The Ely miner., 1930-08-01
CHAPTER v
The Diamond World

we lOunO MT. NlOop al hall past
ten, leisureIy finishing a late break.
fast, little. dapper. Hebraic looking
gentleman.
He appeared to take unusual inter
est in me as we revealed our separate
identities, and | remembered then
that the details of MaZaruff's will had
come out in POStlethwaite's evidence
at the inquest, and that newspaper re-
pOrters had been present.
II only arrived in London last
night" he said as we seated ourselves
Il read about MaZaroft in the paper
a strange affair, gentlemen land yet
not so strange as II seems Mazaroff
was careless man. he was too
ready-SheeI thOughtieSsneSs, you
know-tO let people see what he hGd
on him. And he carried things that
/ should have kept under lock and
key. However-but tell 'le-how did
you find out that | was here?"
I'VE found these letters of yours
in MaZaroff's rooms at the Hotel
Cecil" replied MaythGrne. producing
the letter case. land Judging from
them that you were a very intimate
friend of his, | cabled to your address
in Cape Town yesterday morning, and
received reply at right that you
were here You have read up the
case, Mr. Kloop?"
"All that there is in these papers."
replied KlOOp. 81 see the police sus-
very good reputation. May he So
but | should say, knowing what | do
of MaZarOff. that there is something
deeper in the case than mere vulgar
murder and robbery. Now. as | learn
from the newspaper accounts that Mr.
Holt was MaZaroff's companion in his
north-country excursion. and with him
all the time at this Woodcock inn.
should like TO ask Mr. Holt to tell me
two or three things-questlOns that
occur to me, you know. Did you ever
notice anything to make you think
that you-that is to say, that Mazaroff
vas being follOwed-trackedw
81 can't say that ever did" said |.
"YOu never, for instance, noticed
man, or men. who turned up with some
regularity at the hotels you stayed
at?" he suggested.
Well" | answered. 81 can only
think of this-that seems TO nave any.
thing TO do with your suggestion. We
stayed night at HuntingdOn-Our
first night. | saw MaZaroff talking,
evidently contidentially to man in
the mOking room late that night
Then. one day at York. | saw him in
conversation with the same man in
York station"
You'd know the nan again?" sug.
gested klOop.
"Oh. yes-a young, fair-haired, fresh
cOmpleXiOned man, very smartly
dressed" said. "a man OF probably
twenty-five. or So"
Were there any other guests than
yourselves at this Woodcock inn?" in.
Quired Kloop.
Staying there-no," replied
"People came in, though, for lunch
people who were motoring north or
south"
and looked from one to the other
of us.
"What is in my mind" he said, "is
that MaZarOff may have been tracked
to this place, caught oD that moor by
the man who had tracked him. and
done to death"
"For what he had on him?" sug,
gested Crole.
"That-or something like it," an
.swered Kloop. 81 see it's stated in
the papers-from Mr. Hollis evidence
that he probably had lot Of money,
and his valuables on him. But-dn
you know if he had anything else
anything that would make man re.
sort to actual murder to gain posses
sion off"
I'VE don't" answered Maythorne.
1.-The fact is, Mr. Kloop. We came TO
you hoping that you, as close friend
of his, could throw lot OF light on
Mazaroff What, now. was he likely
to have on him?"
Il will tell you what 1 know OF
Mazaroff. Ii may do some gOOd-but
I think the secret of this business will
be unearthed only by getting at MaZa
roff's owD dOings between the time he
arrived here in London and his mur.
der at Marrasdale moor"
'You have read what was said at
the inquest about MaZaroff being in
reality one Andrew Merchison? Very
well-do you know If he was Andrew
MerchisOn MaythOrne asked.
81 do not" replied KlOop. But"
he added, with quiet smile, 81 dare
say he was. In fact, should con-.
clude he was the Andrew MerchisOn
spoken of at the inquest. He was
bit of a mystery man. But | never
knew him as anything else than Salim
MaZarOff, and he never said word to
me about his antecedents, during the
whole time of our friendship.
"When he first became known to me.
Mazaroff was what you might term q