Chapter 6 Chapter Five: Mr. Julius Hersheimmer

Tuppence made an effort to compose herself, and said: "Well, really, that's what it seems to be." Carter nodded. "I know what you mean. I'm superstitious myself. Luck, and all that sort of thing. As if fate picked you to be connected to this." Tommy giggled happily. "Why! I should not be surprised that Whittington got wind of it when Tuppence blurted out that name! I should have known myself.But please be aware, sir, that we have taken too much of your time.Do you have any advice for us before we leave soon? " "I don't think so. My specialists, working in the same way, have failed. You guys have brought imagination and open minds to the task. If that doesn't work, don't be discouraged. One thing, there is a high-velocity tactic The possibility of defeating the opponent."

Tuppence frowned, puzzled. "That meeting between you and Whittington, they bought time. I have intelligence that suggests an ambitious coup was planned as early as the new year. But the government is mulling legislative action to effectively counter the threat of strikes.If they don't know, they'll get wind of it quickly too, and chances are they'll try to make the time come.I myself hope it will mature.The less time they have to mature the plan, the better.I'm just warning you that you don't have much time and don't be disheartened if you fail.Either way, it's not an easy suggestion. "

Tuppence stood up. "I think we ought to be in business. What can we really expect from you, Mr. Carter?" Mr. Carter twisted his lips slightly, but he replied simply and clearly: "Reasonable funding, detailed information on anything, and no official endorsement. I mean, if you're having trouble with the police, I can't To help you from an official point of view, it is up to you to solve it yourself." Tuppence nodded wisely. "I quite understand. I'll make a list of things I want to know when I'm free. Now—about the money—" "Yes, Miss Tuppence. How much would you say?"

"Not sure. We've got a lot to do right now, but when we need more—" "It will be waiting for you." "Yeah, but -- I don't want to be disrespectful to the government, I believe, if you're dealing with the government. But you know, it takes a lot of time for people to sort everything out: if we're going to fill out a blue form And hand it in, and in three months they'll send us a green form back, and so on—well, that's not going to help, is it?" Mr. Carter laughed heartily. "Don't worry, Miss Tuppence. You send me a personal request and the money will be sent to you by post in cash.

As to wages, we may say three hundred pounds a year.Of course Mr. Beresford was paid as much. " Tuppence beamed at him. "What a delight, how kind of you. I do love money, and I'll keep a good account of what we spent—all borrowings and deposits, the balance on the right, with a red line next to it, and the total at the bottom. I do know how to do accounts when I use my brain." "I'm sure you will. Well, goodbye and good luck to both of you." Mr. Carter shook hands with them goodbye.In a moment they were descending the steps of 27 Caschelton Street, all in their heads.

"Tommy: Tell me right now, who is 'Mr. Carter'?" Tommy whispered a name into her ear. "Ho!" said Tuppence, surprised and remembered. "And I can tell you, old friend, he's brilliant!" "Hidden," said Tuppence again in astonishment.Then she added thoughtfully: "I like him, and you! He looks so weary and weary, but you feel his heart is as solid as steel, with a sharp eye and a quick mind. Ho!" She jumped lightly, "Screw me, Tommy, please do screw me. I can't believe it's real!" Mr. Beresford complied. "Oops! Enough! Yeah, we're not dreaming. We got a job!"

"What a job! The partnership has really begun." "It's more respectable than I had imagined," said Tuppence thoughtfully. "Fortunately I never had your sinful thoughts! What time is it? Let's have lunch—oh!" At this time, the same thought flashed in the minds of the two of them, and it really coincided with each other, it was just that Chang Mi said it first. "Julius Hersheimmer!" "We never told Mr. Carter about receiving Julius' letter." "Well, there's not much to talk about until we see him. Quick, we'd better take a taxi."

"Who is extravagant now?" "Remember, all expenses are reimbursed. Get in the car." "We'll get there early that way, anyway," said Tuppence, reclining quite comfortably in her seat. "I'm sure the blackmailers never arrive by bus: ""We're not blackmailers anymore," Tommy pointed out. "I dare not say I am not," said Tuppence sadly. Immediately after stating that they wanted to see Mr. Hersheimmer, they were taken to his suite. The waiter knocked on the door, only to hear an impatient voice calling: "Come in." The waiter stood still and let them enter the room.

Mr. Julius Hersheimmer was much younger than Tuppence or Tommy had imagined.Tuppence thought he was thirty-five.He was of medium height, broad in proportion to his chin.His face looked aggressive yet kind.Although he rarely spoke with an American accent, no one could mistake him for not being American. "Get my note? Sit down and tell me right away, you know all about my cousin." "Your cousin?" "True thing, Jane Finn." "Is she your cousin?" "My father and her mother are brother and sister." Mr. Hersheimmer explained carefully. "Ah!" cried Tuppence. "Then you know where she is?"

"Don't know: " Mr. Hersheimmer slammed his fist on the table. "Damn me if I knew! Don't you know? " "We advertise for information, not for information," said Tuppence gravely. "I think I know that, and I can understand it. But it occurred to me that perhaps it was her past history that you were looking for." , do you want to know where she is now?" "Oh, we have no objection to hearing about her past history," said Tuppence cautiously, but Mr. Hersheimmer seemed suddenly suspicious. "Listen," he said, "this isn't Sicily! There's no huge ransom if I refuse, or the threat of cutting off her ears. This is the British Isles, so give up this ridiculous business before I can. shouted a fine tall and heavy policeman, whom I saw standing in Piccadilly."

Tommy hurried to explain. "We didn't kidnap your cousin. Quite the contrary, we were trying to find her. We were hired to do it." Mr. Hersheimmer leaned back in his chair. "Let me know," he said succinctly. Tommy agrees to the request, but he only cautiously informs Hersheimmer of Jane Finn's disappearance and the possibility of her being drawn into "a certain political activity" without her realizing it.Tommy implied that Tuppence and himself were "private investigators" commissioned to find Jane Finn, and added that they would be delighted if Mr. Hersheimmer could provide them with any relevant details. The gentleman nodded in agreement. "I guess that's my right. I was just asking too much, but London pissed me off. I don't know much about old New York City. Ask and I'll answer." For the moment, this really stupefied the young adventurer, but Tuppence collected herself and began to question, as in a detective story, the disconnection of the reminiscences. "When was the last time you saw you—I mean your cousin?" "Never saw her," replied Mr. Hersheimmer. "What?" Tommy asked, surprised. Hersheimmer turned to him. "No, sir. As I said just now, my father and her mother were brother and sister, as they might be."—Tommy did not correct his opinion of their relationship—"but they never got on. I When my aunt decided she was going to marry Amos Finn, a poor schoolteacher out west, my father was going crazy! Saying that if he got rich, it would look like he would get rich, but she Never saw a penny. Alas, as a result, Aunt Jane went West, and we never heard from her again. "The old man did get rich. He got into oil drilling, he got into steel, he got a railroad, I can tell you, he made Wall Street stand!" He paused. "And then he died--last fall--and I got the property. Well, do you believe it? I used to ask myself: What about your Aunt Jane, and what about going West? It worried me a little. Look, I Figured it out, Amos Finns never made it. He wasn't that kind of stuff. Then I hired someone to find my aunt. As a result, she died, as did Amos Finn, but they left one daughter—Jane—whose passenger liner, the Luretania, was torpedoed during the voyage to Paris.She was saved, but it seems people here haven't heard of her condition anymore.I guess they didn't catch up, so I figured I'd come over and make things quicker.The first thing I did was to call Scotland Yard and the Admiralty.The Admiralty kind of tried to gag me, and Scotland Yard was very polite - said they'd look into it, and even sent someone over this morning to get Jane Finn's picture. I'm going to Paris tomorrow to see what that precinct is doing.I figured if I was going back and forth for them, they'd be up to it! " Mr. Hersheimmer had great energy.They can only admire it. "But now," he concluded, "you're not looking for her for some reason, are you? Contempt of court, or someone in England? A proud American girl might find your rules and regulations in wartime Pretty annoying and offending them. If that's the case, and there's something like bribery in this country, I'll pay her to get away with it." Tuppence reassured him. "That's fine, and then we'll do it together. How about lunch? Shall we eat here or go downstairs to the restaurant?" Tuppence expressed her preference to eat in a restaurant, and Julius bowed in agreement with her decision. After the oysters, they were talking about Saul Colbert when a card was delivered to Hersheimer. "Scotland Yard Criminal Investigations, see you again. Inspector Japp, another man this time. I told him he wanted to know what I didn't tell the first dude? I hope they didn't give that picture to Lost it, the western photographer's house burned down, and all the negatives destroyed--it's the only picture in existence. I got it from the dean of the college." A tangle of apprehensions and fears passed through Tuppence's mind. "You—don't you know the name of the man who came this morning?" "Yes, I know. No, I don't know. Wait a minute. It's on his card. Ah, I see! Inspector Brown. He's a quiet, humble kind of guy."