The Third Round by Sapper

Author:Sapper [Sapper]
Format: epub
Tags: detective, murder, third, bulldog, drummond, crime, cowes, sapper, diamonds, round
ISBN: 9780755123391
Publisher: House of Stratus
Published: 2010-06-12T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

In which Drummond takes a telephone call and regrets it

Half an hour later Algy and he walked through the unpretentious door that led to the office of the Metropolitan Diamond Syndicate, to be greeted with a shout of joy from Toby Sinclair emerging from an inner room.

“You have come to ask me to consume nourishment at your expense,” he cried. “I know it. I accept. I will also dine this evening.”

“Dry up, Toby,” grunted Hugh. “Is your boss in?”

“Sir Raymond? Yes – why?”

“I want to see him,” said Hugh quietly.

“My dear old man, I’m sorry, but it’s quite out of the question,” answered Toby. “There’s a meeting of the whole syndicate on at the present moment upstairs, and…”

“I want to see Sir Raymond Blantyre,” interrupted Hugh. “And, Toby, I’m going to see Sir Raymond Blantyre. And if his darned syndicate is there, I’ll see his syndicate as well.”

“But, Hugh, old man,” spluttered Toby, “be reasonable. It’s an important business meeting, and...”

Hugh laid his hands on Toby’s shoulders and grinned.

“Toby, don’t waste time. Trot along upstairs – bow nicely, and say ‘Captain Drummond craves audience.’ And when he asks what for, just say, ‘In connection with an explosion which took place at Hampstead.’”

And of a sudden it seemed as if a strange tension had come into Toby Sinclair’s room. For Toby was one of those who had hunted with Hugh in days gone by, and he recognised the look in the big man’s eyes. Something was up – something serious, that he knew at once. And certain nebulous, half-formed suspicions which he had vigorously suppressed in his own mind stirred into being.

“What is it, old man?” he asked quietly.

“I’ll know better after the interview, Toby,” answered the other. “But one thing I will tell you now. It’s either nothing at all, or else your boss is one of the most blackguardly villains alive in London today. Now go up and tell him.”

And without another word Toby Sinclair went. Probably not for another living man would he have interrupted the meeting upstairs. But the habits of other days held; when Hugh Drummond gave an order, it was carried out.

A minute later he was down again.

“Sir Raymond will see you at once, Hugh,” and for Toby Sinclair his expression was thoughtful. For the sudden silence that had settled on the room of directors as he gave the message had not escaped his attention. And the air of carefully suppressed nervous expectancy on the part of the Metropolitan Diamond Syndicate did not escape Drummond’s attention either as he entered, followed by Algy Longworth.

“Captain Drummond?” Sir Raymond Blantyre rose, and indicated a chair with his hand. “Ah! and Mr Longworth surely. Please sit down. I think I saw you in the distance at the funeral today. Now, Captain Drummond, perhaps you will tell us what you want as quickly as possible, as we are in the middle of a rather important meeting.”

“I will try to be as short as possible, Sir Raymond,” said Drummond quietly.

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