The Czar's Spy: The Mystery of a Silent LoveLe Queux, William
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The Czar's Spy: The Mystery of a Silent Love
Le Queux, William
Spy stories
"I must go up to London to-night," whereat the men, one and all,
expressed hope that I should soon return. Leithcourt's party were a
friendly set, and at heart I was sorry to leave Scotland. Yet the
telegram made it imperative, for it was from Frank Hutcheson in Leghorn,
and read--
_"Made inquiries. Olinto Santini married your servant Armida at Italian
Consulate-General in London about a year ago. They live 64B, Albany
Road, Camberwell: he is employed waiter Ferrari's Restaurant,
Westbourne Grove.--British Consulate, Leghorn"_
The lunch was a merry one, as shooting luncheons usually are, and while
we ate the keepers packed our morning bag--a considerable one--into the
Perth-cart in waiting. Then, when we could wander away alone together, I
explained to Muriel that the reason of my sudden journey to London was
in order to continue my investigations regarding the mysterious affair.
This puzzled her, for I had not, of course, revealed to her that I had
identified Olinto. Yet I managed to make such excuses and promises to
return that I think allayed all her suspicions, and that night, after
calling upon the detective Mackenzie, I took the sleeping-car express to
Euston.
The restaurant which Hutcheson had indicated was, I found, situated
about half-way up Westbourne Grove, nearly opposite Whiteley's, a small
place where confectionery and sweets were displayed in the window,
together with long-necked flasks of Italian chianti, chump-chops, small
joints and tomatoes. It was soon after nine o'clock when I entered the
long shop with its rows of marble-topped tables and greasy lounges of
red plush. An unhealthy-looking lad was sweeping out the place with wet
saw-dust, and a big, dark-bearded, flabby-faced man in shirt-sleeves
stood behind the small counter polishing some forks.
"I wish to see Signor Ferrari," I said, addressing him.
"There is no Ferrari, he is dead," responded the man in broken English.
"My name is Odinzoff. I bought the place from madame."
"You are Russian, I presume?"
"Polish, m'sieur--from Varsovie."
I had seen from the first moment we had met that he was no Italian. He
was too bulky, and his face too broad and flat.
"I have come to inquire after a waiter you have in your service, an
Italian named Santini. He was my servant for some years, and I naturally
take an interest in him."
"Santini?" he repeated. "Oh I you mean Olinto? He is not here yet. He
comes at ten o'clock."
This reply surprised me. I had expected the restaurant-keeper to express
regret at his disappearance, yet he spoke as though he had been at work
as usual on the previous day.
"May I have a liqueur brandy?" I asked, seeing that I would be compelled
to take something. "Perhaps you will have one with me?"
"Ach no! But a kümmel--yes, I will have a kümmel!" And he filled our
glasses, and tossed off his own at a single gulp, smacking his lips
after it, for the average Russian dearly loves his national decoction of
caraway seeds.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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