News of Paul Temple

News of Paul Temple
Francis Durbridge

As detective Paul Temple turns his hand to playwright, his leading lady Iris Archer pulls out shortly before the play is due to open and declares that she is heading for France.However, shortly after her disappearance Paul Temple receives a guest at his Scottish holiday home – none other than that of Iris Archer.The mystery deepens as Temple is asked by a young man to act as postmaster in delivering a letter. Meanwhile someone acting under the codename of Z4 seems to have control of events. Could this be Doctor Steiner, and just who is he? It is all up to Temple . . .

FRANCIS DURBRIDGE

News of Paul Temple

An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers

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London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk (http://www.harpercollins.co.uk)

First published in Great Britain by

LONG 1940

Copyright © Francis Durbridge 1940

All rights reserved

Francis Durbridge has asserted his right under the Copyright,

Designs and Patents Act, 1988 to be identified as the author of this work

Cover design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2015

Cover image © Shutterstock.com

A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

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Source ISBN: 9780008125608

Ebook Edition © June 2015 ISBN: 9780008125615

Version: 2015-06-01

Contents

Cover (#uef0165b5-9d93-5af9-8722-c5e0f58728c6)

Title Page (#u9a5d7adf-b62b-593f-8585-8857cf40f3f1)

Copyright (#u2848f8c9-eb6c-50e1-a7b3-07291fe8ddeb)

CHAPTER I: The Stage is Set (#ucb1e27d5-0cdd-5fef-abd0-6866a92a9ede)

CHAPTER II: Concerning Z.4 (#u05f7038e-d4a0-57b2-9f31-2c1af1a59b2e)

CHAPTER III: Instructions for a Murder (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER IV: Appointment with Danger (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER V: In Which Mrs Moffat Receives a Visitor (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER VI: Introducing Z.4 (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Author (#litres_trial_promo)

Also in this series (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER I (#u993478ce-8e04-5814-8585-daf40cee6690)

The Stage is Set (#u993478ce-8e04-5814-8585-daf40cee6690)

1

‘Bryant! Where the devil is Bryant?’ Ralph Cosgrove, news editor of the Evening Post, replaced the telephone and repeated his question into the mouthpiece of the dictograph. A few seconds later the door opened and a resonant tenor announced: ‘Do I hear you calling me?’

‘Cut out the fooling and shut the door,’ snapped Cosgrove. ‘You should have been here hours ago. What the devil have you been doing?’

Rex Bryant came into the office and perched himself on the arm of the chair reserved for visitors. He was young, attractive, well dressed, and, oddly enough, did not wear a trilby on the back of his head. ‘I’ve been to a movie,’ announced Rex. ‘It was terrific. All about a newspaper. The editor got the scoop. The reporter got the girl. And the girl got the baby.’

There was an unpleasant glint in Cosgrove’s eye. ‘Unless you take the lead out of your pants you’ll get the sack!’ he barked. ‘Get down to Southampton and cover the Clipper story!’

Rex frowned. ‘Look here, Chief, I’m just about tired of meeting film stars.’

‘I’m not asking you to meet film stars. Maybe you’ve never heard of the Golden Clipper?’

‘Of course I have! New York to Southampton in twenty-four hours. Nice easy passage. Where’s the story?’

Ralph Cosgrove smiled. It was not a pleasant smile. ‘I don’t suppose you know by any chance who happens to be travelling on the Clipper?’

‘The Quintuplets?’ suggested Rex.

Cosgrove thoughtfully fingered a newspaper cutting he had picked up from among the pile of papers on his desk.

‘No, not the Quintuplets,’ he said softly. ‘Just Paul Temple. Mr and Mrs Temple, to be more precise.’

‘Are you sure of this?’ There was no mistaking the note of urgency in Rex Bryant’s voice.