Sparkling Cyanide Part 12

"I don't like it, George. These melodramatic ideas out of books don't work. Go to the police - there's no better body of men. They know how work. Go to the police - there's no better body of men. They know how to deal with these problems. They're professionals. Amateur shows in to deal with these problems. They're professionals. Amateur shows in crime aren't advisable." crime aren't advisable."

"That's why I want you there. You're not an amateur."

"My dear fellow. Because I once did work for M.I.5? And anyway you propose to keep me in the dark." propose to keep me in the dark."

"That's necessary."

Race shook his head.

"I'm sorry. I refuse. I don't like your plan and I won't be a party to it. Give it up, George, there's a good fellow." Give it up, George, there's a good fellow."

"I'm not going to give it up. I've got it all worked out."

"Don't be so d.a.m.ned obstinate. I know a bit more about these shows than you do. I don't like the idea. It won't work. It may even be than you do. I don't like the idea. It won't work. It may even be dangerous. Have you thought of that?" dangerous. Have you thought of that?"

"It will be dangerous for somebody all right."

Race sighed.

"You don't know what you're doing. Oh, well, don't say I haven't warned you. For the last time I beg you to give up this crackbrained warned you. For the last time I beg you to give up this crackbrained idea of yours." idea of yours."

George Barton only shook his head.

Chapter 5.

The morning of November 2nd had dawned wet and gloomy. It was so dark in the dining-room of the house in Elvaston Square that they had dark in the dining-room of the house in Elvaston Square that they had to have the lights on for breakfast. to have the lights on for breakfast.

Iris, contrary to her habit, had come down instead of having her coffee and toast sent up to her and sat there white and ghostlike pushing and toast sent up to her and sat there white and ghostlike pushing uneaten food about her plate. George rustled his Times with a nervy uneaten food about her plate. George rustled his Times with a nervy hand and at the other end of the table Lucilla Drake wept copiously hand and at the other end of the table Lucilla Drake wept copiously into a handkerchief. into a handkerchief.

"I know the dear boy will do something dreadful. He's so sensitive - and he wouldn't say it was a matter of life and death if it wasn't." and he wouldn't say it was a matter of life and death if it wasn't."

Rustling his paper, George said sharply: "Please don't worry, Lucilla. I've said I'll see to it." I've said I'll see to it."

"I know, dear George, you are always so kind. But I do feel any delay might be fatal. All these inquiries you speak of making - they will all might be fatal. All these inquiries you speak of making - they will all take time." take time."

"No, no, we'll hurry them through."

"He says: 'without fail by the 3rd' and tomorrow is the 3rd. I should never forgive myself if anything happened to the darling boy." never forgive myself if anything happened to the darling boy."

"It won't." George took a long drink of coffee.

"And there is still that Conversion Loan of mine -"

"Look here, Lucilla, you leave it all to me."

"Don't worry, Aunt Lucilla," put in Iris. "George will be able to arrange it all. After all, this has happened before." it all. After all, this has happened before."

"Not for a long time" ("Three months," said George), "not since the poor boy was deceived by those dreadful swindling friends of his on poor boy was deceived by those dreadful swindling friends of his on that horrid ranch." that horrid ranch."

George wiped his moustache on his napkin, got up, patted Mrs Drake kindly on the back as he made his way out of the room. kindly on the back as he made his way out of the room.

"Now do cheer up, my dear. I'll get Ruth to cable right away."

As he went out in the hall, Iris followed him.

"George, don't you think we ought to put off the party tonight? Aunt Lucilla is so upset. Hadn't we better stay at home with her?" Lucilla is so upset. Hadn't we better stay at home with her?"

"Certainly not!" George's pink face went purple. "Why should that d.a.m.ned swindling young crook upset our whole lives? It's blackmail - d.a.m.ned swindling young crook upset our whole lives? It's blackmail - sheer blackmail, that's what it is. If I had my way, he shouldn't get a sheer blackmail, that's what it is. If I had my way, he shouldn't get a penny." penny."

"Aunt Lucilla would never agree to that."

"Lucilla's a fool - always has been. These women who have children when they're over forty never seem to learn any sense. Spoil the brats when they're over forty never seem to learn any sense. Spoil the brats from the cradle by giving them every d.a.m.ned thing they want. If young from the cradle by giving them every d.a.m.ned thing they want. If young Victor had once been told to get out of his mess by himself it might Victor had once been told to get out of his mess by himself it might have been the making of him. Now don't argue, Iris. I'll get something have been the making of him. Now don't argue, Iris. I'll get something fixed up before tonight so that Lucilla can go to bed happy. If fixed up before tonight so that Lucilla can go to bed happy. If necessary we'll take her along with us." necessary we'll take her along with us."

"Oh, no, she hates restaurants - and gets so sleepy, poor darling. And she dislikes the heat and the smoky air gives her asthma." she dislikes the heat and the smoky air gives her asthma."

"I know. I wasn't serious. Go and cheer her up, Iris. Tell her everything will be all right." will be all right."

He turned away and out of the front door. Iris turned slowly back towards the dining-room. The telephone rang and she went to answer towards the dining-room. The telephone rang and she went to answer it. it.

"Hallo - who?" Her face changed, its white hopelessness then dissolved into pleasure. "Anthony!" dissolved into pleasure. "Anthony!"

"Anthony himself. I rang you up yesterday but couldn't get you. Have you been putting in a spot of work with George?" you been putting in a spot of work with George?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, George was so pressing over his invitation to your party tonight. Quite unlike his usual style of 'hands off my lovely ward'! Absolutely Quite unlike his usual style of 'hands off my lovely ward'! Absolutely insistent that I should come. I thought perhaps it was the result of insistent that I should come. I thought perhaps it was the result of some tactful work on your part." some tactful work on your part."

"No - no - it's nothing to do with me."

"A change of heart all on his own?"

"Not exactly. It's -"

"Hallo - have you gone away?"

"No, I'm here."

"You were saying something. What's the matter, darling? I can hear you sighing through the telephone. Is anything the matter?" you sighing through the telephone. Is anything the matter?"

"No - nothing. I shall be all right tomorrow. Everything will be all right tomorrow." tomorrow."

"What touching faith. Don't they say 'tomorrow never comes'?"

"Don't -"

"Iris - something is the matter?"

"No, nothing. I can't tell you. I promised, you see."

"Tell me, my sweet."

"No - I can't really. Anthony, will you tell me something?"

"If I can."

"Were you - ever in love with Rosemary?"

A momentary pause and then a laugh.

"So that's it. Yes, Iris, I was a bit in love with Rosemary. She was very lovely, you know. And then one day I was talking to her and I saw you lovely, you know. And then one day I was talking to her and I saw you coming down the staircase - and in a minute it was all over, blown coming down the staircase - and in a minute it was all over, blown away. There was n.o.body but you in the world. That's the cold sober away. There was n.o.body but you in the world. That's the cold sober truth. Don't brood over a thing like that. Even Romeo, you know, had truth. Don't brood over a thing like that. Even Romeo, you know, had his Rosaline before he was bowled over for good and all by Juliet." his Rosaline before he was bowled over for good and all by Juliet."

"Thank you, Anthony. I'm glad."

"See you tonight. It's your birthday, isn't it?"

"Actually not for a week - it's my birthday party though."

"You don't sound very enthusiastic about it."

"I'm not."

"I suppose George knows what he's doing, but it seems to me a crazy idea to have it at the same place where -" idea to have it at the same place where -"

"Oh, I've been to the Luxembourg several times since - since Rosemary - I mean, one can't avoid it." Rosemary - I mean, one can't avoid it."

"No, and it's just as well. I've got a birthday present for you, Iris. I hope you'll like it. Au revoir." you'll like it. Au revoir."

He rang off.

Iris went back to Lucilla Drake, to argue, persuade and rea.s.sure.

George, on his arrival at his office, sent at once for Ruth Lessing.

His worried frown relaxed a little as she entered, calm and smiling, in her neat black coat and skirt. her neat black coat and skirt.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, Ruth. Trouble again. Look at this."

She took the cable he held out.

"Victor Drake again!"

"Yes, curse him."

She was silent a minute, holding the cable. A lean, brown face wrinkling up round the nose when he laughed. A mocking voice saying, wrinkling up round the nose when he laughed. A mocking voice saying, "the sort of girl who ought to marry the Boss..." How vividly it all came back. back.

She thought: "It might have been yesterday..."

George's voice recalled her.

"Wasn't it about a year ago that we shipped him out there?"

She reflected.

"I think so, yes. Actually I believe it was October 27th."

"What an amazing girl you are. What a memory!"

She thought to herself that she had a better reason for remembering than he knew. It was fresh from Victor Drake's influence that she had than he knew. It was fresh from Victor Drake's influence that she had listened to Rosemary's careless voice over the phone and decided that listened to Rosemary's careless voice over the phone and decided that she hated her employer's wife. she hated her employer's wife.

"I suppose we're lucky," said George, "that he's lasted as long as he has out there. Even if it did cost us fifty pounds three months ago." has out there. Even if it did cost us fifty pounds three months ago."

"Three hundred pounds now seems a lot."

"Oh, yes. He won't get as much as that. We'll have to make the usual investigations." investigations."

"I'd better communicate with Mr Ogilvie."

Alexander Ogilvie was their agent in Buenos Aires - a sober, hard- headed Scotsman. headed Scotsman.

"Yes. Cable at once. His mother is in a state, as usual. Practically hysterical. Makes it very difficult with the party tonight." hysterical. Makes it very difficult with the party tonight."

"Would you like me to stay with her?"

"No." He negatived the idea emphatically. "No, indeed. You're the one person who's got to be there. I need you, Ruth." He took her hand. person who's got to be there. I need you, Ruth." He took her hand.

"You're too unselfish."

"I'm not unselfish at all."

She smiled and suggested: "Would it be worth trying telephonic communication with Mr Ogilvie? We might get the whole thing cleared communication with Mr Ogilvie? We might get the whole thing cleared up by tonight." up by tonight."

"A good idea. Well worth the expense."

"I'll get busy at once."

Very gently she disengaged her hand from his and went out.

George dealt with various matters awaiting his attention.

At half-past twelve he went out and took a taxi to the Luxembourg.