chapter-4

Chapter 4 I came down to breakfast the next morning

and found Sir Walter reading a telegram. He looked a little nervous.

I was busy on the telephone after you went to bed. He said,

I have talked to my boss. The French are sending Royer a day early. He will be in London at five

o 'clock. I don't think his coming early will help much. If our enemies were clever enough to

find out he was coming, they are clever enough to find out about this change.

I would love to know how the secret got out. Can the Navy's war plans be changed? I asked.

They could, he said. But we don't want to do that. It would be complicated. But the problem is,

our enemies are clever. They are not going to steal the plans from Royer's pocket or play a

childish game like that. They want to get the details without anybody knowing. Royer will go

back to Paris, thinking that everything is still a secret.

Then we must stay with him all the time until he goes back home, I said. Royer will have dinner

with my boss and then come to my house in London. There will be four people waiting for him,

Whitaker from the Navy, myself. Sir Arthur Drew and General Win Stanley.

The first sea lord, the head of the Navy, is ill so he may not come. Whitaker will give an

important document to Royer. Then Royer will be driven to Portsmouth.

From there, a Navy ship will take him to France. He will not be left alone until he reaches France.

Whitaker will also be watched until he meets Royer and gives him the document.

This is the best we can do and I think it is a good plan, but I'm nervous because of the murder

of Caroliders. After breakfast, he asked me if I could drive. You'll be my driver today,

you'll wear my driver's uniform. You know these people and I don't want to take risks.

I dressed up as the driver and drove Sir Walter to London. It was a nice June morning. We were

at his house by half past eleven. Then we went to Scotland Yard, where we met an important policeman.

I've brought you the Portland Place murderer, said Sir Walter. The man smiled.

This must be Mr Richard Hane, he said. We were interested in you for a few days.

Mr Hane will interest you again, McGillivre. He has a lot to tell you, but not today. I want

you to tell Mr Hane that you don't want to arrest him anymore. Of course not, the policeman said.

He turned to me. Your flat and your butler are waiting for you, Mr Hane.

We left the building and Sir Walter said I was free for the day.

Come and see me tomorrow, Hane. If I were you, I would go to bed. You will need energy tomorrow

and stay out of sight. We don't want your blackstone friends to see you.

I was happy to be a free man. I could go anywhere I wanted. I went to a good restaurant and had lunch,

but I was still feeling nervous. I felt shy when people looked at me. Were they thinking about the

what was happening? I was getting more nervous. Roya must be in Dover now, I thought, and somewhere

in the darkness the blackstone is working. Something terrible is going to happen, and only I can stop

it. I did not want to go back to my flat. I would go back sometime, but not yet. I had enough money

to go to a hotel. I went to a restaurant and had dinner. I was feeling sad and angry.

They need me, I thought. Without me the plan will fail.

So I decided to go to Sir Walter's house. They might not let me in, but I would try.

As I walked through the streets, I passed a group of young men. One of them was Marmaduke Jopley.

He saw me and stopped. It's the murderer, he cried. Stop him. That's Hane, the Portland

Place murderer. He held my arm. I did not want trouble, but I was feeling angry. A policeman

came up. I did not speak to him. Instead, I punched Marmaduke's stupid face. I felt better when I

saw him on the ground. Then a fight started. They were all on me. They hit me, and I could not

hit them back because the policeman was holding me down. What is the matter? He asked.

He is the murderer, said Marmaduke, talking through his broken teeth.

That's not true, I cried. Leave me alone. Scotland Yard knows all about me.

You've got to come with me, young man, said the policeman. I was angry. I had no time to lose,

so I pushed the policeman to the ground and started running. I heard them shouting and running after

me. I ran as fast as I could. Soon I reached Sir Walter's house. As soon as I rang the doorbell,

the door opened. I must see Sir Walter, I said to the butler. It's very important. He let me in

and shut the door. Sir Walter is in a meeting, sir. Perhaps you will wait. There was a telephone and

two chairs in the hall. I sat down. Listen, I whispered. I'm in trouble. But Sir Walter knows,

I'm working for him. If anyone comes and asks for me, tell him a lie. He nodded. There were noises

in the street and the doorbell rang. The butler opened the door. He told them whose house it was

and that no one could come in. He shut the door. A few minutes later, the doorbell rang again.

The butler opened the door and let the visitor in.

While he was taking off his coat, I recognized him. His face was in the newspapers, the gray beard

and the bright blue eyes. It was Lord Aloe, the first sea lord and the head of the British Navi.

He was shown into a room at the end of the hall. I sat there for twenty minutes. I kept looking

at my watch, thinking that the meeting would end soon. Royer would be on the road to Portsmouth

in fifteen minutes. Then the door of the back room opened and the first sea lord came out.

As he walked past me, he looked in my direction and I looked into his eyes for a second. My heart

jumped. I saw a light in his eyes. He had never seen me before but I knew he had recognized me.

He walked out into the street and the door closed behind him. I picked up the telephone book and

looked up the number of his house. A servant answered the phone.

"'Is Lord Aloe at home?' I asked. He has returned home half an hour ago. He has gone to bed.

He is not well tonight. Will you leave a message, sir?' I put the telephone down.

I was shaking in my chair. I could not lose a minute. I walked to the door of the back room

and entered without knocking. The five men looked at me in surprise, so Walter looked upset.

"'This is Mr. Hane,' he said. "'I have told you about him,' he turned to me.

Mr. Hane, this is not a good time. "'Well, this is important, sir,' I said.

Gentlemen, tell me who left this room a minute ago.

"'Lord Aloe, said Sir Walter, read with anger. It was not,' I cried.

He looked like Lord Aloe, but it was not him. He recognized me. He was a man who had seen me

recently. I have just telephoned Lord Aloe's house, and they said he had gone to bed.

"'Who? Who?' Someone asked.

"'The black stone,' I cried. I sat down and looked at the five frightened gentlemen.

So Walter got up and left the room. He came back ten minutes later. He looked upset.

"'I have spoken to a lower,' he said. I got him out of bed. He said he went home after dinner.

"'But it's impossible,' said General Winstanley.

"'I sat next to the man for half an hour.

"'It's very clever,' I said.

"'You were too interested in other things. You didn't look at him.

"'It was normal for Lord Aloe to come here tonight. You did not pay attention.'

"'Then Royer spoke very slowly and in good English.

"'The young man is right. Our enemies have been clever.

"'People see only what they expect to see.

"'But I don't understand,' said General Winstanley.

"'They don't want us to know that they know about our war plans.

"'If one of us spoke to Aloe, we would discover the truth,'

so Walter laughed nervously.

"'They chose Aloe because they know that none of us would speak to him about tonight.

"'We know that he is a sick man and often too ill.

"'Besides, he doesn't talk much.

"'But the spy has not taken the plans,' said the General.

"'He saw them, but he cannot carry all that information in his head.

"'It is not difficult for him,' the Frenchman said.

"'A good spy has a photographic memory. He looked at the papers for a long time.

"'He has every detail.'

"'Well, then we have to change the plans,' said Sir Walter.

"'That's going to be very difficult,' said Whitaker.

"'We can't make any big changes.

"'There's another problem,' said Roya.

"'I talked about the plans of the French Army,

"'but that information should not get out.

"'No, my friends, that man and his friends must be stopped.'

"'He could send the information in a letter,' said Whitaker.

"'No,' said the Frenchman.

"'A spy takes information personally and gets paid personally.

"'These men must cross the sea.

"'We will search the ships and watch the coast.

"'This is important for both France and Britain.

"'Roya was right. We could do something to stop them.

"'But where could we find the three criminals among the 50 million people in Britain?'

"'Then suddenly I had an idea.'

"'Where is Scudder's notebook?' I asked Sir Walter.

"'Quick, I remember something in it.'

"'He gave it to me. I opened the notebook and found the place.

"'39 steps,' I read.

"'And again, 39 steps,' I counted them.

"'High tide at 10 .17 pm.'

Whitaker looked at me like I was mad.

"'Don't you see it's a clue,' I shouted.

"'Scudder knew where they were going to leave the country.

"'Tomorrow is the day and it is somewhere where high tide is at 10 .17 pm.'

"'They may have gone tonight,' someone said.

"'No, they have their own secret way.

"'They don't need to hurry. Where can I get a book of tide tables?

"'Let's go to the Navy offices,' said Whitaker.

"'So Walter went to Scotland Yard to speak to McGillivray.

"'The rest of us got into the cars and went to the Navy offices.

"'We entered a room full of books and maps.

"'We found a copy of the tide tables.

"'I sat at the desk and studied the book while the others watched.

"'But it was no good.

"'There were more than 50 places where high tide was at 10 .17 pm.

"'We needed more information.'

"'I thought hard. 39 steps,' I said.

"'What did Scudder mean by steps?

"'And why 39?

"'It could be steps going down to the sea, somewhere with several stairs.'

"'Then I had an idea.

"'I checked the timetable of the ships leaving England,

"'but no boat was leaving at 10 .17 pm.'

"'Why is high tide important?' I thought.

"'The tide doesn't matter in a big harbor.

"'It is only important in a little harbor or a place without a harbor.

"'If a man wants to go to Germany quickly and secretly,

"'where would he leave?

"'Not from a big harbor and not from the south coast

"'or the west coast or Scotland.'

"'I looked at the map.

"'He would probably leave from the east coast.

"'Of course I was only guessing.

"'I was not Sherlock Holmes, but my guesses were often right.

"'So I wrote down all my ideas on a piece of paper.

"'One, a place where there are several sets of stairs.

"'One of these has 39 steps.

"'Two, high tide at 10 .17 pm.

"'Leaving the coast is only possible at high tide.

"'Three, probably not a harbor.

"'Could be an open coast with cliffs and a beach.

"'Four, probably a small ship, a yacht or a fishing boat.

"'Five, a place on the east coast between Cromer and Dover.

"'I was sitting at the desk with four very important people watching me.

"'It was strange.

"'We were trying to understand the message of a dead man.'

"'Then Sir Walter and McGillivray arrived.

"'They said the police were watching the harbors

"'and the railway stations.

"'We have to find a place where there are stairs

"'with 39 steps that go down to a beach,' I said.

"'I think it's an open coast with cliffs somewhere on the east coast.

"'And it's a place where full tide is at 10 .17 tomorrow night.

"'I know an old coastguard who knows the east coast very well,' said Whitaker.

"'He lives in South London.

"'He went off in a car to get the man.

"'We sat and waited.

"'About one o 'clock in the morning, he came back with the coastguard.

"'He was a nice old man.

"'We are looking for a place on the east coast where there are cliffs.

"'And where steps go down to the beach,' said Winstanley, the war minister.

"'The old man thought for a minute.

"'What kind of steps do you mean, sir?

"'Do you mean steps through the cliffs or roads with steps or regular staircases?

"'We mean regular staircases,' I said.

"'I don't know. Wait a second.

"'There's a place in Norfolk, it's beside a golf course,

"'and there are some staircases.'

"'That's not it,' I said.

"'What about seaside towns?

"'Holiday places have steps to the beach.'

"'No, it must be somewhere private,' I said.

"'Well, I don't know, of course, there's the rough.'

"'What's that?' I asked.

"'It's in Kent, close to Bradgate.

"'There are cliffs with a lot of houses on the top.

"'Some of the houses have steps down to a private beach.

"'Rich people live there.

"'They like to keep private.

"'I opened the tide tables and found Bradgate.

"'High tide there was at 10 .27 pm on the 15th of June.

"'Do you know the time of high tide at the roof?'

"'Yes, sir,' said the Coast Guardman.

"'The tide's 10 minutes before Bradgate.

"'I closed the book and looked at the others.

"'We have to find out if one of those staircases has 39 steps.

"'I said, I want to take your car, Sir Walter, and a map.

"'Mr. McGillivray, can I talk to you for 10 minutes?

"'Let's make a plan for tomorrow.'

"'At half past three in the morning,

"'I was driving through Kent in the moonlight,

"'with McGillivray's right -hand man next to me.'

"'It was a beautiful June morning.

"'I was in a hotel in Bradgate, looking out to sea.

"'I could see a ship out there, it was a warship.

"'McGillivray's man Skafe had been in the Navy and knew the ship.

"'I sent a message to Sir Walter.

"'After breakfast, Skafe and I walked on the beach under the rough.

"'I hid under the cliff because I did not want to be seen.'

Skafe counted the staircases.

"'When he came back an hour later,

"'he was holding a piece of paper.

"'I was very nervous.

"'He read out the numbers, 34, 35, 39, 42, 47,

"'and 21.

"'I almost got up and shouted.

"'We walked back to town and sent a message to McGillivray.

"'We had six policemen.

"'Each went to a different hotel.

"'Then Skafe went to look at the house at the top of the 39 steps.

"'He came back with some interesting information.

"'The house is called Trafalgar Lodge.

"'I learned that an old gentleman called Appleton

"'lives there in summer.

"'He is there now.

"'I went into the house through the back door.

"'I pretended to be a salesman.

"'There are three servants in the house.

"'I talked with the cook.

"'She is a nice woman.

"'I'm sure she knows nothing.

"'Next door a new house is being built.

"'It could be a good place to watch from.

"'The house on the other side is empty

"'and it has a wild garden that could be a good hiding place.

"'I borrowed Skafe's telescope and went for a walk.

"'I found a hiding place and sat down.

"'I could easily see Trafalgar Lodge.

"'After a while I saw someone leave the house.

"'It was an old man wearing white trousers,

"'a blue jacket and a straw hat.

"'He sat down and began to read a newspaper.

"'Several times he looked out to see.

"'He looked at the warship for a long time.

"'Then he got up and went back to the house.

"'I returned to my hotel.

"'I was feeling a little nervous.

"'This might not be just a normal house.

"'The old man might be the bald man in the farmhouse

"'in the moors, but I could not be certain.

"'There were many nice old men in these holiday houses.

"'He could just be one of them.

"'After lunch I sat in the hotel balcony.

"'Suddenly I saw a yacht come up from the south and stop.

"'Skafe and I went down to the harbour.

"'We got a boat and spent the afternoon fishing.

"'It was a very nice afternoon.

"'We caught a lot of fish.

"'I felt much better and more hopeful.

"'About four o 'clock we went to look at the yacht.

"'Skafe said it was a fast boat.

"'It's name was the Ariadne.

"'I talked to a sailor cleaning the boat.

"'He was English.

"'Then we spoke to another sailor.

"'He too was English.

"'We chatted about the weather for a while.'

"'Then the men suddenly stopped talking and went back to work.

"'An officer had walked up.

"'He was a pleasant, good -looking young man.

"'He asked about our fishing.

"'He spoke very good English.

"'But I was sure that he was not English.

"'I was happy to see this man.

"'But escape and I went back to the hotel.

"'I had some doubts.

"'My enemies had killed Scudder because he knew things.

"'They tried to kill me because they thought I knew things.

"'So they could have changed their plans about tonight.

"'I decided to watch Trafalgar lodge for a while.

"'I found an empty house on the hill

"'and hid between the bushes in its garden.

"'From there I could see the house clearly.

"'I could see two people playing tennis.

"'One was the old man and the other was a younger man.

"'They looked like two city gentlemen.

"'They shouted and laughed and were having a good time.

"'It all looked so normal.

"'I started having doubts again.

"'They could not be the two murderers

"'who killed poor Scudder and came after me

"'on the Scottish moors.

"'They were two innocent people.

"'Then a third man arrived on a bicycle.

"'He walked into the garden and the tennis players welcomed him.

"'They were joking and laughing in a very English way.

"'Then they went into the house.

"'I was feeling stupid.

"'These men might be acting, but why?

"'They didn't know I was watching them.

"'They were just three normal harmless Englishmen,

"'but they were three men.

"'One was old and one was fat and one was thin and dark.

"'Their house was in Scudder's notebook.

"'There was a yacht a kilometer away

"'with at least one German on it.

"'I thought about Caroliders,

"'Europe on the edge of war and the men who were waiting in London.

"'There was only one thing to do.

"'I had to stop having doubts and continue.

"'I did not want to do it.

"'I would rather walk into a room full of lions

"'than into the happy home of the three Englishmen.

"'But suddenly I remembered something an old friend in Africa

"'had said to me once.

"'He used to be a criminal before becoming a good man.

"'He told me that it was easy to change your appearance.

"'But it was not just about changing the color of your hair

"'or using a false beard.

"'There was something else that was important.

"'When you were in a different environment than your own,

"'looking comfortable was the key.

"'If you acted naturally, others could never recognize you.

"'Another thing my friend told me was this.

"'If you are acting a part, you must believe that you are that person.'

"'He said this was the secret of all great criminals.

"'I thought about the game of tennis.

"'Those men were not acting.

"'They were being the rich Englishmen.

"'It was now eight o 'clock.

"'I went back to the hotel.

"'Scaf and I talked about where the policemen would hide.

"'Then I went for a walk.

"'I watched the people coming back from the beach.

"'Out at sea, I saw the lights on the Ariadne

"'and the lights on the warship.

"'It was a peaceful picture.

"'I walked back towards Trafalgar Lodge about half past nine.

"'Scafes men would be in their hiding places now.

"'But the place was quiet.

"'The windows of the house were open.

"'I could hear people having dinner.

"'I felt very stupid.

"'I walked up to the door and rang the bell.

"'When a servant opened the door,

"'I asked for Mr. Appleton and went in.

"'I had planned to walk straight into the dining room

"'and surprise the men.

"'But I started looking around.

"'It was a very nicely decorated hall.

"'There were golf clubs, tennis rackets and walking sticks.

"'There was a grandfather clock.

"'There were pictures on the walls.

"'It was a typical English home.

"'The servant led me into the dining room.

"'But it was too late.

"'She told the men my name,

"'But I was busy looking at the room.

"'I did not see their faces when they heard my name.

"'I walked in.

"'The old man stood up and turned round to meet me.

"'The others turned and looked at me.

"'The old man was very polite.

"'Mr. Hane, he said,

"'Did you wish to see me?'

"'I pulled up a chair and sat down.

"'I think we have met before,' I said,

"'and I think you know why I'm here.'

"'Maybe, maybe,' said the old man.

"'I don't remember faces very well.

"'Please tell me why you're here, sir.'

"'Well,' I said,

"'I was still feeling stupid.'

"'I have come to arrest you three gentlemen.

"'Arest,' said the old man.

"'He looked shocked.

"'What for?'

"'For the murder of Franklin Scudder in London on the 23rd of May.

"'I've never heard the name before,' said the old man.

"'One of the others spoke.

"'That was the Portland Place murder.

"'I read about it in the paper.

"'You must be mad, sir.

"'Where do you come from?'

"'Scotland Yard,' I said.

"'There was silence for a minute.

"'The old man was looking at his plate.

"'Then the fat one spoke.'

"'Don't worry, uncle,' he said.

"'It's all a mistake.

"'It won't be hard to prove we are not guilty.

"'I was out of the country on the 23rd of May,

"'and Bob was in hospital.

"'You were in London, but you can explain what you were doing.'

"'You're right, Percy, of course.

"'The 23rd, that was the day after Agatha's wedding.

"'Let me see.

"'What was I doing?

"'I had lunch with Charlie Simons.

"'Then I dined with the fishmongers.

"'I remember I did not like the soup very much.'

"'I think you have made a mistake, sir,' said the thin dark man to me.

"'We want to help the police,

"'and we don't want Scotland Yard to make stupid mistakes.

"'Am I right, uncle?'

"'Certainly, Bob,' said the old man.

"'We'll do anything to help, but this is crazy.

"'Our friends will find this so funny,' said the fat man, laughing.

"'Yes, it's a good story,' said the old man.

"'Mr. Hane, I should be angry, but it's too funny.

"'You frighten me.

"'You look so serious.

"'I thought maybe I was sleepwalking and killing people,'

"'he laughed out loud.

"'It was so real.

"'They could not be acting.

"'I felt very bad and wanted to apologize and leave,

"'but I told myself to continue.

"'The light from the candlesticks was not very good,

"'so I got up and switched on the electric light.

"'I looked at the three faces.

"'I saw nothing.

"'One was old and bald, one was fat,

"'and one was thin and dark.

"'They could be the three men in Scotland,

"'but I could see nothing to prove this.'

"'Well,' said the old man politely,

"'Are you sure now, sir?'

"'I hope you see that we are not the murderers,'

"'I shook my head.

"'Are you going to take us to the police station?'

"'Ask the fat one.'

"'I could not say a word.

"'I had to call in the policemen outside and arrest them,

"'or I had to say I had made a mistake and leave.

"'I could not do anything.'

"'Well then, while we're waiting,

"'let's have a game of cards,' said the fat man.

"'It will give Mr. Hane time to think,

"'and we need a fourth player.

"'Do you play, sir?'

"'We went into the sitting room.

"'There was a card table.

"'We sat down and played.

"'The window was open and the moon was shining

"'on the cliffs and the sea.

"'The three men were talking normally.

"'They saw that I was puzzled,

"'so they were even more relaxed.

"'I kept looking at their faces,

"'but I saw nothing.

"'Then something woke me up.

"'The old man sat back in his chair,

"'put his hand on his knee and tapped his fingers.

"'I remembered this movement.

"'I had seen it before,

"'in the farmhouse on the moors,

"'when the two men had their guns pointed at me.

"'Immediately everything was clear.

"'I was looking at the men differently.

"'The three faces changed,

"'and I could see their secrets.

"'The young one was the murderer.

"'His knife had killed Scudder.

"'The fat man had been Lord Aloe last night.

"'But the old man was the worst.

"'He was intelligent, cold, and evil.

"'I went on playing,

"'but I hated them more every second.

"'I could not sit with them any longer.

"'Bob, look at the time,' said the old man.

"'You've got to catch your train.

"'Bob must be in London tonight,' he said, turning to me.

"'I looked at the clock.

"'It was nearly half past 10.

"'I'm afraid he must wait,' I said.

"'Oh, no,' said the young man.

"'I thought you believed us.

"'I've got to go.

"'You can have my address.

"'No,' I said.

"'You can't go.

"'I think they realized that they were in trouble.

"'I looked at the old man,

"'and he narrowed his eyes like a snake.

"'I blew my whistle.

"'Immediately the lights went out.

"'Someone held me.

"'I could not move.

"'Quick France,' cried someone in German,

"'the boat, the boat.

"'I saw two policemen on the grass outside.

"'The thin man jumped through the window and started running.

"'While I fought the old man,

"'more policemen came into the room.

"'The fat man was caught.

"'I held the old man down while I looked out the window.

"'Someone was running after France, but he got away.

"'I saw him going down the stairs to the beach.

"'Suddenly the old man pushed me away and ran to the wall.

"'He pressed a button.

"'Then the sound of an explosion came from under the ground.

"'We looked out the window.

"'The cliff and the steps had been blown up.

"'The old man was looking at me with his wild, crazy eyes.

"'He is safe,' he cried.

"'You cannot follow him.

"'He is gone.

"'He has won.'

"'Then he said in German, the black stone has won.

"'His snake eyes were burning with love for his country.

"'As the police took him away, I said my last words to him.

"'France has not won.

"'The Ariadne has been in our hands for the last hour.

"'Seven weeks later, as all the world knows,

"'we went to war.

"'I joined the army in the first week,

"'but I had done my best work before

"'I put on uniform.'"