The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie (read e book .txt) đ
- Author: Agatha Christie
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âBut if so, where was the girl, and what had she done with the papers? By later advice from America it seemed likely that Danvers had been closely shadowed on the way over. Was this girl in league with his enemies? Or had she, in her turn, been shadowed and either tricked or forced into handing over the precious packet?
âWe set to work to trace her out. It proved unexpectedly difficult. Her name was Jane Finn, and it duly appeared among the list of the survivors, but the girl herself seemed to have vanished completely. Inquiries into her antecedents did little to help us. She was an orphan, and had been what we should call over here a pupil teacher in a small school out West. Her passport had been made out for Paris, where she was going to join the staff of a hospital. She had offered her services voluntarily, and after some correspondence they had been accepted. Having seen her name in the list of the saved from the Lusitania, the staff of the hospital were naturally very surprised at her not arriving to take up her billet, and at not hearing from her in any way.
âWell, every effort was made to trace the young ladyâbut all in vain. We tracked her across Ireland, but nothing could be heard of her after she set foot in England. No use was made of the draft treatyâas might very easily have been doneâand we therefore came to the conclusion that Danvers had, after all, destroyed it. The war entered on another phase, the diplomatic aspect changed accordingly, and the treaty was never redrafted. Rumours as to its existence were emphatically denied. The disappearance of Jane Finn was forgotten and the whole affair was lost in oblivion.â
Mr. Carter paused, and Tuppence broke in impatiently:
âBut why has it all cropped up again? The warâs over.â
A hint of alertness came into Mr. Carterâs manner.
âBecause it seems that the papers were not destroyed after all, and that they might be resurrected to-day with a new and deadly significance.â
Tuppence stared. Mr. Carter nodded.
âYes, five years ago, that draft treaty was a weapon in our hands; to-day it is a weapon against us. It was a gigantic blunder. If its terms were made public, it would mean disaster.... It might possibly bring about another warânot with Germany this time! That is an extreme possibility, and I do not believe in its likelihood myself, but that document undoubtedly implicates a number of our statesmen whom we cannot afford to have discredited in any way at the present moment. As a party cry for Labour it would be irresistible, and a Labour Government at this juncture would, in my opinion, be a grave disability for British trade, but that is a mere nothing to the real danger.â
He paused, and then said quietly:
âYou may perhaps have heard or read that there is Bolshevist influence at work behind the present Labour unrest?â
Tuppence nodded.
âThat is the truth. Bolshevist gold is pouring into this country for the specific purpose of procuring a Revolution. And there is a certain man, a man whose real name is unknown to us, who is working in the dark for his own ends. The Bolshevists are behind the Labour unrestâbut this man is behind the Bolshevists. Who is he? We do not know. He is always spoken of by the unassuming title of âMr. Brown.â But one thing is certain, he is the master criminal of this age. He controls a marvellous organization. Most of the Peace propaganda during the war was originated and financed by him. His spies are everywhere.â
âA naturalized German?â asked Tommy.
âOn the contrary, I have every reason to believe he is an Englishman. He was pro-German, as he would have been pro-Boer. What he seeks to attain we do not knowâprobably supreme power for himself, of a kind unique in history. We have no clue as to his real personality. It is reported that even his own followers are ignorant of it. Where we have come across his tracks, he has always played a secondary part. Somebody else assumes the chief rĂŽle. But afterwards we always find that there has been some nonentity, a servant or a clerk, who has remained in the background unnoticed, and that the elusive Mr. Brown has escaped us once more.â
âOh!â Tuppence jumped. âI wonderâââ
âYes?â
âI remember in Mr. Whittingtonâs office. The clerkâhe called him Brown. You donât thinkâââ
Carter nodded thoughtfully.
âVery likely. A curious point is that the name is usually mentioned. An idiosyncrasy of genius. Can you describe him at all?â
âI really didnât notice. He was quite ordinaryâjust like anyone else.â
Mr. Carter sighed in his tired manner.
âThat is the invariable description of Mr. Brown! Brought a telephone message to the man Whittington, did he? Notice a telephone in the outer office?â
Tuppence thought.
âNo, I donât think I did.â
âExactly. That âmessageâ was Mr. Brownâs way of giving an order to his subordinate. He overheard the whole conversation of course. Was it after that that Whittington handed you over the money, and told you to come the following day?â
Tuppence nodded.
âYes, undoubtedly the hand of Mr. Brown!â Mr. Carter paused. âWell, there it is, you see what you are pitting yourselves against? Possibly the finest criminal brain of the age. I donât quite like it, you know. Youâre such young things, both of you. I shouldnât like anything to happen to you.â
âIt wonât,â Tuppence assured him positively.
âIâll look after her, sir,â said Tommy.
âAnd Iâll look after you,â retorted Tuppence, resenting the manly assertion.
âWell, then, look after each other,â said Mr. Carter, smiling. âNow letâs get back to business. Thereâs something mysterious about this draft treaty that we havenât fathomed yet. Weâve been threatened with itâin plain and unmistakable terms. The Revolutionary element as good as declare that itâs in their hands, and that they intend to produce it at a given moment. On the other hand, they are clearly at fault about many of its provisions. The Government consider it as mere bluff on their part, and, rightly or wrongly, have stuck to the policy of absolute denial. Iâm not so sure. There have been hints, indiscreet allusions, that seem to indicate that the menace is a real one. The position is much as though they had got hold of an incriminating document, but couldnât read it because it was in cipherâbut we know that the draft treaty wasnât in cipherâcouldnât be in the nature of thingsâso that wonât wash. But thereâs something. Of course, Jane Finn may be dead for all we knowâbut I donât think so. The curious thing is that theyâre trying to get information about the girl from us.â
âWhat?â
âYes. One or two little things have cropped up. And your story, little lady, confirms my idea. They know weâre looking for Jane Finn. Well, theyâll produce a Jane Finn of their ownâsay at a pensionnat in Paris.â Tuppence gasped, and Mr. Carter smiled. âNo one knows in the least what she looks like, so thatâs all right. Sheâs primed with a trumped-up tale, and her real business is to get as much information as possible out of us. See the idea?â
âThen you thinkââTuppence paused to grasp the supposition fullyââthat it was as Jane Finn that they wanted me to go to Paris?â
Mr. Carter smiled more wearily than ever.
âI believe in coincidences, you know,â he said.
MR. JULIUS P. HERSHEIMMER
âWell,â said Tuppence, recovering herself, âit really seems as though it were meant to be.â
Carter nodded.
âI know what you mean. Iâm superstitious myself. Luck, and all that sort of thing. Fate seems to have chosen you out to be mixed up in this.â
Tommy indulged in a chuckle.
âMy word! I donât wonder Whittington got the wind up when Tuppence plumped out that name! I should have myself. But look here, sir, weâre taking up an awful lot of your time. Have you any tips to give us before we clear out?â
âI think not. My experts, working in stereotyped ways, have failed. You will bring imagination and an open mind to the task. Donât be discouraged if that too does not succeed. For one thing there is a likelihood of the pace being forced.â
Tuppence frowned uncomprehendingly.
âWhen you had that interview with Whittington, they had time before them. I have information that the big coup was planned for early in the new year. But the Government is contemplating legislative action which will deal effectually with the strike menace. Theyâll get wind of it soon, if they havenât already, and itâs possible that that may bring things to a head. I hope it will myself. The less time they have to mature their plans the better. Iâm just warning you that you havenât much time before you, and that you neednât be cast down if you fail. Itâs not an easy proposition anyway. Thatâs all.â
Tuppence rose.
âI think we ought to be businesslike. What exactly can we count upon you for, Mr. Carter?â Mr. Carterâs lips twitched slightly, but he replied succinctly: âFunds within reason, detailed information on any point, and no official recognition. I mean that if you get yourselves into trouble with the police, I canât officially help you out of it. Youâre on your own.â
Tuppence nodded sagely.
âI quite understand that. Iâll write out a list of the things I want to know when Iâve had time to think. Nowâabout moneyâââ
âYes, Miss Tuppence. Do you want to say how much?â
âNot exactly. Weâve got plenty to go with for the present, but when we want moreâââ
âIt will be waiting for you.â
âYes, butâIâm sure I donât want to be rude about the Government if youâve got anything to do with it, but you know one really has the devil of a time getting anything out of it! And if we have to fill up a blue form and send it in, and then, after three months, they send us a green one, and so onâwell, that wonât be much use, will it?â
Mr. Carter laughed outright.
âDonât worry, Miss Tuppence. You will send a personal demand to me here, and the money, in notes, shall be sent by return of post. As to salary, shall we say at the rate of three hundred a year? And an equal sum for Mr. Beresford, of course.â
Tuppence beamed upon him.
âHow lovely. You are kind. I do love money! Iâll keep beautiful accounts of our expenses all debit and credit, and the balance on the right side, and red line drawn sideways with the totals the same at the bottom. I really know how to do it when I think.â
âIâm sure you do. Well, good-bye, and good luck to you both.â
He shook hands with them, and in another minute they were descending the steps of 27 Carshalton Terrace with their heads in a whirl.
âTommy! Tell me at once, who is âMr. Carterâ?â
Tommy murmured a name in her ear.
âOh!â said Tuppence, impressed.
âAnd I can tell you, old bean, heâs IT!â
âOh!â said Tuppence again. Then she added reflectively,
âI like him, donât you? He looks so awfully tired and bored, and yet you feel that underneath heâs just like steel, all keen and flashing. Oh!â She gave a skip. âPinch me, Tommy, do pinch me. I canât believe itâs real!â
Mr. Beresford obliged.
âOw! Thatâs enough! Yes, weâre not dreaming. Weâve got a job!â
âAnd what a job! The joint venture has really begun.â
âItâs more respectable than I thought it would be,â said Tuppence thoughtfully.
âLuckily I havenât got your craving for crime! What time is it? Letâs have lunchâoh!â
The same thought sprang to the minds of each. Tommy voiced it first.
âJulius P. Hersheimmer!â
âWe never told Mr. Carter about hearing from him.â
âWell, there wasnât much to tellânot till weâve seen him. Come on, weâd better take a taxi.â
âNow whoâs being extravagant?â
âAll expenses paid, remember. Hop in.â
âAt any rate, we shall make a better effect arriving this way,â said Tuppence, leaning back luxuriously. âIâm sure blackmailers never arrive in buses!â
âWeâve ceased being blackmailers,â Tommy pointed out.
âIâm not sure I have,â said Tuppence darkly.
On inquiring for Mr. Hersheimmer, they were at once taken up to his suite. An impatient voice cried âCome inâ in answer to the page-boyâs 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.
âGet my note? Sit down and tell me right away all you know about my cousin.â
âYour cousin?â
âSure thing. Jane Finn.â
âIs she your cousin?â
âMy father and her mother were brother and sister,â
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