AgathaChristie-TheManInTheBrownSuit
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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
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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.
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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