.
Twenty-five minutes later, Alonzo, looking quite pleased with life, let himself into his flat at Earl's Court. Lon Ferrers who, when not assisting Alonzo on some exploit or other, posed as his butler, strolled into the sitting room in a dressing gown.
"Lon," said Alonzo, "you will probably be surprised to hear that I've collected the necklace that Radker stole from Carthews last week."
"How did you do it, Mac?" inquired the surprised Ferrers.
Alonzo told him the story in a few words, and Ferrers listened attentively.
"That's all very well," he said when Alonzo had finished, "but where is the necklace? And how did you get rid of it?"
Alonzo smiled. "The easiest thing in the world," he said. "You see there is a post box on each floor at Gratton House, so I just slipped the necklace between a couple of sheets of stiff paper, addressed an envelope to myself at this address, stamped it, and posted it in the third floor box. It will be collected first thing in the morning and I shall get it tomorrow night. Perfectly simple, wasn't it? So simple, that it never entered McCarthy's head, but then who ever expected a C.I.D. man to think of anything. Good-night, Lon. Pleasant dreams!"
25. — THE MURDER OF ALONZO
As published in The Sunday Times , Perth, Australia, 23 June 1929
MR. CYRUS K. VANDERLEN, alias "Blower Joe," alias "The Shark," and half a dozen other appellations, applied a match carefully to the end of his expensive cigar and gazed blandly across the smoke-laden atmosphere at Alonzo.
"Now see here, MacTavish," he said. "I ain't no guy to beat about the bush, I ain't, an' believe me, if I could handle this proposition myself, I wouldn't come to you, but I can't handle it, an' I'm wise guy enough to know when a job's too big for me. Live an' let live, I says, an' I'm always out to give the other fellow a chance. See?"
"Exactly," murmured Alonzo, knocking the ash from his cigarette, "but what's holding you up, Vanderlen? Where's the difficulty? I thought that safe-blowing was your speciality."
"So it is," drawled Mr. Vanderlen, "but this ain't a safe blowing job. The house is badly shaped for noise, and if I tried to blow that safe open, I guess I'd have the whole of Brook Street aroused. Besides, Brook Street is one of your swell localities. Everybody's up late, an' ten to one someone would be throwin' a party or somethin' in the house next door, an' before I knew where I was, I should be in the local jail. Nope! That safe has got to be opened quietly, an' it's a Brigg's burglar-proof safe, an' as far as I know, there's only one man alive who can crack a Brigg's safe, an' I take my hat off to him—the cutest cracksman that ever wore an eyeglass—Mr. Alonzo MacTavish!"
Alonzo bowed. "Thank you for the compliment, Vanderlen," he said. "And supposing I do the job for you, what exactly do I get out of it?"
"You get half," said Vanderlen, "an' you're on the softest thing you ever did in your natural. Don't you see, this American guy, Marlin, can't even go to the police about it. The stuff we're after is a bit of the crown of the Tzarina. You know that when the revolution happened, all the Crown Jewels were pinched by the Bolshies.
"Well, the Tzarina's crown was broken up, an' bits of it were sold all over the place. By rights, that bit which Marlin's got belongs to the present Government of Russia. He bought it for a song from some Russian fellow, an' if it's stolen, how can he go to the police an' ask them to recover what is nothing more nor less than a bit of property which he has himself bought off a thief? The thing's so simple! I've got a plan of the house. You can get in easy through the first floor window at the back. You walk across the room, you step into a passage, an' the third door on the right is the room where the safe is. It'll take you about twenty minutes to get the safe open, an' then you simply walk away with the goods. I can sell it easy. I got a feller in Amsterdam who'll give me fifty thousand for it, an' that means twenty-five thousand each. Well, are you on?"
Alonzo appeared to be thinking deeply. At the same moment his fingers pressed a concealed button in the arm of his chair. This button controlled a bell which rang in Lon Ferrers' room downstairs, and was used as a means of communication between Alonzo and his assistant without the knowledge of any other people who might be in the room.
"I'll just think this over if you don't mind," said Alonzo, but while he was speaking, his finger was pressing out a message in Morse to Lon, downstairs, a message which ran: F-O-L-L-O-W V-A-N-D-E-R-L-E-N W-H-E-N H-E L-E-A-V-E-S H-E-R-E. Then Alonzo casually took a fresh from his case and lit it.
"All right, Vanderlen," he said. "I'll do it. But it will have to be done pretty quickly. This dark and stormy weather is just the time for a job like this. When do you suggest the job should be done?"
"What's the matter with tomorrow night?" asked Vanderlen. "This fellow, Marlin, goes to bed fairly early—about twelve o'clock. All the servants sleep in the basement, so there's not the slightest possibility of your being disturbed. The first floor window at the back is usually left open, an' the wall leading up to it is as easy to climb as a ladder."
"All right, Vanderlen," said Alonzo. "I'll do it tomorrow night, and the arrangement is that we go fifty-fifty in the proceeds."
"Sure," said Vanderlen. "That's right. I'll come an' see you the day after." He shook hands. "So long, an' good luck," he said.
After Vanderlen had gone, Alonzo walked up and down his sitting-room, deep in thought. He was suspicious. Something about the Americans' tale did not ring true. Vanderlen had blown open more safes than, probably, any other safe blower in the world, and the excuse that the noise might disturb the neighbourhood was a weak one. At the same time he might be speaking the truth, more especially as the safe was a Brigg's burglar proof safe, a new and extremely scientific invention and one which, up to the moment only the extraordinary skill of Alonzo MacTavish had been able to cope with. Alonzo hoped, however, that Lon Ferrers' investigations might throw a little more light on the subject.
IT was eight o'clock before Lon Ferrers returned. He appeared to be tired out and sank into the armchair opposite Alonzo, with a sigh of relief.
"It was a good idea of yours, Mac," he commenced, "getting me to follow this Vanderlen merchant. There's something behind this. He went straight from here down to Charley's, in Limehouse. I suppose he knew that Charley was a friend of yours. Anyhow, he hung about there for some time, and had a long conversation with Charley. I managed to get a quiet word with Charley myself, and he told me that Vanderlen had been trying to pump him about you, and especially he had tried to find out whether you carried a gun when you were on a job, and if so, what type of gun. He handled the conversation very cleverly, and Charley told him that you carried a .38 Colt automatic. Soon after this, Vanderlen went off. He got a cab and drove all round the place, but I didn't lose him. Eventually he stopped the taxi in Davies Street and went into a Brook Street house by the back entrance."
"Did he?" said Alonzo, with a grin, "and it was No. 17, I'll bet!"
"Right every time," said Lon Ferrers. "How did you know?"
Alonzo smiled. "That's the house where the safe is," he said. "The house which I am supposed to burgle tomorrow night. I'd like to know what their game is. Evidently there is something between Vanderlen and this Marlin fellow. Another thing, why does Vanderlen want to know what sort of a gun I carry?"
He walked up and down the room deep in thought. Suddenly, with an exclamation, he stopped, and turned to Ferrers.
"By Jove, Lon!" he said, "I can guess what the game is, and believe me, it's a very clever game, too! However with a little luck I think I can manage to hold my own. Now, you've got to get busy. First thing tomorrow, go and find out all you can about this fellow Marlin. Find out the time that he has dinner. Luckily for me, it's dark about seven o'clock at night and I want to do a little scouting in that house before I break in at midnight. I've got a very good idea that Marlin is none other than our old friend, Marney, and you know what sort of a deal I can expect from him!"
Lon Ferrers whistled. "By Jove, Mac!" he exclaimed, "if it's Marney, you'd better look out. He's sworn to get you."
Alonzo laughed. "Well, he hasn't got me yet," he said. "Anyhow, you get busy in the morning, and let me have all the information you can by six o'clock."
AT eight o'clock on the following evening, Alonzo walked quietly along Davies Street and slipped unobtrusively into a narrow passage which ran parallel with the backs of the Brook Street houses. No one was about, for it was the hour for dinner in what is probably the most select neighbourhood in the world.
Arrived at the back of No. 17, Alonzo produced a bunch of keys from his pocket and tried them, one after another, in the wooden door leading to the garden of No. 17. Eventually he found the right key, opened the door, and with a quick glance round, slipped in.
He found himself in a well-kept garden at the back of the house. The back of the house was in darkness, and Alonzo knew from the information supplied by Ferrers that the household would be at dinner.
He crossed the garden quickly and, taking advantage of the footholds which the architecture of the house afforded, commenced climbing up to the first floor window.
The window was open and Alonzo, taking care to leave no marks of any description on the window ledge, scrambled in. Crossing the room in which he found himself, he entered the passage on the right hand side of the room. The third door on the right he knew, was the library in which the safe stood, but the second door on the right, according to Lon Ferrers' information, was Marlin's bedroom. With a sigh of relief Alonzo found the door unlocked, and, pushing it open, entered.
He switched on a small electric torch, and commenced a systematic search of the room. Eventually in the top drawer of the large chest of drawers standing by the window, he found what he sought.
The drawer contained two pistols. One a .38 Colt automatic, and the other a Smith and Wesson revolver. Alonzo examined them quickly. The Smith and Wesson was loaded with the usual six cartridges, but from the clip of the .38 Colt automatic, which should have held ten bullets, one cartridge was missing, and in its place was an empty cartridge shell.
Alonzo smiled to himself, and fumbled in his pocket. Three minutes afterwards, he replaced the weapons in the drawer, just as they were before, slipped quietly out of the room and, five minutes later, was walking along Davies Street smiling the smile of the innocent.
AT half-past twelve that night Alonzo repeated the process as earlier in the evening, except that he took not so much trouble to remain quiet opening the gate at the back of No. 17. He walked across the garden, climbed up to the first floor window, got through, crossed the room into the passage, and opened the third door on the right.
Once in the room, he turned on the electric light taking care first of all that the curtains were carefully drawn across the windows, and took off his coat. In a wide leather belt around his body were the tools he required for opening the safe. Alonzo took off his belt and, with the same quiet smile, commenced operations on the safe.
Half an hour afterwards his work was completed, and he swung back the heavy door of the Brigg's safe. As he did so a slight sound came to his ears, a sound which seemed to him to emanate from the passage outside.
Walking quickly and quietly to the door where the switch was situated, he snapped off the light and, returning to the safe, quickly donned the leather tool belt and his coat. As he did so the door opened, the light was switched on, and Alonzo found himself gazing into the barrel of a revolver held by his old enemy, Silas Marney!
"Good evening, Marney," grinned Alonzo, "so you are Mr. Marlin, are you?"
Marney grinned. "I sure am," he drawled. "Say, MacTavish, this is where you and I settle off old scores, I guess. An' if you've got any prayers to say, just say 'em, because I'm going to kill you in a minute. I guess we've been a bit too clever for you this time, my lad. You just walked into the cutest little trap that was ever planned out for a guy like you. I sent Vanderlen to you with that cock an' bull story about the jewels from the Tzarina's crown. I knew that was the sort of junk you would fall for, an' now the rest is easy. I'm going to shoot you like a dog! I've waited seven years for my revenge, but I ain't forgetting that I spent five years in Sing Sing through you, an' now you're going to get what's coming to you. An' I shan't suffer for it either, see? It'll be self-defence. Vanderlen found out that you carry a .38 Colt automatic, an' when I've shot you, I'm going to put a .38 gun in your hand, a gun with one cartridge fired. Then, I'm going to call in the police an' tell 'em that I surprised you at that safe, that you fired at me, and that I shot you in self-defence! Well, so long. Alonzo MacTavish!"
