Sophia I said.
And immediately she said, Charles!
I drew a deep breath[12] of relief.
Thank goodness thats over, I said. Whats been the matter with us?
Probably my fault. I was stupid.
But its all right now?
Yes, its all right now.
We smiled at each other.
Darling! I said. And then: How soon will you marry me?
Her smile died. The something, whatever it was, was back.
I dont know, she said. Im not sure, Charles, that I can ever marry you.
But, Sophia! Why not? Is it because you feel Im a stranger? Do you want time to get used to me again? Is there someone else? No I broke off. Im a fool. Its none of those things.
No, it isnt. She shook her head. I waited. She said in a low voice:
Its my grandfathers death.
Your grandfathers death? But why? What earthly difference can that make? You dont meansurely you cant imagineis it money? Hasnt he left any? But surely, dearest
It isnt money. She gave a fleeting smile. I think youd be quite willing[13] to take me in my shift[14], as the old saying goes. And grandfather never lost any money in his life.
Then what is it?
Its just his deathyou see, I think, Charles, that he didnt justdie. I think he may have beenkilled
I stared at her.
Butwhat a fantastic idea. What made you think of it?
I didnt think of it. The doctor was queer to begin with. He wouldnt sign a certificate. Theyre going to have a post-mortem[15]. Its quite clear that they suspect something is wrong.
I didnt dispute that with her. Sophia had plenty of brains; any conclusions she had drawn could be relied upon.
Instead I said earnestly:
Their suspicions may be quite unjustified. But putting that aside, supposing that they are justified, how does that affect you and me?
It might under certain circumstances. Youre in the Diplomatic Service. Theyre rather particular about wives. Noplease dont say all the things that youre bursting to say. Youre bound to say themand I believe you really think themand theoretically I quite agree with them. But Im proudIm devilishly proud. I want our marriage to be a good thing for everyoneI dont want to represent one-half of a sacrifice for love! And, as I say, it may be all right
You mean the doctormay have made a mistake?
Even if he hasnt made a mistake, it wont matterso long as the right person killed him.
What do you mean, Sophia?
It was a beastly thing to say. But, after all, one might as well be honest.
She forestalled my next words.
No, Charles, Im not going to say any more. Ive probably said too much already. But I was determined to come and meet you tonightto see you myself and make you understand. We cant settle anything until this is cleared up.
At least tell me about it.
She shook her head.
I dont want to.
ButSophia
No, Charles. I dont want you to see us from my angle. I want you to see us unbiased from the outside point of view.
And how am I to do that?
She looked at me, a queer light in her brilliant blue eyes.
Youll get that from your father, she said.
Youll get that from your father, she said.
I had told Sophia in Cairo that my father was Assistant Commissioner[16] of Scotland Yard. He still held that office. At her words, I felt a cold weight settling down on me.
Its as bad as that, then?
I think so. Do you see a man sitting at a table by the door all alonerather a nice-looking stolid ex-Army type?
Yes.
He was on Swinly Dean platform this evening when I got into the train.
You mean hes followed you here?
Yes. I think were allhow does one put it[17]?under observation. They more or less hinted that wed all better not leave the house. But I was determined to see you. Her small square chin shot out pugnaciously. I got out of the bathroom window and shinned down the water-pipe. Darling!
But the police are very efficient. And of course there was the telegram I sent you. Wellnever mindwere heretogether But from now on, weve both got to play a lone hand[18].
She paused and then added:
Unfortunatelytheres no doubtabout our loving each other.
No doubt at all, I said. And dont say unfortunately. You and I have survived a world war, weve had plenty of near escapes from sudden deathand I dont see why the sudden death of just one old manhow old was he, by the way?
Eighty-seven.
Of course. It was in the Times. If you ask me, he just died of old age, and any self-respecting GP[19] would accept the fact.
If youd known my grandfather, said Sophia, youd have been surprised at his dying of anything!
Chapter 3
Id always taken a certain amount of interest in my fathers police work, but nothing had prepared me for the moment when I should come to take a direct and personal interest in it.
I had not yet seen the Old Man. He had been out when I arrived, and after a bath, a shave, and a change I had gone out to meet Sophia. When I returned to the house, however, Glover told me that he was in his study.
He was at his desk, frowning over a lot of papers. He jumped up when I came in.
Charles! Well, well, its been a long time.
Our meeting, after five years of war, would have disappointed a Frenchman. Actually all the emotion of reunion was there all right. The Old Man and I are very fond of[20] each other, and we understand each other pretty well.
Ive got some whisky, he said. Say when[21]. Sorry I was out when you got here. Im up to the ears in work. Hell of a case just unfolding.
I leaned back[22] in my chair and lit a cigarette.
Aristide Leonidews? I asked.
His brows came down quickly over his eyes. He shot me a quick appraising glance. His voice was polite and steely.
Now what makes you say that, Charles?
Im right then?
How did you know about this?
Information received.
The Old Man waited.
My information, I said, came from the stable[23] itself.
Come on, Charles, lets have it[24].
You maynt like it, I said. I met Sophia Leonides out in Cairo. I fell in love with her. Im going to marry her. I met her tonight. She dined with me.
Dined with you? In London? I wonder just how she managed to do that! The family was askedoh, quite politely, to stay put[25].
Quite so. She shinned down a pipe from the bathroom window.
The Old Mans lips twitched for a moment into a smile.
She seems, he said, to be a young lady of some resource[26].
But your police force is fully efficient, I said. A nice Army type tracked her to Marios. I shall figure in the reports you get. Five foot eleven, brown hair, brown eyes, dark-blue pin-stripe suit[27], etc.
The Old Man looked at me hard.
Is thisserious? he asked.
Yes, I said. Its serious, Dad.
There was a moments silence.
Do you mind? I asked.
I shouldnt have mindeda week ago. Theyre a well-established familythe girl will have moneyand I know you. You dont lose your head easily. As it is
Yes, Dad?
It may be all right, if
If what?
If the right person did it.
It was the second time that night I had heard that phrase. I began to be interested.
Just who is the right person?
He threw a sharp glance at me.
How much do you know about it all?
Nothing.
Nothing? He looked surprised. Didnt the girl tell you?
No. She said shed rather I saw it allfrom an outside point of view.
Now I wonder why that was?
Isnt it rather obvious?
No, Charles. I dont think it is.
He walked up and down frowning. He had lit a cigar and the cigar had gone out. That showed me just how disturbed the old boy was.
How much do you know about the family? he shot at me.
Damn all! I know there was the old man and a lot of sons and grandchildren and in-laws. I havent got the ramifications[28] clear. I paused and then said, Youd better put me in the picture, Dad.
Yes. He sat down. Very well thenIll begin at the beginningwith Aristide Leonides. He arrived in England when he was twenty-four.
A Greek from Smyrna.
You do know that much?
Yes, but its about all I do know.
The door opened and Glover came in to say that Chief Inspector Taverner was here.
Hes in charge of the case, said my father. Wed better have him in. Hes been checking up on the family. Knows more about them than I do.
I asked if the local police had called in the Yard.
Its in our jurisdiction. Swinly Dean is Greater London[29]. I nodded as Chief Inspector Taverner came into the room. I knew Taverner from many years back. He greeted me warmly and congratulated me on my safe return.
Im putting Charles in the picture, said the Old Man. Correct me if I go wrong, Taverner. Leonides came to London in 188. He started up a little restaurant in Soho. It paid. He started up another. Soon he owned seven or eight of them. They all paid hand over fist.
Never made any mistakes in anything he hand led, said Chief Inspector Taverner.
Hed got a natural flair, said my father. In the end he was behind most of the well-known restaurants in London. Then he went into the catering business in a big way.
He was behind a lot of other businesses as well, said Taverner. Second-hand clothes trade, cheap jewellery stores, lots of things. Of course, he added thoughtfully, he was always a twister.
You mean he was a crook? I asked.
Taverner shook his head.
No, I dont mean that. Crooked, yesbut not a crook. Never anything outside the law. But he was the sort of chap that thought up all the ways you can get round the law. Hes cleaned up[30] a packet that way even in this last war, and old as he was. Nothing he did was ever illegal but as soon as hed got on to it, you had to have a law about it, if you know what I mean. But by that time hed gone on to the next thing.
He doesnt sound a very attractive character, I said.
Funnily enough[31], he was attractive. Hed got personality, you know. You could feel it. Nothing much to look at. Just a gnomeugly little fellowbut magneticwomen always fell for him.
He made a rather astonishing marriage, said my father. Married the daughter of a country squirean MFH[32].
I raised my eyebrows. Money?
The Old Man shook his head.
No, it was a love match. She met him over some catering arrangements for a friends weddingand she fell for him. Her parents cut up rough, but she was determined to have him. I tell you, the man had charmthere was something exotic and dynamic about him that appealed to her. She was bored stiff with her own kind.
And the marriage was happy?
It was very happy, oddly enough. Of course their respective friends didnt mix (those were the days before money swept aside all class distinctions) but that didnt seem to worry them. They did without friends. He built a rather preposterous house at Swinly Dean and they lived there and had eight children.