‘Cowley. Prudence Cowley. But my friends call me Tuppence.’
‘Well, Miss Tuppence, then, as I’m certainly going to be a friend. Don’t be offended because I think you’re young. Youth is a failing only too easily outgrown. Now, about this young Tommy of yours –’
‘Yes.’ Tuppence clasped her hands.
‘Frankly, things look bad for him. He’s been butting in somewhere where he wasn’t wanted. Not a doubt of it. But don’t give up hope.’
‘And you really will help us? There, Julius! He didn’t want me to come,’ she added by way of explanation.
‘H’m,’ said the lawyer, favouring Julius with another keen glance. ‘And why was that?’
‘I reckoned it would be no good worrying you with a petty little business like this.’
‘I see.’ He paused a moment. ‘This petty little business, as you call it, bears directly on a very big business, bigger perhaps than either of you or Miss Tuppence know. If this boy is alive, he may have very valuable information to give us. Therefore, we must find him.’
‘Yes, but how?’ cried Tuppence. ‘I’ve tried to think of everything.’
Sir James smiled.
‘And yet there’s one person quite near at hand who in all probability knows where he is, or at all events where he is likely to be.’
‘Who is that?’ asked Tuppence, puzzled.
‘Mrs Vandemeyer.’
‘Yes, but she’d never tell us.’
‘Ah, that is where I come in. I think it quite likely that I shall be able to make Mrs Vandemeyer tell me what I want to know.’
‘How?’ demanded Tuppence, opening her eyes very wide.
‘Oh, just by asking her questions,’ replied Sir James easily. ‘That’s the way we do it, you know.’
He tapped with his fingers on the table, and Tuppence felt again the intense power that radiated from the man.
‘And if she won’t tell?’ asked Julius suddenly.
‘I think she will. I have one or two powerful levers. Still, in that unlikely event, there is always the possibility of bribery.’
‘Sure. And that’s where I come in!’ cried Julius, bringing his fist down on the table with a bang. ‘You can count on me, if necessary, for one million dollars. Yes, sir, one million dollars!’
Sir James sat down and subjected Julius to a long scrutiny.
‘Mr Hersheimmer,’ he said at last, ‘that is a very large sum.’
‘I guess it’ll have to be. These aren’t the kind of folk to offer sixpence to.’
‘At the present rate of exchange it amounts to considerably over two hundred and fifty thousand pounds.’
‘That’s so. Maybe you think I’m talking through my hat, but I can deliver the goods all right, with enough over to spare for your fee.’
Sir James flushed slightly.
‘There is no question of a fee, Mr Hersheimmer. I am not a private detective.’
‘Sorry. I guess I was just a mite hasty, but I’ve been feeling bad about this money question. I wanted to offer a big reward for news of Jane some days ago, but your crusted institution of Scotland Yard advised me against it. Said it was undesirable.’
‘They were probably right,’ said Sir James dryly.
‘But it’s all O.K. about Julius,’ put in Tuppence. ‘He’s not pulling your leg. He’s got simply pots of money.’
‘The old man piled it up in style,’ explained Julius. ‘Now, let’s get down to it. What’s your idea?’
Sir James considered for a moment or two.
‘There is no time to be lost. The sooner we strike the better.’ He turned to Tuppence. ‘Is Mrs Vandemeyer dining out tonight, do you know?’
‘Yes, I think so, but she will not be out late. Otherwise, she would have taken the latchkey.’
‘Good. I will call upon her about ten o’clock. What time are you supposed to return?’
‘About nine-thirty or ten, but I could go back earlier.’
‘You must not do that on any account. It might arouse suspicion if you did not stay out till the usual time. Be back by nine-thirty. I will arrive at ten. Mr Hersheimmer will wait below in a taxi perhaps.’
‘He’s got a new Rolls-Royce car,’ said Tuppence with vicarious pride.
‘Even better. If I succeed in obtaining the address from her, we can go there at once, taking Mrs Vandemeyer with us if necessary. You understand?’
‘Yes.’ Tuppence rose to her feet with a skip of delight. ‘Oh, I feel so much better!’
‘Don’t build on it too much, Miss Tuppence. Go easy.’
Julius turned to the lawyer.
‘Say, then, I’ll call for you in the car round about nine-thirty. Is that right?’
‘Perhaps that will be the best plan. It would be unnecessary to have two cars waiting about. Now, Miss Tuppence, my advice to you is to go and have a good dinner, a really good one, mind. And don’t think ahead more than you can help.’
He shook hands with them both, and a moment later they were outside.
‘Isn’t he a duck?’ inquired Tuppence ecstatically, as she skipped down the steps. ‘Oh, Julius, isn’t he just a duck?’
‘Well, I allow he seems to be the goods all right. And I was wrong about its being useless to go to him. Say, shall we go right away back to the Ritz?’
‘I must walk a bit, I think. I feel so excited. Drop me in the Park, will you? Unless you’d like to come too?’
Julius shook his head.
‘I want to get some petrol,’ he explained. ‘And send off a cable or two.’
‘All right. I’ll meet you at the Ritz at seven. We’ll have to dine upstairs. I can’t show myself in these glad rags.’
‘Sure. I’ll get Felix to help me choose the menu. He’s some head waiter, that. So long.’
Tuppence walked briskly along towards the Serpentine, first glancing at her watch. It was nearly six o’clock. She remembered that she had had no tea, but felt too excited to be conscious of hunger. She walked as far as Kensington Gardens and then slowly retraced her steps, feeling infinitely better for the fresh air and exercise. It was not so easy to follow Sir James’s advice and put the possible events of the evening out of her head. As she drew nearer and nearer to Hyde Park corner, the temptation to return to South Audley Mansions was almost irresistible.
At any rate, she decided, it would do no harm just to go and look at the building. Perhaps, then, she could resign herself to waiting patiently for ten o’clock.
South Audley Mansions looked exactly the same as usual. What Tuppence had expected she hardly knew, but the sight of its red brick solidity slightly assuaged the growing and entirely unreasonable uneasiness that possessed her. She was just turning away when she heard a piercing whistle, and the faithful Albert came running from the building to join her.
Tuppence frowned. It was no part of the programme to have attention called to her presence in the neighbourhood, but Albert was purple with suppressed excitement.
‘I say, miss, she’s