Georgette Heyer - Bodies from the Library

Caryu’s face softened a little.

‘You think that whoever is doing it will try to intercept Fortescue on his way to Winthrop’s house? It is rather improbable, isn’t it? He has only a few yards to go.’

‘That’s just what I’m counting on, sir. It’s too short a distance for him to take a taxi. He doesn’t, I know, for I’ve often been with Winthrop when he has come over with a letter for you, or, as I said, some minor document.’

Caryu was silent for a moment. He looked Linckes over, frowning.

‘And when Fortescue comes to Winthrop and gives him a package of blank sheets,’ he said sarcastically, ‘what am I to say to Winthrop? You don’t seem to understand that if that happens my action in sending blank sheets amounts to a very serious insult.’

‘No, sir. If Fortescue does arrive, unmolested, and with the blank sheets, you can explain why it was done. You don’t suspect Sir Charles. I haven’t said that I do. It’s quite simple.’

Caryu smiled faintly.

‘Very well. I will tell Winthrop that among other things I am sending him the plan of the new ’plane. Are you satisfied?’

‘Yes, sir. Thank you!’

Linckes rose and prepared to depart.

‘What happens if Fortescue is sand-bagged?’ inquired Caryu. ‘What will he think of your little plot?’

‘Not much chance of that, sir,’ Linckes grinned. ‘From Park Lane to Arlington Street isn’t a far cry, and it’s never exactly deserted. But don’t tell Fortescue anything, will you? Not even that you are supposed to be sending plans. Send him off at the usual time.’

‘“The usual time” covers a wide margin,’ remarked Caryu. ‘I shall send him at about six in the evening. That is the most usual time.’

‘Then tell Winthrop, sir, casually. And thanks awfully!’

He shook Caryu’s outstretched hand, and went to the door.

‘Mind you, I think you’ve got a bee in your bonnet,’ Caryu warned him. ‘If you haven’t—well, it’ll be a fairly large feather in the bonnet instead.’

‘Got another fit of the blues, Winthrop?’

Sir Charles looked up, smiling.

‘Getting rather frequent, aren’t they? Sorry I’m such a surly brute. It’s very nice of you to consent to stay and dine with me.’

Linckes leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs.

‘It’s jolly nice of you to ask me,’ he retaliated. ‘I don’t wonder you’re feeling depressed.’

Winthrop gave a short sigh.

‘’Tisn’t very surprising, is it? We don’t seem to get any forrader, do we? Since Masters’ ingenious butler theory there haven’t been any fresh suspicions, have there?’

Linckes turned sharply. Caryu’s secretary had just come into the room. Linckes looked him over quickly, conscious of a sinking sensation of disappointment somewhere in the region of his stomach.

‘Good evening, Sir Charles! Mr Caryu sent me with one or two things for you to sign.’

Winthrop had risen.

‘Yes, that’s right. Oh, don’t go, Linckes! It’s nothing private.’

Dully, Linckes watched Fortescue lay his dispatch-case on the table and insert a key into the lock. After a moment’s twisting and turning he drew it out again and looked up at Winthrop, rather white about the mouth.

‘Funny!’ he said uneasily. ‘It won’t open!’

Linckes’ heart leapt. He lounged back at his ease, outwardly careless, but his eyes never left Winthrop’s face.

‘Won’t open? Perhaps you’ve got hold of the wrong key?’

‘No; it’s a special lock and key.’

Fortescue’s eyes were rather wide.

‘Then something must have gone wrong with the lock,’ said Winthrop impatiently. ‘You must force it.’

‘Ah!’ Relief sounded in the secretary’s voice. ‘That’s it, of course. I got hung up on one “island” in the middle of Piccadilly, and when half the people surged forward into the road there was a bit of a scrum, and I dropped the case. I suppose that did it.’

‘You dropped it?’ Winthrop asked. ‘Rather careless, surely!’

Fortescue flushed.

‘Yes, Sir Charles. But it fell at my feet, and I’d picked it up in a flash.’

‘I see.’

Breathlessly Linckes watched the secretary burst open the lock.

‘Mr Caryu told me to ask you to run through his memorandum concerning the Crosstown Barracks, sir. Here it is!’

He was turning over some long envelopes. One of these he handed to Winthrop, who took it and pulled out several folded sheets.

There was a moment’s silence, broken only by the crackle of paper as Winthrop spread open the papers. Then Linckes saw Sir Charles look up sharply at Fortescue, the lines about his mouth suddenly grown stern.

‘Ah, yes!’ he said quietly. ‘Anything else?’

‘Yes, sir. Mr Caryu placed several documents in the case. I don’t know what they were, but he told me to give—’

‘Give them to me, please. Thank you!’

Winthrop cast a hurried glance at each of the sealed documents handed to him. Then he laid the whole sheaf down upon his desk, and shot the secretary a long, keen look. Lastly he turned to Linckes.

‘This is a case for you, I think,’ he said.

‘Oh!’ Linckes sat up. ‘What is the matter?’ He looked inquiringly from Winthrop’s impassive countenance to the secretary’s surprised, vaguely nervous expression. ‘Anything wrong?’

‘A very great deal. Come and look at these documents. You too, Fortescue.’

Linckes went to the table and spread open the various sheets. Looking over his shoulder, the secretary gave a startled gasp. But Linckes’ heart was beating madly. Every sheet was blank.

‘Good heavens!’ he said.

‘Exactly!’ Winthrop turned to Fortescue. ‘Mr Fortescue, I saw Mr Caryu this morning. He informed me that he was sending certain important papers. Did you know this?’

‘No, Sir Charles. Oh, heavens! Surely—’

He broke off, staring blankly at Winthrop.

Winthrop sat down at his desk.

‘Your case was stolen, Mr Fortescue. Presumably when you dropped it in Piccadilly.’

‘But—but, Sir Charles, it was only on the ground for an instant. Besides, who could know that the case contained anything important?’

‘I’m afraid I cannot tell you that,’ Winthrop said coolly. ‘Will you please try and remember the exact circumstances of your dropping it?’

‘I—I crossed to the “island”, Sir Charles, and waited for the stream of traffic to pass. There—there were a good many people on the “island”, and, as I said, there was a lot of pushing and barging. There was a stout woman who rather lost her head and tried to make a dash for the other side of the road, and had to get back again to the “island” in a hurry. She must have pushed the man standing next to me. Anyway, he fell against me, and I lost my balance, and—and I dropped the case.’

‘And this man,’ said Winthrop. ‘Was he by any chance carrying a dispatch-case?’

The secretary moistened his lips.

‘I—I’m afraid I didn’t notice, sir. I dare say he was. It was at an hour when most men are coming away from business, and—Oh, heavens!’ He ended on a stricken note. ‘What a fool I am! What a damned fool! If only I’d known that there were important papers in the case! Sir Charles, it—they—they weren’t the new plans?’

‘That is precisely what they were,’ Winthrop answered.

He unhooked the receiver from the telephone and called a number. While he was waiting to be connected he glanced at Linckes, smiling rather wearily.

‘Well, here’s your chance, Linckes. And he’s got away with it, the scoundrel! Hallo! Is that Mr Caryu’s house? Put me through to him, please. Winthrop speaking. Thanks!’