The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
CHAPTER XIV. A CONSULTATION
NOTHING was more surprising and bewildering to Tuppence than the easeand simplicity with which everything was arranged, owing to Sir James’sskilful handling. The doctor accepted quite readily the theory that Mrs.Vandemeyer had accidentally taken an overdose of chloral. He doubtedwhether an inquest would be necessary. If so, he would let Sir Jamesknow. He understood that Mrs. Vandemeyer was on the eve of departure forabroad, and that the servants had already left? Sir James and his youngfriends had been paying a call upon her, when she was suddenly strickendown and they had spent the night in the flat, not liking to leaveher alone. Did they know of any relatives? They did not, but Sir Jamesreferred him to Mrs. Vandemeyer’s solicitor.
Shortly afterwards a nurse arrived to take charge, and the other leftthe ill-omened building.
“And what now?” asked Julius, with a gesture of despair. “I guess we’redown and out for good.”
Sir James stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“No,” he said quietly. “There is still the chance that Dr. Hall may beable to tell us something.”
“Gee! I’d forgotten him.”
“The chance is slight, but it must not be neglected. I think I told youthat he is staying at the _Métropole_. I should suggest that we callupon him there as soon as possible. Shall we say after a bath andbreakfast?”
It was arranged that Tuppence and Julius should return to the _Ritz_,and call for Sir James in the car. This programme was faithfully carriedout, and a little after eleven they drew up before the _Métropole_.They asked for Dr. Hall, and a page-boy went in search of him. In a fewminutes the little doctor came hurrying towards them.
“Can you spare us a few minutes, Dr. Hall?” said Sir James pleasantly.“Let me introduce you to Miss Cowley. Mr. Hersheimmer, I think, youalready know.”
A quizzical gleam came into the doctor’s eye as he shook hands withJulius.
“Ah, yes, my young friend of the tree episode! Ankle all right, eh?”
“I guess it’s cured owing to your skilful treatment, doc.”
“And the heart trouble? Ha ha!”
“Still searching,” said Julius briefly.
“To come to the point, can we have a word with you in private?” askedSir James.
“Certainly. I think there is a room here where we shall be quiteundisturbed.”
He led the way, and the others followed him. They sat down, and thedoctor looked inquiringly at Sir James.
“Dr. Hall, I am very anxious to find a certain young lady for thepurpose of obtaining a statement from her. I have reason to believethat she has been at one time or another in your establishment atBournemouth. I hope I am transgressing no professional etiquette inquestioning you on the subject?”
“I suppose it is a matter of testimony?”
Sir James hesitated a moment, then he replied:
“Yes.”
“I shall be pleased to give you any information in my power. What isthe young lady’s name? Mr. Hersheimmer asked me, I remember----” He halfturned to Julius.
“The name,” said Sir James bluntly, “is really immaterial. She would bealmost certainly sent to you under an assumed one. But I should like toknow if you are acquainted with a Mrs. Vandemeyer?”
“Mrs. Vandemeyer, of 20 South Audley Mansions? I know her slightly.”
“You are not aware of what has happened?”
“What do you mean?”
“You do not know that Mrs. Vandemeyer is dead?”
“Dear, dear, I had no idea of it! When did it happen?”
“She took an overdose of chloral last night.”
“Purposely?”
“Accidentally, it is believed. I should not like to say myself. Anyway,she was found dead this morning.”
“Very sad. A singularly handsome woman. I presume she was a friend ofyours, since you are acquainted with all these details.”
“I am acquainted with the details because--well, it was I who found herdead.”
“Indeed,” said the doctor, starting.
“Yes,” said Sir James, and stroked his chin reflectively.
“This is very sad news, but you will excuse me if I say that I do notsee how it bears on the subject of your inquiry?”
“It bears on it in this way, is it not a fact that Mrs. Vandemeyercommitted a young relative of hers to your charge?”
Julius leaned forward eagerly.
“That is the case,” said the doctor quietly.
“Under the name of----?”
“Janet Vandemeyer. I understood her to be a niece of Mrs. Vandemeyer’s.”
“And she came to you?”
“As far as I can remember in June or July of 1915.”
“Was she a mental case?”
“She is perfectly sane, if that is what you mean. I understood from Mrs.Vandemeyer that the girl had been with her on the _Lusitania_ whenthat ill-fated ship was sunk, and had suffered a severe shock inconsequence.”
“We’re on the right track, I think?” Sir James looked round.
“As I said before, I’m a mutt!” returned Julius.
The doctor looked at them all curiously.
“You spoke of wanting a statement from her,” he said. “Supposing she isnot able to give one?”
“What? You have just said that she is perfectly sane.”
“So she is. Nevertheless, if you want a statement from her concerningany events prior to May 7, 1915, she will not be able to give it toyou.”
They looked at the little man, stupefied. He nodded cheerfully.
“It’s a pity,” he said. “A great pity, especially as I gather, SirJames, that the matter is important. But there it is, she can tell younothing.”
“But why, man? Darn it all, why?”
The little man shifted his benevolent glance to the excited youngAmerican.
“Because Janet Vandemeyer is suffering from a complete loss of memory.”
_“What?”_
“Quite so. An interesting case, a _very_ interesting case. Not souncommon, really, as you would think. There are several very well knownparallels. It’s the first case of the kind that I’ve had under my ownpersonal observation, and I must admit that I’ve found it of absorbinginterest.” There was something rather ghoulish in the little man’ssatisfaction.
“And she remembers nothing,” said Sir James slowly.
“Nothing prior to May 7, 1915. After that date her memory is as good asyours or mine.”
“Then the first thing she remembers?”
“Is landing with the survivors. Everything before that is a blank. Shedid not know her own name, or where she had come from, or where she was.She couldn’t even speak her own tongue.”
“But surely all this is most unusual?” put in Julius.
“No, my dear sir. Quite normal under the circumstances. Severe shock tothe nervous system. Loss of memory proceeds nearly always on the samelines. I suggested a specialist, of course. There’s a very good man inParis--makes a study of these cases--but Mrs. Vandemeyer opposed theidea of publicity that might result from such a course.”
“I can imagine she would,” said Sir James grimly.
“I fell in with her views. There is a certain notoriety given to thesecases. And the girl was very young--nineteen, I believe. It seemeda pity that her infirmity should be talked about--might damage herprospects. Besides, there is no special treatment to pursue in suchcases. It is really a matter of waiting.”
“Waiting?”
“Yes, sooner or later, the memory will return--as suddenly as itwent. But in all probability the girl will have entirely forgotten theintervening period, and will take up life where she left off--at thesinking of the _Lusitania_.”
“And when do you expect this to happen?”
The doctor shrugged his shoulders.
“Ah, that I cannot say. Sometimes it is a matter of months, sometimesit has been known to be as long as twenty years! Sometimes another shockdoes the trick. One restores what th
“Another shock, eh?” said Julius thoughtfully.
“Exactly. There was a case in Colorado----” The little man’s voicetrailed on, voluble, mildly enthusiastic.
Julius did not seem to be listening. He had relapsed into his ownthoughts and was frowning. Suddenly he came out of his brown study,and hit the table such a resounding bang with his fist that every onejumped, the doctor most of all.
“I’ve got it! I guess, doc, I’d like your medical opinion on the planI’m about to outline. Say Jane was to cross the herring pond again, andthe same thing was to happen. The submarine, the sinking ship, every oneto take to the boats--and so on. Wouldn’t that do the trick? Wouldn’t itgive a mighty big bump to her subconscious self, or whatever the jargonis, and start it functioning again right away?”
“A very interesting speculation, Mr. Hersheimmer. In my own opinion, itwould be successful. It is unfortunate that there is no chance of theconditions repeating themselves as you suggest.”
“Not by nature, perhaps, doc. But I’m talking about art.”
“Art?”
“Why, yes. What’s the difficulty? Hire a liner----”
“A liner!” murmured Dr. Hall faintly.
“Hire some passengers, hire a submarine--that’s the only difficulty, Iguess. Governments are apt to be a bit hide-bound over their engines ofwar. They won’t sell to the first-comer. Still, I guess that can be gotover. Ever heard of the word ‘graft,’ sir? Well, graft gets there everytime! I reckon that we shan’t really need to fire a torpedo. If everyone hustles round and screams loud enough that the ship is sinking, itought to be enough for an innocent young girl like Jane. By the timeshe’s got a life-belt on her, and is being hustled into a boat, witha well-drilled lot of artistes doing the hysterical stunt on deck,why--she ought to be right back where she was in May, 1915. How’s thatfor the bare outline?”
Dr. Hall looked at Julius. Everything that he was for the momentincapable of saying was eloquent in that look.
“No,” said Julius, in answer to it, “I’m not crazy. The thing’sperfectly possible. It’s done every day in the States for the movies.Haven’t you seen trains in collision on the screen? What’s thedifference between buying up a train and buying up a liner? Get theproperties and you can go right ahead!”
Dr. Hall found his voice.
“But the expense, my dear sir.” His voice rose. “The expense! It will be_colossal!_”
“Money doesn’t worry me any,” explained Julius simply.
Dr. Hall turned an appealing face to Sir James, who smiled slightly.
“Mr. Hersheimmer is very well off--very well off indeed.”
The doctor’s glance came back to Julius with a new and subtle quality init. This was no longer an eccentric young fellow with a habit of fallingoff trees. The doctor’s eyes held the deference accorded to a reallyrich man.
“Very remarkable plan. Very remarkable,” he murmured. “The movies--ofcourse! Your American word for the kinema. Very interesting. I fear weare perhaps a little behind the times over here in our methods. And youreally mean to carry out this remarkable plan of yours.”
“You bet your bottom dollar I do.”
The doctor believed him--which was a tribute to his nationality. If anEnglishman had suggested such a thing, he would have had grave doubts asto his sanity.
“I cannot guarantee a cure,” he pointed out. “Perhaps I ought to makethat quite clear.”
“Sure, that’s all right,” said Julius. “You just trot out Jane, andleave the rest to me.”
“Jane?”
“Miss Janet Vandemeyer, then. Can we get on the long distance to yourplace right away, and ask them to send her up; or shall I run down andfetch her in my car?”
The doctor stared.
“I beg your pardon, Mr. Hersheimmer. I thought you understood.”
“Understood what?”
“That Miss Vandemeyer is no longer under my care.”