Chapter 29 Chapter Twenty-Eight (not from Captain Hastings' own account)

Inspector Crome was in his office at the moment. The phone on his desk hummed long and he picked up the receiver. "Sir, I'm Jacobs. There's a young man with a story I think you should hear." Inspector Crome sighed.An average of twenty people come every day with so-called important leads related to the ABC case.Some of them were benign lunatics, others were well-meaning people who believed their information was valuable.Officer Jacobs' job is to act as a filter -- to block out the useless stuff and pass the rest on to his superiors. "Very well, Jacobs, bring him," said Crome.

A few minutes later there was a knock on the door, and Officer Jacobs appeared at the door, bringing with him a tall, rather good-looking young man. "Sir, this is Mr. Tom Hartinger. He has something to tell us that may have connection with the ABC case." The inspector rose cheerfully, and shook hands with him. "Good morning, Mr. Hartinger, please sit down. Do you smoke? Have a cigarette?" Tom Hartinger sat awkwardly, looking in awe at his "one of the famous".The image of the inspector in front of him seemed to disappoint him a little.He just looked like a very ordinary person.

"Then," said Crome, "you have circumstances to tell us that you think are relevant to this case. Go ahead." Tom began to tell nervously. "Of course that might not be of any use. It's just my own idea, and I might be wasting your time." Inspector Crome sighed softly. He'd have to waste time trying to convince people again! "Oh, here's the thing. I have a young woman whose mother is letting the house. It's on Camden Town Road. The third floor of their house has been rented to a man named Custer for a year. It's been a long time."

"Caster—oh?" "Yes, sir. He's a dorky kind of guy, but kind enough. He's kind of down, I guess I should say. He's the kind of guy who wouldn't hurt a fly—if it wasn't for Some things are so weird that I don't think there's anything wrong with it." In a convoluted manner, and with a repetition or two, Tom related his encounter with Mr. Custer at Euston, and the incident of the ticket that fell out. "You see, sir, it looks ridiculous. Lily - that's my woman, sir. She was pretty sure he was talking about going to Cheltenham, her mother said the same - said she remembered the day The conversation when he left in the morning. Of course, I didn't pay much attention to these things at the time. Lily, my young girl, said she hoped he wouldn't be killed by the guy who went to Doncaster. Then she said that because of going to It was a coincidence that he happened to be in Chesston when the second murder happened. I laughed and asked her if he was in Bexhill the last time, and she said she didn't know where he was, but she did. He went to the beach. Then I told her that it would be weird if he was ABC. She said he wouldn't hurt a fly, and that was all we talked about back then. We didn't have more What do you think. At least, I still feel a little suspicious, sir. I'm beginning to suspect this Custer, and I think, although he looks harmless, he's a bit of an anomaly."

Tom sighed and went on.Crome was listening intently now. "After Doncaster's murder, sir, all the papers were reporting, hoping to provide information on the whereabouts of AB Case or Cash, which was very consistent with him. On the first night, I went to Lily's and asked What was her Mr. Custer's initials. She couldn't remember at first, but her mother did. She said it must be ABC. Then we wanted to continue to find out when the first murder happened in Andover , did he go out. Oh, sir, you know, it is not easy to recall what happened three months ago. But at last we have the answer, Mrs Marbury on June 21st A brother came to visit her from Canada. He seemed to come suddenly, and she wanted to find him a bed, so Lily suggested that Bert Smith could sleep in his bed because Mr. Custer was away. But Mrs. Marbury Disagree because she doesn't think it's nice to use his renter's room and she always wants to be fair. And we figured the date was right because Bert Smith's ship docked at Southampton that day. Shore."

Inspector Crome listened very carefully, making notes now and then. "Finished?" he asked. "It's over, sir. I hope you don't think I'm making trouble out of nothing." Tom blushed a little. "No. You are quite right to come here. Of course, the evidence is not sufficient--the timing may be a coincidence, and the name is just a similarity. But it certainly shows that I should see your Mr. Custer. face. Is he home now?" "Yes, sir." "When did he come back?" "The night of Doncaster's murder, sir." "What has he been doing since he came back?"

"He stayed in the room most of the time, sir. He looked very strange, Mrs. Marbury said. He bought a lot of papers—going out early for the morning papers, and for the evening papers after dark. Marbury also said he talked to himself from time to time. She thought he was getting weirder." "What's Mrs. Marbury's address?" Tom gave him the address. "Thank you. I may go there today. I have to remind you to pay attention to your attitude if you meet this Mr. Custer." He stood up and shook hands. "You should be satisfied with coming here and doing well. Good-bye, Mr. Hartinger."

"So, sir," Jacobs asked after a moment, returning to the room, "do you think that's the man you're looking for?" "Very likely," said Inspector Crome. "If what the lad says is true, it is the man. We haven't found the manufacturer of the stockings yet. We have some information now. By the way, please Give me the file on the Chesston case." It took him some time to find the situation he was looking for. "Ah, back here. It's in the Torquay police statement. There was a young man named Hill who testified that, on leaving the Torquay Athena after seeing the film "Knowing the Birds," he saw A man acting queerly, talking to himself. Hill heard him say 'That's a good idea'. The Bird's Eye - that's the one showing at Doncaster's Royal Cinema."

"Yes, sir." "There may be some circumstances in it. It wasn't a big deal at the time, but it's very possible that method of operation will be used by our guy in the next murder. We have Hill's name and address. The description is rather vague, but he fits with the accounts of Mary Stroud and Tom Hartinger." He nodded thoughtfully. "We're close to finding him," said Crome—a rather inaccurate statement, for he was always a little cold himself. "Any instructions, sir?" "Two men are going to watch this place in Camden Town, but I don't want to disturb our birds. I've got to have a word with the Assistant Inspector. Then I figured I'd bring Custer up here and ask him if he I would like to explain the situation."

When Tom came out, Lily Marbury went up to meet him.She had been waiting for him on the Thames Embankment. "Very well, Tom?" "I saw Inspector Crome, who is in charge of the case." "What does he look like?" "Kindly quiet, er,—not as alert as I thought." "He's a new Sir Trenchard type," said Lily respectfully. "Some of them are really great. So what did he say?" Tom briefly recounted the conversation. "And do they really think it's him?" "They think there's a chance it is. Either way, they'll go over and ask him a question or two."

"Poor Mr Cust." "Better not to mention poor Mr. Custer. If he's really ABC, he's committed four grisly murders." Lily sighed and shook her head. "Sounds horrible," Lily said. "Okay, grab some lunch now. You can see, if we get this right, I hope my name will be in the paper." "Oh, will it, Tom?" "And your name, of course, and Mrs Marbury's, and I dare say your picture will be in the papers." "Oh, Tom." Lily clasped Tom's arm tightly and happily. "Also, what do you think of going to the Corner House for lunch?" Lily gripped tighter. "Then hurry up." "Okay, right away. I have to make a phone call from the station." "Who are you calling?" "It's a girl I want to see." She crossed the road and came back to him three minutes later, looking smug. "Now then, Tom." Her arms were around him. "Tell me about Scotland Yard again. Did you meet another man there?" "which one?" "The Belgian gentleman. The guy the ABC always writes to." "No, he wasn't there." "Then tell me all about it." Mr Cust gently put the microphone back on the hook. He went back to the door, where Mrs. Marbury stood, listening evidently with curiosity. "You don't get a lot of phone calls, do you, Mr. Custer." "Oh—yes, Mrs Marbury, not often." "Not bad news, I believe." "No, no." The woman was so stubborn.His eyes were fixed on the newspaper in his hand. "My sister just had a boy." He slipped out a sentence. He—but never had a sister. "Oh, my God! Now—oh, great, I thought. ("Never heard of him having a sister in all these years," she thought to herself. "That's not manly behavior.") I was surprised, I can tell you, when the lady said she wanted to speak to Mr. Custer. At first I thought it was my Lily's voice - it was kind of like hers, it was kind of - just more Arrogant, if you know what I mean—that voice is shriller. Congratulations, Mr. Custer. Firstborn, or do you have other little nephews or nieces?" "That's the one," said Mr. Custer. "I've only got one, and I think I'll go right away. They—they want me to go, and I—I think I can make it if I hurry up." train." "Are you going to be away for a long time, Mr. Custer?" asked Mrs. Marbury, as he hurried upstairs. "Oh, no, two to three days, that's all." He goes into the bedroom.Mrs Marbury returned to the kitchen, thinking fondly of "that sweet little boy". Her conscience made her suddenly feel guilty. Just last night, Tom and Lily were checking back to those days!Trying to figure out that Custer is that horrible monster ABC.That's just because of his initials and some coincidences. "I don't think they took it too seriously," she said with relief. "Now, I hope they feel ashamed of themselves." In some way that she could not explain herself, Mr. Cust's statement that his sister had a child had been effective in reassuring Mrs. Marbury of her suspicions about the lodger's true identity. "I hope she doesn't feel too bad, poor thing," thought Mrs. Marbury, trying the bottom of the iron on Lily's cheek before she ironed her silk dress. Her mind was comfortably thinking about the not easy childbirth. Mr. Custer came downstairs softly, bag in hand.He stared at the phone for a moment. The brief conversation just now echoed in his mind again. "Is that you, Mr. Custer? I thought you might like to know that an inspector from Scotland Yard would like to see you..." What did he say?He can't remember. "Thank you—thank you, my dear . . . it is very kind of you . . . " It seems that these are the words. Why did she call him?Was it possible that she had already guessed?Or did she just want to make sure he could stay and wait for the inspector's visit? But how did she know that the inspector would come?And her voice—her disguised voice so her mother couldn't hear it. It looked - looked - as if she knew... But if she really knew, she wouldn't... Anyway, she probably already knew.Women are very strange, unpredictable cruelty and unpredictable kindness.She had seen Lily let a mouse out of a trap. a kind girl... A kind, beautiful girl... He stopped by a rack with umbrellas and coats. What should he do? Sounds from the kitchen made him decide... No, there is no time... Mrs Marbury may come out... He opened the front door, walked through, and closed the door again. Where are you going?