.s thought then that I’d try and fred out more from her next nroe we came to see Aunt Ada – But there wasn’t nXu;dld-C:tlse Aunt Ada died – And when we were next
,v.. -I ‘ Mxs Lancaster had – disappearedP dis,;p,ar-h][,sPe°mP.ee nh:mdrten her away? That’s not a It s a disap q · · ·, vCrance – no traceable address – no answer to etters – it s a pi · , of t.’ armed disappearance. I m more and more sure ‘But -‘
,]sPpene-e broke in upon his ‘But’. ten, fOmny- su sin tha happened Ppo g t sometime or other a cri suppose that I:o-emed. all.safe m..d covered up – But hne
‘-cone m me family had seen something, or from.e realized might be people – someone whom you suddenly it)’ danger to you – What would you do about ‘Arsenic in the oup?’ suggested Tommy cheerfully. ‘Cosh them on the head Push them down the staircase -?’ ‘That’s raffler e.
You’d look n,treme – Sudden deaths attract attennon ab-or some simpler way – and you’d find
A nice respectable Home for Elderly Ladies. You’d pay a visit to it, ca!!jng yourself Mrs Johnson or Mrs Robinson – or you would get some unsuspecting third party to make arrangements – You’d fix the fmancial arrangements through a fnma of reliable solicitors. You’ve already hinted, perhaps, that your elderly relative has fancies and mild delusions sometimes – so do a good many of the other old ladies – Nobody will think it odd – if she cackles on about poisoned milk, or dead children behind a fireplace, or a sinister kidnapping; nobody will really listen. They’ll just think it’s old Mrs So-and-So havitg her fancies again – nobody will take any notice at all.’ ‘Except Mrs Thomas Beresford,’ said Tommy.
‘All right, yes,’ said Tuppence. ‘I’ve taken notice ‘ ‘But why did you?’ ‘I don’t quite know,’ said Tuppence slowly. ‘It’s like the fairy stories. By the pricking of my thumbs – Something evil this way comes – I felt suddenly scared. I’d always thought of Sunny Ridge as such a normal happy place – and suddenly I began to wonder – That’s the only way I can put it. I wanted to fred out more. And now poor. old Mrs Lancaster has disappeared.
Somebody’s spirited her away.’ ‘But why should they?’ ‘I can only think because she was getting worse – worse from their point of view – remembering more, perhaps, talking to people more, or perhaps she recognized someone – or someone recognized her – or told her something that gave her new ideas about something that had once happened. Anyway, for some reason or other she became dangerous to someone.’ ‘Look here, Tuppence, this whole thing is all somethings and someones. It’s just an idea you’ve thought up. You don’t want to go mixing yourself up in things that are no business of yours – ‘There’s nothing to be mixed up in according to you,’ said Tuppence. ‘So you needn’t worry at all.’ ‘You leave Sunny Ridge alone.’ ‘I don’t mean to go back to Sunny Ridge. I think they’ve told me all they know there. I think that that old lady was quite safe whilst she was there. I want to find out where she is now – I want to get to her wherever she is in time – before something happens to her.’ ‘What on earth do you think might happen to her?’ ‘I don’t like to think. But I’m on the trail – I’m going to be Prudence Beresford, Private Investigator. Do you remember when we were Blunts Brilliant Detectives?’ “I was,’ said Tommy. ‘You were Miss Robinson, my private secretary. ‘ ‘Not all the time. Anyway, that’s what I’m going to do while you’re playing at International Espionage at Hush Hush Manor. It’s the “Save Mrs Lancaster” that I’m going to be busy with.’ ‘You’ll probably £md her perfectly all right.’ ‘I hope I shall. Nobody would be better pleased than I should.’ ‘How do you propose to set about it?’ ‘As I told you, I’ve got to think £n’st. Perhaps an advertisement of some kind? No, that would be a mistake.’ ‘Well, be careful,’ said Tommy, rather inadequately.