The Moving Toyshop Read Online Free PDF

the fundamental mystery of the business—why the grocery shop was turned into a toyshop in the first place.”
    Cadogan had not thought of this.
    “You see,” Fen continued, “they couldn’t have known you were going to blunder in. You’re the fly in the ointment. The groceries were removed, and the toys substituted, for some entirely different purpose. Then they had to be switched back again, in any case.”
    Something like relief was coming back to Cadogan’s mind. For a while he almost wondered if he were, in fact, suffering from delusions. Belying all outward appearance, there was something extremely reliable about Fen. Cadogan assembled his sharp-cut, supercilious features into a frown.
    “But why?” he asked.
    “I can think of several good reasons,” said Fen gloomily. “But they’re probably all wrong.”
    Cadogan stubbed out his cigarette and groped for a fresh one. As he did so his fingers came in contact with the scrap of paper he had picked up near the body. He was astonished to realize that he had forgotten all about it until this moment.
    “Here!” he cried excitedly, pulling it out of his pocket. “Look! Tangible proof. I picked this up by the body. I didn’t remember I had it. I’d better go back to the police.” He half rose, in some agitation, from his chair.
    “My dear fellow, calm yourself,” said Fen, taking the scrap of paper from him. “Anyway, what is this thing tangible proof of?” He read out the pencilled figures. “07691. A telephone number, apparently.”
    “Probably the number of the woman who was killed.”
    “Dear good Richard, what an extraordinary lack of perceptivity… One doesn’t carry one’s own telephone number about with one.”
    “She may have written it down for someone. Or it may not have been hers.”
    “No.” Fen ruminated over the scrap of paper. “Since you seem to be forgetting rather a lot of things, I suppose you didn’t come across her handbag and look inside it?”
    “I’m certain it wasn’t there. Obviously, it’s the first thing I should have done.”
    “One never knows with poets.” Fen sighed deeply and returned to the desk. “Well, there’s only one thing to be done with this number, and that is to ring it.” He took off the receiver, dialed 07691, and waited. After a while there was an answer.
    “Hello.” A rather tremulous woman’s voice.
    “Hello, Miss Scott,” said Fen cheerfully. “How are you? Have you been long back from Baluchistan?”
    Cadogan gazed at him blankly.
    “I’m sorry,” said the voice. “But I’m not Miss Scott.”
    “Oh.” Fen gazed at the instrument in great dismay, as though he were expecting it to fall apart at any instant. “Who is that speaking, please?”
    “This is Mrs. Wheatley. I’m afraid you have the wrong number.”
    “Why, so I have. Very stupid of me. I’m sorry to have bothered you. Good-bye.” Fen seized the telephone directory and flipped over the pages.
    “Wheatley,” he murmured. “Wheatley… Ah, here it is. Wheatley, Mrs. J. H., 229 New Inn Hall Street, Oxford 07691. The lady seemed to be in very good health. And I suppose you realize, my dear Cadogan, that it might be any one of a thousand exchanges besides this?”
    Cadogan nodded wearily. “Yes, I know,” he said. “It’s hopeless, really.”
    “Look here, did you go round to the back of the shop with the police? The way you got out?”
    “Actually, no.”
    “Well, we’ll do that now. I want to have a look at the place, anyway.” Fen considered. I’ve got a tutorial at ten, but that can be put off.” He scribbled a message on the back of an envelope and propped it up on the mantelpiece. “Come on,” he said. “We’ll drive.”
    They drove. Driving with Fen was no pleasure to a man in Cadogan’s condition. It was all right in St. Giles’ because St. Giles’ is an immensely broad street where it is quite difficult to hit anything, except for the pedestrians who constantly scuttle across its