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“Yes, but where are we?” said Canon Pennyfather “I mean, where am I? Where is this place?”
“Milton St John,” said the woman “Didn’t you know?”
“Milton St John?” said Canon Pennyfather He shook his head “I never heard the name before”
“Oh well, it’s not e”
“You have been very kind,” said Canon Pennyfather “May I ask your name?”
“Mrs Wheeling E”
“You are ain “But this accident now I simply cannot remember—”
“You put yourself outside that, luv, and you’ll feel better and up to res”
“Milton St John,” said Canon Pennyfather to hi to me at all How very extraordinary!”
Chapter Seventeen
Sir Ronald Graves drew a cat upon his blotting pad He looked at the large portly figure of Chief-Inspector Davy sitting opposite hi
“Ladislaus Malinowski?” he said “Could be Got any evidence?”
“No He’d fit the bill, would he?”
“A daredevil No nerves Won the World Chao Bad reputation omen Sources of inco to and fro to the Continent Have you got soanized robberies and holdups?”
“I don’t think he’s the planner But I think he’s in with them”
“Why?”
“For one thing, he runs a Mercedes-Otto car Racingto that description was seen near Bedha of the mail robbery Different number plates—but we’re used to that And it’s the same stunt—unlike, but not too unlike FAN 2299 instead of 2266 There aren’t so wick has one and young Lord Merrivale”
“You don’t think Malinowski runs the show?”
“No—I think there are better brains than his at the top But he’s in it I’ve looked back over the files Take the holdup at the Midland and West London Three vans happened—just happened—to block a certain street A Mercedes-Otto that was on the scene got clear aing to that block”
“It was stopped later”
“Yes And given a clean bill of health Especially as the people who’d reported it weren’t sure of the correct nuistration number is FAN 2266—It’s all the same picture”
“And you persist in tying it up with Bertra up some stuff about Bertram’s for you—”
Father tapped his pocket
“Got it here Properly registered company Balance—paid up capital—directors—etcetera, etcetera, etcetera Doesn’t ! These financial shows are all the sa each other! Co companies—makes your brain reel!”
“Come now, Father That’s just a way they have in the City Has to do with taxation—”
“What I want is the real dope If you’ll give o and see some top brass”
The AC stared at him
“And what exactly do you mean by top brass?”
Father mentioned a name
The AC looked upset “I don’t know about that I hardly think we dare approach him”
“It ht be very helpful”
There was a pause The two men looked at each other Father looked bovine, placid, and patient The AC gave in
“You’re a stubborn old devil, Fred,” he said “Have it your oay Go and worry the top brains behind the international financiers of Europe”
“He’ll know,” said Chief-Inspector Davy “He’ll know And if he doesn’t, he can find out by pressing one buzzer on his desk orone telephone call”
“I don’t know that he’ll be pleased”
“Probably not,” said Father, “but it won’t take h”
“You’re really serious about this place, Bertrao on? It’s well run, has a good respectable clientele—no trouble with the licensing laws”
“I know—I know No drinks, no drugs, no ga, no accommodation for cris, no juvenile delinquents Just sober Victorian-Edwardian old ladies, county fa travellers from Boston and the more respectable parts of the USA All the same, a respectable Canon of the church is seen to leave it at 3 a in a somewhat surreptitious manner—”
“Who saw that?”