فصل پنجم

CHAPTER FIVE

I walked straight to the house of Lord Nasby, who is the millionaire owner of the Daily Budget. While staying with Mr and Mrs Flemming, I had been able to get a calling card bearing the name of Lord Loamsley, a friend of theirs. I now wrote a note on this: ‘Please give Miss Beddingfeld a few moments of your time.’

It worked. A servant took the card away and soon a secretary appeared and asked me to follow him. As I entered a large room, a frightened-looking typist ran past me. Then I was face to face with Lord Nasby. A big man. Big head. Big moustache. Big stomach. But I had not come here to comment on Lord Nasby’s stomach. He was already shouting at me.

‘Well, what does Loamsley want?’

‘To begin with,’ I said, ‘I don’t know Lord Loamsley. I took his card from the house of the people I’m staying with, and I wrote those words on it myself. It was important that I should see you.’

For a moment I thought Lord Nasby might explode with anger. But he calmed himself.

‘I admire your coolness. Well, you see me! If you interest me, you will continue to see me for exactly two minutes longer.’

‘That will be long enough,’ I replied. ‘It’s the Mill House Mystery.’

I stated the facts of the Tube accident and my conclusions. When I had finished he said unexpectedly,

‘Well, you seem to be a very clever young woman. But it’s not enough evidence.’

‘I’m aware of that. I want a job on your newspaper to investigate.’

‘Can’t do that. We’ve got our own special man on it.’

‘And I’ve got my own special knowledge, Lord Nasby.’

‘Oh, have you? Well, what is it?’

‘This ‘doctor’ dropped a piece of paper. It smelt of mothballs. So did the dead man, but the doctor didn’t. The doctor must have taken it from the body. It had two words on it and some numbers.’

‘Let’s see it’ Lord Nasby stretched out his hand casually.

‘I think not,’ I said, smiling.

‘You are a bright girl. Sensible to hang on to it. You were not worried about handing it to the police?’

‘I went to Scotland Yard to hand it in this morning. But the inspector annoyed me.’

‘Foolish man. Well, my dear girl, if you get anything that can be published, you will have your chance.’