fifty - but there was a contrast between her face and the way she was dressed. She was fair-haired, with wide cheekbones and had been - indeed still was - beautiful. Just for a minute Tuppence had a feeling that the woman's face was somehow familiar to her, but the feeling faded. It was not, she thought, a face easily forgotten.
The woman was obviously startled, and the flash of alarm that flitted across her face was not lost on Tuppence. (Something odd here?)
Tuppence said:
“Excuse me, are you looking for someone?”
The woman spoke in a slow foreign voice, pronouncing the words carefully as though she had learned them by heart.
“This 'ouse is Sans Souci?”
“Yes. I live here. Did you want someone?”
There was an infinitesimal pause, then the woman said:
“You can tell me, please. There is a Mr Rosenstein there, no?”
“Mr Rosenstein?” Tuppence shook her head. “No. I'm afraid not. Perhaps he has been there and left. Shall I ask for you?”
But the strange woman made a quick gesture of refusal. She said:
“No - no. I make mistake. Excuse, please.”
Then, quickly, she turned and walked rapidly down the hill again.
Tuppence stood staring after her. For some reason, her suspicions were aroused. There was a contrast between the woman's manner and her words. Tuppence had an idea that “Mr Rosenstein” was a fiction, that the woman had seized at the first name that came into her head.
Tuppence hesitated a minute, then she started down the hill after the other. What she could only describe as a “hunch” made her want to follow the woman.
Presently, however, she stopped. To follow would be to draw attention to herself in a rather marked manner. She had clearly been on the point of entering Sans Souci when she spoke to the woman; to reappear on her trail would be to arouse suspicion that Mrs Blenkensop was something other than appeared on the surface - that is to say if this strange woman was indeed a member of the enemy plot.
No, at all costs Mrs Blenkensop must remain what she seemed.
Tuppence turned and retraced her steps up the hill. She entered Sans Souci and paused in the hall. The house seemed deserted, as was usual early in the afternoon. Betty was having her nap, the elder members were either resting or had gone out.
Then, as Tuppence stood in the dim hall thinking over her recent encounter, a faint sound came to her ears. It was a sound she knew quite well - the faint echo of a ting.
The telephone at Sans Souci was in the hall. The sound that Tuppence had just heard was the sound made when the receiver of an extension is taken off or replaced. There was one extension in the house - in Mrs Perenna's bedroom.
Tommy might have hesitated. Tuppence did not hesitate for a minute. Very gently and carefully she lifted off the receiver and put it to her ear.
Someone was using the extension. It was a man's voice. Tuppence heard:
“- everything going well. On the Fourth, then, as arranged.”
A woman's voice said: “Yes, carry on.”
There was a click as the receiver was replaced.
Tuppence stood there frowning. Was that Mrs Perenna's voice? Difficult to say with only those three words to go upon. If there had been only a little more to the conversation. It might, of course, be quite an ordinary conversation - certainly there was nothing in the words she had overheard to indicate otherwise.
A shadow obscured the light from the door. Tuppence jumped and replaced the receiver as Mrs Perenna spoke.
“Such a pleasant afternoon. Are you going out, Mrs Blenkensop, or have you just come in?”
So it was not Mrs Perenna who had been speaking from Mrs Perenna's room. Tuppence murmured something about having had a pleasant walk and moved to the staircase.
Mrs Perenna moved along the hall after her. She seemed bigger than usual. Tuppence was conscious of her as a strong athletic woman.
She said:
“I must get my things off,” and hurried up the stairs. As she turned the corner of the landing
The woman was obviously startled, and the flash of alarm that flitted across her face was not lost on Tuppence. (Something odd here?)
Tuppence said:
“Excuse me, are you looking for someone?”
The woman spoke in a slow foreign voice, pronouncing the words carefully as though she had learned them by heart.
“This 'ouse is Sans Souci?”
“Yes. I live here. Did you want someone?”
There was an infinitesimal pause, then the woman said:
“You can tell me, please. There is a Mr Rosenstein there, no?”
“Mr Rosenstein?” Tuppence shook her head. “No. I'm afraid not. Perhaps he has been there and left. Shall I ask for you?”
But the strange woman made a quick gesture of refusal. She said:
“No - no. I make mistake. Excuse, please.”
Then, quickly, she turned and walked rapidly down the hill again.
Tuppence stood staring after her. For some reason, her suspicions were aroused. There was a contrast between the woman's manner and her words. Tuppence had an idea that “Mr Rosenstein” was a fiction, that the woman had seized at the first name that came into her head.
Tuppence hesitated a minute, then she started down the hill after the other. What she could only describe as a “hunch” made her want to follow the woman.
Presently, however, she stopped. To follow would be to draw attention to herself in a rather marked manner. She had clearly been on the point of entering Sans Souci when she spoke to the woman; to reappear on her trail would be to arouse suspicion that Mrs Blenkensop was something other than appeared on the surface - that is to say if this strange woman was indeed a member of the enemy plot.
No, at all costs Mrs Blenkensop must remain what she seemed.
Tuppence turned and retraced her steps up the hill. She entered Sans Souci and paused in the hall. The house seemed deserted, as was usual early in the afternoon. Betty was having her nap, the elder members were either resting or had gone out.
Then, as Tuppence stood in the dim hall thinking over her recent encounter, a faint sound came to her ears. It was a sound she knew quite well - the faint echo of a ting.
The telephone at Sans Souci was in the hall. The sound that Tuppence had just heard was the sound made when the receiver of an extension is taken off or replaced. There was one extension in the house - in Mrs Perenna's bedroom.
Tommy might have hesitated. Tuppence did not hesitate for a minute. Very gently and carefully she lifted off the receiver and put it to her ear.
Someone was using the extension. It was a man's voice. Tuppence heard:
“- everything going well. On the Fourth, then, as arranged.”
A woman's voice said: “Yes, carry on.”
There was a click as the receiver was replaced.
Tuppence stood there frowning. Was that Mrs Perenna's voice? Difficult to say with only those three words to go upon. If there had been only a little more to the conversation. It might, of course, be quite an ordinary conversation - certainly there was nothing in the words she had overheard to indicate otherwise.
A shadow obscured the light from the door. Tuppence jumped and replaced the receiver as Mrs Perenna spoke.
“Such a pleasant afternoon. Are you going out, Mrs Blenkensop, or have you just come in?”
So it was not Mrs Perenna who had been speaking from Mrs Perenna's room. Tuppence murmured something about having had a pleasant walk and moved to the staircase.
Mrs Perenna moved along the hall after her. She seemed bigger than usual. Tuppence was conscious of her as a strong athletic woman.
She said:
“I must get my things off,” and hurried up the stairs. As she turned the corner of the landing
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