Reading Help Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie. Ch.I-XIII
"Julius P. Hersheimmer!" `
` `
` "We never told Mr. Carter about hearing from him." `
` `
` "Well, there wasn't much to tell--not till we've seen him. Come `
` on, we'd better take a taxi." `
` `
` "Now who's being extravagant?" `
` `
` "All expenses paid, remember. Hop in." `
` `
` "At any rate, we shall make a better effect arriving this way," `
` said Tuppence, leaning back luxuriously. "I'm sure blackmailers `
` never arrive in buses!" `
` `
` "We've ceased being blackmailers," Tommy pointed out. `
` `
` "I'm not sure I have," said Tuppence darkly. `
` `
` On inquiring for Mr. Hersheimmer, they were at once taken up to `
` his suite. An impatient voice cried "Come in" in answer to the `
` page-boy's knock, and the lad stood aside to let them pass in. `
` `
` Mr. Julius P. Hersheimmer was a great deal younger than either `
` Tommy or Tuppence had pictured him. The girl put him down as `
` thirty-five. He was of middle height, and squarely built to match `
` his jaw. His face was pugnacious but pleasant. No one could have `
` mistaken him for anything but an American, though he spoke with `
` very little accent. `
` `
` "Get my note? Sit down and tell me right away all you know about `
` my cousin." `
` `
` "Your cousin?" `
` `
` "Sure thing. Jane Finn." `
` `
` "Is she your cousin?" `
` `
` "My father and her mother were brother and sister," explained Mr. `
` Hersheimmer meticulously. `
` `
` "Oh!" cried Tuppence. "Then you know where she is?" `
` `
` "No!" Mr. Hersheimmer brought down his fist with a bang on the `
` table. "I'm darned if I do! Don't you?" `
` `
` "We advertised to receive information, not to give it," said `
` Tuppence severely. `
` `
` "I guess I know that. I can read. But I thought maybe it was `
` her back history you were after, and that you'd know where she `
` was now?" `
` `
` "Well, we wouldn't mind hearing her back history," said Tuppence `
` guardedly. `
` `
` But Mr. Hersheimmer seemed to grow suddenly suspicious. `
` `
` "See here," he declared. "This isn't Sicily! No demanding `
` ransom or threatening to crop her ears if I refuse. These are the `
` British Isles, so quit the funny business, or I'll just sing out `
` for that beautiful big British policeman I see out there in `
` Piccadilly." `
` `
` Tommy hastened to explain. `
` `
` "We haven't kidnapped your cousin. On the contrary, we're trying `
` to find her. We're employed to do so." `
` `
` Mr. Hersheimmer leant back in his chair. `
` `
` "Put me wise," he said succinctly. `
` `
` Tommy fell in with this demand in so far as he gave him a guarded `
` version of the disappearance of Jane Finn, and of the possibility `
` of her having been mixed up unawares in "some political show." He `
` alluded to Tuppence and himself as "private inquiry agents" `
` commissioned to find her, and added that they would therefore be `
` glad of any details Mr. Hersheimmer could give them. `
` `
` That gentleman nodded approval. `
` `
` "I guess that's all right. I was just a mite hasty. But London `
` gets my goat! I only know little old New York. Just trot out `
` your questions and I'll answer." `
` `
` For the moment this paralysed the Young Adventurers, but `
` Tuppence, recovering herself, plunged boldly into the breach with `
` a reminiscence culled from detective fiction. `
` `
` "When did you last see the dece--your cousin, I mean?" `
` `
` "Never seen her," responded Mr. Hersheimmer. `
` `
` "What?" demanded Tommy, astonished. `
` `
` Hersheimmer turned to him. `
` `
` "No, sir. As I said before, my father and her mother were `
` brother and sister, just as you might be"--Tommy did not correct `
` this view of their relationship--"but they didn't always get on `
` together. And when my aunt made up her mind to marry Amos Finn, `
` who was a poor school teacher out West, my father was just mad! `
` Said if he made his pile, as he seemed in a fair way to do, she'd `
` never see a cent of it. Well, the upshot was that Aunt Jane went `
` out West and we never heard from her again. `
` `
` "The old man DID pile it up. He went into oil, and he went into `
` steel, and he played a bit with railroads, and I can tell you he `
` made Wall Street sit up!" He paused. "Then he died--last `
` fall--and I got the dollars. Well, would you believe it, my `
` conscience got busy! Kept knocking me up and saying: What `
` abour{sic} your Aunt Jane, way out West? It worried me some. You `
` see, I figured it out that Amos Finn would never make good. He `
` wasn't the sort. End of it was, I hired a man to hunt her down. `
` Result, she was dead, and Amos Finn was dead, but they'd left a `
` daughter--Jane--who'd been torpedoed in the Lusitania on her way `
` to Paris. She was saved all right, but they didn't seem able to `
` hear of her over this side. I guessed they weren't hustling any, `
` so I thought I'd come along over, and speed things up. I phoned `
` Scotland Yard and the Admiralty first thing. The Admiralty `
` rather choked me off, but Scotland Yard were very civil--said `
` they would make inquiries, even sent a man round this morning to `
` get her photograph. I'm off to Paris to-morrow, just to see what `
` the Prefecture is doing. I guess if I go to and fro hustling `
` them, they ought to get busy!" `
` `
` The energy of Mr. Hersheimmer was tremendous. They bowed before `
` it. `
` `
` "But say now," he ended, "you're not after her for anything? `
` Contempt of court, or something British? A proud-spirited young `
` American girl might find your rules and regulations in war time `
` rather irksome, and get up against it. If that's the case, and `
` there's such a thing as graft in this country, I'll buy her off." `
` `
` Tuppence reassured him. `
` `
` "That's good. Then we can work together. What about some lunch? `
` Shall we have it up here, or go down to the restaurant?" `
` `
` Tuppence expressed a preference for the latter, and Julius bowed `
` to her decision. `
` `
` Oysters had just given place to Sole Colbert when a card was `
` brought to Hersheimmer. `
` `
` "Inspector Japp, C.I.D. Scotland Yard again. Another man this `
` time. What does he expect I can tell him that I didn't tell the `
` first chap? I hope they haven't lost that photograph. That `
` Western photographer's place was burned down and all his `
` negatives destroyed--this is the only copy in existence. I got it `
` from the principal of the college there." `
` `
` An unformulated dread swept over Tuppence. `
` `
` "You--you don't know the name of the man who came this morning?" `
` `
` "Yes, I do. No, I don't. Half a second. It was on his card. `
` Oh, I know! Inspector Brown. Quiet, unassuming sort of chap." `
` `
` `
` `
` CHAPTER VI `
` `
` A PLAN OF CAMPAIGN `
` `
` A veil might with profit be drawn over the events of the next `
` half-hour. Suffice it to say that no such person as "Inspector `
` Brown" was known to Scotland Yard. The photograph of Jane Finn, `
` which would have been of the utmost value to the police in `
` tracing her, was lost beyond recovery. Once again "Mr. Brown" had `
` triumphed. `
` `
` The immediate result of this set back was to effect a `
` rapprochement between Julius Hersheimmer and the Young `
` Adventurers. All barriers went down with a crash, and Tommy and `
` Tuppence felt they had known the young American all their lives. `
` They abandoned the discreet reticence of "private inquiry `
` agents," and revealed to him the whole history of the joint `
` venture, whereat the young man declared himself "tickled to `
` death." `
` `
` He turned to Tuppence at the close of the narration. `
` `
` "I've always had a kind of idea that English girls were just a `
` mite moss-grown. Old-fashioned and sweet, you know, but scared to `
` move round without a footman or a maiden aunt. I guess I'm a bit `
` behind the times!" `
` `
` The upshot of these confidential relations was that Tommy and `
` Tuppence took up their abode forthwith at the Ritz, in order, as `
` Tuppence put it, to keep in touch with Jane Finn's only living `
` relation. "And put like that," she added confidentially to Tommy, `
` "nobody could boggle at the expense!" `
` `
` Nobody did, which was the great thing. `
` `
` "And now," said the young lady on the morning after their `
` installation, "to work!" `
`
` `
` "We never told Mr. Carter about hearing from him." `
` `
` "Well, there wasn't much to tell--not till we've seen him. Come `
` on, we'd better take a taxi." `
` `
` "Now who's being extravagant?" `
` `
` "All expenses paid, remember. Hop in." `
` `
` "At any rate, we shall make a better effect arriving this way," `
` said Tuppence, leaning back luxuriously. "I'm sure blackmailers `
` never arrive in buses!" `
` `
` "We've ceased being blackmailers," Tommy pointed out. `
` `
` "I'm not sure I have," said Tuppence darkly. `
` `
` On inquiring for Mr. Hersheimmer, they were at once taken up to `
` his suite. An impatient voice cried "Come in" in answer to the `
` page-boy's knock, and the lad stood aside to let them pass in. `
` `
` Mr. Julius P. Hersheimmer was a great deal younger than either `
` Tommy or Tuppence had pictured him. The girl put him down as `
` thirty-five. He was of middle height, and squarely built to match `
` his jaw. His face was pugnacious but pleasant. No one could have `
` mistaken him for anything but an American, though he spoke with `
` very little accent. `
` `
` "Get my note? Sit down and tell me right away all you know about `
` my cousin." `
` `
` "Your cousin?" `
` `
` "Sure thing. Jane Finn." `
` `
` "Is she your cousin?" `
` `
` "My father and her mother were brother and sister," explained Mr. `
` Hersheimmer meticulously. `
` `
` "Oh!" cried Tuppence. "Then you know where she is?" `
` `
` "No!" Mr. Hersheimmer brought down his fist with a bang on the `
` table. "I'm darned if I do! Don't you?" `
` `
` "We advertised to receive information, not to give it," said `
` Tuppence severely. `
` `
` "I guess I know that. I can read. But I thought maybe it was `
` her back history you were after, and that you'd know where she `
` was now?" `
` `
` "Well, we wouldn't mind hearing her back history," said Tuppence `
` guardedly. `
` `
` But Mr. Hersheimmer seemed to grow suddenly suspicious. `
` `
` "See here," he declared. "This isn't Sicily! No demanding `
` ransom or threatening to crop her ears if I refuse. These are the `
` British Isles, so quit the funny business, or I'll just sing out `
` for that beautiful big British policeman I see out there in `
` Piccadilly." `
` `
` Tommy hastened to explain. `
` `
` "We haven't kidnapped your cousin. On the contrary, we're trying `
` to find her. We're employed to do so." `
` `
` Mr. Hersheimmer leant back in his chair. `
` `
` "Put me wise," he said succinctly. `
` `
` Tommy fell in with this demand in so far as he gave him a guarded `
` version of the disappearance of Jane Finn, and of the possibility `
` of her having been mixed up unawares in "some political show." He `
` alluded to Tuppence and himself as "private inquiry agents" `
` commissioned to find her, and added that they would therefore be `
` glad of any details Mr. Hersheimmer could give them. `
` `
` That gentleman nodded approval. `
` `
` "I guess that's all right. I was just a mite hasty. But London `
` gets my goat! I only know little old New York. Just trot out `
` your questions and I'll answer." `
` `
` For the moment this paralysed the Young Adventurers, but `
` Tuppence, recovering herself, plunged boldly into the breach with `
` a reminiscence culled from detective fiction. `
` `
` "When did you last see the dece--your cousin, I mean?" `
` `
` "Never seen her," responded Mr. Hersheimmer. `
` `
` "What?" demanded Tommy, astonished. `
` `
` Hersheimmer turned to him. `
` `
` "No, sir. As I said before, my father and her mother were `
` brother and sister, just as you might be"--Tommy did not correct `
` this view of their relationship--"but they didn't always get on `
` together. And when my aunt made up her mind to marry Amos Finn, `
` who was a poor school teacher out West, my father was just mad! `
` Said if he made his pile, as he seemed in a fair way to do, she'd `
` never see a cent of it. Well, the upshot was that Aunt Jane went `
` out West and we never heard from her again. `
` `
` "The old man DID pile it up. He went into oil, and he went into `
` steel, and he played a bit with railroads, and I can tell you he `
` made Wall Street sit up!" He paused. "Then he died--last `
` fall--and I got the dollars. Well, would you believe it, my `
` conscience got busy! Kept knocking me up and saying: What `
` abour{sic} your Aunt Jane, way out West? It worried me some. You `
` see, I figured it out that Amos Finn would never make good. He `
` wasn't the sort. End of it was, I hired a man to hunt her down. `
` Result, she was dead, and Amos Finn was dead, but they'd left a `
` daughter--Jane--who'd been torpedoed in the Lusitania on her way `
` to Paris. She was saved all right, but they didn't seem able to `
` hear of her over this side. I guessed they weren't hustling any, `
` so I thought I'd come along over, and speed things up. I phoned `
` Scotland Yard and the Admiralty first thing. The Admiralty `
` rather choked me off, but Scotland Yard were very civil--said `
` they would make inquiries, even sent a man round this morning to `
` get her photograph. I'm off to Paris to-morrow, just to see what `
` the Prefecture is doing. I guess if I go to and fro hustling `
` them, they ought to get busy!" `
` `
` The energy of Mr. Hersheimmer was tremendous. They bowed before `
` it. `
` `
` "But say now," he ended, "you're not after her for anything? `
` Contempt of court, or something British? A proud-spirited young `
` American girl might find your rules and regulations in war time `
` rather irksome, and get up against it. If that's the case, and `
` there's such a thing as graft in this country, I'll buy her off." `
` `
` Tuppence reassured him. `
` `
` "That's good. Then we can work together. What about some lunch? `
` Shall we have it up here, or go down to the restaurant?" `
` `
` Tuppence expressed a preference for the latter, and Julius bowed `
` to her decision. `
` `
` Oysters had just given place to Sole Colbert when a card was `
` brought to Hersheimmer. `
` `
` "Inspector Japp, C.I.D. Scotland Yard again. Another man this `
` time. What does he expect I can tell him that I didn't tell the `
` first chap? I hope they haven't lost that photograph. That `
` Western photographer's place was burned down and all his `
` negatives destroyed--this is the only copy in existence. I got it `
` from the principal of the college there." `
` `
` An unformulated dread swept over Tuppence. `
` `
` "You--you don't know the name of the man who came this morning?" `
` `
` "Yes, I do. No, I don't. Half a second. It was on his card. `
` Oh, I know! Inspector Brown. Quiet, unassuming sort of chap." `
` `
` `
` `
` CHAPTER VI `
` `
` A PLAN OF CAMPAIGN `
` `
` A veil might with profit be drawn over the events of the next `
` half-hour. Suffice it to say that no such person as "Inspector `
` Brown" was known to Scotland Yard. The photograph of Jane Finn, `
` which would have been of the utmost value to the police in `
` tracing her, was lost beyond recovery. Once again "Mr. Brown" had `
` triumphed. `
` `
` The immediate result of this set back was to effect a `
` rapprochement between Julius Hersheimmer and the Young `
` Adventurers. All barriers went down with a crash, and Tommy and `
` Tuppence felt they had known the young American all their lives. `
` They abandoned the discreet reticence of "private inquiry `
` agents," and revealed to him the whole history of the joint `
` venture, whereat the young man declared himself "tickled to `
` death." `
` `
` He turned to Tuppence at the close of the narration. `
` `
` "I've always had a kind of idea that English girls were just a `
` mite moss-grown. Old-fashioned and sweet, you know, but scared to `
` move round without a footman or a maiden aunt. I guess I'm a bit `
` behind the times!" `
` `
` The upshot of these confidential relations was that Tommy and `
` Tuppence took up their abode forthwith at the Ritz, in order, as `
` Tuppence put it, to keep in touch with Jane Finn's only living `
` relation. "And put like that," she added confidentially to Tommy, `
` "nobody could boggle at the expense!" `
` `
` Nobody did, which was the great thing. `
` `
` "And now," said the young lady on the morning after their `
` installation, "to work!" `
`