Mr. Zero by Patricia Wentworth Read Free Book Online Page B

messenger?”
    Algy considered for a moment.
    â€œWell, I heard him say, ‘Mr. Lushington is upstairs. I will take it up to him.’ And I heard the man say, ‘Thank you, sir.’ And then Mr. Carstairs came back into the room with the envelope in his hand, and the telephone bell rang, and he told me to take it up to you, and I did.”
    â€œNo one else touched it?”
    â€œNo one.”
    â€œAnd you came straight up with it? It wasn’t out of your hand at all?”
    â€œOh, no, sir.”
    Montagu Lushington said,
    â€œVery well then—go on.”
    Algy restrained an expression of surprise.
    â€œBut you know all the rest, sir. You were in your dressing-room, and I put the envelope down on the table.”
    Mr. Lushington nodded.
    â€œGo on. I have my own recollection of what happened, but I want yours—every detail, please.”
    â€œYou were packing your suit-case, sir. It was on the bed, and so was your despatch-box. They were both open. You put a pair of socks into the suit-case, and then you took up the envelope and said, ‘What’s this?’ And I said, ‘Just come round by messenger from the Intelligence. Mr. Carstairs told me to bring it up.’ And you said, ‘Yes, yes—I asked them to let me have it,’ and you picked it up, and put it in on the top of your despatch-box, and locked the case, and put the keys back in your pocket. And you said that was all, and I cleared out.”
    â€œYou saw me put the envelope in the despatch-case and lock it away?”
    â€œYes, sir.”
    There was a silence. Montagu Lushington looked long and shrewdly at his young cousin. In the end he said,
    â€œDid you notice how the letter was addressed?”
    What in the name of fortune did this mean? Algy tried to keep surprise out of his voice as he said,
    â€œNo—I didn’t look at it, I’m afraid. Carstairs—Mr. Carstairs—gave it to me. He said it was the sabotage memorandum you had asked for from the Intelligence, and told me to take it up to you. I never thought of looking at it.”
    Mr. Lushington said, “I see. You didn’t notice the envelope at all? Now what I want you to tell me is this. You put the envelope down on the table, and I picked it up and put it away in my despatch-case. Think before you speak, please. Did you see me look at it or read the address?”
    â€œI don’t think I did.”
    â€œYou don’t think—that’s not good enough. Can’t you be more exact than that?”
    â€œI’m afraid I can’t, sir. I wasn’t taking very much notice. You see, I’d given you the envelope, so I wasn’t thinking about it any more.” He paused, and then went on again. “I think you just picked it up and put it into your despatch-box. I don’t think you looked at it.”
    Mr. Lushington pushed back his chair.
    â€œI expect you are wondering what this is all about.”
    â€œIt’s not my business to wonder, is it, sir?”
    Mr. Lushington frowned.
    â€œIt may be. I am going to talk to you in confidence, Algy. You are a member of my family as well as a member of my staff, and I wish to make it quite clear that what I am saying is not to go any farther. To begin with, the papers which you brought me have disappeared. I went down to the Wessex-Gardners, as you know, and I did not open my despatch-case until round about midnight, when I went up to my room for the night. When I did open it, there was a plain manila envelope right on top of the other papers. It bore no address, and there was a sheet of blank foolscap inside. That is why I asked whether you had noticed the address on the envelope you brought me.”
    â€œBut, sir—”
    â€œWait! My keys had never been out of my possession. I had a bath before dinner, and they were on the dressing-table with my watch and note-case, but the bathroom had a communicating door, and I am pretty