I doubt if it’s the kind of place to suit you, sir. In a terrible state of repair. Ceilings leaking and all. ’Twould need a lot of money spent on it.’
‘Thanks,’ said Tommy cheerily. ‘I dare say it’ll be a wash-out, but houses are scarce nowadays.’
‘That they are,’ declared the woman heartily. ‘My daughter and son-in-law have been looking for a decent cottage for I don’t know how long. It’s all the war. Upset things terribly, it has. But excuse me, sir, it’ll be too dark for you to see much of the house. Hadn’t you better wait until tomorrow?’
‘That’s all right. We’ll have a look round this evening, anyway. We’d have been here before only we lost our way. What’s the best place to stay at for the night round here?’
Mrs Sweeney looked doubtful.
‘There’s the Yorkshire Arms, but it’s not much of a place for gentlemen like you.’
‘Oh, it will do very well. Thanks. By the way, you’ve not had a young lady here asking for this key today?’
The woman shook her head.
‘No one’s been over the place for a long time.’
‘Thanks very much.’
They retraced their steps to the Moat House. As the front door swung back on its hinges, protesting loudly, Julius struck a match and examined the floor carefully. Then he shook his head.
‘I’d swear no one’s passed this way. Look at the dust. Thick. Not a sign of a footmark.’
They wandered round the deserted house. Everywhere the same tale. Thick layers of dust apparently undisturbed.
‘This gets me,’ said Julius. ‘I don’t believe Tuppence was ever in this house.’
‘She must have been.’
Julius shook his head without replying.
‘We’ll go over it again tomorrow,’ said Tommy. ‘Perhaps we’ll see more in the daylight.’
On the morrow they took up the search once more, and were reluctantly forced to the conclusion that the house had not been invaded for some considerable time. They might have left the village altogether but for a fortunate discovery of Tommy’s. As they were retracing their steps to the gate, he gave a sudden cry, and stooping, picked something up from among the leaves, and held it out to Julius. It was a small gold brooch.
‘That’s Tuppence’s!’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Absolutely. I’ve often seen her wear it.’
Julius drew a deep breath.
‘I guess that settles it. She came as far as here, anyway. We’ll make that pub our headquarters, and raise hell round here until we find her. Somebody must have seen her.’
Forthwith the campaign began. Tommy and Julius worked separately and together, but the result was the same. Nobody answering to Tuppence’s description had been seen in the vicinity. They were baffled – but not discouraged. Finally they altered their tactics. Tuppence had certainly not remained long in the neighbourhood of the Moat House. That pointed to her having been overcome and carried away in a car. They renewed inquiries. Had anyone seen a car standing somewhere near the Moat House that day? Again they met with no success.
Julius wired to town for his own car, and they scoured the neighbourhood daily with unflagging zeal. A grey limousine on which they had set high hopes was traced to Harrogate, and turned out to be the property of a highly respectable maiden lady!
Each day saw them set out on a new quest. Julius was like a hound on the leash. He followed up the slenderest clue. Every car that had passed through the village on the fateful day was tracked down. He forced his way into country properties and submitted the owners of the cars to searching cross-examination. His apologies were as thorough as his methods, and seldom failed in disarming the indignation of his victims; but, as day succeeded day, they were no nearer to discovering Tuppence’s whereabouts. So well had the abduction been planned that the girl seemed literally to have vanished into thin air.
And another preoccupation was weighing on Tommy’s mind.
‘Do you know how long we’ve been here?’ he asked one morning as they sat facing each other at breakfast. ‘A week! We’re no nearer to finding Tuppence, and next Sunday is the 29th!’
‘Shucks!’ said Julius thoughtfully. ‘I’d almost forgotten about the 29th. I’ve been thinking of nothing but Tuppence.’
‘So have I. At least, I hadn’t forgotten about the 29th, but it didn’t seem to matter a damn in comparison to finding Tuppence. But today’s the 23rd, and time’s getting short. If we’re ever going to get hold of her at all, we must do it before the 29th – her life won’t be worth an hour’s purchase afterwards. The hostage game will be played out by then. I’m beginning to feel that we’ve made a big mistake in the way we’ve set about this. We’ve wasted time and we’re no forrader.’
‘I’m with you there. We’ve been a couple of mutts, who’ve bitten off a bigger bit than they can chew. I’m going to quit fooling right away!’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I’ll tell you. I’m going to do what we ought to have done a week ago. I’m going right back to London to put the case in the hands of your British police. We fancied ourselves as sleuths. Sleuths! It was a piece of damn-fool foolishness! I’m through! I’ve had enough of it. Scotland Yard for me!’
‘You’re right,’ said Tommy slowly. ‘I wish to God we’d gone there right away.’
‘Better late than never. We’ve been like a couple of babes playing “Here we go round the Mulberry Bush.” Now I’m going right along to Scotland Yard to ask them to take me by the hand and show me the way I should go. I guess the professional always scores over the amateur in the end. Are you coming along with me?’
Tommy shook his head.
‘What’s the good? One of us is enough. I might as well stay here and nose round a bit longer. Something might turn up. One never knows.’
‘Sure thing. Well, so long. I’ll be back in a couple of shakes with a few inspectors along. I shall tell them to pick out their brightest and best.’
But the course of events was not to follow the plan Julius had laid down. Later in the day Tommy received a wire:
Join me Manchester Midland Hotel. Important news
– JULIUS.
At 7.30 that night Tommy alighted from a slow cross-country train. Julius was on the platform.
‘Thought you’d come by this train if you weren’t out when my wire arrived.’
Tommy grasped him by the arm.
‘What is it? Is Tuppence found?’
Julius shook his head.
‘No.
