The Seven Dials Mystery - Agatha Christie [43]
‘Tell me.’
‘Eberhard was a Johnny who’d got some patent process he applied to sell. I can’t put the thing properly because I haven’t got the scientific knowledge–but I know the result was that it became so toughened that a wire was as strong as a steel bar had previously been. Eberhard had to do with aeroplanes and his idea was that the weight would be so enormously reduced that flying would be practically revolutionized–the cost of it, I mean. I believe he offered his invention to the German Government, and they turned it down, pointed out some undeniable flaw in it–but they did it rather nastily. He set to work and circumvented the difficulty, whatever it was, but he’d been offended by their attitude and swore they shouldn’t have his ewe lamb. I always thought the whole thing was probably bunkum, but now–it looks differently.’
‘That’s it,’ said Bundle eagerly. ‘You must be right, Jimmy. Eberhard must have offered his invention to our Government. They’ve been taking, or are going to take, Sir Oswald Coote’s expert opinion on it. There’s going to be an unofficial conference at the Abbey. Sir Oswald, George, the Air Minister and Eberhard. Eberhard will have the plans or the process or whatever you call it–’
‘Formula,’ suggested Jimmy. ‘I think “formula” is a good word myself.’
‘He’ll have the formula with him, and the Seven Dials are out to steal the formula. I remember the Russian saying it was worth millions.’
‘I suppose it would be,’ said Jimmy.
‘And well worth a few lives–that’s what the other man said.’
‘Well, it seems to have been,’ said Jimmy, his face clouding over. ‘Look at this damned inquest today. Bundle, are you sure Ronny said nothing else?’
‘No,’ said Bundle. ‘Just that. Seven Dials. Tell Jimmy Thesiger. That’s all he could get out, poor lad.’
‘I wish we knew what he knew,’ said Jimmy. ‘But we’ve found out one thing. I take it that the footman, Bauer, must almost certainly have been responsible for Gerry’s death. You know, Bundle–’
‘Yes?’
‘Well, I’m a bit worried sometimes. Who’s going to be the next one! It really isn’t the sort of business for a girl to be mixed up in.’
Bundle smiled in spite of herself. It occurred to her that it had taken Jimmy a long time to put her in the same category as Loraine Wade.
‘It’s far more likely to be you than me,’ she remarked cheerfully.
‘Hear, hear,’ said Jimmy. ‘But what about a few casualties on the other side for a change? I’m feeling rather blood-thirsty this morning. Tell me, Bundle, would you recognize any of these people if you saw them?’
Bundle hesitated.
‘I think I should recognize No 5,’ she said at last. ‘He’s got a queer way of speaking–a kind of venomous, lisping way–that I think I’d know again.’
‘What about the Englishman?’
Bundle shook her head.
‘I saw him least–only a glimpse–and he’s got a very ordinary voice. Except that he’s a big man, there’s nothing much to go by.’
‘There’s the woman, of course,’ continued Jimmy. ‘She ought to be easier. But then, you’re not likely to run across her. She’s probably putting in the dirty work, being taken out to dinner by amorous Cabinet Ministers and getting State secrets out of them when they’ve had a couple. At least, that’s how it’s done in books. As a matter of fact, the only Cabinet Minister I know drinks hot water with a dash of lemon in it.’
‘Take George Lomax, for instance, can you imagine him being amorous with beautiful foreign women?’ said Bundle with a laugh.
Jimmy agreed with her criticism.
‘And now about the man of mystery–No 7,’ went on Jimmy. ‘You’ve no idea who he could be?’
‘None whatever.’
‘Again–by book standards, that is–he ought to be someone we all know. What about George Lomax himself?’
Bundle reluctantly shook her head.
‘In a book it would be perfect,’ she agreed. ‘But knowing Codders–’ And she gave herself up to sudden uncontrollable mirth. ‘Codders, the great criminal organizer,’ she gasped. ‘Wouldn’t it be marvellous?’
Jimmy agreed that it would. Their discussion had taken some time and his driving had slowed down involuntarily