Appleby's Answer by Michael Innes Read Free Book Online

some sort of legal text-book on blackmail. We entered into conversation. He asked me if it was a subject I was interested in. I had to confess having had more than one occasion to look into it.’
    â€˜But of course,’ Hussey said cordially. ‘It occurs in at least one of your tip-top stories. I remember them well.’
    â€˜Nothing of the kind, Master. Pray desist from idle flattery. My interest was a consequence of what impertinent reviewers are disposed to call my other character. Not that blackmail – except of the very most genteel and velvet-glove sort – much turns up in the routine work of the FO. But during the war I had to branch out a little, and look into certain aspects of espionage.’
    â€˜You certainly had to do that ,’ Appleby said. Fabulous stories about Miss Barrace were coming back to him.
    â€˜Far more spies are created through blackmail than by the enticement of a comfortable numbered account in a Swiss bank. But that is commonplace to you, Sir John.’
    â€˜It is. A pretty ghastly sort of commonplace, often enough.’
    â€˜Of course. Fear, not greed, is the mainspring of that whole futile industry. But we digress.’
    â€˜So we do. And within ten minutes you will be calling upon me to get up and talk nonsense. So let us press on. Just why was this military character aggrieved by his text-book?’
    â€˜It seemed to be because it was all about blackmailers being caught out. Just how the law can be exercised to cover and successfully send down even the most cunning of them. It wasn’t in the least what the colonel – I am imagining him to be a colonel – was after.’
    â€˜On the contrary,’ Hussey prompted, ‘he wanted tips on how to bring the thing off?’
    â€˜Precisely. But he wasn’t an unintelligent old rascal. He was aware of the value – call it the negative value – of cautionary tales. But he wanted, so to speak, the positive know-how.’
    â€˜Which you would have been very well able to provide.’ Hussey chuckled. ‘But it wouldn’t have been altogether moral to oblige him.’
    â€˜One has one’s professional obligations.’ Alarmingly, Miss Barrace responded to Hussey’s chuckle with a deep and rumbling laugh. ‘I could hardly offer him even the small change of the subject.’
    â€˜Was he mad?’ Appleby asked.
    â€˜It must be evident that an element of eccentricity entered into his attitude.’ Miss Barrace paused upon this eminently diplomatic reply. ‘Waiter, more brandy.’
    â€˜And then?’
    â€˜He suggested that we might have further chats. It seemed not feasible, alas, that they should take place. So that is the end of my story. But I confess that I was left feeling curious about him.’
    â€˜A wholesome attitude,’ Appleby said. ‘Did you, by any chance, exchange names?’
    â€˜Certainly not. He did, in fact, offer me his card. I tore it up on the platform without looking at it. It was either that, or taking an absurd story to the police.’
    â€˜So it was.’ Appleby was so impressed by this latest piece of information that quite a pause succeeded. ‘By the way,’ he said, ‘I am interested in some of the members of your club. Those two women at the far end of the table, for instance – the one in salmon-pink and the other in magenta. Who are they?’
    â€˜I’m afraid I don’t know their names. They are recent accessions to our number, and I fear I am not quite keeping up. I think the salmon-pink one writes stories about archdeacons and prebendaries and precentors. Why should those in particular–?’
    â€˜They were introduced to me – or introduced themselves – in a confused sort of way. The magenta one was anxious that the salmon-pink one should tell me some interesting anecdote.’ Appleby just perceptibly hesitated. ‘There was to be a railway