Part 25 (1/2)
”I met him at a dinner once,” said Chard. ”Successful barrister. Face like a hatchet. Stern, morose, and inexorable, you know the type. But I believe he's nicer than he looks.”
”Well, look here. You'd better come and talk to him while I drive him in. It would be better to have someone who knows the man. You can arrange what names to call each other.”
Chard was attracted. Bavin was, he thought, a bouncing jacka.s.s, but he bounced before a large audience. He was certainly a person to 'acquire,' and Chard went about the world 'acquiring' the people whom he deemed worthy of that honour. It would be useful to know Bavin well and the formal President's dinner would not give him much chance.
Smith-Aitken, too, had been civil lately; he really wasn't such a bad chap. So Chard accepted with alacrity and Martin watched them being driven away. Nixon, a friend of Smith-Aitken's, went with them. He wanted a lift to the station.
That was at half-past two.
At a quarter to seven Lawrence rushed into Martin's rooms.
”Have you heard the latest?” he shouted. ”Our Chard has been kidnapped. It's all over the place. Smith-Aitken got him in his car and G.o.d knows where they've taken him.”
Martin saw it all in a flash. ”But how did it leak out?” he asked.
”One of Smith-Aitken's push let on. Couldn't contain himself for glee.
Someone on the Bullingdon suggested it. They all hate Chard, and now they think they've fairly got him. No cheers and epigrams to-night.”
”Are you dead certain about it?”
”Well, Chard isn't in his rooms. Neither he nor Smith-Aitken have been seen, and Bavin arrived from town by the 6.5.”
Martin was silent.
”It's d.a.m.ned funny,” said Lawrence.
”It would be a d.a.m.ned sight funnier if he could get back.”
”But he won't. They'll see to that.”
”We might get him,” said Martin suddenly. ”I've got an idea. This morning I heard the man Holland ask Smith-Aitken to dine with him to-night at Vincent's. Smith-A. said he wouldn't be in Oxford.
'Town?' said Holland. 'No, Abingdon, King's Arms.' Holland said something about a woman in the case and Smith-A. said: 'Not this time.
Don't you know?' It was a mere fluke that I heard him. But I fancy we may as well make use of the chance. I'm pretty sure Chard will be a guest at a little dinner in Abingdon.”
”Yes, but it's only a possibility. Besides, what can we do?”
”We can look them up, just to emphasise the necessity of keeping secrets.”
”It's nearly seven now.”
”We can bag Rendell's motor bike and side-car.”
”Yes; but what can we do when we're there?”
”Wait for an inspiration.”
They went. The journey took some time, for the motor bicycle behaved abominably on Hinksey hill. Not till a quarter to eight did they reach Abingdon. Martin dismounted in the square and left Lawrence with the machine. He walked up to the King's Arms and glanced through the windows of the dining-room, which looked directly upon the street. He had been right in his surmise. Chard was dining with Nixon and Smith-Aitken. Apparently he was making the best of it: they seemed to be a happy party and pa.s.sed bottles with conviction.
Martin brought the news to Lawrence: ”We simply must get hold of him,”
he said. ”It would be the deed of a lifetime.”
”That's all very well,” said Lawrence. ”But what the devil can we do?