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Authors: E.X. Ferrars
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hotel people would certainly be able to solve for him. But first he must find the address. There was no telephone directory in his room, so he put a call through to the desk downstairs and asked them to find the address of Simon Amory.
They were slower about it than he had expected, but at last an answer came.
‘I think Mr Amory's number is ex-directory,’ a woman's voice said. T can't find it.’
This, after all, was not surprising, but for a moment Andrew felt completely baffled. Then he said, ‘Oh, hold on a minute. Can you find the number of Miss Todhunter? be able to give me the address I want.’
There was another pause, then the voice replied, ‘Yes, here it is. Gallmouth 850415.’
‘Will you put me through to that number then, please?’ In a moment he heard the ringing tone begin.
It rang six times before the telephone at the other end was lifted and a gruff voice said, 'Mina Todhunter speaking.’
‘This is Andrew Basnett,’ Andrew said. ‘I'm sorry to trouble you, Miss Todhunter, but I need to get Simon Amory's address. It appears I'm wanted there rather urgently, and the fact is that although I was there for dinner yesterday evening, I didn't think of noticing the address. And it isn't in the telephone directory.’
‘That's right, it isn't,’ Mina Todhunter answered. ‘He was always getting bothered by people wanting to inter-view him, or to get money from him for some cause or other, or just to meet him, so that he decided to be ex-directory. I believe it's helped. He's really a very retiring person, and he didn't like the incessant intrusion. But as a matter of fact, he's here now. Would you like to speak to him?’
Andrew felt that he had no desire to speak to Amory until he had spoken to Peter.
‘Oh, I don't want to trouble him,’ he said. ‘But if you could just give me that address …’
‘Yes, of course, it's Barnfield House, Cranleigh Road. If you're going by taxi, it'll only take you a few minutes. But please forgive my asking, is there something wrongthat you're needed so urgently? I mean, your charming young nephew hasn't hurt himself, or anything?’
‘I'm afraid I don't know,’ Andrew answered. ‘I don't think that's the trouble, because it was he who phoned me. But he did sound rather as if something was wrong. Thank you for giving me that address. I'm sorry to have troubled you.’
‘A pleasure/ she said. T hope we may meet again. If you're staying on in Gallmouth for a little while perhaps you could find time to come in for a drink with me. Just call in when you're passing. You would be most welcome.’
Impatience began to grip Andrew. 'Thank you, thank you, I'll do that. Goodbye.’
He put the telephone down, hurriedly put on the shoes that he had kicked off when he lay down on the bed, went out and summoned the lift to take him downstairs. There he asked the woman on the reception desk to call a taxi for him, then he went to wait at the entrance door to the hotel.
As the minutes passed his impatience mounted, with growing anxiety that Peter would never have called him in the way he had unless something truly was wrong. Peter was a person who seemed never to worry unduly. He treated troubles which would have profoundly upset many people with casual acceptance. In his way, Andrew supposed, he had a good deal of courage. He could be casual because he was not afraid. Yet today it really sounded as if something had scared him.
It was actually a very short time before the taxi came, though to Andrew, waiting at the door, it seemed so long that he began to doubt if it was coming at all. Once he went indoors to the desk to ask the receptionist if she was sure that a taxi had been available when she called. She reassured him, and it was only a few minutes later that it arrived. Andrew gave the address of Barnfield House, Cranleigh Road, and wondered why the driver seemed totake so long compared with the drive in the Rolls the evening before.
But the taxi was not able
They were slower about it than he had expected, but at last an answer came.
‘I think Mr Amory's number is ex-directory,’ a woman's voice said. T can't find it.’
This, after all, was not surprising, but for a moment Andrew felt completely baffled. Then he said, ‘Oh, hold on a minute. Can you find the number of Miss Todhunter? be able to give me the address I want.’
There was another pause, then the voice replied, ‘Yes, here it is. Gallmouth 850415.’
‘Will you put me through to that number then, please?’ In a moment he heard the ringing tone begin.
It rang six times before the telephone at the other end was lifted and a gruff voice said, 'Mina Todhunter speaking.’
‘This is Andrew Basnett,’ Andrew said. ‘I'm sorry to trouble you, Miss Todhunter, but I need to get Simon Amory's address. It appears I'm wanted there rather urgently, and the fact is that although I was there for dinner yesterday evening, I didn't think of noticing the address. And it isn't in the telephone directory.’
‘That's right, it isn't,’ Mina Todhunter answered. ‘He was always getting bothered by people wanting to inter-view him, or to get money from him for some cause or other, or just to meet him, so that he decided to be ex-directory. I believe it's helped. He's really a very retiring person, and he didn't like the incessant intrusion. But as a matter of fact, he's here now. Would you like to speak to him?’
Andrew felt that he had no desire to speak to Amory until he had spoken to Peter.
‘Oh, I don't want to trouble him,’ he said. ‘But if you could just give me that address …’
‘Yes, of course, it's Barnfield House, Cranleigh Road. If you're going by taxi, it'll only take you a few minutes. But please forgive my asking, is there something wrongthat you're needed so urgently? I mean, your charming young nephew hasn't hurt himself, or anything?’
‘I'm afraid I don't know,’ Andrew answered. ‘I don't think that's the trouble, because it was he who phoned me. But he did sound rather as if something was wrong. Thank you for giving me that address. I'm sorry to have troubled you.’
‘A pleasure/ she said. T hope we may meet again. If you're staying on in Gallmouth for a little while perhaps you could find time to come in for a drink with me. Just call in when you're passing. You would be most welcome.’
Impatience began to grip Andrew. 'Thank you, thank you, I'll do that. Goodbye.’
He put the telephone down, hurriedly put on the shoes that he had kicked off when he lay down on the bed, went out and summoned the lift to take him downstairs. There he asked the woman on the reception desk to call a taxi for him, then he went to wait at the entrance door to the hotel.
As the minutes passed his impatience mounted, with growing anxiety that Peter would never have called him in the way he had unless something truly was wrong. Peter was a person who seemed never to worry unduly. He treated troubles which would have profoundly upset many people with casual acceptance. In his way, Andrew supposed, he had a good deal of courage. He could be casual because he was not afraid. Yet today it really sounded as if something had scared him.
It was actually a very short time before the taxi came, though to Andrew, waiting at the door, it seemed so long that he began to doubt if it was coming at all. Once he went indoors to the desk to ask the receptionist if she was sure that a taxi had been available when she called. She reassured him, and it was only a few minutes later that it arrived. Andrew gave the address of Barnfield House, Cranleigh Road, and wondered why the driver seemed totake so long compared with the drive in the Rolls the evening before.
But the taxi was not able
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