It was two days later. Tuppence was out to lunch. Tommy, alone in theaustere office of Mr. Theodore Blunt, was improving his mind by readingthe latest sensational2 thriller3.
The door of the office opened and Albert appeared.
“A young lady to see you, sir. Miss Cicely March. She says she has calledin answer to an advertisement.”
“Show her in at once,” cried Tommy, thrusting his novel into a conveni-ent drawer.
In another minute, Albert had ushered4 in the young lady. Tommy hadjust time to see that she was fair-haired and extremely pretty, when theamazing occurrence happened.
The door through which Albert had just passed out was rudely burstopen. In the doorway5 stood a picturesque6 figure—a big dark man, Spanishin appearance, with a flaming red tie. His features were distorted withrage, and in his hand was a gleaming pistol.
“So this is the office of Mr. Busybody Blunt,” he said in perfect English.
His voice was low and venomous. “Hands up at once—or I shoot.”
It sounded no idle threat. Tommy’s hands went up obediently. The girl,crouched against the wall, gave a gasp7 of terror.
“This young lady will come with me,” said the man. “Yes, you will, mydear. You have never seen me before, but that doesn’t matter. I can’t havemy plans ruined by a silly little chit like you. I seem to remember that youwere one of the passengers on the Nomadic8. You must have been peeringinto things that didn’t concern you—but I’ve no intention of letting youblab any secrets to Mr. Blunt here. A very clever gentleman, Mr. Blunt,with his fancy advertisements. But as it happens, I keep an eye on the ad-vertisement columns. That’s how I got wise to his little game.”
“You interest me exceedingly,” said Tommy. “Won’t you go on?”
“Cheek won’t help you, Mr. Blunt. From now on, you’re a marked man.
Give up this investigation9, and we’ll leave you alone. Otherwise—God helpyou! Death comes swiftly to those who thwart10 our plans.”
Tommy did not reply. He was staring over the intruder’s shoulder asthough he saw a ghost.
As a matter of fact he was seeing something that caused him far moreapprehension than any ghost could have done. Up to now, he had notgiven a thought to Albert as a factor in the game. He had taken for grantedthat Albert had already been dealt with by the mysterious stranger. If hehad thought of him at all, it was as one lying stunned11 on the carpet in theouter office.
He now saw that Albert had miraculously12 escaped the stranger’s atten-tion. But instead of rushing out to fetch a policeman in good sound Britishfashion, Albert had elected to play a lone1 hand. The door behind thestranger had opened noiselessly, and Albert stood in the aperture13 envel-oped in a coil of rope.
An agonised yelp14 of protest burst from Tommy, but too late. Fired withenthusiasm, Albert flung a loop of rope over the intruder’s head, andjerked him backwards15 off his feet.
The inevitable16 happened. The pistol went off with a roar and Tommyfelt the bullet scorch17 his ear in passing, ere it buried itself in the plasterbehind him.
“I’ve got him, sir,” cried Albert, flushed with triumph. “I’ve lassoed him.
I’ve been practising with a lasso in my spare time, sir. Can you give me ahand? He’s very violent.”
Tommy hastened to his faithful henchman’s assistance, mentally de-termining that Albert should have no further spare time.
“You damned idiot,” he said. “Why didn’t you go for a policeman? Owingto this fool’s play of yours, he as near as anything plugged me through thehead. Whew! I’ve never had such a near escape.”
“Lassoed him in the nick of time, I did,” said Albert, his ardour quite un-damped. “It’s wonderful what those chaps can do on the prairies, sir.”
“Quite so,” said Tommy, “but we’re not on the prairies. We happen to bein a highly civilised city. And now, my dear sir,” he added to his prostratefoe. “What are we going to do with you?”
A stream of oaths in a foreign language was his only reply.
“Hush,” said Tommy. “I don’t understand a word of what you’re saying,but I’ve got a shrewd idea it’s not the kind of language to use before a lady.
You’ll excuse him, won’t you, Miss—do you know, in the excitement of thislittle upset, I’ve quite forgotten your name?”
“March,” said the girl. She was still white and shaken. But she came for-ward now and stood by Tommy looking down on the recumbent figure ofthe discomfited18 stranger. “What are you going to do with him?”
“I could fetch a bobby now,” said Albert helpfully.
But Tommy, looking up, caught a very faint negative movement of thegirl’s head, and took his cue accordingly.
“We’ll let him off this time,” he remarked. “Nevertheless I shall give my-self the pleasure of kicking him downstairs—if it’s only to teach him man-ners to a lady.”
He removed the rope, hauled the victim to his feet, and propelled himbriskly through the outer office.
A series of shrill19 yelps20 was heard and then a thud. Tommy came back,flushed but smiling.
The girl was staring at him with round eyes.
“Did you—hurt him?”
“I hope so,” said Tommy. “But these dagoes make a practice of cryingout before they’re hurt—so I can’t be quite sure about it. Shall we comeback into my office, Miss March, and resume our interrupted conversa-tion? I don’t think we shall be interrupted again.”
“I’ll have my lasso ready, sir, in case,” said the helpful Albert.
“Put it away,” ordered Tommy sternly.
He followed the girl into the inner office and sat down at his desk, whilstshe took a chair facing him.
“I don’t quite know where to begin,” said the girl. “As you heard thatman say, I was a passenger on the Nomadic. The lady you advertisedabout, Miss O’Hara, was also on board.”
“Exactly,” said Tommy. “That we know already but I suspect you mustknow something about her doings on board that boat, or else that pictur-esque gentleman would not have been in such a hurry to intervene.”
“I will tell you everything. The American Ambassador was on board.
One day, as I was passing his cabin, I saw this woman inside, and she wasdoing something so extraordinary that I stopped to watch. She had aman’s boot in her hand—”
“A boot?” cried Tommy excitedly. “I’m sorry, Miss March, go on.”
“With a little pair of scissors, she was slitting21 up the lining22. Then sheseemed to push something inside. Just at that minute the doctor and an-other man came down the passage, and immediately she dropped back onthe couch and groaned23. I waited, and I gathered from what was being saidthat she had pretended to feel faint. I say pretended—because when I firstcaught sight of her, she was obviously feeling nothing of the kind.”
Tommy nodded.
“Well?”
“I rather hate to tell you the next part. I was—curious. And also, I’d beenreading silly books, and I wondered if she’d put a bomb or a poisonedneedle or something like that in Mr. Wilmott’s boot. I know it’s absurd—but I did think so. Anyway, next time I passed the empty cabin, I slipped inand examined the boot. I drew out from the lining a slip of paper. Just as Ihad it in my hand, I heard the steward24 coming, and I hurried out so as notto be caught. The folded paper was still in my hand. When I got into myown cabin I examined it. Mr. Blunt, it was nothing but some verses fromthe Bible.”
“Verses from the Bible?” said Tommy, very much intrigued25.
“At least I thought so at the time. I couldn’t understand it, but I thoughtperhaps it was the work of a religious maniac26. Anyway, I didn’t feel it wasworthwhile replacing it. I kept it without thinking much about it until yes-terday when I used it to make into a boat for my little nephew to sail in hisbath. As the paper got wet, I saw a queer kind of design coming out allover it. I hastily took it out of the bath, and smoothed it out flat again. Thewater had brought out the hidden message. It was a kind of tracing—andlooked like the mouth of a harbour. Immediately after that I read your ad-vertisement.”
Tommy sprang from his chair.
“But this is most important. I see it all now. That tracing is probably theplan of some important harbour defences. It had been stolen by this wo-man. She feared someone was on her track, and not daring to conceal27 itamongst her own belongings28, she contrived29 this hiding place. Later, sheobtained possession of the bag in which the boot was packed—only to dis-cover that the paper had vanished. Tell me, Miss March, you have broughtthis paper with you?”
The girl shook her head.
“It’s at my place of business. I run a beauty parlour in Bond Street. I amreally an agent for the ‘Cyclamen’ preparations in New York. That is why Ihad been over there. I thought the paper might be important, so I locked itup in the safe before coming out. Ought not Scotland Yard to know aboutit?”
“Yes, indeed.”
“Then shall we go there now, get it out, and take it straight to ScotlandYard?”
“I am very busy this afternoon,” said Tommy, adopting his professionalmanner and consulting his watch. “The Bishop30 of London wants me totake up a case for him. A very curious problem, concerning some vest-ments and two curates.”
“Then in that case,” said Miss March, rising, “I will go alone.”
Tommy raised a hand in protest.
“As I was about to say,” he said, “the Bishop must wait. I will leave a fewwords with Albert. I am convinced, Miss March, that until that paper hasbeen safely deposited with Scotland Yard you are in active danger.”
“Do you think so?” said the girl doubtfully.
“I don’t think so, I’m sure. Excuse me.” He scribbled31 some words on thepad in front of him, then tore off the leaf and folded it.
Taking his hat and stick, he intimated to the girl that he was ready to ac-company her. In the outer office he handed the folded paper to Albertwith an air of importance.
“I am called out on an urgent case. Explain that to his lordship if hecomes. Here are my notes on the case for Miss Robinson.”
“Very good, sir,” said Albert, playing up. “And what about the Duchess’spearls?”
Tommy waved his hand irritably32.
“That must wait also.”
He and Miss March hurried out. Halfway33 down the stairs they en-countered Tuppence coming up. Tommy passed her with a brusque: “Lateagain, Miss Robinson. I am called out on an important case.”
Tuppence stood still on the stairs and stared after them. Then, withraised eyebrows34, she went on up to the office.
As they reached the street, a taxi came sailing up to them. Tommy, onthe point of hailing it, changed his mind.
“Are you a good walker, Miss March?” he asked seriously.
“Yes, why? Hadn’t we better take that taxi? It will be quicker.”
“Perhaps you did not notice. That taxi driver has just refused a fare alittle lower down the street. He was waiting for us. Your enemies are onthe lookout35. If you feel equal to it, it would be better for us to walk to BondStreet. In the crowded streets they will not be able to attempt muchagainst us.”
“Very well,” said the girl, rather doubtfully.
They walked westwards. The streets, as Tommy had said, were crowded,and progress was slow. Tommy kept a sharp lookout. Occasionally hedrew the girl to one side with a quick gesture, though she herself had seennothing suspicious.
Suddenly glancing at her, he was seized with compunction.
“I say, you look awfully36 done up. The shock of that man. Come into thisplace and have a good cup of strong coffee. I suppose you wouldn’t hear ofa nip of brandy.”
The girl shook her head, with a faint smile.
“Coffee be it then,” said Tommy. “I think we can safely risk its beingpoisoned.”
They lingered some time over their coffee, and finally set off at a briskerpace.
“We’ve thrown them off, I think,” said Tommy, looking over hisshoulder.
Cyclamen Ltd was a small establishment in Bond Street, with pale pinktaffeta curtains, and one or two jars of face cream and a cake of soap dec-orating the window.
Cicely March entered, and Tommy followed. The place inside was tiny.
On the left was a glass counter with toilet preparations. Behind thiscounter was a middle-aged37 woman with grey hair and an exquisite38 com-plexion, who acknowledged Cicely March’s entrance with a faint inclina-tion of the head before continuing to talk to the customer she was serving.
This customer was a small dark woman. Her back was to them and theycould not see her face. She was speaking in slow difficult English. On theright was a sofa and a couple of chairs with some magazines on a table.
Here sat two men—apparently bored husbands waiting for their wives.
Cicely March passed straight on through a door at the end which sheheld ajar for Tommy to follow her. As he did so, the woman customer ex-claimed, “Ah, but I think that is an amico of mine,” and rushed after them,inserting her foot in the door just in time to prevent its closing. At thesame time the two men rose to their feet. One followed her through thedoor, the other advanced to the shop attendant and clapped his hand overher mouth to drown the scream rising to her lips.
In the meantime, things were happening rather quickly beyond theswing door. As Tommy passed through a cloth was flung over his head,and a sickly odour assailed40 his nostrils41. Almost as soon however, it wasjerked off again, and a woman’s scream rang out.
Tommy blinked a little and coughed as he took in the scene in front ofhim. On his right was the mysterious stranger of a few hours ago, andbusily fitting handcuffs upon him was one of the bored men from the shopparlour. Just in front of him was Cicely March wrestling vainly to free her-self, whilst the woman customer from the shop held her firmly pinioned42.
As the latter turned her head, and the veil she wore unfastened itself andfell off, the well-known features of Tuppence were revealed.
“Well done, Tuppence,” said Tommy, moving forward. “Let me give youa hand. I shouldn’t struggle if I were you, Miss O’Hara—or do you prefer tobe called Miss March?”
“This is Inspector43 Grace, Tommy,” said Tuppence. “As soon as I read thenote you left I rang up Scotland Yard, and Inspector Grace and anotherman met me outside here.”
“Very glad to get hold of this gentleman,” said the Inspector, indicatinghis prisoner. “He’s wanted badly. But we’ve never had cause to suspectthis place—thought it was a genuine beauty shop.”
“You see,” explained Tommy gently, “we do have to be so very careful!
Why should anyone want the Ambassador’s bag for an hour or so? I putthe question the other way round. Supposing it was the other bag that wasthe important one. Someone wanted that bag to be in the Ambassador’spossession for an hour or so. Much more illuminating44! Diplomatic luggageis not subjected to the indignities45 of a Customs examination. Clearly smug-gling. But smuggling46 of what? Nothing too bulky. At once I thought ofdrugs. Then that picturesque comedy was enacted47 in my office. They’dseen my advertisement and wanted to put me off the scent—or failingthat, out of the way altogether. But I happened to notice an expression ofblank dismay in the charming lady’s eyes when Albert did his lasso act.
That didn’t fit in very well with her supposed part. The stranger’s attackwas meant to assure my confidence in her. I played the part of the credu-lous sleuth with all my might—swallowed her rather impossible story andpermitted her to lure48 me here, carefully leaving behind full instructionsfor dealing49 with the situation. Under various pretexts50 I delayed our ar-rival, so as to give you all plenty of time.”
Cicely March was looking at him with a stony51 expression.
“You are mad. What do you expect to find here?”
“Remembering that Richards saw a tin of bath salts, what do you sayabout beginning with the bath salts, eh, Inspector?”
“A very sound idea, sir.”
He picked up one of the dainty pink tins, and emptied it on the table.
The girl laughed.
“Genuine crystals, eh?” said Tommy. “Nothing more deadly than car-bonate of soda52?”
“Try the safe,” suggested Tuppence.
There was a small wall safe in the corner. The key was in the lock.
Tommy swung it open and gave a shout of satisfaction. The back of thesafe opened out into a big recess53 in the wall, and that recess was stackedwith the same elegant tins of bath salts. Rows and rows of them. He tookone out and prised up the lid. The top showed the same pink crystals, butunderneath was a fine white powder.
The Inspector uttered an ejaculation.
“You’ve got it, sir. Ten to one, that tin’s full of pure cocaine54. We knewthere was a distributing area somewhere round here, handy to the WestEnd, but we haven’t been able to get a clue to it. This is a fine coup39 ofyours, sir.”
“Rather a triumph for Blunt’s Brilliant Detectives,” said Tommy to Tup-pence, as they emerged into the street together. “It’s a great thing to be amarried man. Your persistent55 schooling56 has at last taught me to recogniseperoxide when I see it. Golden hair has got to be the genuine article totake me in. We will concoct57 a businesslike letter to the Ambassador, in-forming him that the matter has been dealt with satisfactorily. And now,my dear fellow, what about tea, and lots of hot buttered muffins?”
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1
lone
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| adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的 | |
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sensational
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| adj.使人感动的，非常好的，轰动的，耸人听闻的 | |
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thriller
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| n.惊险片，恐怖片 | |
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ushered
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| v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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gasp
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| n.喘息，气喘；v.喘息；气吁吁他说 | |
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nomadic
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| adj.流浪的；游牧的 | |
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investigation
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| n.调查，调查研究 | |
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thwart
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| v.阻挠，妨碍，反对；adj.横(断的) | |
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stunned
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| adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
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miraculously
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| ad.奇迹般地 | |
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aperture
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| n.孔，隙，窄的缺口 | |
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yelp
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| vi.狗吠 | |
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backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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scorch
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| v.烧焦，烤焦；高速疾驶；n.烧焦处，焦痕 | |
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discomfited
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| v.使为难( discomfit的过去式和过去分词)；使狼狈；使挫折；挫败 | |
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shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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yelps
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| n.（因痛苦、气愤、兴奋等的）短而尖的叫声( yelp的名词复数 )v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的第三人称单数 ) | |
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slitting
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| n.纵裂（缝）v.切开，撕开( slit的现在分词 )；在…上开狭长口子 | |
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lining
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| n.衬里，衬料 | |
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groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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steward
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| n.乘务员，服务员；看管人；膳食管理员 | |
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intrigued
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| adj.好奇的，被迷住了的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的过去式)；激起…的兴趣或好奇心；“intrigue”的过去式和过去分词 | |
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maniac
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| n.精神癫狂的人；疯子 | |
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conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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belongings
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| n.私人物品，私人财物 | |
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contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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bishop
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| n.主教，（国际象棋）象 | |
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scribbled
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| v.潦草的书写( scribble的过去式和过去分词 )；乱画；草草地写；匆匆记下 | |
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irritably
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| ad.易生气地 | |
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halfway
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eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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lookout
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| n.注意，前途，瞭望台 | |
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awfully
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middle-aged
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exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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coup
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assailed
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| v.攻击( assail的过去式和过去分词 )；困扰；质问；毅然应对 | |
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nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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pinioned
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| v.抓住[捆住]（双臂）( pinion的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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inspector
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| n.检查员，监察员，视察员 | |
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illuminating
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| a.富于启发性的，有助阐明的 | |
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indignities
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| n.侮辱，轻蔑( indignity的名词复数 ) | |
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smuggling
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| n.走私 | |
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enacted
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| 制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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lure
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| n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引 | |
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dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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pretexts
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| n.借口，托辞( pretext的名词复数 ) | |
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stony
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| adj.石头的，多石头的，冷酷的，无情的 | |
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52
soda
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| n.苏打水；汽水 | |
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53
recess
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| n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处） | |
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54
cocaine
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| n.可卡因，古柯碱（用作局部麻醉剂） | |
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persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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schooling
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| n.教育；正规学校教育 | |
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concoct
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| v.调合，制造 | |
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