The Secret Adversary (Tommy & Tuppence 1)

“That contingency is likely to be a remote one,” said the other dryly.

“I guess you’re right,” said Julius frankly. “And, in any case, it’s theoriginal I’m out after. Where do you think she can be, Sir James?”

The lawyer shook his head.

“Impossible to say. But I’ve a very good idea where she _has_ been.”

“You have? Where?”

Sir James smiled.

“At the scene of your nocturnal adventures, the Bournemouth nursinghome.”

“There? Impossible. I asked.”

“No, my dear sir, you asked if anyone of the name of Jane Finn had beenthere. Now, if the girl had been placed there it would almost certainlybe under an assumed name.”

“Bully for you,” cried Julius. “I never thought of that!”

“It was fairly obvious,” said the other.

“Perhaps the doctor’s in it too,” suggested Tuppence.

Julius shook his head.

“I don’t think so. I took to him at once. No, I’m pretty sure Dr. Hall’sall right.”

“Hall, did you say?” asked Sir James. “That is curious--really verycurious.”

“Why?” demanded Tuppence.

“Because I happened to meet him this morning. I’ve known him slightly onand off for some years, and this morning I ran across him in the street.Staying at the _Métropole_, he told me.” He turned to Julius. “Didn’the tell you he was coming up to town?”

Julius shook his head.

“Curious,” mused Sir James. “You did not mention his name thisafternoon, or I would have suggested your going to him for furtherinformation with my card as introduction.”

“I guess I’m a mutt,” said Julius with unusual humility. “I ought tohave thought of the false name stunt.”

“How could you think of anything after falling out of that tree?” criedTuppence. “I’m sure anyone else would have been killed right off.”

“Well, I guess it doesn’t matter now, anyway,” said Julius. “We’ve gotMrs. Vandemeyer on a string, and that’s all we need.”

“Yes,” said Tuppence, but there was a lack of assurance in her voice.

A silence settled down over the party. Little by little the magic ofthe night began to gain a hold on them. There were sudden creaks of thefurniture, imperceptible rustlings in the curtains. Suddenly Tuppencesprang up with a cry.

“I can’t help it. I know Mr. Brown’s somewhere in the flat! I can _feel_him.”

“Sure, Tuppence, how could he be? This door’s open into the hall. Noone could have come in by the front door without our seeing and hearinghim.”

“I can’t help it. I _feel_ he’s here!”

She looked appealingly at Sir James, who replied gravely:

“With due deference to your feelings, Miss Tuppence (and mine as wellfor that matter), I do not see how it is humanly possible for anyone tobe in the flat without our knowledge.”

The girl was a little comforted by his words.

“Sitting up at night is always rather jumpy,” she confessed.

“Yes,” said Sir James. “We are in the condition of people holding aséance. Perhaps if a medium were present we might get some marvellousresults.”

“Do you believe in spiritualism?” asked Tuppence, opening her eyes wide.

The lawyer shrugged his shoulders.

“There is some truth in it, without a doubt. But most of the testimonywould not pass muster in the witness-box.”

The hours drew on. With the first faint glimmerings of dawn, Sir Jamesdrew aside the curtains. They beheld, what few Londoners see, the slowrising of the sun over the sleeping city. Somehow, with the comingof the light, the dreads and fancies of the past night seemed absurd.Tuppence’s spirits revived to the normal.

“Hooray!” she said. “It’s going to be a gorgeous day. And we shall findTommy. And Jane Finn. And everything will be lovely. I shall ask Mr.Carter if I can’t be made a Dame!”

At seven o’clock Tuppence volunteered to go and make some tea. Shereturned with a tray, containing the teapot and four cups.

“Who’s the other cup for?” inquired Julius.

“The prisoner, of course. I suppose we might call her that?”

“Taking her tea seems a kind of anticlimax to last night,” said Juliusthoughtfully.

“Yes, it does,” admitted Tuppence. “But, anyway, here goes. Perhapsyou’d both come, too, in case she springs on me, or anything. You see,we don’t know what mood she’ll wake up in.”

Sir James and Julius accompanied her to the door.

“Where’s the key? Oh, of course, I’ve got it myself.”

She put it in the lock, and turned it, then paused.

“Supposing, after all, she’s escaped?” she murmured in a whisper.

“Plumb impossible,” replied Julius reassuringly.

But Sir James said nothing.

Tuppence drew a long breath and entered. She heaved a sigh of relief asshe saw that Mrs. Vandemeyer was lying on the bed.

“Good morning,” she remarked cheerfully. “I’ve brought you some tea.”

Mrs. Vandemeyer did not reply. Tuppence put down the cup on the tableby the bed and went across to draw up the blinds. When she turned, Mrs.Vandemeyer still lay without a movement. With a sudden fear clutchingat her heart, Tuppence ran to the bed. The hand she lifted was cold asice.... Mrs. Vandemeyer would never speak now....

Her cry brought the others. A very few minutes sufficed. Mrs. Vandemeyerwas dead--must have been dead some hours. She had evidently died in hersleep.

“If that isn’t the cruellest luck,” cried Julius in despair.

The lawyer was calmer, but there was a curious gleam in his eyes.

“If it is luck,” he replied.

“You don’t think--but, say, that’s plumb impossible--no one could havegot in.”

“No,” admitted the lawyer. “I don’t see how they could. And yet--she ison the point of betraying Mr. Brown, and--she dies. Is it only chance?”

“But how----”

“Yes, _how!_ That is what we must find out.” He stood there silently,gently stroking his chin. “We must find out,” he said quietly, andTuppence felt that if she was Mr. Brown she would not like the tone ofthose simple words.

Julius’s glance went to the window.

“The window’s open,” he remarked. “Do you think----”

>

Tuppence shook her head.

“The balcony only goes along as far as the boudoir. We were there.”

“He might have slipped out----” suggested Julius.

But Sir James interrupted him.

“Mr. Brown’s methods are not so crude. In the meantime we must send fora doctor, but before we do so, is there anything in this room that mightbe of value to us?”

Hastily, the three searched. A charred mass in the grate indicatedthat Mrs. Vandemeyer had been burning papers on the eve of her flight.Nothing of importance remained, though they searched the other rooms aswell.

“There’s that,” said Tuppence suddenly, pointing to a small,old-fashioned safe let into the wall. “It’s for jewellery, I believe,but there might be something else in it.”

The key was in the lock, and Julius swung open the door, and searchedinside. He was some time over the task.

“Well,” said Tuppence impatiently.

There was a pause before Julius answered, then he withdrew his head andshut to the door.

“Nothing,” he said.

In five minutes a brisk young doctor arrived, hastily summoned. He wasdeferential to Sir James, whom he recognized.

“Heart failure, or possibly an overdose of some sleeping-draught.” Hesniffed. “Rather an odour of chloral in the air.”

Tuppence remembered the glass she had upset. A new thought drove her tothe washstand. She found the little bottle from which Mrs. Vandemeyerhad poured a few drops.

It had been three parts full. Now-- _it was empty_.