Clocks_ _Agatha

[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

It all seems to me wildly improbable, she said disapprovingly.
Dick Hardcastle sighed and got up.
Nice place you ve got here, he said politely. You ve been in business some time, haven t you?
Fifteen years. We have done extremely well. Starting in quite a small way, we have extended the
business until we have almost more than we can cope with. I now employ eight girls, and they are kept
busy all the time.
You do a good deal of literary work, I see. Hardcastle was looking up at the photographs on the wall.
Yes, to start with I specialized in authors. I had been secretary to the well-known thriller writer, Mr
Garry Gregson, for many years. In fact, it was with a legacy from him that I started this Bureau. I knew
a good many of his fellow authors and they recommended me. My specialized knowledge of authors
requirements came in very useful. I offer a very helpful service in the way of necessary research dates
and quotations, inquiries as to legal points and police procedure, and details of poison schedules. All
that sort of thing. Then foreign names and addresses and restaurants for people who set their novels in
foreign places. In old days the public didn t really mind so much about accuracy, but nowadays readers
take it upon themselves to write to authors on every possible occasion, pointing out flaws.
Miss Martindale paused. Hardcastle said politely: I m sure you have every cause to congratulate
yourself.
He moved towards the door. I opened it ahead of him.
In the outer office, the three girls were preparing to leave. Lids had been placed on typewriters. The
receptionist, Edna, was standing forlornly, holding in one hand a stiletto heel and in the other a shoe
from which it had been torn.
I ve only had them a month, she was wailing. And they were quite expensive. It s that beastly
grating the one at the corner by the cake shop quite near here. I caught my heel in it and off it came. I
couldn t walk, had to take both shoes off and come back here with a couple of buns, and how I ll ever
get home or get on to the bus I really don t know
At that moment our presence was noted and Edna hastily concealed the offending shoe with an
apprehensive glance towards Miss Martindale whom I appreciated was not the sort of woman to
approve of stiletto heels. She herself was wearing sensible flat-heeled leather shoes.
Thank you, Miss Martindale, said Hardcastle. I m sorry to have taken up so much of your time. If
anything should occur to you
Naturally, said Miss Martindale, cutting him short rather brusquely.
As we got into the car, I said:
So Sheila Webb s story, in spite of your suspicions, turns out to have been quite true.
All right, all right, said Dick. You win.
CHAPTER 5
Mom! said Ernie Curtin, desisting for a moment from his occupation of running a small metal model
up and down the window pane, accompanying it with a semi-zooming, semi-moaning noise intended to
reproduce a rocket ship going through outer space on its way to Venus, Mom, what d you think?
Mrs Curtin, a stern-faced woman who was busy washing up crockery in the sink, made no response.
Mom, there s a police car drawn up outside our house.
Don t you tell no more of yer lies, Ernie, said Mrs Curtin as she banged cups and saucers down on the
draining board. You know what I ve said to you about that before.
I never, said Ernie virtuously. And it s a police car right enough, and there s two men gettin out.
Mrs Curtin wheeled round on her offspring.
What ve you been doing now? she demanded. Bringing us into disgrace, that s what it is!
Course I ain t, said Ernie. I aven t done nothin .
It s going with that Alf, said Mrs Curtin. Him and his gang. Gangs indeed! I ve told you, and yer
father s told you, that gangs isn t respectable. In the end there s trouble. First it ll be the juvenile court
and then you ll be sent to a remand home as likely as not. And I won t have it, d you hear?
They re comin up to the front door, Ernie announced.
Mrs Curtin abandoned the sink and joined her offspring at the window.
Well, she muttered.
At that moment the knocker was sounded. Wiping her hands quickly on the tea-towel, Mrs Curtin went
out into the passage and opened the door. She looked with defiance and doubt at the two men on her
doorstep.
Mrs Curtin? said the taller of the two, pleasantly.
That s right, said Mrs Curtin.
May I come in a moment? I m Detective Inspector Hardcastle.
Mrs Curtin drew back rather unwillingly. She threw open a door and motioned the inspector inside. It
was a very neat, clean little room and gave the impression of seldom being entered, which impression
was entirely correct.
Ernie, drawn by curiosity, came down the passage from the kitchen and sidled inside the door. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

Archiwum