Paul Temple and the Tyler Mystery. Francis Durbridge
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Название: Paul Temple and the Tyler Mystery
Автор: Francis Durbridge
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Зарубежные детективы
isbn: 9780008252915
isbn:
The introduction of the name ‘Harry’ was a cue for Vosper to pause and stare at Temple. Temple stared back. During the short silence they could all hear the clatter of knives and plates as Charlie laid the table for lunch in the adjoining dining-room. Steve began to hum gently. Only Temple realised the significance of the tune she had hit on: ‘I love Paris—’ He gave her an appreciative smile and helped himself to a cigarette from the box on the coffee table.
‘Why should you assume that this unknown Harry has anything to do with my old friend Shelford? It’s a common enough name.’
The question was directed at Sir Graham and it was he who answered.
‘When Betty Tyler’s digs in Oxford were searched a piece of paper was found in the handbag she had been carrying during the day – just a small piece of paper such as you might tear out of a pocket notebook. It had the name Harry Shelford on it and the numerals 930.’
‘I still don’t believe that Harry would have anything to do with murder. He’s a thorough-going rascal, we know that. But he’s not a dangerous criminal. He is the last type to commit murder.’
‘I agree,’ Sir Graham said peaceably. ‘But obviously that is a line of investigation which we cannot afford to neglect. That brings me to the real reason for our visit.’
He stood up and once again took over the centre of the hearth rug. Vosper snapped the band of his notebook and stowed it away in some secret part of his clothing.
‘Harry Shelford has a sister – a married sister called Mrs Draper – who runs an extremely popular hotel called The Dutch Treat at Sonning.’
‘I’ve heard of it. The food is reputed to be really good.’
‘Now, what I came to ask you was this: would you drive down to Sonning, talk to Mrs Draper, find out where her brother is exactly and what he’s up to?’
‘She’ll talk to you,’ Vosper put in with sad conviction. ‘If I approached her it would have to be on an official basis. She might take offence and refuse to help me at all. At the best she would be unlikely to say anything which might be detrimental to her brother.’
‘She knows you helped Harry when he was released. It will seem natural for you to inquire how he’s getting on.’ Sir Graham turned from Temple to Steve. She was watching the exchange with a mischievous smile on her dark, attractive face. ‘Surely you and your husband could drive down to Sonning for lunch one day, Steve. It would help us out.’
Temple relaxed. For Steve’s sake he had been prepared to refuse. Now that the question had been put to her direct he would take his cue from her answer. She looked quizzically up at Sir Graham.
‘We’re not doing anything special tomorrow, Paul. It would be rather fun to sample the cooking at The Dutch Treat and see if it’s as good as everyone makes out.’
‘What do you know about this Mariano, Steve?’
Temple called through into the bedroom from his dressing-room. He and Steve had been to the theatre and then dined with some friends in Soho. They had refused an invitation to go on to a night club. Temple did not want to blunt his wits or palate on the eve of the outing to Sonning.
‘I’ve never been to him myself. I prefer to stick to my Doris. But I believe he’s really brilliant. Several of my friends have started going to him lately. He must be making a packet out of it. He’s opened several branches in provincial towns.’
‘What sort of person is he himself?’
‘Definitely rather glamorous, darling.’
‘Amorous?’
‘Gerlamorous,’ Steve sang. ‘It’s not very polite to shout at ladies from other rooms.’
Temple undid his tie and walked to the threshold between the two rooms. His own dressing-room was square, utilitarian and exclusively mahogany. It was rather like the captain’s cabin in a small naval vessel. After its dark severity the bedroom made his senses reel. He had given Steve a free hand with it. The carpet was a deep wine colour and all the furniture was white. Over the bed was suspended a kind of panoply, bordered with stiff nylon frills. Temple always felt a little like Don Juan when he invaded this essentially feminine domain.
Steve was sitting before her triple mirrors, sheathed in silk, combing her hair.
‘In what way glamorous?’ Temple asked suspiciously.
Steve stopped combing and gazed at her reflection.
‘Well, he’s handsome – and foreign, of course. Rather an actor, by all I can gather. I mean, he knows how to put himself across.’
‘Put himself across?’
‘Yes, darling. Hairdressing is an art – at least ladies’ hairdressing is. Mariano acts the part of an artist. But he’s a very shrewd business man at the same time.’
‘How long has he been operating this racket?’
‘I don’t know exactly. He’s only been fashionable since the war, but Mrs Tenby-Whiteside was boasting to me the other day that she patronised him over twenty years ago. So he must have come to England in the early ’thirties some time.’
‘Not very shrewd of Mrs T-W.’
‘What wasn’t?’
‘Giving her age away like that.’
‘We all give away something sometimes, darling,’ Steve said.
The silence which the Temples normally observed until they had finished breakfast was broken the following morning when Temple put the paper down beside his plate with an exclamation of annoyance.
‘What’s the matter, Paul?’
‘These confounded gossip writers. If they can’t mind their own business, they might at least try to get their facts right. The cheek of this: “Sir Graham Forbes paid a flying visit to the new home of the Paul Temples in Eaton Square yesterday morning. The conversation turned on the Tyler mystery which has been causing heads to throb in Scotland Yard this past week. This confirms the rumour we reported the day before yesterday that Sir Graham had decided to consult Paul Temple on the Tyler case.”’
‘They really are the limit.’
Temple pushed his chair back.
‘Aren’t you going to have your second cup of coffee, darling?’
‘Pour СКАЧАТЬ