Aaron Rodd, DivinerOppenheim, E. Phillips (Edward Phillips)
General
Aaron Rodd, Diviner
Oppenheim, E. Phillips (Edward Phillips)
Detective and mystery stories, English; English fiction -- 20th century
"My God!" he muttered to himself. "We're coming near the end of
things!"
Listening all the while for footsteps behind which never came, he at
last hailed a taxicab and was driven to Aldgate. At the Mansion House
he alighted, and in another taxicab made his way to one of the streets
on the north side of the Strand. Here he entered a passageway, climbed
the stairs past a second-hand clothes shop, and on the second flight
opened the door of a room with a latchkey which hung from his chain.
He gave a little murmur of relief as he discovered a young man in a
dressing-gown, seated in an arm-chair with his feet up on the
mantelpiece, reading a paper-backed novel. The young man bore a
remarkable resemblance to Mr. Harvey Grimm.
"Thank heaven you are in!" the new-comer exclaimed, commencing like
lightning to throw off his clothes. "Turn on the bath, Jim--quick as
you can--and take these clothes down to the shop. Shove 'em away
anywhere."
The young man was already busying himself about the place.
"Anything wrong, sir?" he asked.
"I've just had the devil of a squeak," Harvey Grimm declared. "It'll
be touch and go this time. How did I spend the morning?"
"We made a point of calling at your tailor, sir," the young man
replied, "also your hosier. We looked in at Bendlebury's in Cork
Street, and we had a cocktail--two, I think--at Fitz's bar."
"Capital!" Harvey Grimm muttered. "What did I do last night?"
"Last night we wore dinner clothes, sir," the young man went on. "We
dined at Romano's----"
"Alone, I trust?" Harvey Grimm snapped.
"Quite alone, sir," the young man assented. "We conversed for a time
with two ladies at an adjoining table. Luigi spoke to us twice."
Harvey Grimm bolted through the door, and a few moments afterwards
there was a sound of splashing. When he reappeared, a short time
later, his complexion seemed to have undergone a marvellous change, and
the most wonderful wig in the world had disappeared. The young man
helped him into a blue serge suit. In five minutes he was dressed.
"My George, this is quick work!" Harvey Grimm murmured, his eyes
sparkling. "There's ten pounds on the table, Jim. Put it in your
pocket. I'll drop in to-morrow or the next day. Clean gloves and my
malacca cane. Don't wait two moments after I've gone. Get rid of all
the clothes I have been wearing, in the darkest corner of the store.
There goes the wig," he added, throwing it on the fire. "There won't
be any more Mile End for a little time. Get to work like blazes, Jim,
and good-bye!"
The young man handed him a sheet of paper.
"There are our movements, sir, since you left last Wednesday. You will
find about a dozen recognitions a day."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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