Secret of Chimneys - Agatha Christie [55]
‘Are you any good at playing Red Indians?’ asked Guggle sternly.
‘Rather,’ said Anthony. ‘You should hear the noise I make when I’m being scalped. Like this.’ He illustrated.
‘Not so bad,’ said Winkle grudgingly. ‘Now do the scalper’s yell.’
Anthony obliged with a blood-curdling noise. In another minute the game of Red Indians was in full swing.
About an hour later, Anthony wiped his forehead, and ventured to inquire after Mademoiselle’s migraine. He was pleased to hear that that lady had entirely recovered. So popular had he become that he was urgently invited to come and have tea in the schoolroom.
‘And then you can tell us about the man you saw hung,’ urged Guggle.
‘Did you say you’d got a bit of the rope with you?’ asked Winkle.
‘It’s in my suitcase,’ said Anthony solemnly. ’You shall each have a piece of it.’
Winkle immediately let out a wild Indian yell of satisfaction.
‘We’ll have to go and get washed, I suppose,’ said Guggle gloomily. ‘You will come to tea, won’t you? You won’t forget?’
Anthony swore solemnly that nothing should prevent him keeping the engagement. Satisfied, the youthful pair beat a retreat towards the house. Anthony stood for a minute looking after them, and, as he did so, he became aware of a man leaving the other side of a little copse of trees and hurrying away across the park. He felt almost sure that it was the same black-bearded stranger he had encountered that morning. Whilst he was hesitating whether to go after him or not the trees just ahead of him were parted and Mr Hiram Fish stepped out into the open. He started slightly when he saw Anthony.
‘A peaceful afternoon, Mr Fish?’ inquired the latter.
‘I thank you, yes.’
Mr Fish did not look as peaceful as usual however. His face was flushed, and he was breathing hard as though he had been running. He drew out his watch and consulted it.
‘I guess,’ he said softly, ‘it’s just about time for your British institution of afternoon tea.’
Closing his watch with a snap, Mr Fish ambled gently away in the direction of the house.
Anthony stood in a brown study and awoke with a start to the fact that Superintendent Battle was standing beside him. Not the faintest sound had heralded his approach, and he seemed literally to have materialized from space.
‘Where did you spring from?’ asked Anthony irritably.
With a slight jerk of his head, Battle indicated the little copse of trees behind them.
‘It seems a popular spot this afternoon,’ remarked Anthony.
‘You were very lost in thought, Mr Cade.’
‘I was indeed. Do you know what I was doing, Battle? I was trying to put two and one and five and three together so as to make four. And it can’t be done, Battle, it simply can’t be done.’
‘There’s difficulties that way,’ agreed the detective.
‘But you’re just the man I wanted to see. Battle, I want to go away. Can it be done?’
True to his creed, Superintendent Battle showed neither emotion nor surprise. His reply was easy and matter of fact.
‘That depends, sir, as to where you want to go.’
‘I’ll tell you exactly, Battle. I’ll lay my cards upon the table. I want to go Dinard, to the château of Madame la Comtesse de Breteuil. Can it be done?’
‘When do you want to go, Mr Cade?’
‘Say tomorrow after the inquest. I could be back here by Sunday evening.’
‘I see,’ said the superintendent, with peculiar solidity.
‘Well, what about it?’
‘I’ve no objection, provided you go where you say you’re going, and come straight back here.’
‘You’re a man in a thousand, Battle. Either you have taken an extraordinary fancy to me or else you’re extraordinarily deep. Which is it?’
Superintendent Battle smiled a little, but did not answer.
‘Well, well,’ said Anthony, ‘I expect you’ll take your precautions. Discreet minions of the law will follow my suspicious footsteps. So be it. But I do wish I knew what it was all about.’
‘I don’t get you, Mr Cade.’
‘The memoirs–what all the fuss is about. Were they only memoirs? Or have you got something up your sleeve?’
Battle smiled again.
‘Take it like this. I’m doing you a favour because you’ve made a favourable