Evening star., 1936-11-01

mnuInedd dDie C1gd1ettcS- uL pipe anu
picked up novel. only to throw the
latter away in a few minutes. searched
the newspapers tried to write letters.
tried and failed. I spent most of the
time listening.
Then at last it came - towards late
evening - the message for which I
had been waiting. Even the telephone
instrument itself seemed to reflect the
grim forebodings of crisis. The girls
voice. a rather pleasant voice. seemed
utterly changed. Her throat was shoarse
like the throat Of one exhausted with
undue efforts of speech.
Captain Tyson - you are there?"
I'm here" l answered. What has
happened? Do you want me to come
to the studio?"
''Oh, please - as quickly as you
can! do not know how you will get
in. Mr.. Lake has locked all the doors.
He is setting q scene. am afraid -"
Il shall be with you in twenty
minutes"
"You must bring help! think
something terrible is going to happen.
I am sure that -" There was a
stified cry. heard sound as though
a door had been slammed. Then her
voice once more - very faint. ''Oh!
I am afraidr' After that silence.
In two minutes I was prepared to
leave the place. Once more the tele-
phone rang. hesitated whether or not
to answer it. The seconds might be
precious. Reluctantly I snatched at
the receiver.
Tyson speaking What 10 it,"
Inspector Sharnbrook." came the
prompt reply.
Thank heavensr l gasped. II was
just coming round. Miss Hanson has
rung me up from the studio. There's
trouble there. You had better bring
men. I'm of to see what I can do"
''Damnationr' Sharnbrook Uoaned.
IT am up at Epping. Just found Phillip
Dean, or what's left Of him. poor
fellow. tied to a tree in the wood. A
horrible business. Ring up NARROW at
the Yard. Captain Tyson. Tell him to
take a squad up and meet you. will
90 straight there myself"
Everything l did I did mechanically.
I shook even Scotland Yard out of
their equanimity. MARROW was to start
within five minutes. I decided not to
wait for him. and hurried to my car.
There was very little traffic. The
red lights meant nothing to me. I
drove with my accelerator down,
oouching over the wheel. deaf to the
Whistles and angry shouts which fol-
lowed me.
Arrived at my destination, found
myself face to face with a great mass
of buildings, the first entrance gates
locked, the porter's lodge empty. I
went on almost to the end of the line
of studios before I was able to make
my way inside through space where
q fallen wall was being repaired. Here
l found the studio building which I
was searching. The front door was
locked and. barred. The windows,
which looked chiefly into the Offices,
were nothing but blank sheets of glass.
I found no means of entrance. There
was not soul anywhere about - not
light to be seen. The studio. I knew.
was on the ground floor behind these
Offices, but the way to it was barred
by a high wall and spiked gate.
I emptied the shells from my re-
volver, pipped it by the muzzle and
smashed the nearest window, using
my coat to deaden the sound. Then l
scrambled into the deserted room. The
outer door into the passage was
locked, but from the inner Office there
was fight of stairs leading upwards.
Iran up these, slipping back the shells
into my gun, and with fash light in
my left hand. On the landing, which l
reached in few strides, was an open
door. I turned down corridor to find
at the end of it only fire escape.
Then for the first time | had evi-