The End of the Chase by Cecil Waye

Author:Cecil Waye
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dean Street Press
Published: 2021-02-05T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER XII

HERR BERNDT COMES TO LONDON

Christopher was just about to leave his office in Hanover Square on the following Monday evening, when Miss Avery knocked at his door and came in. “I’m sorry to disturb you just as you are going, Mr. Perrin,” she said, “but there’s a gentleman with a foreign name just called. I couldn’t quite get it, but it sounds like ‘burnt.’ He said he had come all the way from Vienna to see you, so I didn’t like to send him away.”

“Burnt!” exclaimed Christopher. “And from Vienna! It can’t be Herr Berndt, surely. Show him in, will you, Miss Avery?”

A moment or two later Herr Berndt appeared in the doorway. Christopher sprang up to greet him. “Hallo!” he exclaimed. “You’re the last man I ever expected to see in London. What’s dragged you out of your comfortable retreat, eh? Sit down and tell me all about it.”

“I came to London for the sole purpose of talking to you, my friend,” replied Herr Berndt.

“Well, I’m amazing glad to see you. Now, look here, you’re coming home with me. I can put you up in my rooms, I’ve got a spare room there, and you’ll be at least as comfortable as you would be in an hotel. No, I won’t hear a word against it. Come along, we’ll go there at once.”

Herr Berndt allowed himself to be dragged off then and there. But it was not till after they had dined, and were sitting in Christopher’s study, that his host allowed him to talk about what had brought him over. “Now then,” he said, “have you got all you want? I can’t give you a bottle of Tokay, it’s almost unprocurable in this country. But I’ve got some pretty decent port, if you can make that do. Try it. Right, I’m all attention.”

Herr Berndt leant forward in his chair. “Have you ever noticed how if one speaks about a thing, one usually hears about it again within a few days?” he said. “You will remember our discussing that great forgery case when you were on holiday in Vienna? Well, last week I heard of it again.”

“The devil you did!” exclaimed Christopher. “Who mentioned it to you this time?”

“The present Chief of Police. He was my subordinate, and professes still to have a great respect for my advice. He came to me last week, knowing my interest in that obscure case, and told me that fresh facts have come to light.”

“Did he tell you what those facts were?” asked Christopher eagerly.

“He did. This is what he told me. It seems that the police in Vienna have for some time had their eyes on a certain man. He was suspected of being an associate of criminals, and a receiver of stolen goods in a small way. The sort of man who could be hired for any questionable business where there was not much risk to be run. You know the type of man I mean, I expect?”

“Perfectly. We’ve got plenty of specimens in London.

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