Postern of Fate (Tommy and Tuppence Series) - Agatha Christie [28]
‘So will mine,’ said Tommy.
‘You’ve been making enquiries? Who do you go to to ask your questions?’
‘Well, it’s not quite like that, but you must remember, Tuppence, that occasionally in my life I have been in connection with people who do know how to go about these sort of things. You know, there are people you pay a certain sum to and they do the research for you from the proper quarters so that what you get is quite authentic.’
‘What sort of things? What sort of places?’
‘Well, there are lots of things. To begin with you can get someone to study deaths, births and marriages, that sort of thing.’
‘Oh, I suppose you send them to Somerset House. Do you go there for deaths as well as marriages?’
‘And births–one needn’t go oneself, you get someone to go for you. And find out when someone dies or read somebody’s will, look up marriages in churches or study birth certificates. All those things can be enquired into.’
‘Have you been spending a lot of money?’ asked Tuppence. ‘I thought we were going to try and economize once we’d paid the expense of moving in here.’
‘Well, considering the interest you’re taking in problems, I consider that this can be regarded in the way of money well spent.’
‘Well, did you find out anything?’
‘Not as quickly as this. You have to wait until the research has been made. Then if they can get answers for you–’
‘You mean somebody comes up and tells you that someone called Mary Jordan was born at Little Sheffield-on-the-Wold or something like that and then you go and make enquiries there later. Is that the sort of thing?’
‘Not exactly. And then there are census returns and death certificates and causes of death and, oh, quite a lot of things that you can find out about.’
‘Well,’ said Tuppence, ‘it sounds rather interesting anyway, which is always something.’
‘And there are files in newspaper offices that you can read and study.’
‘You mean accounts of something–like murders or court cases?’
‘Not necessarily, but one has had contact with certain people from time to time. People who know things–one can look them up–ask a few questions–renew old friendships. Like the time we were being a private detective firm in London. There are a few people, I expect, who could give us information or tell us where to go. Things do depend a bit on who you know.’
‘Yes,’ said Tuppence, ‘that’s quite true. I know that myself from experience.’
‘Our methods aren’t the same,’ said Tommy. ‘I think yours are just as good as mine. I’ll never forget the day I came suddenly into that boarding-house, or whatever it was, Sans Souci. The first thing I saw was you sitting there knitting and calling yourself Mrs Blenkinsop.’
‘All because I hadn’t applied research, or getting anyone to do research for me,’ said Tuppence.
‘No,’ said Tommy, ‘you got inside a wardrobe next door to the room where I was being interviewed in a very interesting manner, so you knew exactly where I was being sent and what I was meant to do, and you managed to get there first. Eavesdropping. Neither more nor less. Most dishonourable.’
‘With very satisfactory results,’ said Tuppence.
‘Yes,’ said Tommy. ‘You have a kind of feeling for success. It seems to happen to you.’
‘Well, some day we shall know all about everything here, only it’s all such years and years ago. I can’t help thinking that the idea of something really important being hidden round here or owned by someone here, or something to do with this house or people who once lived in it being important–I can’t just believe it somehow. Oh well, I see what we shall have to do next.’
‘What?’ said Tommy.
‘Believe six impossible things before breakfast, of course,’ said Tuppence. ‘It’s quarter to eleven now, and I want to go to bed. I’m tired. I’m sleepy and extremely dirty because of playing around with all those dusty, ancient toys and things. I expect there are even more things in that place that’s called–by the way, why is it called Kay Kay?’
‘I don’t know. Do you spell it at all?’
‘I don’t know–I think it’s spelt k-a-i. Not just KK.’
‘Because it sounds more mysterious?’
‘It sounds