chapter-1

CHAPTER I

I came back to my flat at three o 'clock on that May afternoon. I was quite unhappy with

my life. I had been back in England for three months, and I was already bored. The weather

was bad and the people were dull. There was nothing enjoyable about London. Richard Hane,

I told myself, you have made a big mistake, you should do something about it. I thought

of my years in South Africa. I felt angry and upset. I had worked hard and made enough

money to get by. I had a good life there. I had left Scotland when I was six years old,

and I had not been back home. I had always planned to move to England to spend the rest

of my life there. But I was disappointed with England almost from the first day. After a

very short time, I got bored of the sights, the restaurants and the theatres. I had no

real friends. People invited me to their houses, but they were not interested in me.

They asked me some questions about South Africa, and then talked about themselves. I was 37

years old, healthy, and had enough money to have a good time. But I was bored to death.

That evening I went to my club. After dinner I stayed and read the evening papers. They were

full of the problems in South East Europe. I read an article about Carolides, the Greek

Prime Minister. He seemed to be a strong and honest politician. Some people in Berlin

and Vienna hated him, but many in Britain liked him. They thought he was the only person

who could stop a war from starting. I wonder if I can get a job in South East Europe,

I thought to myself, it would be an exciting life. As I walked back home that night, I watched

the people. They were busy and talking. I will give Britain one more day, I thought.

If nothing interesting happens, I will go back to Africa.

My flat was in a new building in Portland Place. There was a door -man at the entrance.

Each flat was on a different floor, and mine was on the first floor. I was unlocking my

door when suddenly a man appeared behind me. He was a thin man, with a short brown beard

and small blue eyes. I knew who he was. He was the man who lived in a flat on the top floor.

We had spoken a few times on the stairs.

Can I speak to you? He said. May I come in for a minute? His voice was shaking. I opened

the door and let him in.

Is the door locked? He asked. He locked it himself.

I'm very sorry, he said. I'm being rude, but I'm in trouble, and you look like someone

who would understand, can you help me? I'll listen to you, I said. That's all I'll promise.

I was getting worried. There was a bottle of water and a glass on the table. He filled

the glass and drank it quickly.

I'm sorry, he said. I'm a little nervous, you see. At this moment I am dead. I sat down

in an armchair. How does it feel to be dead? I asked. I thought that he was crazy, he smiled.

I'm not crazy, yet. Listen, I've been watching you. I think you are a calm and honest man.

I'm going to tell you my story. I need help. And I want to know if I can trust you.

Tell me your story, I said. So he told me his strange story. It was difficult to understand

so I had to ask him questions. His name was Franklin P. Scudder. He was an American. After

college, he had traveled to Europe. He had become a war reporter for an American newspaper

and had spent a few years in Southeast Europe. He spoke several languages and he knew some

important people. By accident, he had discovered a group of very dangerous people who wanted

a war in Europe. Some of them wanted to change the world through war. And some of them wanted

to make money because one can make a lot of money in war. They wanted to get Russia and

Germany at war with each other. I have to stop them, he said. And I think I can, if I

can, stay alive for one more month. But I thought you were dead, I said.

I'll tell you about that, he said. Do you know who Constantine Keralidis is? He's the

Greek Prime Minister, I said. I read about him in the paper.

Well, he is a smart and honest man and he can stop the war, so they are planning to kill

him. I have discovered how they are going to do it. That knowledge was very dangerous

for me, so I had to disappear. They can't kill him in Greece because he has protected very

well there. He is coming to London for a big meeting on the 15th of June. They are planning

to kill him then. Well, you can tell him, I said. And he won't come. That's what his

enemies want, he said. If he does not come, they win. He is the only man who can stop

the war. Tell the British government then, I said. They will protect their important guest.

No good. They can fill the city with policemen, but they cannot stop the murder. Those people

are serious, the murderer will be caught, he will talk, and everyone will think that

Vienna and Berlin planned the murder. It will all be a big lie, of course, but the world

will believe it. But I won't let this happen, my friend. Franklin P. Scudder will be here

in London on the 15th of June. I was beginning to like this strange little man.

How did you find out this story? I asked. When I found out about their evil plan, I travelled

around Europe to get the details. I was in Tyrol, then Vienna, then Leipzig. After spending

some time in Paris, I went to Hamburg and then to Norway. From there, I went to Scotland.

And when I came to London, I thought I was safe. But then yesterday, I saw a man outside

this building, and then I found a card under my door. On it was the name of the man that

I fear the most. I looked at him, and I could see the fear in his eyes. I knew that there

was only one thing to do. I had to die. They would stop coming after me, so I found

a dead body. It's easy to find one in London, if you know how. I brought the body back to

my flat. I dressed it in my clothes, and shot it in the face with my gun. They will find

the body tomorrow morning, and the police will think that I killed myself. I watched

from the window, and when I saw you coming home, I came down to meet you. I was quite

sure he was telling me the truth. It was a very strange story, but the strangest stories

are often the true ones.

"'Right,' I said. "'I'll trust you for the night. I'll lock you into this room and keep

the key. Mr. Scudder, I believe you're honest, but if you are not, I should tell you that

I know how to use a gun.'

"'Sure,' he said, standing up. "'I don't know your name, sir. But I would like to thank

you. And may I use your bathroom.'

I showed him the bathroom. Half an hour later he came out. He looked very different. Only

his eyes were the same. His beard was gone, and his hair was completely different. He looked

like a British soldier. And he did not have an American accent anymore.

"'Mr. Scudder,' I cried. "'Not Mr. Scudder,' he said. Captain Theophilus Digby of the British

room and went to bed. I was much happier than I had been recently. Interesting things

did happen sometimes, even in this boring city.

"'The next morning I woke up when my butler paddock came in. I told him a lie about the

man in the back room. My friend Captain Digby is sleeping in the back room,' I said. The captain

is an important man in the army. He has been working too much recently, so he needs to rest

in a quiet place. Nobody should know that he is here. Of course, sir,' he said.

After breakfast I left them both in the flat and went out. When I came back after lunch,

the doorman told me that the gentleman staying in flat fifteen had killed himself. I went

upstairs. There were two policemen in flat fifteen. I asked it some questions. They believed

that the deed man was scooter, and he had killed himself. I went to my flat and told

Scudder about this. He was very pleased. The first two days in my flat, Scudder was calm

and relaxed. He read a lot and wrote in a little black notebook. We played chess at night, but

on the third day he began to get nervous. He was thinking about June 15th. He sat at the

desk, writing and thinking. He began to listen for little noises and asked me if we could trust

paddock. He was not worried about his own safety. He was worried about his plan to save

Karolides. One night he was very serious. Hanoi, he said to me, I think I should tell

you more about this business, if I get killed somebody should carry out my plan. He told

me the details of his plan, but I did not listen very carefully. I was not interested

in politics, so I remember very little of what Scudder told me. I remember that he said

Karolides would be in danger only after he came to London. I also remember the name of

a woman, Julia Chicheni. He also talked about a black stone and a man who spoke with a lisp,

and there was another man that he talked about. He said he was the most dangerous one, an old

man with a young voice who would narrow his eyes like a snake. The next day Scudder was

more cheerful and spent the day reading. In the evening I went out to dinner. When I came

back home late at night I knocked on Scudder's door and opened it. It was dark in the room

which was strange. I turned on the light but there was no one there. Then I saw something

in the corner of the room that made me break out in a cold sweat. My guest was lying on

his back on the floor. There was a long knife through his heart. I sat down in an armchair,

feeling very sick. Then I started shaking. I could not look at the face on the floor any

longer, so I got a tablecloth and covered it. I had seen men die before. In fact, I had

killed a few men in the Matabelle War. But this was different. After a few minutes I

was able to calm down and I looked at my watch. It was half past ten. I searched the flat.

There was nobody there. I locked all the doors and windows. I started thinking. I was in danger.

That was clear. I was now sure that Scudder's story was true. He is dead, I thought. He

knew something and the men who knew this made sure he did not speak, but he stayed with

me for four days. The men probably think that Scudder talked to me, so I will be the next

one to die. I thought about what to do. I could go to the police now or I could go to bed and

wait until paddock found the body in the morning. What could I tell the police? I had lied to

paddock about Scudder, so they would not believe my story. I could tell them everything Scudder

had told me, but they would just laugh at me. They would arrest me for murder. On top

of that I had no friends in England who could help me and even if the police believed my story

I would be helping Scudder's enemies. Carolides would not come to England and this was what

they wanted. I believed in Scudder now. He is gone, I thought. But he has left me to carry

out his plan. If I can do this Scudder's death will not be useless. So I decided I was

going to disappear until the 15th of June. Then I would contact the government people

and tell them Scudder's story. But there was a problem. I had not listened very carefully

to Scudder, so I did not know everything. It was a risky plan, but I had to try. It was

now the 24th of May. I had three weeks of hiding. Scudder's enemies would be looking

for me to kill me. Also the police would be looking for me for Scudder's murder. It was

going to be difficult, but I was feeling excited about it. It was better than sitting

and waiting. Then I turned to Scudder's body and searched his pockets. There were only

a few coins in the waistcoat and a penknife in his trousers. There was nothing in the side

pocket of his jacket. I could not find the little black notebook. The murderer had probably

taken it. Then I looked around the room. I noticed that some drawers in the desk were

open. Someone had been searching for something. Perhaps the notebook. I went around the flat.

Everything had been searched. The inside of books, drawers, cupboards, boxes, even the pockets

of the clothes in my wardrobe. No notebook. Scudder's enemies had probably found it. I

got out a map of Britain. I wanted to find some wild countryside. I came from Africa and

was used to wild places. I decided Scotland would be the best place for me. My family

came from Scotland and I could act like a Scotsman. Alternatively, I could act like

a German tourist. My father had worked with Germans when I was a boy, and I spoke German

fluently. In the end, I decided to go to Scotland as a Scotsman. I would go to Galloway, a wild

part of Scotland. I checked the railway timetable. There was a train from London at 7 -10 in the

morning. I would be in Galloway in the late afternoon, but I had to find a way to get to

the train station. I knew that Scudder's enemies were watching the building. After thinking

about this, I made a good plan and went to bed. I got up at 4 o 'clock. The first light

of a summer morning was filling the sky. I thought about my plan. I was nervous. I thought

about going to the police. But I knew this was not a good idea, so I decided to carry

out my plan.

I put on some old clothes and a pair of strong boots. I pushed a shirt, a cap, some handkerchiefs

and a toothbrush into my pockets. I had taken some money from the bank to give to Scudder,

so I put that in my pocket too. Then I cut my long moustache. Paddock came at 7 -30 every

day. At 6 -40, the milkman would come and leave the milk bottles outside my door. I had seen

him for a few times when I had gone out early. He was a young man about my height with a short

moustache. He wore a white coat. He was my only chance. I found some biscuits for breakfast.

I wanted to make some tea, so I took the tea can off the shelf and poured some tea into

the teapot. Then I noticed something in the tea can. I put my hand in and pulled out Scudder's

little black notebook. It was a good sign. I lifted the cloth from the body and looked

at Scudder's face.

Goodbye, my friend, I said. I'm going to do my best for you. Wish me luck.

Then I started waiting for the milkman, 6 -30 past, then 6 -40, but still he did not come.

At 6 -46, I heard the noise of the bottles outside. I opened the door quickly. He was surprised

to see me.

Come in for a moment, I said. I want to speak with you, and I led him inside. You look like

a friendly man. Can you help me? Let me your cap and coat for ten minutes, and you can have

this.

I showed him a gold coin, and he smiled. Why do you want my cap and coat? He asked. It's

a game, I said. I don't have time to talk about it now, but to win it I've got to be

a milkman for ten minutes. You'll be a little late, but you'll get the money.

All right, he said happily. I'll lend them to you. Here you go.

I put on his blue cap and his white coat, picked up the milk bottles, shut my door and went

downstairs and out on the street. At first I thought the street was empty. Then on the other

side of the street I saw a homeless man walking slowly as he passed the house opposite he

looked up. There was a face at the window that looked back at him. I crossed the street

whistling and trying to walk like the milkman. I turned into the first side street and kept

walking. There was no one around. I put down the milk bottles and took off the cap and the

coat. I looked at the time. It was seven o 'clock. I had very little time to catch the train.

I ran to the station. I had no time to buy a ticket. I ran to the platform and the train

started moving. I jumped into the last carriage.