The Loss of the Jane Vosper (34 page)

There were three men in the room, and as he had hoped and expected, all were startled and looking at the window. Before they could make a move to defend themselves, almost, indeed, before they could swing round, each was clutched by two of the assailants.

In spite, however, of this initial advantage, victory was by no means obtained without a struggle. The men fought like devils, writhing and twisting and obviously trying to reach weapons. But the police had gripped hold, and nothing could shake them off. Round and round they went, banging into the furniture, and smashing all of it except a huge desk, so massive that it withstood the combined weight of six of the combatants as they crashed against it. Then as soon as Tanner saw that none of the criminals could escape by the window, he rushed in and lent his fifteen stone to the attackers. This quickly turned the scale. One by one the men were overcome, handcuffed, and led out to the waiting cars.

Then at last French was able to consider the identity of the other two men. They were Hislop, Weaver Bannister’s assistant export manager, and Keene, the manager of Waterer & Reade’s, the carriers!

As they sat in the cars, driving to police headquarters, French could have kicked himself. How under heaven had he missed realizing that in order to carry out the scheme there must have been internal help from these two sources? How could an outsider have known sufficient detail about the sending out of the crates to enable them to be met and intercepted as they had been? How could Cruttenden and Henty have obtained the job of carting the crates, unless there was a benevolent power on their side in Waterer & Reade’s? Now when he knew what had happened, it was so easy to see that it must have happened! How the mutual arrangements had been made, and why these four men had joined in the conspiracy was still, of course, unknown. But that they had done so he felt he should have long since recognized.

And in each case he had had his clue, and in each case he had missed its significance! When testing Hislop’s statement as to his journey to the docks on the day of Sutton’s disappearance, he had realized that though the man might have called at the shed on his way, he could not have murdered Sutton, for the simple reason that he would not have had time. This conclusion was perfectly sound, but what he, French, had overlooked was that Hislop would not have had to commit the murder. All he would have had to do was to entice Sutton to the shed, and Cruttenden could have done the rest. And French now hadn’t the slightest doubt that that was what had been done. The two men were in it, and perhaps Henty as well. The Baker Street–Waterloo story was simply a red herring depending on Hislop’s statement alone.

The clue to Keene was even clearer. He had come upon it in his recent interview with the man. He had even remarked on it, but he had allowed a skilful suggestion on Keene’s part to put him off. How could Cruttenden and Henty have foreseen that they would have been put on to the job of carting the crates? The truth was that they couldn’t have. They might have tried for it, but without help from above they couldn’t have been sure of succeeding. And to succeed was so fundamental to their plans that they would never have undertaken them unless this point was prearranged.

French wondered at Keene’s having admitted that he recognized Cruttenden’s photograph. Probably, however, he thought that French either knew the lorryman’s identity or would discover it when he went to see the foreman, and he was afraid, therefore, to seem to hide it.

Another point which for a time puzzled French was that while Cruttenden had left the cartage firm practically as soon as the transport of the crates was complete, Henty had remained on for some days longer, indeed so long that French had himself seen him there. Then French thought he saw the explanation. Considering the questions which might arise about that transport, it would have been unwise for the two strangers who had been taken on just before the job, and who had carried it out, to leave immediately it was completed. If one remained a few days longer it would tend to prevent a connection being suspected between the job and the engagement. French later found that he was correct in this assumption.

However, all these perplexing matters would soon be cleared up. With the knowledge he had, he would have but little difficulty in discovering what was still hidden.

One point, however, remained about which he was so anxious that directly he had seen the men in the cells at the local police station he hurried back to the scene of the capture. He had left a couple of men there and everything remained unaltered. He hastened to the room in which the struggle had taken place. Yes, there were the two suitcases Cruttenden had brought ashore from the
Kursk
. To open them was the work of a second, and then – a final and overwhelming satisfaction – he saw that both were full of one-pound Bank of England notes!

A routine investigation into the lives of Cruttenden, Henty, Hislop and Keene, together with an attempt by Henty to turn King’s evidence, brought out in all its sordid detail the facts which had led up to the scheme for the theft of the petrol sets, culminating in the loss of the
Jane
Vosper
and the murder of John Sutton. A sad tale it was of human unhappiness, thwarted endeavour and misdirected ingenuity.

Cruttenden was the prime mover. For many years he had lived by his wits. He was a thorough scoundrel. As a younger man he had been guilty of various swindles, and then after a period of card-sharping on the Atlantic liners had graduated to his more recent profession of systematic blackmailer. It was from blackmail that his principal income came, but as a sideline he ran gambling rooms in a flat in Wardour Street. His apparatus, like himself, was crooked, and he could at will drop the pea into any compartment of the roulette wheel that he desired, or miraculously arrange that the winning card should be found in his partner’s hand.

In these activities he was enthusiastically helped by his partner and jackal, Henty. Henty’s real name was Snow and he lived in the house in Raynes Park. Snow – or Henty, to continue to give him the name known to French – was morally the worse of the two, but he had neither the initiative nor the ability to visualize and carry out any new or difficult scheme. But with someone else to do the thinking for him he would stick at nothing, provided only that there seemed to be a reasonable financial return for his trouble.

For some time the partners had been making a good enough thing out of their evil activities, but latterly, as in more reputable businesses, profits had been dwindling till some months before the
Jane
Vosper
affair ruin had begun to stare them in the face. As time passed their shifts became more and more desperate, and at last it became evident that they could no longer carry on as they had been doing. Either they must bring off some important
coup
,
or they would go under.

It was a chance remark of Hislop’s that gave Cruttenden his idea.

Hislop was an acquaintance of Henty’s and occasionally played at the Wardour Street flat. But he was very sharp, so much so that the conspirators never attempted anything crooked while he was there. Cruttenden had talked to him on different occasions and had sized him up as an utterly ruthless and unscrupulous man who would do anything for money and his own advancement. From an unguarded remark Cruttenden, who had a nose like a terrier’s for such matters, learned that Hislop was fond of taking women for expensive weekends, and that as his salary did not run to this, he was on the lookout for other sources of income.

It happened that one evening the two men were chatting over spirits and tobacco before leaving for home after play. Hislop, who was lucky at cards, had won a fair sum and was in an expansive humour. Cruttenden had happened to ask how business was, and Hislop, while agreeing that it was looking up, had been strong in condemnation of a recent decision of his firm’s. It appeared that the Soviet Government was in the market for 500 petrol sets of an unusually large design, for which they were willing to pay a good price. They were for use on the groups of buildings which they were putting up on their collective farms, to take the place of the old insanitary villages. Messrs Weaver Bannister, however, had decided not to tender. Whether they feared they would not be paid, Hislop didn’t know, but he personally didn’t believe there was any chance of that, and he grudged losing the extra work. ‘And we’re making the very things, too,’ he went on indignantly, ‘large sets for the haciendas of the Argentine and Brazil. 350 sets are being made, and they’ll be going out to South America in two or three months. Why in Hades, when we’ve got the plant and the jigs and everything set up, we couldn’t go on and make a few more beats me.’

The conversation had passed on to other subjects, but afterwards Cruttenden had thought over what he had been told. 350 sets about to be sent to South America on the one hand, and on the other the Soviet Government on the market for similar sets.

It was not at once that Cruttenden’s great idea came, but as he continued pondering the situation it suddenly flashed into his mind. If he could steal the South American sets and sell them to the Soviet people, there would be big money in it. As he thought of that money, the decision was made. He would look seriously into the idea and see whether anything could be made of it.

Almost immediately he realized that he could not possibly work it alone. However, there was Henty, who would no doubt jump at such a chance of easy money. But even Henty would not be enough.

However, nothing could be done till he had a plan. Cruttenden was extremely ingenious and a good deal of intensive thought did produce a scheme. He went over it and over it in his mind, improving here, simplifying there, making it safer in a third particular. At last he thought the plan would work, and he began seriously to consider helpers.

He saw that he would require three. One he would want to help himself to carry out the actual manual details. For that there was Henty. So far it was easy. But he wanted two others, one in touch with the Weaver Bannister Company, the other in authority in some firm of carriers.

As to the first of these others, there could be no doubt as to the man. If Hislop would join all would be well. On the other hand, if Hislop would not join, it meant giving up the scheme. If Hislop were unsuccessfully approached, and if anything then happened to the sets, Hislop would know where to look. No, everything depended on getting Hislop into the affair.

Cruttenden approached Henty, to find him, as he had expected, enthusiastic. But sounding Hislop was not so easy. Cruttenden did it at last as a joke, as by this method he would be able to back out of the offer should he be dissatisfied with its reception. But he was not dissatisfied. Hislop fell for it with an enthusiasm almost equal to Henty’s. But Hislop made one condition which somewhat surprised his tempter. He would not have anything to do with the plan if the lives of any sailors were to be sacrificed. He drew the line at murder.

Cruttenden was anxious to avoid murder also, but he had not seen how this was to be done, his scheme being to sink whatever ship was supposed to be taking the sets without leaving a trace. Hislop, however, saw the way. He knew about the Southern Ocean Steam Navigation’s boats, having frequently dispatched goods by them in the past. He could, he felt sure, use his position in the export department of Weaver Bannister’s to ensure that the entire consignment should be sent by one of these steamers. She could then be sunk, not just anywhere in mid-ocean, but close to the Madeira group. The weather at the time of year would almost certainly be good, and the chances of the crew getting ashore safely were so good as almost to represent a certainty.

With considerable relief Cruttenden agreed to this modification, and the detailed working out of the scheme continued. Cruttenden’s idea was that they should hire the yard, not as builders, but as carriers. Then they would themselves convey the cases from the station to the docks and could make the exchange at their leisure.

But Hislop turned this down for two reasons. First, he said, he should never be able to give the cartage order to an unknown firm. His chief, Dornford, allowed him a pretty free hand, but not to such an extent as that. Besides, it would look suspicious afterwards. Secondly, the name of the proposed cartage firm would have to be painted on the lorries used, and if enquiry were afterwards made, this would bring the detectives to the shed immediately.

Cruttenden had realized the difficulty, though he had not seen how it might be overcome. Here again Hislop supplied the suggestion which was afterwards adopted. He, Hislop, was fairly well acquainted with a man named Keene, the manager of Waterer & Reade’s, the big firm of carriers. He had reason to believe that this Keene was hard up, though whether he would be prepared to assist in the scheme or not, Hislop couldn’t say.

It was obvious that if this man could be brought in, practically all their remaining difficulties would be overcome. If he would use his position to start Cruttenden and Henty as temporary lorrymen and to give them the job of transporting the cases, only the most unforeseen accident could give the affair away. But would Keene come in?

Hislop thought that if the whole plan were put before him he would simply go to the police. But he wondered whether if it were suitably bowdlerized, it might not find acceptance. They would tell him that they were only going to steal and resell twenty-five sets, which would bring in about £7500. Of this he would get one quarter, or, say, close on £1900. No one, it would be pointed out, would be hurt by the proposal except the insurance company, which was well able to bear it. Keene would know nothing about what was done. His part would be confined to taking on the two lorrymen and seeing they were put on the job. Extra work would be given his firm which would justify his taking on a couple of temporary men, and Cruttenden and Henty would produce admirable testimonials. In other words, whatever afterwards happened, Keene would be able to justify his actions, so that nothing could possibly be proved against him. Then, though this part of the scheme was not to be passed on to Keene, if there were trouble or if Keene balked when he learnt the complete proposals, he would be easily brought to heel. He would be told he was in it up to the neck, and when he protested he would be asked who did he imagine would believe that tale?