The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie (top e book reader .TXT) đ
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- Author: Agatha Christie
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Shortly afterwards a nurse arrived to take charge, and the other left the ill-omened building.
âAnd what now?â asked Julius, with a gesture of despair. âI guess weâre down and out for good.â
Sir James stroked his chin thoughtfully.
âNo,â he said quietly. âThere is still the chance that Dr. Hall may be able to tell us something.â
âGee! Iâd forgotten him.â
âThe chance is slight, but it must not be neglected. I think I told you that he is staying at the MĂ©tropole. I should suggest that we call upon him there as soon as possible. Shall we say after a bath and breakfast?â
It was arranged that Tuppence and Julius should return to the Ritz, and call for Sir James in the car. This programme was faithfully carried out, and a little after eleven they drew up before the MĂ©tropole. They asked for Dr. Hall, and a page-boy went in search of him. In a few minutes the little doctor came hurrying towards them.
âCan you spare us a few minutes, Dr. Hall?â said Sir James pleasantly. âLet me introduce you to Miss Cowley. Mr. Hersheimmer, I think, you already know.â
A quizzical gleam came into the doctorâs eye as he shook hands with Julius.
âAh, yes, my young friend of the tree episode! Ankle all right, eh?â
âI guess itâs cured owing to your skilful treatment, doc.â
âAnd the heart trouble? Ha ha!â
âStill searching,â said Julius briefly.
âTo come to the point, can we have a word with you in private?â asked Sir James.
âCertainly. I think there is a room here where we shall be quite undisturbed.â
He led the way, and the others followed him. They sat down, and the doctor looked inquiringly at Sir James.
âDr. Hall, I am very anxious to find a certain young lady for the purpose of obtaining a statement from her. I have reason to believe that she has been at one time or another in your establishment at Bournemouth. I hope I am transgressing no professional etiquette in questioning you on the subject?â
âI suppose it is a matter of testimony?â
Sir James hesitated a moment, then he replied:
âYes.â
âI shall be pleased to give you any information in my power. What is the young ladyâs name? Mr. Hersheimmer asked me, I rememberâââ He half turned to Julius.
âThe name,â said Sir James bluntly, âis really immaterial. She would be almost certainly sent to you under an assumed one. But I should like to know if you are acquainted with a Mrs. Vandemeyer?â
âMrs. Vandemeyer, of 20 South Audley Mansions? I know her slightly.â
âYou are not aware of what has happened?â
âWhat do you mean?â
âYou do not know that Mrs. Vandemeyer is dead?â
âDear, dear, I had no idea of it! When did it happen?â
âShe took an overdose of chloral last night.â
âPurposely?â
âAccidentally, it is believed. I should not like to say myself. Anyway, she was found dead this morning.â
âVery sad. A singularly handsome woman. I presume she was a friend of yours, since you are acquainted with all these details.â
âI am acquainted with the details becauseâwell, it was I who found her dead.â
âIndeed,â said the doctor, starting.
âYes,â said Sir James, and stroked his chin reflectively.
âThis is very sad news, but you will excuse me if I say that I do not see how it bears on the subject of your inquiry?â
âIt bears on it in this way, is it not a fact that Mrs. Vandemeyer committed a young relative of hers to your charge?â
Julius leaned forward eagerly.
âThat is the case,â said the doctor quietly.
âUnder the name ofââ?â
âJanet Vandemeyer. I understood her to be a niece of Mrs. Vandemeyerâs.â
âAnd she came to you?â
âAs far as I can remember in June or July of 1915.â
âWas she a mental case?â
âShe is perfectly sane, if that is what you mean. I understood from Mrs. Vandemeyer that the girl had been with her on the Lusitania when that ill-fated ship was sunk, and had suffered a severe shock in consequence.â
âWeâre on the right track, I think?â Sir James looked round.
âAs I said before, Iâm a mutt!â returned Julius.
The doctor looked at them all curiously.
âYou spoke of wanting a statement from her,â he said. âSupposing she is not able to give one?â
âWhat? You have just said that she is perfectly sane.â
âSo she is. Nevertheless, if you want a statement from her concerning any events prior to May 7, 1915, she will not be able to give it to you.â
They looked at the little man, stupefied. He nodded cheerfully.
âItâs a pity,â he said. âA great pity, especially as I gather, Sir James, that the matter is important. But there it is, she can tell you nothing.â
âBut why, man? Darn it all, why?â
The little man shifted his benevolent glance to the excited young American.
âBecause Janet Vandemeyer is suffering from a complete loss of memory.â
âWhat?â
âQuite so. An interesting case, a very interesting case. Not so uncommon, really, as you would think. There are several very well known parallels. Itâs the first case of the kind that Iâve had under my own personal observation, and I must admit that Iâve found it of absorbing interest.â There was something rather ghoulish in the little manâs satisfaction.
âAnd she remembers nothing,â said Sir James slowly.
âNothing prior to May 7, 1915. After that date her memory is as good as yours or mine.â
âThen the first thing she remembers?â
âIs landing with the survivors. Everything before that is a blank. She did not know her own name, or where she had come from, or where she was. She couldnât even speak her own tongue.â
âBut surely all this is most unusual?â put in Julius.
âNo, my dear sir. Quite normal under the circumstances. Severe shock to the nervous system. Loss of memory proceeds nearly always on the same lines. I suggested a specialist, of course. Thereâs a very good man in Parisâmakes a study of these casesâbut Mrs. Vandemeyer opposed the idea of publicity that might result from such a course.â
âI can imagine she would,â said Sir James grimly.
âI fell in with her views. There is a certain notoriety given to these cases. And the girl was very youngânineteen, I believe. It seemed a pity that her infirmity should be talked aboutâmight damage her prospects. Besides, there is no special treatment to pursue in such cases. It is really a matter of waiting.â
âWaiting?â
âYes, sooner or later, the memory will returnâas suddenly as it went. But in all probability the girl will have entirely forgotten the intervening period, and will take up life where she left offâat the sinking of the Lusitania.â
âAnd when do you expect this to happen?â
The doctor shrugged his shoulders.
âAh, that I cannot say. Sometimes it is a matter of months, sometimes it has been known to be as long as twenty years! Sometimes another shock does the trick. One restores what the other took away.â
âAnother shock, eh?â said Julius thoughtfully.
âExactly. There was a case in Coloradoâââ The little manâs voice trailed on, voluble, mildly enthusiastic.
Julius did not seem to be listening. He had relapsed into his own thoughts and was frowning. Suddenly he came out of his brown study, and hit the table such a resounding bang with his fist that every one jumped, the doctor most of all.
âIâve got it! I guess, doc, Iâd like your medical opinion on the plan Iâm about to outline. Say Jane was to cross the herring pond again, and the same thing was to happen. The submarine, the sinking ship, every one to take to the boatsâand so on. Wouldnât that do the trick? Wouldnât it give a mighty big bump to her subconscious self, or whatever the jargon is, and start it functioning again right away?â
âA very interesting speculation, Mr. Hersheimmer. In my own opinion, it would be successful. It is unfortunate that there is no chance of the conditions repeating themselves as you suggest.â
âNot by nature, perhaps, doc. But Iâm talking about art.â
âArt?â
âWhy, yes. Whatâs the difficulty? Hire a linerâââ
âA liner!â murmured Dr. Hall faintly.
âHire some passengers, hire a submarineâthatâs the only difficulty, I guess. Governments are apt to be a bit hide-bound over their engines of war. They wonât sell to the first-comer. Still, I guess that can be got over. Ever heard of the word âgraft,â sir? Well, graft gets there every time! I reckon that we shanât really need to fire a torpedo. If every one hustles round and screams loud enough that the ship is sinking, it ought to be enough for an innocent young girl like Jane. By the time sheâs got a life-belt on her, and is being hustled into a boat, with a well-drilled lot of artistes doing the hysterical stunt on deck, whyâshe ought to be right back where she was in May, 1915. Howâs that for the bare outline?â
Dr. Hall looked at Julius. Everything that he was for the moment incapable of saying was eloquent in that look.
âNo,â said Julius, in answer to it, âIâm not crazy. The thingâs perfectly possible. Itâs done every day in the States for the movies. Havenât you seen trains in collision on the screen? Whatâs the difference between buying up a train and buying up a liner? Get the properties and you can go right ahead!â
Dr. Hall found his voice.
âBut the expense, my dear sir.â His voice rose. âThe expense! It will be colossal!â
âMoney doesnât worry me any,â explained Julius simply.
Dr. Hall turned an appealing face to Sir James, who smiled slightly.
âMr. Hersheimmer is very well offâvery well off indeed.â
The doctorâs glance came back to Julius with a new and subtle quality in it. This was no longer an eccentric young fellow with a habit of falling off trees. The doctorâs eyes held the deference accorded to a really rich man.
âVery remarkable plan. Very remarkable,â he murmured. âThe moviesâof course! Your American word for the kinema. Very interesting. I fear we are perhaps a little behind the times over here in our methods. And you really mean to carry out this remarkable plan of yours.â
âYou bet your bottom dollar I do.â
The doctor believed himâwhich was a tribute to his nationality. If an Englishman had suggested such a thing, he would have had grave doubts as to his sanity.
âI cannot guarantee a cure,â he pointed out. âPerhaps I ought to make that quite clear.â
âSure, thatâs all right,â said Julius. âYou just trot out Jane, and leave the rest to me.â
âJane?â
âMiss Janet Vandemeyer, then. Can we get on the long distance to your place right away, and ask them to send her up; or shall I run down and fetch her in my car?â
The doctor stared.
âI beg your pardon, Mr. Hersheimmer. I thought you understood.â
âUnderstood what?â
âThat Miss Vandemeyer is no longer under my care.â
CHAPTER XV. TUPPENCE RECEIVES A PROPOSAL
JULIUS sprang up.
âWhat?â
âI thought you were aware of that.â
âWhen did she leave?â
âLet me see. To-day is Monday, is it not? It must have been last Wednesdayâwhy, surelyâyes, it was the same evening that youâerâfell out of my tree.â
âThat evening? Before, or after?â
âLet me seeâoh yes, afterwards. A very urgent message arrived from Mrs. Vandemeyer. The young lady and the nurse who was in charge of her left by the night train.â
Julius sank back again into his chair.
âNurse Edithâleft with a patientâI remember,â he muttered. âMy God, to have been so near!â
Dr. Hall looked bewildered.
âI donât understand. Is the young lady not with her aunt, after all?â
Tuppence shook her head. She was about to speak when a warning glance from Sir James made her hold her tongue. The lawyer rose.
âIâm much obliged to you, Hall. Weâre very grateful for all youâve told us. Iâm afraid weâre now in the position of having to track Miss Vandemeyer anew. What about the nurse who accompanied her; I suppose you donât know where she is?â
The doctor shook his head.
âWeâve not heard from her, as it happens. I understood she was to remain with Miss Vandemeyer for a while. But what can have happened? Surely the girl has
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