09 - Malcolm Sage, Detective by Herbert George Jenkins

Delve into the intriguing world of Malcolm Sage as this collection of short stories unravels his first year at the helm of his own Detective Bureau. This captivating series serves as a sequel or companion piece to the gripping tale of John Dene of Toronto.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter nine of Malcolm's Age Detective by Herbert George Jenkins.
This liprivox recording is in the public domain. Recording by Annoscimon,
Chapter nine, the holding up of Lady Glendale. One more trouble, Tommy,
remarked Gladys Norman one morning. As James Thompson entered her room.

(00:21):
He looked across at her quickly, a keen flash of
interest in his somnant brown eyes. Somebody's pinched Lady Glendale's
jewels just had a telephone message. What a happy place
the world would be without drink and crime and women,
added Thompson, alert of eye and prepared to dodge anything
that was coming. Tommy, You're a beast. Get the hands,

(00:43):
and bending over her typewriter, she became absorbed in rattling
words on the paper. Thompson had just reached the third
line of I'm sorry I made you cry when his
quick eye detected Malcolm's age as he entered the outer
office with a brief good morning. Malcolm Sage passed into
his room, and a minute later Gladys Nrman was reading

(01:04):
from her notebook the message that had come over the telephone,
to the effect that early that morning, a burglar had
entered Lady Glendale's bedroom at the home park histon the
country house of Sir Roger Glendale, and under threat for
a pistol, had demanded her jewel case, which had accordingly
handed to him. As the jewels were insured with the

(01:24):
Twentieth Century Insurance Corporation Limited, Malcolm's Age had been immediately
communicated with that he might take up the inquiry with
a view to tracing the missing property. One of Malcolm's
Aage's first cases had been undertaken for this company in
connection with the burglary. He had been successful in restoring
the whole of the missing property. In consequence, he had

(01:46):
been personally thanked by the chairman at a fully attended
board meeting, and at the same time presented with a
gold mounted walking stick, which, as he remarked, Sir John Dene,
no one but a drum major in full dress would
dare to cat. Having listened carefully as she read her notes,
Malcolm Sage dismissed Gladys Norman with a nod, and for

(02:07):
some minutes sat at his table, drawing the inevitable diagrams
upon his bloffing pad. Presently, he rose and walked over
to a row of shelves filled with red backed volumes
lettered on the back records with a number and a date.
Every crime or curious occurrence that came under Malcolm Sage's
notice was duly chronicled in the pages of these volumes,

(02:29):
which contained miles of press cuttings. They were rendered additionally
valuable by an elaborate system of cross reference indexing. After
referring to an index volume, Malcolm Sage selected one of
the folios and returned with it to his table. Rapidly
turning over the pages, he came to a newspaper cutting
which was dated some five weeks previously. This he read

(02:51):
and pondered over for some time. It ran daring burglary
Country mansion entered Burglar's sang Fra in the early hours
of yesterday morning. A daring burglary was committed at the
dour House near Hisston, the residence of mister Gerald Comminge,
who was away from home at the time, by which
the burglar was able to make a rich hole of jewels.

(03:13):
In the early hours of the morning, Missus Commons was
awakened by the presence of a man in a room.
As she sat up in bed. The man turned an
electric torch upon her, and, pointing a revolver in her direction,
warned her that if she cried out, he would shoot.
He then demanded to know where she kept her jewels,
and Missus Commons, too terrified to do anything else, indicated

(03:34):
a drawer in which lay her jewel case. Taking the
jewel case and putting it under his arm, the man
threatened that if she moved or called out within a
quarter of an hour, he would return and shoot her.
He then got out of the window on to a
small balcony and disappeared. It seems that he gained admittance
by clambering up some ivy and thus on to the

(03:55):
narrow balcony that runs the length of one side of
the house. Immediately on the man's disappear and Missus Comminge
fainted on coming too, she gave the alarm and the
police were immediately telephoned for Although the man's footprints are
easily discernible upon the mold and the soft turf, the
culprit seems to have left no other clue. The description
that Missus Comminge is able to give of her assailant

(04:17):
is rather lacking in detail, owing to the shock she
experienced at his sudden appearance. It would appear that the man,
in medium height and slight of build. He wore a
cap and a black handkerchief tied across his face, just
beneath his eyes, which entirely masked his features. With this
very inadequate description of the ruffian, the police have perforced
to set to work upon the very difficult task of

(04:38):
tracing him. For some time, Malcolm's Age pondered over the cutting.
Then rising, he replaced the volume and rang for Thompson.
An hour later, Tims was carrying him along in the
direction of Sir Roger Glendale's house at a good thirty
five miles an hour. The home park was on elizabethan
mansion that had been inquired by Sir Roger Glendale out

(05:01):
of enormous profits made upon the sale of Margarine. As
Tims brought the car up before the front entrance with
an impressive sweep, the hall door was thrown open by
the butler, who habitually strove by an excessive dignity of
demeanor to remove from his mental pallet the humiliating flavor
of Margarine. Malcolm Sage's cart considerably mitigated the impression made

(05:24):
upon mister Hibbs's mind by the swing with which Tims
had brought the car up to the door. Malcolm's Age
was shown into the morning room and told that her
ladyship would see him in a few minutes. He was
busy in the contemplation of the garden. When the door
opened and Lady Glendale entered. He bowed, and then, as
Lady Glendale seated herself at a small table, he took

(05:45):
the nearest chair. She was a little woman, some eight
inches too short for the air. She assumed fair good looking,
but with a hard set mouth. No one had ever
permitted her to forget that she had married Margarine. You
have called about the burglary, she inquired, in a tone
she might have adopted to a plumber who had come

(06:05):
to see to a leak in the bath. Malcolm Sage bowed.
Perhaps you will give me the details, he said, kindly,
be as brief as possible, his incipient Bolshevism manifesting itself
in his manner. Lady Glendale elevated her eyebrows, but as
Malcolm Sage's eyes were not upon her, she proceeded to

(06:27):
tell her story. About one o'clock this morning, I was
awakened to find a man in my bedroom. She began.
He was standing between the bedstead and the farther window,
his face masked. He had a pistol in one hand,
which he pointed towards me, and an electric torch in
the other. I sat up in bed and stared at him.

(06:50):
If you call out, I shall kill you, he said.
I asked him what he wanted. He replied that if
I gave him my duel case and did not call
for help, he would not do me any harm. Realizing
that I was helpless, I got out of bed, put
on a wrapper, opened a small safe I have sat
in the wall, and handed him one of the two

(07:10):
jewel cases I possess. He then made me promise that
I would not ring or call out for a quarter
of an hour, and he disappeared out of the window.
At the end of a quarter of an hour, I
summoned help, and my stepson, the butler, and several other
servants came to my room. We telephoned for the police,
and after breakfast, we telephoned to the insurance company. For

(07:34):
fully a minute there was silence. Malcolm Sage decided that
Lady Glendale certainly possessed the faculty of telling a story
with all the events in their proper sequence, he found
himself with very few questions to put to her. Can
you describe the man, he asked, as he mechanically turned
over the leaves of a book on a table beside him,

(07:56):
Not very well, she replied. I saw more than a
silhouette against the window. He was of medium height, slight
of build, and I should say young. And that seems
to agree with the description of the man who robbed
Missus Commons. He said, as if to himself. That is
what the inspector said. Remarked Lady Glendale. His voice was

(08:22):
rather husky, as if he were trying to disguise it.
Was it the voice of a man of refinement, or
otherwise I should describe it as middle class? Was a
snobbish response. The mask it looked like a silk handkerchief
tied across his nose. It was dark in tone, but

(08:42):
I could get only a dim impression. Malcolm sat inclined
his head comprehendingly. You know, Missus Commons, intimately you mentioned
two jewel cases, he said. The ones stolen contained those
I mostly wear, replied Lady Glendale. In the other I

(09:04):
keep some very valuable family jewels. What was the value
of those stolen? About eight thousand pounds, she replied, possibly more.
I should explain perhaps that Sir Roger was staying in
town last night, and so far I have not been
able to get him on the telephone. He was to

(09:25):
have stayed at the Ritzton, but apparently he found them
full and went elsewhere. You have no suspicion as to
who it was that entered your room, none whatever, said
Lady Glendale. The police have already been, he inquired, as
he examined with great intentness a rose he had taken
from a bowl beside him. Yes, they came shortly after

(09:49):
we telephoned. They gave instructions that nothing was to be
touched in the room, and no one was to go
near the ground beneath the windows. Malcolm Sage nodded provingly
and returned the rose to the bull. And now he said,
I think I should like to see the room, by
the way, I'd take it that you keep your safe locked, always,

(10:13):
said Lady Glendale. Where do you keep the key in
the bottom right hand drawer of my dressing table under
a pile of handkerchiefs. As soon as you can. I
should like to see a list of the jewels, said
Malcolm Sage, as he followed Lady Glendale towards her door.
My mate is copying it out now, she replied, and
led the way up that staircase along a heavily carpeted corridor,

(10:36):
at the end of which she threw open a door
giving access to a bedroom. Malcolm Sage entered and gave
a swift look about him, seeming to note and catalog
every detail. It was a large room with two windows
looking out on to a lawn. On the right was
a door, which Lady Glendale explained led to Sir Roger's
dressing room. He walked over to the window near the

(10:58):
dressing room and looked out. That is the window he
must have entered by. He went out that way, explained
Lady Glendale. You spoke of a step son, said Malcolm Sage.
He is a man. I presume he is twenty three.
Lady Glendale elevated her eyebrows as if surprise at the question.

(11:20):
Can you send for him? Certainly if you wish it.
She rang the bell, and a moment later requested the
maid who answered it to ask mister Robert to come immediately.
Do you sleep with lowered blinds, inquired Malcolm Sage. The
one nearest my bed I always keep down, the other
I pull up after putting out my light. Did you

(11:44):
awaken suddenly or gradually, as if it were your usual
time to awaken? It was gradual, said Lady Glendale, after
a pause for thought. I remember having the feeling that
some one would looking at me. Was the light from
the torch shining on your face? No, it was turned

(12:07):
to the opposite side of the room, on my right.
As I lay in bed. At that moment, a young
man in tweeds entered. You want me, mater, inquired, then,
looking across up Malcolm Sage, with a slightly troubled shadow
in his eyes, he bowed. This is mister Sage from
the insurance company, said Lady Glendale coldly. He wishes to

(12:29):
see you again. There was a slightly troubled look in
young Glendale's eyes. Perhaps you will place mister Glendale in
the exact position in which the man was standing when
you first saw him, said Malcolm Sage without a word.
Lady Glendale walked over to the spot she had indicated
Young Glendale, following when she had got him into the

(12:49):
desired position. She turned interrogatingly to Malcolm Sage. Now, he said,
will you be so kind as to lie on your
bed in the same position in which you were you
awakened for a moment, Lady Glendale's eyebrows indicated surprise. He
used her eyebrows more than any other feature for the
purpose of expressing her motion. Without comment. However, she lay

(13:13):
down upon the bed on her right side, closed her eyes.
Then a moment later, sat up and gazed in the
direction where Glendale stood, looking awkward and self conscious. Perhaps
you will repeat every movement you made, said Malcolm Sage.
Try to open the safe door exactly as she did
then and leave it at the same angle. Every detail

(13:34):
is important. Lady Glendale Rose picked up a wrapper that
was lying over a chair back, put it on, and,
walking over to the safe, turned the key that was
in a lock and opened it. Then, standing between the
safe and Glendale, she took out a jewel case and
closed the door. Finally, she walked over to where her

(13:54):
step son stood and handed him the jewel case. Thank you,
said Malcolm Sage. I wanted to see whether or not
the man had the opportunity of seeing into the safe.
I took care to stand in front of it, she said,
So I observed you allowed the quarter of an hour
to elapse before you raised the alarm. Certainly I had promised,

(14:18):
was the response. But a promise extorted by threats of
violence is not binding, he suggested, as he pulled meditatively
at his right ear. It is with me, was the
cold retort. He inclined his head slightly. I noticed that
the ground beneath the windows had been roped off. The

(14:38):
inspector thought it had better be done, as there were footprints.
I will not trouble you further for the present, Lady Glendale,
said Malcolm Sage, moving towards the door. I should like
to spend a little time in the grounds. Later I
may require to interrogate the servants. Young Glendale opened the door,
and his stepmother, followed by Malcolm's age, passed out. They

(15:00):
descended the stairs together. Please don't trouble to come out,
said Malcolm Sage. I shall probably be some little time
this As Lady Glendale moved towards the hall door. By
the way, he said, as she turned towards the morning
room where she had received him, did you happen to
notice if the man was wearing boots or was he

(15:20):
in stockinged feet. I think he wore boots, she said,
after a momentary pause, thank you, and Malcolm Sage turned
towards the door, which was held open by the butler.
Passing down the steps and to the left, he walked
round to the side of the house, where the space
immediately beneath Lady Glendale's windows had been roped off. Stepping

(15:42):
over the protecting rope, he examined the ground beneath the
window through which the burglar had entered. Running along the
side of the house was a flower bed some two
feet six inches wide, and on its surface was clearly
indicated a series of footprints. On the side of the
painted water pipe were scratches, such as might have been
made by some one climbing up to the window above.

(16:03):
Drawing a spring metal roof from his pocket, he proceeded
to take a series of measurements, which he dotted down
in a note book. He next examined the water pipe
up which the man presumably had climbed and presently passed
on to a similar pipe farther to the left. Every
inch of ground he subjected to a careful and elaborate examination,
lifting the lower branches of some evergreens and gazing beneath them,

(16:28):
Finally closing his notebook. With his nap, Malcolm Sage seated
himself upon a garden seat, and carefully filling and lighting
his pipe, he became absorbed in the polished pinkness of
the third finger nail with his left hand. A quarter of
an hour later he was joined by young Glendale. Found anything,
he inquired? There are some footprints, said Malcolm Sage, looking

(16:50):
at him keenly. By the way, what did you do
when you heard of the robbery? I went to the
maid's room, and after that I rushed downstairs and started
looking about. You didn't happen to come anywhere near this
spot or walk upon the mold there? He nodded at
the place he had just been examining. Oh, as a

(17:11):
matter of fact, I avoided it. The matter warned me
to be careful. Malcolm Sage nodded his head. Did the
butler join you in your search? He inquired? About five
minutes later he did. He had to go back and
put on some things. He was rather sketchy when he
turned up in the maidor's room. Glendale grinned at the recollection,

(17:31):
and you, Malcolm Sage flashed on him that steel gray
look of interrogation. For a moment. The young man seemed embarrassed,
and he hesitated before replying, As a matter of fact,
I hadn't turned in, he said at length. I see,
said Malcolm Sage, and there was something in his tone
that caused Glendale to look at him quickly. It was

(17:54):
such a ripping night that I sat up my bedroom
windows smoking, he explained, a little nervously. Which is your
bedroom window? Glendale nodded in the direction at the farther
end of the house. That's the Governor's dressing room, he said,
indicating the window on the left of that through which
the burglar had escaped. The next is mine. Did you

(18:16):
see anything, inquired Malcolm Sage, who having unscrewed the mouthpiece
of his pipe, proceeded to clean it with a blade
of grass. Again, there was the slightest suggestion of hesitation
before Glendale replied, no, nothing, you see, he added hastily,
I was not looking out of the window, merely sitting
at it. As a matter of fact, I was facing

(18:37):
the other way. You heard no noise. Glendale shook his head,
so that the first intimation you had of anything being
wrong was what he asked. I heard the Major at
the door calling for assistance, and I went immediately. Malcolm
Sage turned and regarded the water pipe speculatively. I wonder

(18:59):
if if anyone really could climb up that, he said.
I'm sure I couldn't. Nothing easier, said Glendale. I could
shin up in two ticks, and he made a movement
towards the pipe. No, said Malcolm Sage, putting a detaining
hand upon his arm. If you want to demonstrate your agility,
try the other there remarks on this. I want to

(19:20):
preserve right, oh, cried Glendale with a laugh, and a
moment later he was shinning up the further pipe with
the agility of its south Sea islander after cocoanuts. Malcolm
Sage walked towards the pipe, glanced at it, and then
at the footprints beneath. You were quite right, he remarked casually.
Then a moment later he inquired, do ye usually sit

(19:43):
up late? Why not exactly early? Birds, Glendale replied a
little irrelevantly. The Major plays a lot of bridge, you know,
he added, and that keeps you out of bed. Yes, sir, no,
was the reply. I can't afford to play with the
mate's crowd, but I I have to hang about until
after they've gone. The governor hates it, you see, he

(20:04):
added confidentially. When a man's head to make his money,
he knows the value of it. True, said Malcolm Sage,
but from the look in his eyes, his thoughts seemed elsewhere.
By the way, what time was it that you had
a shower here last night? Shower, repeated Glendale. Oh yes,
I remember, it was just about twelve o'clock. It only

(20:27):
last about ten minutes. I'll think things over, said Malcolm Sage,
and Glendale, taking the hint, strolled off towards the house.
Malcolm Sage walked over to where an old man was
trimming a hedge. Could you lend me a trowel for
half an hour? He inquired? No, dang it, I can't,
growled the old fellow. I ain't a going to lend

(20:49):
no more trials or anything else, why, inquired Malcolm Sage.
There's my best trowell gone out of the tool house,
he grumbled, And I ain't a going to lend know others?
How did it go? How should I know? He complained,
walked out. I suppose say, miss Charles as always doing.

(21:10):
When did you miss it? Twas there dave before yesterday.
I swear I ain't a going to lend no more.
Do you think the man who took the jewels stole it?
Inquired Malcolm Sage. Dang the jewels, he retorted, I want
my trowel, and, grumbling to himself, the old fellow shuffled
off to the other end of the hedge. Half an

(21:32):
hour later, Malcolm Sage was in Histon interviewing the inspector
of police, who was incoherent with excitement. He learned that
Scotland Yard was sending down a man that afternoon. Furthermore,
the elaborate inquiries were being made in the neighborhood as
to any suspicious characters having recently been seen. Malcolm Sage
asked a number of questions, to which he received more

(21:53):
or less impatient replies. The inspector was convinced that the
robbery was the work of the same man who had
got away with missus commengous jewels, and he was impatient
with anyone who did not share this view. From the
police station, Malcolm Sage went to the painted flag where
having ordered lunch, he got through to the twentieth Century
Insurance Corporation and made an appointment to meet one of

(22:15):
the assessors at home Park at three o'clock. End of
Chapter nine