Ten THE CRACKLER

“Tuppence,” said Tommy. “We shall have to move into a much larger of-fice.”
“Nonsense,” said Tuppence. “You mustn’t get swollen-headed and thinkyou are a millionaire just because you solved two or three twopenny half-penny cases with the aid of the most amazing luck.”
“What some call luck, others call skill.”
“Of course, if you really think you are Sherlock Holmes, Thorndyke, Mc-Carty and the Brothers Okewood all rolled into one, there is no more to besaid. Personally I would much rather have luck on my side than all theskill in the world.”
“Perhaps there is something in that,” conceded Tommy. “All the same,Tuppence, we do need a larger office.”
“Why?”
“The classics,” said Tommy. “We need several hundreds of yards of ex-tra bookshelf if Edgar Wallace is to be properly represented.”
“We haven’t had an Edgar Wallace case yet.”
“I’m afraid we never shall,” said Tommy. “If you notice he never doesgive the amateur sleuth much of a chance. It is all stern Scotland Yardkind of stuff—the real thing and no base counterfeit¹.”
Albert, the office boy, appeared at the door.
“Inspector² Marriot to see you,” he announced.
“The mystery man of Scotland Yard,” murmured Tommy.
“The busiest of the Busies,” said Tuppence. “Or is it ‘Noses?’ I always getmixed between Busies and Noses.”
The Inspector advanced upon them with a beaming smile of welcome.
“Well, and how are things?” he asked breezily. “None the worse for ourlittle adventure the other day?”
“Oh, rather not,” said Tuppence. “Too, too marvellous, wasn’t it?”
“Well, I don’t know that I would describe it exactly that way myself,”
said Marriot cautiously.
“What has brought you here today, Marriot?” asked Tommy. “Not justsolicitude for our nervous systems, is it?”
“No,” said the Inspector. “It is work for the brilliant Mr. Blunt.”
“Ha!” said Tommy. “Let me put my brilliant expression on.”
“I have come to make you a proposition, Mr. Beresford. What would yousay to rounding up a really big gang?”
“Is there such a thing?” asked Tommy.
“What do you mean, is there such a thing?”
“I always thought that gangs were confined to fiction — like mastercrooks and super criminals.”

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