Mr. Hoffman was a big solid-looking man. He gave theappearance of being carved out of wood – preferably teak.
His face was so expressionless as to give rise tosurmise – could such a man be capable of thinking – of feeling emotion? It seemed impossible.
His manner was highly correct.
He rose, bowed, and held out a wedge-like hand.
"Chief-Inspector Davy? It is some years since Ihad the pleasure – you may not even remember –」
"Oh yes I do, Mr. Hoffman. The Aaronberg DiamondCase. you were a witness for the Crown – a most excellentwitness, let me say. The defence was quite unable to shake you."
"I am not easily shaken," said Mr. Hoffman gravely.
He did not look a man who would easily be taken.
"What can I do for you?" he went on. "No trouble, I hope – I always want to agree well with the police. I have the greatest admirationfor your superb police force."
"Oh! There is no trouble. It is just that wewanted you to confirm a little information."
"I shall be delighted to help you in any way Ican. As I say, I have the highest opinion of your London Police Force. You have such asplendid class of men. So full of integrity, so fair, so just."
"You'll make meembarrassed," said Father.
"I am at your service. What is it that you want toknow?"
"I was just going to ask you to give me a littledope about Bertram's Hotel."
Mr. Hoffman's face didnot change. It was possible that his entire attitude became for a moment or two even morestatic than it had been before – that was all.
"Bertram's Hotel?" hesaid. His voice was inquiring, slightly puzzled. It might have been that he had neverheard of Bertram's Hotel or that he could not quite remember whether he knew Bertram'sHotel or not.
"You have a connection with it, have you not, Mr.Hoffman?"
Mr. Hoffman moved his shoulders.
"There are so many things," he said. "One cannot remember them all. So muchbusiness – so much – it keeps mevery busy."
"You have your fingers in a lot of pies, I knowthat."
"Yes," Mr. Hoffmansmiled a wooden smile. "I pull out many plums, that is whatyou think? And so you believe I have a connection with this – Bertram'sHotel?"
"I shouldn't have saida connection. As a matter of fact, you own it, don't you?"said Father genially.
This time, Mr. Hoffman definitely did stiffen.
"Now who told you that, I wonder?" he said softly.
"Well, it's true, isn't it?" said Chief-Inspector Davy, cheerfully. "Very nice place to own, I should say. In fact, you must be quite proud of it."
"Oh yes," saidHoffman. "For the moment – I couldnot quite remember – you see" – hesmiled deprecatingly, "- I own quite a lot of property inLondon. It is a good investment – property. If something comeson the market in what I think is a good position, and there is a chance of snapping it upcheap, I invest."
"And was Bertram's Hotel going cheap?"
"As a running concern, it had gone down the hill,"said Mr. Hoffman, shaking his head.
"Well, it's on itsfeet now," said Father. "I was inthere just the other day. I was very much struck with the atmosphere there. Niceold-fashioned clientele, comfortable, old-fashioned premises, nothing rackety about it, alot of luxury without looking luxury."
"I know very little about it personally,"explained Mr. Hoffman. "It is just one ofmy investments – but I believe it is doing well."
"Yes, you seem to have a first-class fellowrunning it. What is his name? Humfries? Yes, Humfries."
"An excellent man," saidMr. Hoffman. "I leave everything to him. I look at the balancesheet once a year to see that all is well."
"That place was thick with titles," said Father. "Rich travelling Americans, too."He shook his head thoughtfully. "Wonderfulcombination."
"You say you were in there the other day?"Mr. Hoffman inquired. "Not – not officially, I hope?"
"Nothing serious. Just trying to clear up a littlemystery."
"A mystery? In Bertram's Hotel?"
"So it seems. The case of the DisappearingClergyman, you might label it."
"That is a joke," Mr.Hoffman said. "That is your Sherlock Holmes language."
"This clergyman walked out of the place oneevening and was never seen again."
"Peculiar," said Mr.Hoffman, "but such things happen. I remember many, many yearsago now, a great sensation. Colonel – now let me think of hisname – Colonel Fergusson I think, one of the equerries ofQueen Mary. He walked out of his club one night and he, too, was never seen again."
"Of course," saidFather, with a sigh, "a log of these disappearances arevoluntary."
"You know more about that than I do, my dearChief-Inspector," said Mr. Hoffman. He added, "I hope they gave you every assistance at Bertram's Hotel."
"They couldn't havebeen nicer," Father assured him. "ThatMiss Gorringe, she has been with you some time, I believe?"
"Possibly. I really know so very little about it.I take no personal interest, you understand. In fact –」 hesmiled disarmingly, "I was surprised that you even knew itbelonged to me."
It was not quite a question; but once more there wasa slight uneasiness in his eyes. Father noted it without seeming to.
"The ramifications that go on in the City are likea gigantic jigsaw," he said. "Itwould make my head ache if I had to deal with that side of things. I gather that a company– Mayfair Holding Trust or some name like that – is the registered owner. They're owned by anothercompany and so on and so on. The real truth of the matter is that it belongs to you.Simple as that. I'm right, aren'tI?"
"I and my fellow directors are what I dare say you'd call behind it, yes," admitted Mr. Hoffmanrather reluctantly.
"Your fellow directors. And who might they be?Yourself and, I believe, a brother of yours?"
"My brother Wilhelm is associated with me in thisventure. You must understand that Bertram's is only a part ofa chain of various hotels, offices, clubs and other London properties."
"Any other directors?"
"Lord Pomfret, Abel Isaacstein." Hoffman's voice was suddenly edged. "Do you really need to know all these things? Just because you are lookinginto the Case of the Disappearing Clergyman?"
Father shook his head and looked apologetic.
"I suppose it's reallycuriosity. Looking for my disappearing clergyman was what took me to Bertram's, but then I got – well, interested if youunderstand what I mean. One thing leads to another sometimes, doesn't it?"
"I suppose you could be so, yes. And now?"he smiled, "your curiosity is satisfied?"
"Nothing like coming to the horse's mouth when you want information, is there?" saidFather, genially. He rose to his feet. "There's only one thing I'd really like to know –and I don't suppose you'll tell me that."
"Yes. Chief-Inspector?" Hoffman's voice was wary.
"Where do Bertram's get hold of their staff?Wonderful! That fellow what's-his-name – Henry. The one that looks like an Archduke or an Archbishop, I'm not sure which. Anyway, he serves you tea and muffins – most wonderful muffins! An unforgettable experience."
"You like muffins with much better, yes?"Mr. Hoffman's eyes rested for a moment onthe rotundity of Father's figure with disapprobation.
"I expect you can see I do," said Father. "Well, I mustn't be keeping you. I expect you're pretty busytaking over takeover bids, or something like that."
"Ah. It amuses you to pretend to be ignorant ofall these things. No, I am not busy. I do not let business absorb me too much. My tastesare simple. I live simply, with leisure, with growing of roses, and my family to whom I ammuch devoted. 「
"Sounds ideal," saidFather. "Wish I could live like that."
Mr. Hoffman smiled and rose ponderously to shakehands with him.
"I hope you will find your disappearing clergymanvery soon."
"Oh! That's all right.I'm sorry I didn't make myselfclear. He's found – disappointingcase, really. Had a car accident and got concussion – simpleas that."
Father went to the door, then turned and asked:
"By the way, is Lady Sedgwick a director of yourcompany?"
"Lady Sedgwick?" Hoffmantook a moment or two. "No. Why should she be?"
"Oh well, one hears thing – Just a shareholder?"
"I – yes."
"Well, good-bye, Mr. Hoffman. Thanks very much."
Father went back to the Yard and straight to theA.C.
"The two Hoffman brothers are the ones behindBertram's Hotel – financially."
"What? Those scoundrels?" demanded Sir Ronald.
"Yes."
"They've kept it verydark."
"Yes – and RobertHoffman didn't half like our finding it out. It was a shock tohim."
"What did he say?"
"Oh, we kept it all very formal and polite. Hetried, not too obviously, to learn how I had found out about it."
"And you didn't obligehim with that information, I suppose."
"I certainly did not."
"What excuse did you give for going to see him?"
"I didn't give any,"said Father.
"Didn't he think thata bit odd?"
"I expect he did. On the whole I thought that wasa good way to play it, sir."
"If the Hoffmans are behind all this, it accountsfor a lot. They're never concerned in anything crookedthemselves – oh no! They don'torganise crime – they finance it though!"
"Wilhelm deals with the banking side fromSwitzerland. He was behind those foreign currency rackets just after the war – we knew it – but we couldn't prove it. Those two brothers control a great deal of money and they use itfor backing all kinds of enterprises – some legitimate –some not. But they're careful – they know every trick of the trade. Robert'sdiamond broking is straightforward enough – but it make s asuggestive picture – diamonds – bankinginterests, and property – clubs, cultural foundations, officebuildings, restaurants, hotels – all apparently owned bysomebody else."
"Do you think Hoffman is the planner of theseorganised robberies?"
"No, I think those two deal only with finance. No,you'll have to look elsewhere for your planner. Somewherethere's a first-class brain at work."
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