CHAPTER IX. TUPPENCE ENTERS DOMESTIC SERVICE
WHEN Tommy set forth on the trail of the two men, it took all Tuppence’sself-command to refrain from accompanying him. However, she containedherself as best she might, consoled by the reflection that her reasoninghad been justified by events. The two men had undoubtedly come from thesecond floor flat, and that one slender thread of the name “Rita” hadset the Young Adventurers once more upon the track of the abductors ofJane Finn.
The question was what to do next? Tuppence hated letting the grass growunder her feet. Tommy was amply employed, and debarred from joining himin the chase, the girl felt at a loose end. She retraced her stepsto the entrance hall of the mansions. It was now tenanted by a smalllift-boy, who was polishing brass fittings, and whistling the latest airwith a good deal of vigour and a reasonable amount of accuracy.
He glanced round at Tuppence’s entry. There was a certain amount of thegamin element in the girl, at all events she invariably got on wellwith small boys. A sympathetic bond seemed instantly to be formed. Shereflected that an ally in the enemy’s camp, so to speak, was not to bedespised.
“Well, William,” she remarked cheerfully, in the best approvedhospital-early-morning style, “getting a good shine up?”
The boy grinned responsively.
“Albert, miss,” he corrected.
“Albert be it,” said Tuppence. She glanced mysteriously round the hall.The effect was purposely a broad one in case Albert should miss it. Sheleaned towards the boy and dropped her voice: “I want a word with you,Albert.”
Albert ceased operations on the fittings and opened his mouth slightly.
“Look! Do you know what this is?” With a dramatic gesture she flung backthe left side of her coat and exposed a small enamelled badge. It wasextremely unlikely that Albert would have any knowledge of it--indeed,it would have been fatal for Tuppence’s plans, since the badge inquestion was the device of a local training corps originated by thearchdeacon in the early days of the war. Its presence in Tuppence’s coatwas due to the fact that she had used it for pinning in some flowers aday or two before. But Tuppence had sharp eyes, and had noted the cornerof a threepenny detective novel protruding from Albert’s pocket, and theimmediate enlargement of his eyes told her that her tactics were good,and that the fish would rise to the bait.
“American Detective Force!” she hissed.
Albert fell for it.
“Lord!” he murmured ecstatically.
Tuppence nodded at him with the air of one who has established athorough understanding.
“Know who I’m after?” she inquired genially.
Albert, still round-eyed, demanded breathlessly:
“One of the flats?”
Tuppence nodded and jerked a thumb up the stairs.
“No. 20. Calls herself Vandemeyer. Vandemeyer! Ha! ha!”
Albert’s hand stole to his pocket.
“A crook?” he queried eagerly.
“A crook? I should say so. Ready Rita they call her in the States.”
“Ready Rita,” repeated Albert deliriously. “Oh, ain’t it just like thepictures!”
It was. Tuppence was a great frequenter of the cinema.
“Annie always said as how she was a bad lot,” continued the boy.
“Who’s Annie?” inquired Tuppence idly.
“‘Ouse-parlourmaid. She’s leaving to-day. Many’s the time Annie’s saidto me: ‘Mark my words, Albert, I wouldn’t wonder if the police was tocome after her one of these days.’ Just like that. But she’s a stunnerto look at, ain’t she?”
“She’s some peach,” allowed Tuppence carelessly. “Finds it useful in herlay-out, you bet. Has she been wearing any of the emeralds, by the way?”
“Emeralds? Them’s the green stones, isn’t they?”
Tuppence nodded.
“That’s what we’re after her for. You know old man Rysdale?”
Albert shook his head.
“Peter B. Rysdale, the oil king?”
“It seems sort of familiar to me.”
“The sparklers belonged to him. Finest collection of emeralds in theworld. Worth a million dollars!”
“Lumme!” came ecstatically from Albert. “It sounds more like thepictures every minute.”
Tuppence smiled, gratified at the success of her efforts.
“We haven’t exactly proved it yet. But we’re after her. And”--sheproduced a long-drawn-out wink--“I guess she won’t get away with thegoods this time.”
Albert uttered another ejaculation indicative of delight.
“Mind you, sonny, not a word of this,” said Tuppence suddenly. “I guessI oughtn’t to have put you wise, but in the States we know a real smartlad when we see one.”
“I’ll not breathe a word,” protested Albert eagerly. “Ain’t thereanything I could do? A bit of shadowing, maybe, or such like?”
Tuppence affected to consider, then shook her head.
“Not at the moment, but I’ll bear you in mind, son. What’s this aboutthe girl you say is leaving?”
“Annie? Regular turn up, they ‘ad. As Annie said, servants is some onenowadays, and to be treated accordingly, and, what with her passing theword round, she won’t find it so easy to get another.”
“Won’t she?” said Tuppence thoughtfully. “I wonder----”
An idea was dawning in her brain. She thought a minute or two, thentapped Albert on the shoulder.
“See here, son, my brain’s got busy. How would it be if you mentionedthat you’d got a young cousin, or a friend of yours had, that might suitthe place. You get me?”
“I’m there,” said Albert instantly. “You leave it to me, miss, and I’llfix the whole thing up in two ticks.”
“Some lad!” commented Tuppence, with a nod of approval. “You might saythat the young woman could come in right away. You let me know, and ifit’s O.K. I’ll be round to-morrow at eleven o’clock.”
“Where am I to let you know to?”
“_Ritz_,” replied Tuppence laconically. “Name of Cowley.”
Albert eyed her enviously.
“It must be a good job, this tec business.”
“It sure is,” drawled Tuppence, “especially when old man Rysdale backsthe bill. But don’t fret, son. If this goes well, you shall come in onthe ground floor.”
With which promise she took leave of her new ally, and walked brisklyaway from South Audley Mansions, well pleased with her morning’s work.
But there was no time to be lost. She went straight back to the _Ritz_and wrote a few brief words to Mr. Carter. Having dispatched this, andTommy not having yet returned--which did not surprise her--she startedoff on a shopping expedition which, with an interval for tea andassorted creamy cakes, occupied her until well after six o’clock, andshe returned to the hotel jaded, but satisfied with her purchases.Starting with a cheap clothing store, and passing through one or twosecond-hand establishments, she had finished the day at a well-knownhairdresser’s. Now, in the seclusion of her bedroom, she unwrappedthat final purchase. Five minutes later she smiled contentedly at herreflection in the glass. With an actress’s pencil she had slightlyaltered the line of her eyebrows, and that, taken in conjunction withthe new luxuriant growth of fair hair above, so changed her appearancethat she felt confident that even if she came face to face withWhittington he would not recognize her. She would wear elevators in hershoes, and the cap and apron would be an even more valuable disguise.From hospital experience she knew only too well that a nurse out ofuniform is frequently unrecognized by her patients.
“Yes,” said Tuppence aloud, nodding at the pert reflection in the glass,“you’ll do.” She then resumed her normal appearance.