Part 15 (1/2)

If the girls of St Mary's could only have seen Mister Harry drying dishes, my reputation would have shattered into a thousand pieces

She let us into the shop the back way, through a tiny enclosed yard which was almost filled with unusual objects, all of the and the under-water world - discarded air bottles and a portable coe from wrecked shi+ps, even the jawbone of a killer whale with all its teeth intact

”I haven't been in for a long tiized as she unlocked the back door of the shop ”Without Jiet down to selling up all this junk and closing the shop down I could re-sell the lease, I suppose”

”I'et the kettle going”

I started in the yard, searching quickly but thoroughly through the piles of junk There was nothing that had significance as far as I could see I went into the shop and poked around ast the seashells and sharks” teeth on the shelves and in the display case Finally I saw a desk in the corner and began going through the drawers

Sherry brought me a cup of tea and perched on the corner of the desk while I piled old invoices, rubber bands and paper clips on the top I read every scrap of paper and even rifled through the ready reckoner

Nothing?” Sherry asked

Nothing,” I agreed and glanced at my watch ”Lunchtiood fortune we stuave us a secluded table in the back rooo with the lobster Once I recovered fro thebetween us was good and growing stronger

After lunch we drove back to Seaview and ent up to Jiuessed ”If he was keeping secrets, this is where they would be” But I knew I had a long job ahead of azines -publications There was also a coback files at the foot of the bed

”I'll leave you to it,” Sherry said, and went

I took down the contents of a shelf, sat at the reading table and began to skih the publications iht Jimmy had been one of those people who read with a pencil in one hand There were notes pencilled in thethat interested hi that could reht o'clock I began on the shelf that held the springback files The first tere filled with newspaper clippings on shi+pwrecks or other marine phenomena The third of them had an un-labelled, black imitation leather cover It held a thin sheaf of papers, and I saw immediately that they were out of the ordinary

They were a series of letters filed with their envelopes and stamps still attached There were sixteen of them in all, addressed to Messrs Parker and Wilton in Fenchurch Street

Every letter was in a different hand, but all were executed in the elegant penmanshi+p of the last century

The envelopes were sent from different parts of the old Empire - Canada, South Africa, India - and the nineteenth century postage stamps alone must have been of considerable value

After I had read the first two letters, it was clear that Messrs Parker and Wilton were agents and factors, and they had acted for a nuuished clients in the service of Queen Victoria The letters were instructions to deal with estates,the period froust 1857 to July 1858 and must have been offered by a dealer or an antique auctioneer as a lot

I glanced through them quickly, but the contents were really very dull However, soht my eye and I felt my nerves jump

Tords had been underlined in pencil and in the

B Muse6914(8)”

However, it was the words theht”

I had heard those words before I wasn't sure when, but they were significant

Quickly I began at the top of the page The sender's address was Ia laconic ”Bombay', and it was dated 16th Sept

1857

My Dear Wilton, I charge you e of five pieces of luggage consigned in my name to your London address aboard the Han Coht Due out of this port before the 25th instant and bound for the Coe safe receipt of same with all despatch

I reer Goodchild Officer Coiment Queens Own India Rifles

Delivery by kind favour of Captain coate Pandier

The paper rustled and I realized thatwith excitement I kneas on to it now This was the key I laid the letter carefully on the reading table and Placed a silver paper-knife upon it to weight it down

I began to read it again slowly, but there was a distraction I heard the engine noise of an autohts flashed across theand then rounded the corner of the house

I sat up straight, listening The engine noise died, and car doors sla silence then before I heard the an to stand up fro clearly through the old house, and cut into my brain like a lance It aroused in me a protective instinct so fierce that I was down the stairs and into the hall before I realized I had moved

The door to the kitchen was open and I paused in the doorway

There were two e careyish, heavy lined face and deepsunk eyes His lips were thin and colourless

He had Sherry's left hand twisted up between her shoulder-blades, and was holding her jaas stove

The other er, and he was sli to the shoulders of his leather jacket He was grinning gleefully as he held Sherry's other hand over the blue fla it down slowly

She was struggling desperately, but they held her and her hair had coht

”Slowly, lad,” the led voice ”Give her tiers were forced down re blue flahed the blond ”There isn't anybody to hear you” ”Only me,” I said, and they spun to face me, with expressions of co Sherry's ar quickly for his back pocket

I hit hih neither shot pleased ht solidness at i heavily over a chair and crashi+ng into the cupboard I had no more time for him, and I went for the one in the cloth cap

He was still holding Sherry in front of him, and as I started forward he hurled her at rab her, to save both of us fro

The man turned and darted out of the door behind hile ed out into the yard he was halfway to an elderly Triulanced over his shoulder

I could al to be able to get into the car and turn it to face the lane before I caught him He swerved to the - left and sprinted into the dark mouth of the lane with the skirts of the ca behind hireasy et clay, and he wasof it He slid and al up swiftly when he turned and I heard the snap of the knife and saw the flash of the blade as it jumped out He dropped into a crouch with the knife extended and I ran straight in without a check

He didn't expect that, the glint of steel will stop most men dead