AR
CHINA MAIL
WEEKLY SUPPLEMENT, APRIL 6,
RNOLD LEWIS-a partner in the firm of Lewis and Horsfield-leaned back in his office chair and, for the twentieth time that morning, considered the position. During the financial year now drawing to a close the, firm had been doing badly--how badly the accountants would' shortly be able to let them know. It was not, however, only (or even principally) this which trou- bled Lewis: it was his own posi- tion which frightened him.
Niué or ten months previously he had been put on to a "good thing" by a friend on the Stock Exchange. The "good thing" had shown a handsome profit and so had a succeeding investment re- commended from the same source, but a third suggestion' (on the strength of which he had invested more than he could ..afford lose) had let him down.
to
As
at
Driven Into a corner for money and knowing that exposure would mean ruin, Lewis had taken pos- session of the firm's securities from the safe of which he and Horsfield alone had keys and had, in fact, sold them by devious channels to pay his debts. far as Lewis was concerned the time, it had not been a mat- ter merely of putting off the evil day. He knew that Horsfield would not trouble to check over the securities before and until the firm needed them and that there was the better part of a year before the auditors would in- spect them before making their annual report.
and it
He had, naturally should be added reasonably- counted upon saving sufficient out of his drawings before that time arrived to be able to replace the securities. Unfortunately, ow- in business, ing to the decline there had been no drawings. In- deed, latterly he had had a fresh anxiety. Horsfield had suggested selling some of their securities to tide over the difficult period.. Lewis had managed to counter this suggestion by urging him to wait until the auditors had got out the annual accounts.
In his office chair, Lewis had decided to face up' to stark real- ity. One thing and one thing only could save him from plete ruin and that one thing was the removal of Horsfield during the coming fortnight.
com-
Lewis was nothing if not me- thodical. It would be no advan tage to avoid three years' penal servitude for dishonesty by being hanged for murder. Yet murder must be done and done by him.
Calmly he reasoned it out. He had frequently during his life," mostly when reading detective. stories, considered how he would commit the perfect crime-a ca“. pital crime undetected and unde- tectable. Now, he was faced with the problem itself.
The first essential he saw clearly, was that the murder should not look like a murder and that there must a presumption of suicide. Suicide was not, by itself, enough. There must be a motive for the suicide and the means. Finally what of the mur derer himself? He remembered that according to all the stories he had read, the murderer must have an alibi, but he also remem bered that it was usually the breaking down of the alibi which caused a conviction.
T
1939
THE PERFECT CRIME
Considering all these points In turn, Lewis realised with a start how easy the task was going to be for him-it almost seemed that Fate was completely on his side.
His plan was simplicity itself. The first step was to prepare in Horsfield's handwriting`a note such as a suicide might leave. After due deliberation he wrote down the following: "To The Coroner,
"Business bad. Helped my- self to firm's securities expect- ing to pay back, but can't; an- nual audit next week. This is Apologies the only way out. for any trouble I may be occa- sioning to others,
Stanley Horsfield."
He considered this carefully. It must be exactly such a note as Horsfield might have written. He came to the conclusion that it way. It was true business was bad; it was true Bomeone had helped himself to the firm's se- curities and no one could say now which of the two himself or Horsfield. It was true that Hors- field was short of money; it was true that the annual audit would, by the time he used the note, be due the next week. Some hypo-
Short Story
A
critical whim made him add word of apology from Horsfield defrauded to his supposedly partner, and then he was satis- fied with the language,
The actual writing presented no difficulty. The office was full of specimens of Horsfield's hand- writing and he merely sought round for examples of the various syllables-in some cases he found the whole words-which he plac- ed over a glass window let into With a the top of a wooden box. light in the box all he had to do
Hay- was to trace the letters, ing traced the complete message in Horsfield's handwriting, he practised tracing the whole thing over glass with a fountain pen similar to the one Horsfield used, and while wearing a glove, until he could do it quickly and with- out effort.
The actual method of the kill- ing also presented no difficulties. The firm had a large stock of prussic acid which they used for· the photographic supplies they manufactured: The stock was available to him, but-just as im portant it was equally available to Horsfield. If he, Lewis, helped himself to some of it in one of the office phials how could it be afterwards said. Horsfield could not have done so?
Lewis was not quite sure how he was going to administer the poison; that would have to be left to circumstances, but that he comforted himself -- was not let- ting in any element of danger be- cause unless the poison were ad-
Fostered there would be no
rime. - What Lewis was sure about, however, was that he
uld have to be present to
minister the poison..
There was no difficulty about this either. He knew Horsfield's habits well. Horsfield was a bi- chelor living in a house in the who suburbs with one servant acted as his housekeeper. This woman always went out on Sun- days and Wednesdays. If he was forced to rely on an alibi,.obvious- ly he would have to call and see Horsfield quite openly.
The following Tuesday Lewis, with his overcoat on and hat in hand, walked into Hosfield's room where the latter was dictating letters to his secretary.
- you
open case.
“Yes. Someone has been at our poison, I am going to have an in- quiry made in the morning. I suppose I had better inform the police?"
-
"Best to be on the safe side." Horsfield went to a side table. generous poured himself out a glass of whisky and returned to his armchair, placing on the table between
"Sorry I can't offer you some coffee, but there's nobody in ex- cept me."
the
glass
them.
"That's all right. I had a cup just before I came out."
After a pause Lewis took out his watch-it showed 8.35.
1
"Sorry to trouble you, old man, but does that wireless of yours work?" our
"Don't go, Miss Smith," and
"Can then, to Horsfield. spare me a few minutes if I call on you one evening, Stanley. I've got out a new scheme for next financial year which I want to talk over?"
I
"Certainly," said the other, "What night would suit you?"
"I can't manage to-night. Would to-morrow do you?"
"To-morrow's Wednesday, can't invite you to dinner as Mrs. James is out, but I'm quite free." 'I'll be "Forget the dinner. along about eight.”
"Right."
A few minutes to eight the fol
By C.B.V. Head
lowing evening Lewis presented himself at Horsfield's house and was let in by Horsfield himself.
docu- "I have brought a few ments with me," said Lewis by way of explaining the case he car- ried, which also contained the box with the light, the message in specimen handwriting, a pair of gloves and a small phial which was empty but which had had prussic acid in it. A similar phial containing prussic acid he carried in his waistcoat pocket,
"Rotten evening," said Hors- field, noticing the rain on his visitor's coat.
"Certainly better in than out," agreed Lewis as, having been aa- sisted to hang up his hat and coat he followed his host into the lounge.
It was typical of the thorough- ness of the man that. Lewis's fin- ancial scheme was quite a genu ine one. The two were engrossed for perhaps half an hour when the inevitable happened.
"Spot of whisky?" inquired Horsfield.
"Not for me, old man. My doc- tor has just put me off, all drinks, but you have one. By the way," he went on holding out his case, at one end of which reposed the empty phial, "I found this phial outside the works this evening. Do you think it's one of oura?”
“Looks like it," said the other without interest.
"Smell it."
Horsfield picked up the phial, removed the stopper and held the phial to his nose. The almond smell was unmistakable. “Good heavens! Prussic acid!”, he eja- culated as he replaced the stop- per and returned the phial to the
"Yes. Anything you want par- ticularly to hear??
"There's a new singer on Re- gional to-night. Supposed to be at half-past eight. His name is Hans Phanter. Just wondered what he was like.
Horsfield got up, walked to- wards the wireless set behind him. Lewis felt in his waistcoat pocket and then poured the phial of prussic acid into the glass of whisky.
A military band was the Re- gional item and reference to the programme in the newspaper showed that Lewis's item had been timed for eight o'clock. Horsfield, therefore switched off, came back to his armchair, re- marked, "I can still smell that prussic acid," and adding "Chee- rio," drained off the whisky.
The poison took effect imme- diately. With hardly a groan he fell back dead, the empty whisky glass dropping, on to the floor by his side..
Lewis wasted no time. Quickly putting on his gloves he placed the the phial from his case on table, searched round and found a piece of the dead man's note- paper. Then, gently sliding the fountain pen out of Horsfield's waistcoat pocket, he used the wooden box to write the farewell note. This written, he placed it (Continued on Page 7)
PLEASE, MOTHER- I WANT POWDER THAT'S ANTISEPTIC
MENNEN
SAPHIR