Free Mystery Mile by Margery Allingham

I’d dreamed that I should bring a tragedy like this into the lives of such kindly homely folk, nothing would have induced me to come here. I feel it can’t be a coincidence,’ he added abruptly, ‘and yet there seems no doubt that it was suicide.’
    Campion spoke quietly.
    â€˜It was suicide. No doubt at all, I think. He left a letter to the coroner.’
    â€˜Is that so?’ The old man looked up sharply. ‘It was premeditated, then. Have you any idea why he did it?’
    â€˜None at all.’ Campion spoke gravely. ‘This is the most astounding thing I’ve ever experienced. If I hadn’t seen that letter I should have said it was a brainstorm.’
    Crowdy Lobbett sat down in the chair opposite the younger man and rested his elbows on his knees, his big hands locked tightly together.
    â€˜I reckon you and I ought to understand one another before we go any farther,’ he said. ‘Of course I remember you on board ship. That was a very smart piece of work of yours, and I’m more than grateful. But I feel I’ve been following your instructions without knowing where I’m going long enough. I meant to have a talk with you this evening anyhow, even if this terrible thing hadn’t made it imperative. Marlowe engaged you to look after me. I’ll say I know that much. You’re not a policeman, are you?’
    â€˜Hardly,’ said Mr Campion. ‘I believe I was recommended to your son by Scotland Yard, though,’ he added with a faint smile. ‘I’m not quite a private detective, you know. I suggested that you come here because I believe that you’ll be safer here than anywhere, and that your family will run less risk.’
    Judge Lobbett looked at him sharply.
    â€˜You can’t understand me letting Isopel into it, can you?’ he said. ‘Where else would she be safer than where I can watch over her myself?’
    Mr Campion offered no opinion.
    â€˜Just how much do you know?’ said Judge Lobbett.
    The young man looked more thoughtful. ‘I know enough to realize that it’s not revenge pure and simple that they’re after you for,’ he said at last. ‘That’s patent from common or garden Holmic deduction. In New York they were trying to frighten you. That points to the fact that you had a line on them.’ He paused and eyed the other man questioningly. Lobbett signed to him to go on and he continued: ‘Then I think they must have decided that, had you a definite line, you’d have used it before,’ he said. ‘They decided to kill you. You escaped. One of the first things you did when you got to London was to consult MacNab, the cipher expert. That put thewind up them again. They want to know what you hold first, then they want your blood. I should say myself,’ he added, ‘that you’ve got a clue from one of Simister’s gang which you can’t decipher yourself as yet. Isn’t that so?’
    Lobbett stared back at him in astonishment.
    â€˜I don’t mind telling you,’ he said, ‘that when I first saw you, Mr Campion, I thought you were the biggest goddam fool ever made; but I’m now beginning to wonder if you’re not some sort of telepathy expert.’ He leaned forward. ‘I’ll say you’re right, and I may as well tell you MacNab didn’t help me any, but he was the first man I felt I could trust to see what I had. I’ve got one end of the string, you see, but if any of that crowd should get wind of what it is they’d cut it higher up and then the one chance I’ve got of stopping this thing at the head would be lost for ever. As it is, the thing’s no more use to me than so much junk. And I daren’t and won’t confide in any of you youngsters.’
    The determined expression on the judge’s face and the obstinate lines about his mouth made the younger decide in an instant that, upon this point