"Good. We're getting things moving. I hope everything doesn't peter out." peter out."

"If it gets us anywhere!"

"Something will," said Ginger enthusiastically. "That reminds me. To go back to the beginning of all this, the theory is that Father To go back to the beginning of all this, the theory is that Father Gorman was killed after being called out to a dying woman, and that Gorman was killed after being called out to a dying woman, and that he was murdered because of something she told him or confessed he was murdered because of something she told him or confessed to him. What happened to that woman? Did she die? And who was to him. What happened to that woman? Did she die? And who was she? There ought to be some lead there." she? There ought to be some lead there."

"She died. I don't really know much about her. I think her name was Davis." Davis."

"Well, couldn't you find out more?"

"I'll see what I can do."

"If we could get at her background, we might find out how she knew what she did know." what she did know."

"I see your point."

I got Jim Corrigan on the telephone early the next morning and put my query to him. my query to him.

"Let me see now. We did get a bit further, but not much. Davis wasn't her real name, that's why it took a little time to check up on wasn't her real name, that's why it took a little time to check up on her. Half a moment, I jotted down a few things... oh yes, here we her. Half a moment, I jotted down a few things... oh yes, here we are. Her real name was Archer, and her husband had been a small- are. Her real name was Archer, and her husband had been a small- time crook. She left him and went back to her maiden name." time crook. She left him and went back to her maiden name."

"What sort of a crook was Archer? And where is he now?"

"Oh, very small stuff. Pinched things from department stores. Unconsidered trifles here and there. He had a few convictions. As Unconsidered trifles here and there. He had a few convictions. As to where be is now, he's dead." to where be is now, he's dead."

"Not much there."

"No, there isn't. The firm Mrs Davis was working for at the time of her death, the C.R.C. (Customers Reactions Classified), apparently her death, the C.R.C. (Customers Reactions Classified), apparently didn't know anything about her, or her background." didn't know anything about her, or her background."

I thanked him and rang off.

Chapter 12.

Three days later Ginger rang me up.

"I've got something for you," she said. "A name and address. Write it down." it down."

I took out my notebook.

"Go ahead."

"Bradley is the name and the address is Seventy-eight Municipal Square Buildings, Birmingham." Square Buildings, Birmingham."

"Well, I'm damned, what is all this?"

"Goodness knows! I don't. I doubt if Poppy does really!"

"Poppy? Is this -"

"Yes. I've been working on Poppy in a big way. I told you I could get something out of her if I tried. Once I got her softened up, it was something out of her if I tried. Once I got her softened up, it was easy." easy."

"How did you set about it?" I asked curiously. Ginger laughed.

"Girls-together stuff. You wouldn't understand. The point is that if a girl tells things to another girl it doesn't really count. She doesn't girl tells things to another girl it doesn't really count. She doesn't think it matters." think it matters."

"All in the trade union so to speak?"

"You could put it like that. Anyway, we lunched together, and I yapped a bit about my love life - and various obstacles - married yapped a bit about my love life - and various obstacles - married man with impossible wife - Catholic - wouldn't divorce him - made man with impossible wife - Catholic - wouldn't divorce him - made his life hell. And how she was an invalid, always in pain, but not his life hell. And how she was an invalid, always in pain, but not likely to die for years. Really much better for her if she could die. likely to die for years. Really much better for her if she could die. Said I'd a good mind to try the Pale Horse, but I didn't really know Said I'd a good mind to try the Pale Horse, but I didn't really know how to set about it, and would it be terribly expensive? And Poppy how to set about it, and would it be terribly expensive? And Poppy said yes, she thought it would. She'd heard they charged the earth. said yes, she thought it would. She'd heard they charged the earth. And I said 'Well, I have expectations.' Which I have, you know - a And I said 'Well, I have expectations.' Which I have, you know - a great-uncle - a poppet and I'd hate him to die, but the fact came in great-uncle - a poppet and I'd hate him to die, but the fact came in useful. Perhaps, I said, they'd take something on account? But how useful. Perhaps, I said, they'd take something on account? But how did one set about it? And then Poppy came across with that name did one set about it? And then Poppy came across with that name and address. You had to go to him first, she said, to settle the and address. You had to go to him first, she said, to settle the business side." business side."

"It's fantastic!" I said.

"It is, rather."

We were both silent for a moment.

I said incredulously: "She told you this quite openly? She didn't seem scared?" seem scared?"

Ginger said impatiently: "You don't understand. Telling me didn't count And after all, Mark, if what we think is true the business has count And after all, Mark, if what we think is true the business has to be more or less advertised, hasn't it? I mean they must want new to be more or less advertised, hasn't it? I mean they must want new 'clients' all the time."

"We're mad to believe anything of the kind."

"All right. We're mad. Are you going to Birmingham to see Mr Bradley?" Bradley?"

"Yes," I said. "I'm going to see Mr Bradley. If he exists."

I hardly believed that he did. But I was wrong. Mr Bradley did exist.

Municipal Square Buildings was an enormous honeycomb of offices. Seventy-eight was on the third floor. On the ground-glass door was neatly printed in black: C.R. Bradley, Commission Agent. door was neatly printed in black: C.R. Bradley, Commission Agent. And below, in smaller letters: Please Enter. And below, in smaller letters: Please Enter.

I entered.

There was a small outer office, empty, and a door marked Private, half ajar. A voice from behind it said: half ajar. A voice from behind it said: "Come in, please."

The inner office was larger. It had a desk, one or two comfortable chairs, a telephone, a stack of box files, and Mr Bradley sitting chairs, a telephone, a stack of box files, and Mr Bradley sitting behind the desk. behind the desk.

He was a small dark man, with shrewd dark eyes. He wore a dark business suit and looked the acme of respectability. business suit and looked the acme of respectability.

"Just shut the door, will you?" he said pleasantly. "And sit down. That chair's quite comfortable. Cigarette? No? Well now, what can I That chair's quite comfortable. Cigarette? No? Well now, what can I do for you?" do for you?"

I looked at him. I didn't know how to begin. I hadn't the least idea what to say. It was, I think, sheer desperation that led me to attack what to say. It was, I think, sheer desperation that led me to attack with the phrase I did. Or it may have been the small beady eyes. with the phrase I did. Or it may have been the small beady eyes.

"How much?" I said.

It startled him a little, I was glad to note, but not in the way that he ought to have been startled. He did not assume, as I would have ought to have been startled. He did not assume, as I would have assumed in his place, that someone not quite right in the head had assumed in his place, that someone not quite right in the head had come into his office. come into his office.

His eyebrows rose.

"Well, well, well," he said. "You don't waste much time, do you?"

I held to my line.

"What's the answer?"

He shook his head gently in a slightly reproving manner.

"That's not the way to go about things. We must proceed in the proper manner." proper manner."

I shrugged my shoulders.

"As you like. What's the proper manner?"

"We haven't introduced ourselves yet, have we? I don't know your name." name."

"At the moment," I said, "I don't really think I feel inclined to tell it to you." you."

"Cautious."

"Cautious."

"An admirable quality - though not always practicable. Now who sent you to me? Who's our mutual friend?" sent you to me? Who's our mutual friend?"

"Again I can't tell you. A friend of mine has a friend who knows a friend of yours." friend of yours."

Mr Bradley nodded his head.

"That's the way a lot of my clients come," he said. "Some of the problems are rather - delicate. You know my profession, I problems are rather - delicate. You know my profession, I presume?" presume?"

He had no intention of waiting for my reply. He hastened to give me the answer. the answer.

"Turf Commission Agent," he said. "You're interested, perhaps, in - horses?" horses?"

There was just the faintest pause before the last word.

"I'm not a racing man," I said noncommittally.

"There are many aspects of the horse. Racing, hunting, hacking. It's the sporting aspect that interests me. Betting." He paused for a It's the sporting aspect that interests me. Betting." He paused for a moment and then asked casually - almost too casually: moment and then asked casually - almost too casually: "Any particular horse you had in mind?"

I shrugged my shoulders and burnt my boats.

"A pale horse..."

"Ah, very good, excellent. You yourself, if I may say so, seem to be rather a dark horse. Ha ha! You mustn't be nervous. There really is rather a dark horse. Ha ha! You mustn't be nervous. There really is no need to be nervous." no need to be nervous."

"That's what you say," I said rather rudely. Mr Bradley's manner became even more bland and soothing. became even more bland and soothing.

"I can quite understand your feelings. But I can assure you that you needn't have any anxiety. I'm a lawyer myself - disbarred, of needn't have any anxiety. I'm a lawyer myself - disbarred, of course," he added parenthetically, in what was really almost an course," he added parenthetically, in what was really almost an engaging way. "Otherwise I shouldn't be here. But I can assure you engaging way. "Otherwise I shouldn't be here. But I can assure you that I know my law. Everything I recommend is perfectly legal and that I know my law. Everything I recommend is perfectly legal and aboveboard. It's just a question of a bet. A man can bet on anything aboveboard. It's just a question of a bet. A man can bet on anything he pleases, whether it will rain tomorrow, whether the Russians can he pleases, whether it will rain tomorrow, whether the Russians can send a man to the moon, or whether your wife's going to have twins. send a man to the moon, or whether your wife's going to have twins. You can bet whether Mr B. will die before Christmas, or whether You can bet whether Mr B. will die before Christmas, or whether Mrs C. will live to be a hundred. You back your judgment or your Mrs C. will live to be a hundred. You back your judgment or your intuition or whatever you like to call it. It's as simple as that." intuition or whatever you like to call it. It's as simple as that."

I felt exactly as though I were being reassured by a surgeon before an operation. Mr Bradley's consulting-room manner was perfect. an operation. Mr Bradley's consulting-room manner was perfect.

I said slowly: "I don't really understand this business of the Pale Horse."

"And that worries you? Yes, it worries a lot of people. More things in heaven and earth, Horatio, and so on and so on. Frankly, I don't heaven and earth, Horatio, and so on and so on. Frankly, I don't understand it myself. But it gets results. It gets results in the most understand it myself. But it gets results. It gets results in the most marvellous way." marvellous way."

"If you could tell me more about it -?"

I had settled on my role now - cautious, eager - but scared. It was obviously an attitude with which Mr Bradley had frequently had to obviously an attitude with which Mr Bradley had frequently had to cope. cope.

"Do you know the place at all?"

I made a quick decision. It would be unwise to lie.

"I - well - yes - I was with some friends. They took me there."

"Charming old pub. Full of historical interest. And they've done wonders in restoring it. You met her, then. My friend, Miss Grey, I wonders in restoring it. You met her, then. My friend, Miss Grey, I mean?" mean?"

"Yes - yes, of course. An extraordinary woman."

"Isn't she? Yes, isn't she? You've hit it exactly. An extraordinary woman. And with extraordinary powers." woman. And with extraordinary powers."

"The things she claims! Surely quite - well - impossible?"

"Exactly. That's the whole point. The things she claims to be able to know and do are impossible! Everybody would say so. In a court of know and do are impossible! Everybody would say so. In a court of law, for instance -" law, for instance -"

The black beady eyes were boring into mine. Mr Bradley repeated the words with designed emphasis. the words with designed emphasis.

"In a court of law, for instance - the whole thing would be ridiculed!

If that woman stood up and confessed to murder, murder by remote control or 'will power' or whatever nonsensical name she likes to control or 'will power' or whatever nonsensical name she likes to use, that confession couldn't be acted upon! Even if her statement use, that confession couldn't be acted upon! Even if her statement was true (which of course sensible men like you and I don't believe was true (which of course sensible men like you and I don't believe for one moment!) it couldn't be admitted legally. Murder by remote for one moment!) it couldn't be admitted legally. Murder by remote control isn't murder in the eyes of the law. It's just nonsense. That's control isn't murder in the eyes of the law. It's just nonsense. That's the whole beauty of the thing - as you'll appreciate if you think for a the whole beauty of the thing - as you'll appreciate if you think for a moment." moment."

I understood that I was being reassured. Murder committed by occult powers was not murder in an English court of law. If I were to occult powers was not murder in an English court of law. If I were to hire a gangster to commit murder with a cosh or a knife, I was hire a gangster to commit murder with a cosh or a knife, I was committed with him - an accomplice before the fact - I had committed with him - an accomplice before the fact - I had conspired with him. But if I commissioned Thyrza Grey to use her conspired with him. But if I commissioned Thyrza Grey to use her black arts, those black arts were not admissible. That was what, black arts, those black arts were not admissible. That was what, according to Mr Bradley, was the beauty of the thing. according to Mr Bradley, was the beauty of the thing.

All my natural scepticism rose up in protest. I burst out heatedly.

"But damn it all, it's fantastic," I shouted. "I don't believe it. It's impossible." impossible."

"I agree with you. I really do. Thyrza Grey is an extraordinary woman, and she certainly has some extraordinary powers, but one woman, and she certainly has some extraordinary powers, but one can't believe all the things she claims for herself. As you say, it's too can't believe all the things she claims for herself. As you say, it's too fantastic. In this age, one really can't credit that someone can send fantastic. In this age, one really can't credit that someone can send out thought waves or whatever it is, either oneself or through a out thought waves or whatever it is, either oneself or through a medium, sitting in a cottage in England and cause someone to medium, sitting in a cottage in England and cause someone to sicken and die of a convenient disease out in Capri or somewhere sicken and die of a convenient disease out in Capri or somewhere like that." like that."

"But that is what she claims?"

"Oh yes. Of course she has powers - she is Scottish and what is called second sight is a peculiarity of that race. It really does exist. called second sight is a peculiarity of that race. It really does exist. What I do believe, and believe without a doubt, is this:" he leaned What I do believe, and believe without a doubt, is this:" he leaned forward, wagging a forefinger impressively, "Thyrza Grey does forward, wagging a forefinger impressively, "Thyrza Grey does know - beforehand - when someone is going to die. It's a gift. And know - beforehand - when someone is going to die. It's a gift. And she has it." she has it."

He leaned back, studying me. I waited.