“One thing at a time.” Derek began to take Canfield seriously.
“rhat’s the point. I think they are the same thing. Bertholde’s company
leased the rooms two Boors above.”
,’I beg your pardonr
‘Thars right. For a month. Daily business conferences, no less..,
“I think we’d better have a talk.”
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“The girl knows about it and she’s frightened. Can you put a couple of men
on?”
“You think it’s necessary?”
“Not really. But I’d hate to be wrong.”
“Very well. The story will be Anticipated jewel theft. Not uniformed, of
course. One in the corridor, one in the street.11
“I appreciate it. You beginning to wake up?”
“I am, confound you. I’ll be with you in a half hour. With everything I’ve
been able -to dig up on Bertholde. And I think we’d better get at look at
their suite-”
Canfield left the phone booth and started back to the hotel. His lack of
sleep was beginning to take effect and he wished he was in an American city
where such institutions as all-night diners provided coffee. The English,
he thought, were wrong in thinking themselves so civflized. No one was
civilized without all-night diners.
He entered the opulent lobby and noted that the clock above the desk read
quarter to four. He walked toward the ancient elevators.
“Oh, Mr. Canfield, sirl” The clerk rushed up.
“What is it?” Canfield could only think of Janet and his heart stopped.
“Just after you left, sirl Not two minutes after You leftl … Most unusual
this time of night. .
“What the hell are you talking about?”
This cablegram arrived for you.” The clerk handed Canfield an envelope.
111ank you,” said a relieved Canfield as he took the cablegram and entered
the open-grill elevator. As he rose from the ground floor he pressed the
cable between his thumb and forefinger. It was thick. Benjamin Reynolds had
either sent a long abstract lecture or there would be a considerable amount
of decoding to be done. He Only hoped he could finish it before Derek
arrived.
Canfield entered his room, sat down in a chair near a floor lamp, and
opened the cable.
No decoding was necessary. It was all written in simple business language
and easily understood when applied to the current situation. Canfield
separated the pages. There were three.
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SORRY TO INFORM YOU RAWLINS THOMAS AND LILLLAN IN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT
REPEAT ACCIDENT POCONO MOUNTAINS STOP BOTH ARE DEAD STOP K14OW THIS WILL
UPSET YOUR DEAR FRIEND E S STOP SUGGEST YOU CARE FOR HER IN HER DISTRESS
STOP TO WIMBLEDON BUSINESS STOP WE HAVE SPARED NO EXPENSE AGAIN SPARED NO
EXPENSE WITH OUR ENGLISH SUPPLIERS TO OBTAIN MAXIMUM QUOTAS OF MERCHANDISE
STOP THEY ARE SYMPATHETIC WITH OUR PROBLEMS OF SCANDINAVIAN EXPORTS STOP
THEY ARE PREPARED TO AID YOU IN YOUR NEGOTIATIONS FOR FAIR REDUCTIONS ON
MAXIMUM PURCHASES STOP THEY HAVE BEEN TOLD OF OUR COMPETITORS IN
SWITZERLAND AGAIN SWITZERLAND AND THE COMPANIES REPEAT COMPANIES INVOLVED
STOP THEY KNOW OF THE THREE BRITISH FIRMS IN COMPETITION STOP THEY WILL
GIVE YOU ALL ASSISTANCE AND WE EXPECT YOU TO CONCENTRATE AGAIN CONCENTRATE
ON OUR INTERESTS IN ENGLAND STOP DO NOT AGAIN DO NOT ATTEMPT TO UNDERBID
OUR COMPETITORS IN SWITZERLAND STOP STAY OUT OF IT STOP NOTHING CAN BE
ACCOMPLISHED STOP
J. HAMMER WIMBLEDON NEW YORK
Canfield lit a thin cigar and placed the three pages on the floor between
his outstretched legs.-He peered down at them.
Hammer was Reynolds-‘s wde name for messages sent to field accountants when
he considered the contents to be of the utmost importance. The word again
was for positive emphasis. The word repeat a simple inversion. It denoted
the negative of whatever it referred to..
So the Rawlinses-Canfield had to think for a minute before he remembered
that the Rawlinses were Boothroyd’s in-laws-had been murdered. Not an
accident. And Reynolds feared for Elizabeth Scarlatti’s life. Washington
had reached an agreement with the British government to gain him unusual
cooperation-no expense spared -and in return had told the English of the
Swedish securities and the land purchases in Switzerland, which were
presumed to be related. However, Reynolds did not specify who the men in
Zurich were. Only that they existed and three upstanding Englishmen were on
the list. Canfield recalled their names-Masterson of India fame;
227
Leacock of the British Stock Exchange; and Innes-Bowen, the textile magnate.
The main points Hammer made were to protect Elizabeth and stay out of
Switzerland.
There was a light tapping on his door. Canfield gathered the pages together
and put them in his pocket. “Who is it?”
“Goldilocks, confound youl I’m looking for a bed to sleep in.” The crisp
British accent belonged, of course, to James Derek. Canfield opened the
door and the Englishman walked in without further greeting. He threw a
manila envelope on the bed, placed his bowler on the bureau, and sat down
in the nearest stuffed chair.
“I like the hat, James.”
“I’m just praying that it may keep me from being arrested. A Londoner
prowling around the Savoy at this hour has to have the look of immense
respectability.”
“You have it, take my word.”
“I wouldn’t take your word for a damn thing, you insomniac.”
“Can I get you a whiskey?”
“God, nol . . . Madame Scarlatti didn’t mention a thing to you?”
“Nothing. Less than nothing. She tried to divert my attention, Then she
just shut up and locked herself in her bedroom.”
“I can’t believe it. I thought you two were working together.” Derek
withdrew a hotel key attached to the usual wooden identification tag. “I
had a chat with the hotel bobby.”
-can you trust him?”
“It doesn’t matter. It’s a master key and he thinks I’m covering a party on
the second floor.”
“fhen I’ll get going. Wait for me, please. Grab some sleep.
“Hold on. You’re obviously connected with Madame Scarlatti. I should do the
reconnoiteting.”
The field accountant paused. There was merit in what Derek said. He
presumed the British operative was far more adept at this kind of sleuthing
than he was. On the other hand, he could not be sure of the man’s confi-
dence. Neither was he prepared to tell him very much and have the British
government making decisions.
“17haes brave of you, Derek, but I wouldn’t ask it.”
228
“Not brave at aU. Numerous explanations under the Alien Order.”
“Nevertheless, I’d prefer going myself. Frankly, there’s no reason for you
to be involved. I called you for help, not to do my work.”
“Let’s compromise. In my favor.”
.,Why?,,
“It’s safer.”
“You’ve won a point.”
“I’ll go in first while you wait in the corridor by the lift. I’ll check
-the rooms and then signal you to join me.”
“How?”
“With as little energy as possible. Perhaps a short whistle.”
Canfield heard the short, shrill whistle and walked quickly down the
hallway to nine west one.
He closed the door and went to the source of the flashlight. “Everything
all right?”
“It’s a well-kept hotel suite. Perhaps not so ostentatious as the American
variety, but infinitely more homelike.”
“That’s reassuring.”
“More than you know. I really don’t like this sort of work.”
“I thought you people were famous for it.”
This small talk covered the start of their rapid but thorough search of the
premises. The floor plan of the rooms was identical to the Scarlatti suite
two stories below. However, instead of similar furniture there was a long
table in the center of the ‘Main room with perhaps a dozen chairs around
it.
“Conference table, I presume,” said Derek.
“Let’s take a look at the window.”
“Which one?”
Canfield thought. “Over here.” He went toward the french windows directly
in line with those of Elizabeth Scarlatti.
“Good point. Here.” The Englishman edged Canfield out of the way as he
directed the light.
On the wooden sill was. a freshly made valley, which had gone through the
paint to the wood grain. Where
229
the wood met the outer stone there was a similar semicircle, which had cut
through the layers of dirt and turned that small portion of blackish stone
to light gray. The ridge was approximately an inch and a half thick and
obviously caused by the friction of a wide rope.
“Whoever it was is a cat,” said Canfield.
“Let’s look around.” The two men walked first through the left bedroom door
and found a double bed fully made up. The bureaus were empty and nothing
but the usual stationery and corked pens were on the desk. The closets held
nothing but hangers and cloth shoe repositories. The bathroom was spotless,
the fixtures gleaming. The second bedroom to the right was the same except
that the bedspread was mussed. Someone had slept or rested on it.
“Large frame. Probably six feet or over,” said the Englishman.
“How can you tell?”
“Imprint of the buttocks. See here, below the half point of the bed.”
“I wouldn’t have thought of that.”
“I have no comment.”