N or M? Read online

  Tommy considered a minute or two. Then he said:

  "About this place. Sans Souci -"

  Grant shrugged his shoulders.

  "May be all a mare's nest. I can't tell. Farquhar may have been thinking of 'Sister Susie's sewing shirts for soldiers.' It's all guesswork."

  "And Leahampton itself?"

  "Just like any other of these places. There are rows of them. Old ladies, old Colonels, unimpeachable spinsters, dubious customers, fishy customers, a foreigner or two. In fact, a mixed bag."

  Tommy said doubtfully:

  "And N or M amongst them?"

  "Not necessarily. Somebody, perhaps, who's in touch with N or M. But it's quite likely to be N or M themselves. It's an inconspicuous sort of place, a boarding-house at a seaside resort."

  "You've no idea whether it's a man or a woman I've to look for?"

  Grant shook his head.

  Tommy said: "Well, I can but try."

  "Good luck to your trying, Beresford. Now - to details -"

  II

  Half an hour later, when Tuppence broke in, panting and eager with curiosity, Tommy was alone, whistling in an armchair with a doubtful expression on his face.

  "Well?" demanded Tuppence, throwing an infinity of feeling into the monosyllable.

  "Well," said Tommy with a somewhat doubtful air, "I've got a job - of kinds."

  "What kind?"

  Tommy made a suitable grimace.

  "Office work in the wilds of Scotland. Hush-hush and all that, but doesn't sound very thrilling."

  "Both of us, or only you?"

  "Only me, I'm afraid."

  "Blast and curse you. How could our Mr Carter be so mean?"

  "I imagine they segregate the sexes in these jobs. Otherwise too distracting for the mind."

  "Is it coding - or code breaking? Is it like Deborah's job? Do be careful, Tommy, people go queer doing that and can't sleep and walk about all night groaning and repeating 978345286 or something like that and finally have nervous breakdowns and go into homes."

  "Not me."

  Tuppence said gloomily:

  "I expect you will, sooner or later. Can I come too - not to work but just as a wife? Slippers in front of the fire and a hot meal at the end of the day?"

  Tommy looked uncomfortable.

  "Sorry, old thing. I am sorry. I hate leaving you -"

  "But you feel you ought to go," murmured Tuppence reminiscently.

  "After all," said Tommy feebly, "you can knit, you know."

  "Knit?" said Tuppence. "Knit?"

  Seizing her Balaclava helmet, she flung it on the ground.

  "I hate khaki wool," said Tuppence, "and Navy wool and Air Force blue. I should like to knit something magenta!"

  "It has a fine military sound," said Tommy. "Almost a suggestion of Blitzkrieg."

  He felt definitely very unhappy. Tuppence, however, was a Spartan and played up well, admitting freely that of course he had to take the job and that it didn't really matter about her. She added that she had heard they wanted someone to scrub down the First-Aid Post floors. She might possibly be found fit to do that.

  Tommy departed for Aberdeen three days later. Tuppence saw him off at the station. Her eyes were bright and she blinked once or twice, but she kept resolutely cheerful.

  Only as the train drew out of the station and Tommy saw the forlorn little figure walking away down the platform did he feel a lump in his own throat. War or no war he felt he was deserting Tuppence...

  He pulled himself together with an effort. Orders were orders.

  Having duly arrived in Scotland, he took a train the next day to Manchester. On the third day a train deposited him at Leahampton. Here he went to the principal hotel and on the following day made a tour of various private hotels and guest houses, seeing rooms and inquiring terms for a long stay.

  Sans Souci was a dark red Victorian villa, set on the side of a hill with a good view over the sea from its upper windows. There was a slight smell of dust and cooking in the hall and the carpet was worn, but it compared quite favourably with some of the other establishments Tommy had seen. He interviewed the proprietress, Mrs Perenna, in her office, a small untidy room with a large desk covered with loose papers.

  Mrs Perenna herself was rather untidy looking, a woman of middle-age with a large mop of fiercely curling black hair, some vaguely applied make-up and a determined smile showing a lot of very white teeth.

  Tommy murmured a mention of his elderly cousin, Miss Meadowes, who had stayed at Sans Souci two years ago. Mrs Perenna remembered Miss Meadowes quite well - such a dear old lady - at least perhaps not really old - very active and such a sense of humour.

  Tommy agreed cautiously. There was, he knew, a real Miss Meadowes - the Department was careful about these points.

  And how was dear Miss Meadowes?

  Tommy explained sadly that Miss Meadowes was no more and Mrs Perenna clicked her teeth sympathetically and made the proper noises and put on a correct mourning face.

  She was soon talking volubly again. She had, she was sure, just the room that would suit Mr Meadowes. A lovely sea view. She thought Mr Meadowes was so right to want to get out of London. Very depressing nowadays, so she understood, and of course, after such a bad go of influenza -

  Still talking, Mrs Perenna led Tommy upstairs and showed him various bedrooms. She mentioned a weekly sum. Tommy displayed dismay. Mrs Perenna explained that prices had risen so appallingly. Tommy explained that his income had unfortunately decreased and what with taxation and one thing and another -

  Mrs Perenna groaned and said:

  "This terrible war -"

  Tommy agreed and said that in his opinion that fellow Hitler ought to be hanged. A madman, that's what he was, a madman.

  Mrs Perenna agreed and said that what with rations and the difficulty the butchers had in getting the meat they wanted - and sometimes too much and sweetbreads and liver practically disappeared, it all made housekeeping very difficult, but as Mr Meadowes was a relation of Miss Meadowes, she would make it half a guinea less.

  Tommy then beat a retreat with the promise to think it over and Mrs Perenna pursued him to the gate, talking more volubly than ever and displaying an archness that Tommy found most alarming. She was, he admitted, quite a handsome woman in her way. He found himself wondering what her nationality was. Surely not quite English? The name was Spanish or Portuguese, but that would be her husband's nationality, not hers. She might, he thought, be Irish, though she had no brogue. But it would account for the vitality and the exuberance.

  It was finally settled that Mr Meadowes should move in the following day.

  Tommy timed his arrival for six o'clock. Mrs Perenna came out into the hall to greet him, threw a series of instructions about his luggage to an almost imbecile-looking maid, who goggled a Tommy with her mouth open, and then led him into what she called the lounge.

  "I always introduce my guests," said Mrs Perenna, beaming determinedly at the suspicious glares of five people. "This is our new arrival, Mr Meadowes - Mrs O'Rourke." A terrifying mountain of a woman with beady eyes and a moustache gave him a beaming smile.

  "Major Bletchley." Major Bletchley eyed Tommy appraisingly and made a stiff inclination of the head.

  "Mr von Deinim." A young man, very stiff, fair-haired and blue-eyed, got up and bowed.

  "Miss Minton." An elderly woman with a lot of beads, knitting with khaki wool, smiled and tittered.

  "And Mrs Blenkensop." More knitting - an untidy dark head which lifted from an absorbed contemplation of a Balaclava helmet.

  Tommy held his breath, the room spun round.

  Mrs Blenkensop! Tuppence! By all that was impossible and unbelievable - Tuppence, calmly knitting in the lounge of Sans Souci.

  Her eyes met his - polite uninterested stranger's eyes.

  His admiration rose.

  Tuppence!

  Chapter 2

  How Tommy got through that evening he never quite knew. He dared not let his
eyes stray too often in the direction of Mrs Blenkensop. At dinner three more habitués of Sans Souci appeared - a middle-aged couple - Mr and Mrs Cayley and a young mother, Mrs Sprot, who had come down with her baby girl from London and was clearly much bored by her enforced stay at Leahampton. She was placed near Tommy and at intervals fixed him with a pair of pale gooseberry eyes and in a slightly adenoidal voice asked: "Don't you think it's really quite safe now? Every one's going back, aren't they?"

  Before Tommy could reply to these artless queries, his neighbour on the other side, the beaded lady, struck in:

  "What I say is one mustn't risk anything with children. Your sweet little Betty. You'd never forgive yourself and you know that Hitler has said the Blitzkrieg on England is coming quite soon now - and quite a new kind of gas, I believe."

  Major Bletchley cut in sharply:

  "Lot of nonsense talked about gas. The fellows won't waste time fiddling round with gas. High explosive and incendiary bombs. That's what was done in Spain."

  The whole table plunged in the discussion with gusto. Tuppence's voice, high pitched and slightly fatuous, piped out: "My son Douglas says -"

  "Douglas, indeed," thought Tommy. "Why Douglas, I should like to know."

  After dinner, a pretentious meal of several meagre courses, all of which were equally tasteless, everyone drifted into the lounge. Knitting was resumed and Tommy was compelled to hear a long and extremely boring account of Major Bletchley's experiences on the North-West Frontier.

  The fair young man with the bright blue eyes went out, executing a little bow on the threshold of the room.

  Major Bletchley broke off his narrative and administered a kind of dig in the ribs to Tommy.

  "That fellow who's just gone out. He's a refugee. Got out of Germany about a month before the war."

  "He's a German?"

  "Yes. Not a Jew, either. His father got into trouble for criticizing the Nazi régime. Two of his brothers are in concentration camps over there. This fellow got out just in time."

  At this moment Tommy was taken possession of by Mr Cayley who told him at interminable length all about her health. So absorbing was the subject to the narrator that it was close upon bedtime before Tommy could escape.

  On the following morning Tommy rose early and strolled down to the front. He walked briskly to the pier and was returning along the esplanade when he spied a familiar figure coming in the other direction. Tommy raised his hat.

  "Good morning," he said pleasantly. "Er - Mrs Blenkensop, isn't it?"

  There was no one within earshot. Tuppence replied:

  "Dr Livingstone to you."

  "How on earth did you get here, Tuppence?" murmured Tommy. "It's a miracle - an absolute miracle."

  "It's not a miracle at all - just brains."

  "Your brains, I suppose?"

  "You suppose rightly. You and your uppish Mr Grant. I hope this will teach him a lesson."

  "It certainly ought to," said Tommy. "Come on, Tuppence, tell me how you managed it. I'm simply devoured with curiosity."

  "It was quite simple. The moment Grant talked of our Mr Carter I guessed what was up. I knew it wouldn't be just some miserable office job. But his manner showed me that I wasn't going to be allowed in on this. So I resolved to go one better. I went to fetch some sherry and, when I did, I nipped down to the Browns' flat and rang up Maureen. Told her to ring me up and what to say. She played up loyally - nice high squeaky voice - you could hear what she was saying all over the room. I did my stuff, registered annoyance, compulsion, distressed friend, and rushed off with every sign of vexation. Banged the hall door, carefully remaining inside it, and slipped into the bedroom and eased open the communicating door that's hidden by the tallboy."

  "And you heard everything?"

  "Everything," said Tuppence complacently.

  Tommy said reproachfully:

  "And you never let on."

  "Certainly not. I wished to teach you a lesson. You and your Mr Grant."

  "He's not exactly my Mr Grant and I should say you have taught him a lesson."

  "Mr Carter wouldn't have treated me so shabbily," said Tuppence. "I don't think the Intelligence is anything like what it was in our day."

  Tommy said gravely: "It will attain its former brilliance now we're back in it. But why Blenkensop?"

  "Why not?"

  "It seems such an odd name to choose."

  "It was the first one I thought of and it's handy for underclothes."

  "What do you mean, Tuppence?"

  "B, you idiot. B for Beresford, B for Blenkensop. Embroidered on my cami-knickers. Patricia Blenkensop. Prudence Beresford. Why did you choose Meadowes? It's a silly name."

  "To begin with," said Tommy, "I don't have large B's embroidered on my pants. And to continue, I didn't choose it. I was told to call myself Meadowes. Mr Meadowes is a gentleman with a respectable past - all of which I've learned by heart."

  "Very nice," said Tuppence. "Are you married or single?"

  "I'm a widower," said Tommy with dignity. "My wife died ten years ago at Singapore."

  "Why at Singapore?"

  "We've all got to die somewhere. What's wrong with Singapore?"

  "Oh, nothing. It's probably a most suitable place to die. I'm a widow."

  "Where did your husband die?"

  "Does it matter? Probably in a nursing home. I rather fancy he died of cirrhosis of the liver."

  "I see. A painful subject. And what about your son Douglas?"

  "Douglas is in the Navy."

  "So I heard last night."

  "And I've got two other sons. Raymond is in the Air Force and Cyril, my baby, is in the Territorials."

  "And suppose someone takes the trouble to check up on these imaginary Blenkensops?"

  "They're not Blenkensops. Blenkensop was my second husband. My first husband's name was Hill. There are three pages of Hills in the telephone book. You couldn't check upon the Hills if you tried."

  Tommy sighed.

  "It's the old trouble with you, Tuppence. You will overdo things. Two husbands and three sons. It's too much. You'll contradict yourself over the details."

  "No, I shan't. And I rather fancy the sons may come in useful. I'm not under orders, remember. I'm a free-lance. I'm in this to enjoy myself and I'm going to enjoy myself."

  "So it seems," said Tommy. He added gloomily, "If you ask me, the whole thing's a farce."

  "Why do you say that?"

  "Well, you've been at Sans Souci longer than I have. Can you honestly say you think any one of those people who were there last night could be a dangerous enemy agent?"

  Tuppence said thoughtfully:

  "It does seem a little incredible, There's the young man, of course."

  "Carl von Deinim? The police check up on refugees, don't they?"

  "I suppose so. Still, it might be managed. He's an attractive young man, you know."

  "Meaning, the girls will tell him things? But what girls? No Generals' or Admirals' daughters floating around here. Perhaps he walks out with a Company Commander in the A.T.S."

  "Be quiet, Tommy. We ought to be taking this seriously."

  "I am taking it seriously. It's just that I feel we're on a wild goose chase."

  Tuppence said seriously:

  "It's too early to say that. After all, nothing's going to be obvious about this business. What about Mrs Perenna?"

  "Yes," said Tommy thoughtfully, "there's Mrs Perenna, I admit - she does want explaining."

  Tuppence said in a business-like tone:

  "What about us? I mean, how are we going to cooperate?"

  Tommy said thoughtfully:

  "We mustn't be seen about too much together."

  "No, it would be fatal to suggest we know each other better than we appear to do. What we want to decide is the attitude. I think - yes, I think - pursuit is the best angle."

  "Pursuit?"

  "Exactly. I pursue you. You do your best to escape, but being a mere chivalrous male,
don't always succeed. I've had two husbands and I'm on the look-out for a third. You act the part of the hunted widower. Every now and then I pin you down somewhere, pin you in a café, catch you walking on the front. Every one sniggers and thinks it very funny."