BIGGLES ON THE HOME FRONT

by Captain W. E. Johns

XI. NEWS FOR INSPECTOR GASKIN (Pages 134 – 144)

“The following morning Biggles and Ginger were early in the Operations Room at the aerodrome, having driven down in their own car which they had picked up at the garage where it had been left: but it was nearly eleven o’clock before the party was complete”. Algy was the first to arrive. He bought the photos with him, which were examined under a magnifying glass. Bertie came next with the result of his enquires at the Air Ministry. Laxter had been in Reverley’s squadron and Laxter had been court-martialled for making an unauthorized landing overseas, in a government aircraft. “He got away with it” says Bertie. He said he was above the clouds with no way of checking his drift and had not realized he had been blown across the channel. “Why did he leave the Service?” asks Biggles. “He went out on his ear, having been found guilty, while acting as mess secretary, of pinching mess funds and faking officers’ accounts to make his books balance. Reverley had then been out of the Service for some time, so he may not have known anything about it”. Biggles says “No doubt Laxter has a grudge against the R.A.F. It’s usually the people in the wrong who squeal the loudest when they’re caught”. Inspector Gaskin arrives and says “So I was right, eh?” “It begins to look like it,” Biggles told him. Gaskin had got the carbon analysed and confirms it was sugar that had been put in Reverley’s tank. Gaskin asks “How are you going to prove who did put it in? Apparently when Reverley left his own aerodrome he didn’t tell anyone where he was going, so you couldn’t even prove he landed at Gortons”. Biggles says if they can get them all in the box on another charge, maybe one will rat on the others. “That’s about your only chance,” says Gaskin. Gaskin has checked up on the Daimler and it belongs to Mr. Eustace Carlton. The licence and insurance are in his name. Gaskin adds “I’ve been wondering who he can be. He may be a newcomer, but the fact that he knows these jewel thieves suggest he’s been in that racket himself. I can think of only three men who it might be, and it’s some time since I heard of any of ‘em. Tell me what he looked like, Bertie”. Bertie gives a detailed description finishing with the fact that he had a slight foreign accent and then remembering that he had a missing finger. “Well, strike me lucky!” exclaimed Gaskin. “It must be him. There can’t be two men in the world so much alike, both jewel thieves”. “So our old friend the Count has turned up again”. Gaskin says the French police had said the Count (we are never told a name) had died of a heart attack whilst crossing mountains into Italy. He was known to have had a weak heart. Gaskin says the Count was “One of the slickest jewel thieves of all time – anyway, until a detonator went off in his hand as he was about to blow a safe”. No one really know his nationality and he “Speaks all the lingos like a native”. Gaskin says he is wanted on the Continent. “It looks as if, being unable to do jobs himself on account of that dud hand, he’s organized others to do them for him. He receives the swag and sells it to another receiver on the Continent”. Biggles speculates that “The fact that he has Swell Noble staying with him can only mean there’s another jewel robbery on the cards. That would account for Laxter’s hurry to find a pilot”. Biggles thinks Stony Stoneways must have been on the Count’s staff and he must have been heading to Gortons. “Laxter might have flown him out of the country”. Biggles thinks he will be invited to Gortons at any time, but he doesn’t think that will happen until there is a parcel of gems to be flown somewhere. Gaskin doesn’t like the idea of Biggles going to Gortons. Biggles says he will let him know in advance so Gaskin can get him out if he gets “in a jam”. “How shall I know if you’re in a jam?” asks Gaskin. “I shall have to leave that to you” says Biggles, adding they need to wait for another robbery, otherwise a raid on the house will find nothing there. “They continued to discuss the matter for some time, and at the end it was left like this. When Biggles heard that he was wanted he would let the others know. Should there be a jewel robbery they would be on the alert. Gaskin would take his men to Gortons and surround the place. The signal for them to close in and arrest everyone would be the starting of the aero engine, for that could be taken to mean that Biggles either had a parcel of jewels in his pocket, or was in the company of a man who had”. Biggles arranged to meet Algy and Bertie that evening at seven o’clock sharp at the usual rendezvous at Victoria station to exchange news and views should there be any developments. With that decision the conference came to an end and they went their different ways, Biggles and Ginger returning to the hotel in case Laxter should be trying to get in touch with them.