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The Secret Adversary, a fiction by Agatha Christie |
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Chapter VI - A Plan of Campaign |
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_ A veil might with profit be drawn over the events of the next half-hour. Suffice it to say that no such person as "Inspector Brown" was known to Scotland Yard. The photograph of Jane Finn, which would have been of the utmost value to the police in tracing her, was lost beyond recovery. Once again "Mr. Brown" had triumphed. The immediate result of this set back was to effect a He turned to Tuppence at the close of the narration. "I've always had a kind of idea that English girls were just a The upshot of these confidential relations was that Tommy and Nobody did, which was the great thing. "And now," said the young lady on the morning after their Mr. Beresford put down the Daily Mail, which he was reading, and "Dash it all, Tommy, we've got to DO something for our money." Tommy sighed. "Yes, I fear even the dear old Government will not support us at "Therefore, as I said before, we must DO something." "Well," said Tommy, picking up the Daily Mail again, "DO it. I "You see," continued Tuppence. "I've been thinking----" She was interrupted by a fresh bout of applause. "It's all very well for you to sit there being funny, Tommy. It "My union, Tuppence, my union! It does not permit me to work "Tommy, do you want something thrown at you? It is absolutely "Hear, hear!" "Well, let's do it." Tommy laid his paper finally aside. "There's something of the "To begin with," said Tuppence, "what have we to go upon?" "Absolutely nothing," said Tommy cheerily. "Wrong!" Tuppence wagged an energetic finger. "We have two "What are they?" "First clue, we know one of the gang." "Whittington?" "Yes. I'd recognize him anywhere." "Hum," said Tommy doubtfully, "I don't call that much of a clue. "I'm not so sure about that," replied Tuppence thoughtfully. "What about meals?" inquired the practical Tommy. "How like a man! What does mere food matter?" "That's all very well. You've just had a thundering good "That's true. Anyway, I think clue No. 2 is more promising." "Let's hear it." "It's nothing much. Only a Christian name--Rita. Whittington "Are you proposing a third advertisement: Wanted, female crook, "I am not. I propose to reason in a logical manner. That man, "I don't see that at all." "I am absolutely certain that it would be a woman, and a "On these technical points I bow to your decision," murmured Mr. "Now, obviously this woman, whoever she was, was saved." "How do you make that out?" "If she wasn't, how would they have known Jane Finn had got the "Correct. Proceed, O Sherlock!" "Now there's just a chance, I admit it's only a chance, that this "And if so?" "If so, we've got to hunt through the survivors of the Lusitania "Then the first thing is to get a list of the survivors." "I've got it. I wrote a long list of things I wanted to know, "Full marks for industry, zero for modesty. But the great point "That's just what I don't know," confessed Tuppence. "Don't know?" "Yes. Look here." Together they bent over the list. "You see, Tommy nodded. "That complicates matters," he murmured thoughtfully. Tuppence gave her characteristic "terrier" shake. "Well, we've just got to get down to it, that's all. We'll start Five minutes later the young couple emerged into Piccadilly, and The Laurels was a dilapidated house, standing back from the road "What are you going to say?" "What am I going to say? Why, I shall say--Oh dear, I don't "I thought as much," said Tommy with satisfaction. "How like a A slatternly looking servant, with an extremely dirty face and a Tommy had produced a notebook and pencil. "Good morning," he said briskly and cheerfully. "From the "Yaas," said the servant. "Christian name?" asked Tommy, his pencil poised. "Missus's? Eleanor Jane." "Eleanor," spelt Tommy. "Any sons or daughters over twenty-one?" "Naow." "Thank you." Tommy closed the notebook with a brisk snap. "Good The servant volunteered her first remark: "I thought perhaps as you'd come about the gas," she observed Tommy rejoined his accomplice. "You see, Tuppence," he observed. "Child's play to the masculine "I don't mind admitting that for once you've scored handsomely. I "Good wheeze, wasn't it? And we can repeat it ad lib." Lunch-time found the young couple attacking a steak and chips in "Ah!" said Tommy, imbibing a long draught of beer, "I feel The notebook lay on the table between them. Tuppence picked it "Mrs. Vandemeyer," she read, "20 South Audley Mansions. Miss "Then the Mayfair lady is clearly indicated as the first port of "Tommy, I'm getting discouraged." "Buck up, old bean. We always knew it was an outside chance. "True," said Tuppence, her flagging spirits reviving. "And all "You must stifle this longing for vulgar sensation, Tuppence. "You're really more conceited than I am--with less excuse! Ahem! "Perhaps he doesn't think us worth bothering about," suggested Tuppence received the remark with great disfavour. "How horrid you are, Tommy. Just as though we didn't count." "Sorry, Tuppence. What I meant was that we work like moles in "Ha ha!" echoed Tuppence approvingly, as she rose. South Audley Mansions was an imposing-looking block of flats just Tommy had by this time the glibness born of practice. He rattled "Christian name?" "Margaret." Tommy spelt it, but the other interrupted him. "No, G U E." "Oh, Marguerite; French way, I see." He paused, then plunged "She's mostly called that, sir, but Marguerite's her name." "Thank you. That's all. Good morning." Hardly able to contain his excitement, Tommy hurried down the "You heard?" "Yes. Oh, TOMMY!" Tommy squeezed her arm sympathetically. "I know, old thing. I feel the same." "It's--it's so lovely to think of things--and then for them Her hand was still in Tommy's. They had reached the entrance Suddenly, to Tommy's complete surprise, Tuppence dragged him into "What the----" "Hush!" Two men came down the stairs and passed out through the entrance. "Quick--follow them. I daren't. He might recognize me. I don't |