AgathaChristie-TheManInTheBrownSuit

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by The Man In The Brown Suit (lit)


  gave him misleading information."

  372

  "Excellent, my dear fellow, excellent," said

  Sir Eustance genially. "My mistake."

  I chanced to look at ChichesterPettigrew

  as he left the room. He was white to the lips, as though in deadly terror. No sooner was he

  outside, than Sir Eustace picked up a

  speaking-tube that rested by his elbow, and

  spoke down it. "That you, Schwart? Watch

  Minks. He's not to leave the house without

  orders."

  He put the speaking-tube down again, and

  frowned, slightly tapping the table with his

  hand.

  "May I ask you a few questions. Sir

  Eustace," I said, after a minute or two of

  silence.

  "Certainly. What excellent nerves you

  have, Anne! You are capable of taking an

  intelligent interest in things when most girls

  would be sniffing and wringing their hands."

  "Why did you take Harry as your secretary

  instead of giving him up to the police?"

  "I wanted those cursed diamonds. Nadina, the little devil, was playing off your Harry

  against me. Unless I gave her the price she

  wanted, she threatened to sell them back to

  him. That was another mistake I made--I

  thought she'd have them with her that day.

  373

  But she was too clever for that. Carton, her

  husband, was dead too—I'd no clue

  whatsoever as to where the diamonds were

  hidden. Then I managed to get a copy of a

  wireless message sent to Nadina by someone

  on board the Kilmorden— either Carton or

  Rayburn, I don't know which. It was a

  duplicate of that piece of paper you picked

  up. Seventeen one twenty two,' it ran. I took

  it to be an appointment with Rayburn, and

  when he was so desperate to get aboard the

  Kilmorden I was convinced that I was right.

  So I pretended to swallow his statements, and

  let him come. I kept a pretty sharp watch

  upon him and hoped that I should learn

  more. Then I found Minks trying to play a

  lone hand, and interfering with me. I soon

  stopped that. He came to heel all right. It was

  annoying not getting Cabin 17, and it

  worried me not being able to place you. Were

  you the innocent young girl you seemed, or

  were you not? When Rayburn set out to keep

  the appointment that night. Minks was told

  off to intercept him. Minks muffed it, of

  • •

  course."

  "But why did the wireless message say

  'seventeen' instead of 'seventy-one'?"

  "I've thought that out. Carton must have

  374

  given that wireless operator his own

  memorandum to copy off on to a form, and

  he never read the copy through. The operator

  made the same mistake we all did, and read it

  as 17.1.22 instead of 1.71.22. The thing I

  don't know is how Minks got on to Cabin 17.

  It must have been sheer instinct."

  "And the dispatch to General Smuts? Who

  tampered with that?"

  "My dear Anne, you don't suppose I was

  going to have a lot of my plans given away,

  without making an effort to save them? With

  an escaped murderer as a secretary, I had no

  hesitation whatever in substituting blanks.

  Nobody would think of suspecting poor old

  Pedler."

  "What about Colonel Race?"

  "Yes, that was a nasty jar. When Pagett

  told me he was a Secret Service fellow, I had

  an unpleasant feeling down the spine. I

  remembered that he'd been nosing around

  Nadina in Paris during the War—and I had a

  horrible suspicion that he was out after me I

  don't like the way he's stuck to me ever since.

  He's one of those strong, silent men who have

  always got something up their sleeve."

  A whistle sounded. Sir Eustace picked up

  375

  the tube, listened for a minute or two, then

  answered:

  "Very well, I'll see him now."

  "Business," he remarked. "Miss Anne, let

  me show you your room."

  He ushered me into a small shabby

  apartment, a Kafir boy brought up my small

  suit-case, and Sir Eustace, urged me to ask for

  anything I wanted, withdrew, the picture of a

  courteous host. A can of hot water was on the

  washstand, and I proceeded to unpack a few

  necessaries. Something hard and unfamiliar

  in my sponge-bag puzzled me greatly. I

  untied the string and looked inside.

  To my utter amazement I drew out a small

  pearl-handled revolver. It hadn't been there

  when I started from Kimberley. I examined

  the thing gingerly. It appeared to be loaded.

  I handled it with a comfortable feeling. It

  was a useful thing to have in a house such as

  this. But modern clothes are quite unsuited to

  the carrying of fire-arms. In the end I pushed

  it gingerly into the top of my stocking. It

  made a terrible bulge, and I expected every

  minute that it would go off and shoot me in

  the leg, but it really seemed the only place.

  376

  33

  I WAS not summoned to Sir Eustace's

  presence until late in the afternoon.

  Eleven-o'clock tea and a substantial lunch

  had been served to me in my own apartment,

  and I felt fortified for further conflict.

  Sir Eustace was alone. He was walking up

  and down the room, there was a gleam in his

  eye and a restlessness in his manner which

  did not escape me. He was exultant about

  something. There was a subtle change in his

  manner towards me.

  "I have news for you. Your young man is

  on his way. He will be here in a few minutes.

  Moderate your transports—1 have something

  more to say. You attempted to deceive me

  this morning. I warned you that you would

  be wise to stick to the truth, and up to a

  certain point you obeyed me. Then you ran

  off the rails. You attempted to make me

  believe that the diamonds were in Harry

  Rayburn's possession. At the time I accepted

  your statement because it facilitated my

  task—the task of inducing you to decoy Harry

  377

  Rayburn here. But, my dear Anne, the

  diamonds have been in my possession ever

  since I left the Falls--though I only discovered

  the fact yesterday."

  "You know!" I gasped.

  "It may interest you to hear that it was

  Pagett who gave the show away. He insisted

  on boring me with a long pointless story

  about a wager and a tin of films. It didn't take

  me long to put two and two together--Miss

  B lair's distrust of Colonel Race, her agitation,

  her entreaty that I would take care of her

  souvenirs for her. The excellent Pagett had

  already unfastened the cases through an

  excess of zeal. Before leaving the hotel, I

  simply transferred all the rolls of films to my


  own pocket. They are in the corner there. I

  admit that I haven't had time to examine

  them yet, but I notice that one is of a totally

  different weight to the the others, rattles in a

  peculiar fashion, and has evidently been stuck

  down with seccotine, which will necessitate

  the use of a tin-opener. The cases seems clear, does it not? And now, you see, I have you

  both nicely in the trap.... It's a pity that you

  didn't take kindly to the idea of becoming

  Lady Pedler."

  I did not answer. I stood looking at him.

  378

  There was the sound of feet on the stairs,

  the door was flung open, and Harry Rayburn

  was hustled into the room between two men.

  Sir Eustace flung me a look of triumph.

  "According to plan," he said softly. "You

  amateurs will pit yourselves against

  professionals."

  "What's the meaning of this?" cried Harry

  hoarsely.

  "It means that you have walked into my

  parlour—said the spider to the fly," remarked

  Sir Eustace facetiously. "My dear Rayburn,

  you are extraordinarily unlucky."

  "You said I could come safely, Anne?"

  "Do not reproach her, my dear fellow.

  That note was written at my dictation, and

  the lady could not help herself. She would

  have been wiser not to write it, but I did not

  tell her so at the time. You followed her

  instructions, went to the curio-shop, were

  taken through the secret passage from the

  back room—and found yourself in the hands

  of your enemies!"

  Harry looked at me. I understood his

  glance and edged nearer to Sir Eustace.

  "Yes," murmured the latter, "decidedly

  you are not lucky! This is—let me see, the

  third encounter."

  TMITBS25 379

  & E

  "You are right," said Harry. "This is the

  third encounter. Twice you have worsted

  me—have you ever heard that the third time

  the luck changes? This is my round—cover

  him, Anne."

  I was all ready. In a flash I had whipped the

  pistol out of my stocking and was holding it

  to his head. The two men guarding Harry

  sprang forward, but his voice stopped them.

  "Another step—and he dies! If they come

  any nearer, Anne, pull the trigger—don't

  hesitate."

  "I shan't," I replied cheerfully. "I'm rather

  afraid of pulling it, anyway."

  I think Sir Eustace shared my fears. He was

  certainly shaking like a jelly.

  "Stay where you are," he commanded, and

  the men stopped obediently.

  "Tell them to leave the room," said Harry.

  Sir Eustace gave the order. The men filed

  out, and Harry shot the bolt across the door

  behind them.

  "Now we can talk," he observed grimly,

  and, coming across the room, he took the

  revolver out of my hand.

  Sir Eustace uttered a sigh of relief and

  wiped his forehead with a handkerchief.

  "I'm shockingly out of condition," he

  380

  observed. "I think I must have a weak heart. I

  am glad that revolver is in competent hands. I

  didn't trust Miss Anne with it. Well, my

  young friend, as you say, now we can talk.

  I'm willing to admit that you stole a march

  upon me. Where the devil that revolver came

  from I don't know. I had the girl's luggage

  searched when she arrived. And where did

  you produce it from now? You hadn't got it

  on you a minute ago?"

  "Yes, I had," I replied. "It was in my

  stocking."

  "I don't know enough about women. I

  ought to have studied them more," said Sir

  Eustace sadly. <
  have known that?"

  Harry rapped sharply on the table.

  "Don't play the fool. If it weren't for your

  grey hairs, I'd throw you out of the window.

  You damned scoundrel! Grey hairs, or no

  grey hairs, I----"

  He advanced a step or two, and Sir Eustace

  skipped nimbly behind the table.

  "The young are always so violent," he said

  reproachfully. "Unable to use their brains, they rely solely on their muscles. Let us talk

  sense. For the moment you have 'the upper

  hand. But that state of affairs cannot

  . 381 .

  continue. The house is full of my men. You

  are hopelessly outnumbered. Your momentary

  ascendancy has been gained by an

  accident----"

  "Has it?"

  Something in Harry's voice, a grim raillery,

  seemed to attract Sir Eustace's attention. He

  stared at him.

  "Has it?" said Harry again. "Sit down. Sir

  Eustace, and listen to what I have to say." Still covering him with the revolver, he went

  on: "The cards are against you this time. To

  begin with, listen to thatV

  That was a dull banging at the door below.

  There were shouts, oaths, and then a sound

  of firing. Sir Eustace paled.

  "What's that?"

  "Race--and his people. You didn't know,

  did you, Sir Eustace, that Anne had an

  arrangement with me by which we should

  know whether communications from one to

  the other were genuine? Telegrams were to

  be signed 'Andy,' letters were to have the

  word 'and' crossed out somewhere in them.

  Anne knew that your telegram was a fake. She

  came here of her own free will, walked

  deliberately into the snare, in the hope that

  she might catch you in your own trap. Before

  382

  leaving Kimberley she wired both to me

  and to Race. Mrs. Blair has been in

  communication with us ever since. I received

  the letter written at your dictation, which was

  just what I expected. I had already discussed

  the probabilities of a secret passage leading

  out of the curio-shop with Race, and he had

  discovered the place where the exit was

  situated."

  There was a screaming, tearing sound, and

  a heavy explosion which shook the room.

  "They're shelling this part of the town. I

  must get you out of here, Anne."

  A bright light flared up. The house

  opposite was on fire. Sir Eustace had risen

  and was pacing up and down. Harry kept him

  covered with the revolver.

  "So you see. Sir Eustace, the game is up. It

  was you yourself who very kindly provided us

  with the clue of your whereabouts. Race's

  men were watching the exit of the secret

  passage. In spite of the precautions you took,

  they were successful in following me here."

  Sir Eustace turned suddenly.

  "Very clever. Very creditable. But I've still

  a word to say. If I've lost the trick, so have

  you. You'll never be able to bring the murder

  of Nadina home to me. I was in Marlow on

  383

  i,

  that day, that's all you've got against me. No

  one can prove that I even kn
ew the woman.

  But you knew her, you had a motive for

  killing her—and your record's against you.

  You're a thief, remember, a thief. There's

  one thing you don't know, perhaps. I've got

  the diamonds. And here goes——"

  With an incredibly swift movement, he

  stooped, swung up his arm and threw. There

  was a tinkle of breaking glass, as the object

  went through the window and disappeared

  into the blazing mass opposite.

  "There goes your only hope of establishing

  your innocence over the Kimberley affair.

  And now we'll talk. I'll drive a bargain with

  you. You've got me cornered. Race will find

  all he needs in this house. There's a chance

  for me if I can get away. I'm done for if I stay,

  but so are you, young man! There's a skylight

  in the next room. A couple of minutes' start

  and I shall be all right. I've got one or two

  little arrangements all ready made. You let

  me out that way, and give me a start—and I

  leave you a signed confession that I killed

  Nadina."

  "Yes, Harry," I cried. "Yes, yes, yes!"

  He turned a stern face on me.

  384

  "No, Anne, a thousand times, no. You

  don't know what you're saying."

  "I do. It solves everything."

  "I'd never be able to look Race in the face

  again. I'll take my chance, but I'm damned if

  I'll let this slippery old fox get away. It's no

  good, Anne. I won't do it."

  Sir Eustace chuckled. He accepted defeat

  without the least emotion.

  "Well, well," he remarked. "You seem to

  have met your master, Anne. But I can assure

  you both that moral rectitude does not always

  pay."

  There was a crash of rending wood, and

  footsteps surged up the stairs. Harry drew

  back the bolt. Colonel Race was the first to

  enter the room. His face lit at the sight of us.

  "You're safe, Anne. I was afraid——" He

  turned to Sir Eustace. "I've been after you for

  a long time, Pedler—and at last I've got you."

  "Everybody seems to have gone completely

  mad," declared Sir Eustace airily. "These

  young people have been threatening me with

  revolvers and accusing me of the most

  shocking things. I don't know what it's all

  about."

  "Don't you? It means that I've found the

  'Colonel.' It means that on January 8th last

  385

  you were not at Cannes, but at Marlow. It

 

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