The Mystery of the Peacock's Eye by Brian Flynn

Anthony Bathurst propped the letter against the side of the matutinal coffee-pot and read it carefully for the fourth time since he had received it less than half an hour before. As he finished it he grimaced deliberately and removed the brown top of his second egg somewhat absent-mindedly. The letter and envelope were of heavy cream-laid notepaper-extremely strong and stiff. The heading was "Hotel Florizel, W. " The letter read as follows: "There will call upon you to-day-between 11.30 and 12 o'clock-a gentleman who desires to lay before you a matter of urgent and peculiar importance. Besides this importance it possesses an exceedingly delicate significance which will entail your strictest discretion. This gentleman, who is also the writer of this letter, is aware-upon unimpeachable authority-that in this last respect you may be thoroughly relied upon inasmuch as your unique ability is matched by your tact and integrity. Your services in any circumstances, will be handsomely rewarded-particularly so in the event of your bringing the affair in question to a successful conclusion. The writer thoroughly understands that it is not your practice to undertake work of this kind professionally-yet hopes to awaken your interest in his case sufficiently intensely for you to render him the assistance he requires."

"H'm," grunted Anthony. "He does, does he? " He pushed his plate on one side, pulled at his top lip and lit a cigarette. "I wonder who's been singing my praises to this gentleman who writes so enigmatically? I can hardly suppose that he has had any immediate connection with Scotland Yard that has caused him to run across Detective-Inspector Goodall-and I haven't heard that Baddeley has reached the Metropolis yet-still-after all-it's a small world and sometimes people link up quite unexpectedly. " He looked at his watch. It showed the time at half-past nine. "Two hours before my unknown caller arrives. " He walked to the bookcase and took down what he always described as his "Encyclopedia of London. " Turning to the section dealing with hotels-he found the "Florizel" and rapidly read through the particulars given. The tariff was extremely high-in every particular-and it quickly became obvious to him that the hotel concerned could only be within the range of the comparatively wealthy. He took the letter from the table again-and gave it yet another close inspection. The paper was not the hotel notepaper, the address "Hotel Florizel, W. " having been written at the top by the writer of the letter. He held the notepaper up to the light-without tangible reward. The writing was firm and bold-somewhat florid in style and letter-formation-yet withal-the writing of an educated man. If it had any special feature it lay in the somewhat ornate formation of the capital letters.