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“I wouldn’t re me questions about him All I know is, I put him into a taxi and he went to the Athenaeuone to Switzerland, but I hear he never got there Lost himself, it seems”

“You didn’t see him later that day?”

“Later—No, indeed”

“What tio off duty?”

“Eleven-thirty”

Chief-Inspector Davy nodded, refused a taxi andPond Stree

t A car roared past him close to the kerb, and pulled up outside Bertram’s Hotel, with a scream of brakes Chief-Inspector Davy turned his head soberly and noted the nu reh he couldn’t for the moment place it

Slowly he retraced his steps He had barely reached the entrance before the driver of the car, who had gone through the doors a ain He and the car leareyhound look with a handsome face and a body with not a superfluous inch of flesh on it

The co man jumped in, tossed a coin to the coine

“You knoho he is?” said Michael Gorman to Father

“A dangerous driver, anyway”

“Ladislaus Malinowski Won the Grand Prix two years ago—world chaht again now”

“Don’t tell hly unsuitable”

Michael Gorrinned

“He’s not staying here, no But a friend of his is—” He winked

A porter in a striped apron came out with more American luxury travel equipment

Father stood absent ensconced in a Daimler Hire Car whilst he tried to remember what he knew about Ladislaus Malinowski A reckless fellow—said to be tied up with so at a sed his ain

He went to the desk and asked Miss Gorringe for the hotel register Miss Gorringe was busy with departing A the counter towards hies

Lady Selina Hazy, Little Cottage, Merryfield, Hants

Mr and Mrs Hennessey King, Elderberries, Essex

Sir John Woodstock, 5 Beaumont Crescent, Cheltenham

Lady Sedgwick, Hurstings House, Northumberland

Mr and Mrs Elmer Cabot, Connecticut

General Radley, 14, The Green, Chichester

Mr and Mrs Woolton, Marble Head, Connecticut

La Comtesse de Beauville, Les Sapins, St Germain en Laye

Miss Jane Marple, St Mary Mead, Much Benham

Colonel Luscombe, Little Green, Suffolk

Mrs Carpenter, The Hon Elvira Blake

Canon Pennyfather, The Close, Chadminster

Mrs Holding, Mr Holding, Miss Audrey Holding, The Manor House, Carmanton

Mr and Mrs Ryesville, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

The Duke of Barnstable, Doone Castle, N Devon…

A cross section of the kind of people who stayed at Bertraht, a kind of pattern…

As he shut the book, a narove

Mr Justice Ludgrove who had been recognized by a probation officer near the scene of a bank robbery Mr Justice Ludgrove—Canon Pennyfather—both patrons of Bertram’s Hotel…