THE CRACKLER
"Tuppence," said Tommy, "we shall have to move into a much larger
office."
"Nonsense," said Tuppence. "You mustn't get swollen headed and think
you are a millionaire just because you solved two or three twopenny
halfpenny cases with the aid of the most amazing luck."
"What some call luck, others call skill."
"Of course if you really think you are Sherlock Holmes, Thorndyke,
McCarty and the Brothers Okewood all rolled into one there is no more
to be said. Personally I would much rather have luck on my side than
all the skill in the world."
"Perhaps there is something in that," conceded Tommy. "All the same,
Tuppence, we do need a larger office."
"Why?"
"The Classics," said Tommy. "We need several hundreds of yards of extra
book shelf if Edgar Wallace is to be properly represented."
"We haven't had an Edgar Wallace case yet."
"I am afraid we never shall," said Tommy. "If you notice he never does
give the amateur sleuth much of a chance. It is all stern Scotland Yard
kind of stuff--the real thing and no base counterfeit."
Albert, the office boy, appeared at the door.
"Inspector Marriot to see you," he announced.
"The mystery man of Scotland Yard," murmured Tommy.
"The busiest of the Busies," said Tuppence. "Or is it 'Noses?' I always
get mixed between Busies and Noses."
The Inspector advanced upon them with a beaming smile of welcome.
"Well and how are things?" he asked breezily. "None the worse for our
little adventure the other day?"
"Oh! rather not," said Tuppence. "Too, too marvellous, wasn't it?"
"Well, I don't know that I would describe it exactly that way myself,"
said Marriot cautiously.
"What has brought you here to-day, Marriot?" asked Tommy. "Not just
solicitude for our nervous systems, is it?"
"No," said the Inspector. "It is work for the brilliant Mr. Blunt."
"Ha!" said Tommy. "Let me put my brilliant expression on."
"I have come to make you a proposition, Mr. Beresford. What would you
say to rounding up a really big gang?"
"Is there such a thing?" asked Tommy.
"What do you mean, is there such a thing?"
"I always thought that gangs were confined to fiction--like master
crooks, and super criminals."
"The master crook isn't very common," agreed the Inspector. "But Lord
bless you, sir, there's any amount of gangs knocking about."
"I don't know that I should be at my best dealing with a gang," said
Tommy. "The amateur crime, the crime of quiet family life--that is
where I flatter myself that I shine. Drama of strong domestic interest.
That's the thing--with Tuppence at hand to supply all those little
feminine details which are so important, and so apt to be ignored by
the denser male."
His eloquence was arrested abruptly, as Tuppence threw a cushion at him
and requested him not to talk nonsense.
"Will have your little bit of fun, won't you, sir?" said Inspector
Marriot, smiling paternally at them both. "If you'll not take offence
at my saying so, it's a pleasure to see two young people enjoying life
as much as you two do."
"Do we enjoy life?" said Tuppence, opening her eyes very wide. "I
suppose we do. I've never thought about it before."
"To return to that gang you were talking about," said Tommy. "In spite
of my extensive private practice, Duchesses, millionaires, and all the
best charwomen--I might perhaps condescend to look into the matter for
you. I don't like to see Scotland Yard at fault. You'll have the Daily
Mail after you before you know where you are."
"As I said before, you must have your bit of fun. Well, it's like
this." Again he hitched his chair forward. "There's any amount of
forged notes going about just now--hundreds of 'em! The amount of
counterfeit Treasury notes in circulation would surprise you. Most
artistic bit of work it is. Here's one of 'em."
He took a one pound note from his pocket and handed it to Tommy.
"Looks all right, doesn't it?"
Tommy examined the note with great interest.
"By Jove, I'd never spot there was anything wrong with that."
"No more would most people. Now here's a genuine one. I'll show you the
differences--very slight they are, but you'll soon learn to tell them
apart. Take this magnifying glass."
At the end of five minutes' coaching, both Tommy and Tuppence were
fairly expert.
"What do you want us to do, Inspector Marriot?" asked Tuppence. "Just
keep our eyes open for these things?"
"A great deal more than that, Mrs. Beresford. I'm pinning my faith on
you to get to the bottom of the matter. You see, we've discovered that
the notes are being circulated from the West End. Somebody pretty high
up in the social scale is doing the distributing. They're passing them
the other side of the Channel as well. Now there's a certain person who
is interesting us very much. A Major Laidlaw--perhaps you've heard the
name?"
"I think I have," said Tommy. "Connected with racing, isn't that it?"
"Yes. Major Laidlaw is pretty well known in connection with the
Turf. There's nothing actually against him, but there's a general
impression that he's been a bit too smart over one or two rather
shady transactions. Men in the know look queer when he's mentioned.
Nobody knows much of his past or where he came from. He's got a very
attractive French wife who's seen about everywhere with a train of
admirers. They must spend a lot of money, the Laidlaws, and I'd like
to know where it comes from."
"Possibly from the train of admirers," suggested Tommy.
"That's the general idea. But I'm not so sure. It may be coincidence,
but a lot of notes have been forthcoming from a certain very smart
little gambling club which is much frequented by the Laidlaws and their
set. This racing, gambling set gets rid of a lot of loose money in
notes. There couldn't be a better way of getting it into circulation."
"And where do we come in?"
"This way. Young St. Vincent and his wife are friends of yours, I
understand? They're in pretty thick with the Laidlaw set--though not
as thick as they were. Through them it will be easy for you to get a
footing in the same set in a way that none of our people could attempt.
There's no likelihood of their spotting you. You'll have an ideal
opportunity."
"What have we got to find out exactly?"
"Where they get the stuff from, if they _are_ passing it."
"Quite so," said Tommy. "Major Laidlaw goes out with an empty suitcase.
When he returns it is crammed to the bursting point with Treasury
notes. How is it done? I sleuth him and find out. Is that the idea?"
"More or less. But don't neglect the lady, and her father, M.
Heroulade. Remember the notes are being passed on both sides of the
Channel."
"My dear Marriot," exclaimed Tommy reproachfully. "Blunt's Brilliant
Detectives do not know the meaning of the word neglect."
The Inspector rose.
"Well, good luck to you," he said, and departed.
"Slush," said Tuppence enthusiastically.
"Eh?" said Tommy perplexed.
"Counterfeit money," explained Tuppence. "It is always called Slush. I
know I'm right. Oh, Tommy, we have got an Edgar Wallace case. At last
we are Busies."
"We are," said Tommy, "and we are out to get The Crackler and we will
get him good."
"Did you say The Cackler or The Crackler?"
"The Crackler."
"Oh, what is a Crackler?"
"A new word that I have coined," said Tommy. "Descriptive of one who
passes false notes into circulation. Bank notes crackle; therefore he
is called a Crackler. Nothing could be more simple."
"That is rather a good idea," said Tuppence, "it makes it seem more
real. I like the Rustler myself. Much more descriptive and sinister."
"No," said Tommy, "I said the Crackler first and I stick to it."
"I shall enjoy this case," said Tuppence. "Lots of Night Clubs and
cocktails in it. I shall buy some eyelash black to-morrow."
"Your eyelashes are black already," objected her husband.
"I could make them blacker," said Tuppence, "and cherry lip stick would
be useful too. That ultra bright kind."
"Tuppence," said Tommy, "you're a real rake at heart. What a good thing
it is that you are married to a sober steady middle-aged man like
myself."
"You wait," said Tuppence. "When you have been to the Python Club a bit
you mayn't be so sober yourself."
Tommy produced from a cupboard various bottles, two glasses, and a
cocktail shaker.
"Let's start now," he said. "We are after you, Crackler, and we mean to
get you."