“And what was Zwemmer doing there that evening?”
“He was after information,” said Henry, “just as I was when I first saw Mahoumi. He still thought John might have been responsible for the leakage, and he was trying to find out all he could.”
“You still haven’t explained about South America.”
“Well,” Henry swallowed painfully. “After our...that is, when Mary heard about the Novaris being killed, it was too much for her. She telephoned Hampton and threatened to confess and denounce him if there were any more killings, or if I came to any harm. Eventually he struck a bargain with her, as she thought. If I were to disappear, voluntarily, with my safety and a good living assured to me, I would be assumed guilty, and the case would be closed. She would then agree to say nothing, and she would not be required to give him any more information. Foolishly she accepted. Hampton certainly did want to get me out of the way, but I feel sure he would have done away with her, too. However, things didn’t work out like that.”
“Henry,” Emmy spoke impulsively. “Henry, this wasn’t in Mary Benson’s confession. How do you know it all?”
“You promised me,” said Henry, “that you wouldn’t ask questions.”
Later on in the evening, when the Spezzis had gone and Henry was already in bed, Emmy came into the bedroom in her dressing gown and sat on the foot of the bed with a final cup of coffee in her hands.
“I’m terribly sorry, darling,” she said. “I’m afraid I put my foot in it. I’ve always wondered where you went after you dropped me at the hotel. Now I know.”
Henry closed his eyes. “I had to, you see,” he said. “They might never have caught her. I’m a damned policeman, and I couldn’t let her get away with it, but neither could I go to Colliet and tell him the whole story and let the law take its course. I had to go and tell her myself.” There was a long silence. “It was the worst thing I’ve ever had to do in my life. In a strange way, you see, I loved her. I don’t suppose you’ll ever be able to understand that.”
Emmy nodded gravely. “I understand better than you think,” she said.
She stood up and went over to the chest of drawers. She pulled open a drawer and took out something wrapped in crisp white tissue paper. Henry opened his eyes.
“What’s that?” he asked.
“A handbag,” said Emmy.
The paper fell away, and Henry recognized the shiny brown alligator skin which he had last seen at the Hotel Étoile.
“What are you doing with it?”
“I’m putting it in the dustbin.”
Henry raised himself on one elbow. “But, Emmy...”
“Paul bought it for me that afternoon,” said Emmy brusquely.
She went out, and Henry heard the lid of the dustbin rattle, and bang shut. When Emmy came back, she was, smiling. “Oh dear,” she said, “we did both get out of our depths, didn’t we? I suppose we’re just too dull and ordinary.”
“And thank God for it,” said Henry.
“Amen,” said Emmy piously. She climbed into bed and took him gently in her arms.
For more “Inspector Tibbett” and other “Vintage”
titles from Felony & Mayhem Press, including the
“Inspector Alleyn” series by Ngaio Marsh,
please visit our website:
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All the characters and events portrayed in this work are fictitious.
DEATH ON THE AGENDA
A Felony & Mayhem mystery
PUBLISHING HISTORY
First UK print edition (Collins): 1962
First US print edition (Holt, Rinehart & Winston): 1962
Felony & Mayhem print and digital editions: 2018
Copyright © The Estate of Patricia Moyes 1962
All rights reserved
E-book ISBN: 978-1-63194-132-0
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Moyes, Patricia, author.
Title: Death on the agenda / by Patricia Moyes.
Description: Felony & Mayhem edition. | New York : Felony & Mayhem Press,
2018. | “A Felony & Mayhem mystery.”
Identifiers: LCCN 2017039692| ISBN 9781631941313 (softcover) | ISBN 9781631941320 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Tibbett, Henry (Fictitious character)--Fiction. | Tibbett, Emmy (Fictitious character)--Fiction. | Police--Great Britain--Fiction. | Murder--Investigation--Fiction. | GSAFD: Mystery fiction.
Classification: LCC PR6063.O9 D44 2018 | DDC 823/.914--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017039692
Death on the Agenda Page 22
