BIGGLES ON THE HOME FRONT

by Captain W. E. Johns

X. LAXTER MAKES A PROPOSITION (Pages 122 – 133)

“To return to the Gillingham Street hotel, where Biggles and Ginger had found Laxter waiting for them on their return from Gatwick. If Laxter thought any more about the large envelope Biggles was carrying he gave no indication of it. He made no comment when Biggles opened the top drawer of the cheap chest with which the room was furnished and dropped the envelope in it as if the thing was of no importance”. Laxter sits in the only chair and Biggles and Ginger sit on the bed. “I suppose you know that Reverley has been killed in a crash?” began Laxter. “I saw it in the papers,” said Biggles. “Queer that it should happen so soon after we had been talking to him”. “Very queer,” agrees Laxter, “But as you know these things happen. In a way I feel partly responsible” says Laxter, explaining that Reverley had been to see him and was on his way home. “Have you told anyone you saw him with me?” “Why would I?” Biggles smiled cynically. “The police might ask me what I doing at Hertford”. Laxter asks Biggles if he is prepared to take on a flying job. Biggles is interested “provided it’s made worth my while”. Laxter asks Biggles “Done any night flying?” “Quite a lot”. “At home or abroad?” “Both”. “Over France?” “Plenty. I know my way around”. “Were you a Pathfinder by any chance?” “No. Special Air Service” says Biggles. “Spy dropping, and that sort of thing?” “Yes”. “Good. You should be the very man I’m looking for”. “Just a minute,” said Biggles. “I’m waiting to hear if you’re the man I’m looking for?” Laxter says he is associated with a business man, a financier in a big way and that he is his aviation manager. “He handles money in millions, for which reason every move he makes is front page news”. “My boss can’t go anywhere without a lot of speculation as to what he is doing”. Laxter says when his boss has important deals he travels by air and doesn’t use public transfer. He sends messages the same way. “That sounds an expensive pastime” says Biggles. Laxter says it isn’t always convenient for he himself to fly so he needs a second pilot for emergencies. Biggles asks “Hence the exclusive flying club Reverley mentioned?” “Sure” says Laxter, “But as you’ve probably guessed that’s only a cover”. Laxter tells Biggles they have one aircraft, an Auster, and that’s enough. Laxter confirms that Reverley was in the same unit as him during the war and he was offered the job but turned it down. “He went all righteous on me,” sneered Laxter. “Made all sorts of daft excuses about regulations, the risk of losing his ticket, and so on”. Biggles says “I don’t understand”. Laxter explains his boss has to land at private landing grounds for his own private use. “You’d be paid a regular screw with a bonus for every trip you did. You’d find it safer, and more profitable, than risking a five year stretch for lifting an emerald that turns out to be a bit of green glass. On the job I’m offering you, what can they do to you if you’re caught? Fine you a fiver, probably, for an infringement of regulations”. Biggles asks Laxter to come clean. “I mean, there was no need for you to shoot a line about financiers and what have you. From time to time you have something or somebody that you want taking across the Channel. Right?” “Yes”. “Okay. When do we start?” asks Biggles. Laxter says he will let Biggles know when something is cooking and then he leaves. Biggles tells Ginger this is what he wanted. “It was the only way of reaching the boss”. Ginger worries that Laxter saw O.H.M.S. on the envelope. Biggles takes the photographs out of the envelope and replaces them with a book from the hotel room. Biggles and Ginger go to see Algy and Bertie. “You’re late,” challenged Algy. “We had reason to be,” Biggles told him, explaining the situation. Algy says they saw Laxter making for the train at Hertford, so he must have been on his way to see Biggles. Biggles was looking at Bertie. “What have you done to yourself? You look as though you’d run through a wood backwards”. “Not backwards, old boy,” corrected Bertie. “Forwards. And on full throttle, with a brace of Alsatians on my tail. Those blighters keep dogs, big dogs with big teeth. Jolly nearly lost my pants”. Bertie gave an account of his adventures and the result of his reconnaissance. Algy’s story took rather longer to tell. Biggles asks Algy what did he think had been put in the petrol. “I’d say sugar” says Algy. “What a swine the fellow must be to do that to a chap who fought with him in the war. He might as well have put a bomb in the engine as sugar in the tank” says Biggles. Ginger is sent to ring Gaskin at the Yard and ask him to wait there. Algy is asked to take the carbon deposits on his handkerchief to Gaskin for urgent analysis. Biggles also wants Gaskin to tell him all about the Daimler, from the car registration. “Finally, ask him to be good enough to meet me, bringing the reports with him, at the Ops Room, at Gatwick, tomorrow morning, as early as he can manage it”. Bertie is asked to check on Laxter, if that is his real name. “Get his service record from the Air Ministry. I’ll see you both at Gatwick in the morning”. Bertie is also given the photographs and told to take them to Gatwick in the morning as well. Algy and Bertie leave. Biggles tells Ginger he was thinking of looking in at the Barn. Biggles thinks Carlton, with a partner in France, must be the head man of the show. “And Laxter will get in touch with you when another jewel robbery has been pulled off” suggests Ginger. “That’s how I see it,” agreed Biggles. At the Barn, they see Norman drinking quietly by himself at the bar. “The only other man known to be a crook was Brace, and he went out soon after they had entered”. (“The only other man known to be a crook was Brace, and he went out soon after they entered – see page 131” is the illustration opposite page 129). Biggles goes to speak to Norman and asks “Feeling better?” “I’m all right,” growled Norman. “Biggles did not pursue the conversation. He ordered a drink for appearances’ sake and took it over to their usual table”. Biggles wonders where Brace went. After half an hour, they leave and go to a restaurant to eat. Then they return to their hotel. Biggles checks the envelope and notices that it has been moved. “We’ve had visitors”. Ginger guesses it was Dusty Brace who left the Barn when they arrived. “He has a grudge against you, don’t forget”. Biggles speculates that Laxter may have been more interested in the envelope than he pretended. “Thank goodness I took those photographs out with me. It all goes to show one can’t be too careful”. “But let’s get to bed. We look like having another busy day tomorrow”.