|
Main
- books.jibble.org
My Books
- IRC Hacks
Misc. Articles
- Meaning of Jibble
- M4 Su Doku
- Computer Scrapbooking
- Setting up Java
- Bootable Java
- Cookies in Java
- Dynamic Graphs
- Social Shakespeare
External Links
- Paul Mutton
- Jibble Photo Gallery
- Jibble Forums
- Google Landmarks
- Jibble Shop
- Free Books
- Intershot Ltd
|
books.jibble.org
Previous Page
| Next Page
Page 40
A thousand and one possibilities, hideous, fantastic, appalling,
flashed through his mind. He was beginning to learn what Zani
Chada had meant when he had said: "I have followed your career
with interest."
At last a taxi was found, and the man instructed over the 'phone
to proceed immediately to Limehouse station. He seemed so long
in coming that when at last the cab was heard to pause outside,
Kerry could not trust himself to speak to the driver, but
directed a sergeant to give him the address. He entered silently
and closed the door.
A steady drizzle of rain was falling. It had already dispersed
the fog, so that he might hope with luck to be home within the
hour. As a matter of fact, the man performed the journey in
excellent time, but it seemed to his passenger that he could have
walked quicker, such was the gnawing anxiety within him and the
fear which prompted him to long for wings.
Instructing the cabman to wait, Kerry unlocked the front door and
entered. He had noted a light in the dining room window, and
entering, he found his wife awaiting him there. She rose as he
entered, with horror in her comely face.
"Dan!" she whispered. "Dan! where is ye'r mackintosh?"
"I didn't take it," he replied, endeavouring to tell himself that
his apprehensions had been groundless. "But how was it that you
did not answer the telephone?"
"What do ye mean, Dan?" Mary Kerry stared, her eyes growing wider
and wider. "The boy answered, Dan. He set out wi' ye'r
mackintosh full an hour and a half since."
"What!"
The truth leaped out at Kerry like an enemy out of ambush.
"Who sent that message?"
"Someone frae the Yard, to tell the boy to bring ye'r mackintosh
alone at once. Dan! Dan------"
She advanced, hands outstretched, quivering, but Kerry had leaped
out into the narrow hallway. He raised the telephone receiver,
listened for a moment, and then jerked it back upon the hook.
"Dead line!" he muttered. "Someone has been at work with a wire-
cutter outside the house!"
His wife came out to where he stood, and, clenching his teeth
very grimly, he took her in his arms. She was shaking as if
palsied.
"Mary dear," he said, "pray with all your might that I am given
strength to do my duty."
She looked at him with haggard, tearless eyes.
"Tell me the truth: ha' they got my boy?"
His fingers tightened on her shoulders.
"Don't worry," he said, "and don't ask me to stay to explain.
When I come back I'll have Dan with me!"
He trusted himself no further, but, clapping his hat on his head,
walked out to the waiting cab.
"Back to Limehouse police station," he directed rapidly.
"Lor lumme!" muttered the taximan. "Where are you goin' to after
that, guv'nor? It's a bit off the map."
"I'm going to hell!" rapped Kerry, suddenly thrusting his red
face very near to that of the speaker. "And you're going to
drive me!"
Previous Page
| Next Page
|
|