'You're wanted on the phone, Mr. Callaghan,' he said. 'Berkeley Square's on the line.'

  Callaghan went upstairs, into the ground-floor telephone booth. It was Wilkie.

  He said: 'Miss Gardell's here, Mr. Callaghan. She's in the hall waiting-room. She wants to speak to you. I told her I might be able to get you on the telephone.'

  Callaghan said: 'Which Miss Gardell is it? D'you know?'

  Wilkie said: 'No, I don't. Shall I ask her?'

  'Don't bother,' said Callaghan. 'Is she a brunette or a blonde?'

  'She's a brunette,' said Wilkie promptly. 'She's terrific. I've never seen any one like her.'

  Callaghan grinned.

  'That's Miss Desirée Gardell,' he said. 'You might remember that for future reference. Go and tell her I'm coming over; that I'll be with her in five minutes. Then take her up to my apartment and give her a cigarette.'

  'Right, Mr. Callaghan,' said Wilkie.

  Callaghan went downstairs to the Grill Room, paid his bill. He got his hat and began to walk slowly back towards Berkeley Square.

  Wilkie was waiting just inside the hallway. He said:

  'I've taken Miss Gardell up to your apartment. I don't think she's awfully pleased about something.'

  Callaghan nodded. He got into the lift, went up to his apartment.

  Desirée Gardell was sitting on the settee. She turned her head as the door opened and Callaghan came in. She looked at him for a long time. She said nothing.

  Callaghan dropped his hat on to a chair, produced his cigarette-case, lit a cigarette. His attitude was casual. He said:

  'Welcome to London, Miss Gardell. It's nice to see you. What can I do for you?'

  'I'm not concerned with what you can do, Mr. Callaghan. I've come to see you with reference to some things that I insist you stop doing!'

  Callaghan raised one eyebrow. He looked at her. He thought: She's a hell of a woman. She knows all about clothes and how to wear them. I think I'm sorry for her.

  He said: 'Would you like a cigarette?'

  She shook her head. Callaghan noted with approval the neat coiffure, and the very smart tailor-made black hat trimmed with an ocelot buckle. She wore a black coat and skirt. The revers of the coat were faced with ocelot matching the buckle in her hat. Her stockings were of sheer beige silk and her small feet were shod in neat black kid court shoes. Definitely a woman with a sense of clothes, thought Callaghan. And she's in a hell of a temper. This ought to be good.

  He said amiably: 'So you've come to see me about some things that I'm to stop doing. Such as...?'

  'Such as sending your assistants to snoop down at Chipley; to cross-examine my servants. I would like to know by whose authority you do these things. I insist that they stop. If they don't I propose to put the matter in the hands of the police!'

  Callaghan walked slowly towards the sideboard. He said to her, over his shoulder, as he passed the settee:

  'You know, you ought to relax. You're worked up about something, aren't you? Would you like a drink?'

  She said: 'No, I would not. And it's perfectly true that I'm worked up as you call it, Mr. Callaghan. I've come here to tell you that I propose to stand no more of your impertinent interference.'

  Callaghan said: 'All right.' He poured himself out a generous whisky and soda. 'And how do you propose to stop it?' he asked.

  She said: 'I've told you. If necessary, I shall most certainly go to the police.'

  Callaghan walked over to the fireplace and switched on the electric fire. He sat down in the arm-chair, facing her. He said:

  'That's all right. But exactly what do you propose to tell the police?'

  She was white with rage. Callaghan thought she looked wonderful. He concluded now quite definitely that her eyes were violet.

  She said: 'I shall ask them to prevent you from carrying on with your so-called investigations. I shall tell them that you are deliberately doing everything in your power to annoy me, and I shall tell them the reason.'

  'That ought to be interesting,' said Callaghan. 'And what would the reason be?'

  She said: 'The reason should be obvious, even to your limited intelligence.' Callaghan could see that her fingers were trembling. He grinned at her provokingly.

  'Well, we live and learn. It's the first time that I've heard that my intelligence is limited.'

  She said bitterly: 'Very obviously your intelligence is limited.'

  He drew on his cigarette. He said:

  'Never mind my behaviour and my limited intelligence. Supposing you go to the police, Miss Gardell, and tell them that I'm doing everything in my power to interfere with and annoy you. Well, what's my reason?'

  'Your reason is obvious,' she said. 'You wanted to be employed by me. But I didn't need your services, so naturally you're going to make yourself as troublesome as possible.'

  Callaghan said: 'This business about your not wanting to use my services... I don't think I asked you to ring my office in the first place, which you did; or for your cousin to get through, which she did. But there's another and more important point,' Callaghan went on. 'If you remember, your father came up to see me on the night that he met his death. I am naturally very interested to know what he wanted to see me about. I might even make some guesses, but I expect, as my intelligence is limited, that any guess I might make would be wrong, wouldn't it?'

  She said curtly: 'I don't know. How can I know? I don't know what your guess is.'

  Callaghan said: 'Maybe I'll tell you.' He threw his cigarette stub away; lit another one. 'The trouble is,' he went on, 'you'll think that I'm trying to stop the Insurance Company paying this claim.'

  'What else are you doing?' she asked.

  Callaghan said: 'All right. Let's take the point of view that I am. Why shouldn't I? I'm an investigator employed by the Insurance Company. It's my business to find out if a claim is in order. If I believe that this claim isn't in order, I shouldn't be doing my duty if I advised the Insurance Company that it was all right for them to pass the claim.'

  She said: 'You know perfectly well that this claim is in order.'

  'I know nothing of the sort,' said Callaghan. He got up. He began to walk up and down the room. 'Do you know, Miss Gardell,' he went on, 'if the police thought that I was passing this claim for payment at the present moment they'd believe I was mad? They're not at all satisfied, are they?'

  She asked: 'What do you mean by that?'

  'A little bird tells me that they've started dragging operations on the lake at Chipley.'

  She said coldly: 'A little bird tells you? More snooping, I suppose, Mr. Callaghan?'

  He said: 'Never mind the snooping. What do you think the police are dragging that lake for?'

  She said: 'I haven't the remotest idea.'

  'That's a silly, childish lie,' said Callaghan.

  She got up. She was trembling with rage. She said:

  'Mr. Callaghan, I don't intend to stay here to be insulted. I don't intend—'

  Callaghan said: 'I don't intend to stay here and listen to damned rubbish either. Supposing you sit down. I want to talk to you, and if you've got any sense in that pretty head of yours you'll listen.'

  Desirée gasped a little. But she sat down.

  Callaghan said: 'Don't put on any acts with me. I don't like 'em and it isn't necessary. Most of my life people have been putting on acts for my benefit. Usually the people I deal with have to put on acts—they've got plenty to hide. I don't expect people like you to behave in the same way.'

  She said acidly: 'A lecture on morals from Mr. Callaghan should be very interesting—'

  'You're telling me,' said Callaghan. 'And how I could lecture.' He paused; drew tobacco smoke down into his lungs. He said: 'Now let you and me talk a little hard sense. You're in a rather tough spot, don't you think?'

  She said: 'I don't know what you mean, and if you think I'm afraid of you, Mr. Callaghan—if you think I should be affected by any threats—'

  Callaghan said: 'I don't have to threaten. People only use threats when they haven't got facts to support an argument. I've got all the facts I want.'

  'Really!' she said. 'How interesting!'

  'The trouble with you is,' said Callaghan, 'that you want that insurance paid. You want it paid quickly. You've got a reason for wanting it paid quickly. But if I were you I wouldn't be impatient.'

  She said: 'I'm waiting to hear those facts of which you spoke, Mr. Callaghan. I don't know that I'm interested in anything else you have to say.'

  Callaghan said: 'All right. Let's stick to the facts. I know the Admiral came to see me and discovered that I was out. After he'd left the note telling me he was going to commit suicide next morning, he went off, expecting to come back. He knocked up Vane, asked to see the Insurance policy. He looked at the date of the insurance policy and became aware of something—something that should interest you.' He smiled at her.

  'Well, what was it?' she asked.

  'He looked at the date on the policy,' said Callaghan, 'and realised that as the two years were up, even if he did commit suicide, the Insurance Company would still pay. So he decided not to commit suicide. Apparently the Admiral wasn't so keen on dying as everybody thought. He decided to go on living. Not only did he decide that, but he also made up his mind that he was coming to see me again so that, presumably with my assistance, he might see something through to the bitter end.'

  'All this is very interesting,' she said. 'But it is merely surmise.'

  'Oh no, it isn't,' said Callaghan. 'When the Admiral was round at Vane's place, he rang through to Chipley Grange. He rang through after he'd examined the policy. He spoke to someone at Chipley Grange. He told that somebody that he'd changed his mind about things, meaning that he'd changed his mind about committing suicide, which the person at the other end of the line would understand very well. He also said that he'd made up his mind to see this business through to the bitter end. You ought to know all that.'

  She asked a little hoarsely: 'Why should I know?'

  'Because he was talking to you,' said Callaghan. 'That's why you should know.'

  She said: 'That is a lie. My father did not ring up. He did not speak to me.'

  Callaghan raised his eyebrows.

  'No?' he said. 'Well, Vane's got a different story. Vane will, if necessary, go into the box and prove that the Admiral rang Chipley Grange. I know what he said on the telephone because Vane told me, and it's too late for Vane to duck. There was only one person that the Admiral would speak to at Chipley Grange about this matter. That person was you.'

  She repeated: 'That is a lie.'

  'All right,' said Callaghan. 'It's a lie. But what do I care? It's supported by fact. You know,' he went on, 'if you think I'm making this up, go and see Vane. He'll support it all right.'

  She said: 'I don't trust you. There's some trickery in this. You've some scheme afoot.'

  Callaghan said: 'You're dead right. I've got several schemes afoot. But none of them exactly what you think. If you think that what I've told you sounds nonsense, let's try and find some supporting facts for it, shall we?'

  'Do,' she said sarcastically.

  Callaghan said: 'All right. The Admiral went back to Chipley. Somebody heard his car arrive. Somebody was rather keen to speak to him quickly; to know exactly what had happened; possibly to know why he'd changed his mind. So that somebody threw on some clothes, went out to meet him. Whoever it was knew perfectly well that it was his habit to drive round to the back lane and walk through the coppice so as not to drive up to the house and disturb everybody. That somebody met the Admiral. And then the Admiral died.' Callaghan blew a smoke ring. 'Anybody who reads any detective story knows,' he went on, 'that when you've killed a man with a pistol it's a very good thing to get rid of the gun. So somebody dropped the gun in the lake. That somebody was you.'

  She said nothing.

  Callaghan said: 'Well, does the second part of the story make the first part look true or doesn't it?'

  She said: 'Supposing your second part of the story were true. Supposing for the sake of argument that I did drop the pistol in the lake, what difference does that make? Do you think that proves I killed my father?'

  'No!' said Callaghan. 'It doesn't exactly prove it, but it doesn't look too good, does it? Quite obviously,' he went on, 'when the police find that gun they're going to discover two facts about it. The first fact might be that it was a revolver owned by the Admiral. If that gun had been found in his hand the police would probably conclude he'd committed suicide. As it wasn't, they'll know it was moved by someone. When people move pistols and throw 'em in lakes after other people have just died, the police are quite entitled to regard that as suspicious behaviour. That suspicious behaviour, taken in conjunction with the fact that the Admiral held a definite conversation with you earlier, makes things look pretty bad for you. You know, you'd feel a lot better if you told the truth about this business.'

  She said: 'But surely the brilliant Mr. Callaghan knows everything that's in my mind. Don't tell me there's anything you don't know?'

  'Once again I could make a good guess,' said Callaghan. 'I know something else about the Admiral. The Admiral wanted to stop payment on that insurance claim. If the two years hadn't been up he would have shot himself so as to stop payment of the claim. But he still intended to be revenged on the person he disliked—the person who he did not wish to receive that insurance money.' He grinned at her. 'You know to whom you were going to pay that money—or some of it—don't you?'

  She said weakly: 'Do I?'

  'Of course you do,' he said. The Admiral told you all about that note that Vane certified—the note that entitled the bearer to be paid twenty thousand pounds on demand from that Insurance policy. You must know the name of the person, and probably you know why the Admiral wanted to stop that payment.' He paused. 'And yet you're still impatient for that money to be paid. Well, if I was a policeman I know what I'd think.'

  She asked: 'What would you think?'

  'I'd think you were playing hand in glove with whoever it is is going to receive that twenty thousand pounds. Maybe he's a boy friend of yours.'

  She said coldly: 'You're a fearfully common person, aren't you? I don't have boy friends.'

  'Too bad,' said Callaghan. 'Well, you may not have boy friends, but that's no reason why the police, who are also fearfully common at times, shouldn't think so.'

  She said: 'I don't care what they believe. I have nothing to be afraid of.'

  Callaghan said: 'Oh yes, you have. That's why I'm glad you're here so that we can do a deal.'

  She laughed.

  She asked caustically: 'Mr. Callaghan, do you think I'd do a deal with you?'

  'You'll do a deal all right,' said Callaghan. 'Listen to this: Everything you think about this business is wrong. Everything you think about me is wrong.' He leaned up against the sideboard. He looked at her quizzically. 'You'd be awfully surprised if I told you I was a friend of yours, wouldn't you?'

  She raised her eyebrows in astonishment. A cynical smile appeared on her lips.

  Callaghan said: 'Nevertheless it's true. I rather like you. I like your type. I like the way you wear your clothes. I like most things about you.' He smiled. 'The fact that you don't like me doesn't affect my opinion a bit. Believe it or not, I've turned myself into a sort of guardian for you—a guardian angel. I like that idea.'

  She said: 'My God! Imagine Mr. Callaghan of Callaghan Investigations a guardian angel!'

  'That's right,' said Callaghan. 'If you wait long enough you'll see some wings sprouting.' He continued: 'You know, whether you like it or not, I've always looked on the Admiral as being a client of Callaghan Investigations. He intended to be. He thought enough of me to come and ask for help. Well, in spite of the feet that he's dead, he's going to get it.'

  She said sarcastically: 'What an altruist you are, Mr. Callaghan.'

  'Not often,' said Callaghan. 'But in this case there are redeeming features.'

  'Such as?' she asked.

  'Such as you,' said Callaghan. 'If you were an old lady of ninety, Callaghan Investigations wouldn't be interested very much. But you're not.'

  She said: 'I suppose I should be very grateful to you for your interest. You're amusing me a great deal, Mr. Callaghan. But I still haven't heard about this deal.'

  'The deal is this,' said Callaghan. 'You tell me something that I want to know and I'll get the Insurance Company to pass that claim. The very fact that I pass that claim is an important factor as far as you're concerned. The police will know that as far as I'm concerned—and remember I've had ample opportunities to find things out—everything is in order; that I at least have found nothing that looks suspicious. Also they'll be inclined to take the point of view that I want 'em to take eventually.'

  'And what is that, Mr. Callaghan?' she asked.

  'That,' said Callaghan, 'is my business.' He went on: 'That is the deal. You tell me the name of the person to whom that twenty thousand pounds was to be paid and I'll advise the Company to pass that claim for payment. Moreover, I think I can promise you that the business of dropping the gun in the lake won't trouble the police too much.'

  She said: 'You must have great influence with the police, Mr. Callaghan.'

  He shook his head. He was grinning. He said:

  'No, I haven't any influence with the police, but I've something very much more important. I've got the gun.'

  She looked at him; her eyes were wide with astonishment.

  'The things I do for you,' said Callaghan. 'Crawling about on my belly on the bottom of your very cold ornamental lake finding pistols which you're foolish enough to throw in.' He opened the sideboard drawer. He took out the pistol. 'I expect you recognise it,' he said. 'Well, do we do a deal?'

  She said: 'Haven't you rather delivered yourself into my hands, Mr. Callaghan? Even supposing that your idea about my throwing the gun in the lake was correct, it couldn't be proved.'

  'That wouldn't matter,' said Callaghan. 'If I told the police I'd removed it, they wouldn't be surprised. I've done things like that before for clients.'

 

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