Here Comes the Toff Read Free Page A

followed, you will wait until her companion either goes off alone, or goes into her flat—it will probably be a flat—with her. Is that clear?”
    â€œPerfectly, sir. Three minutes, sir.”
    â€œMake it two,” said the Toff, who usually invited impossibilities.
    With characteristic thoroughness Jolly arrived in precisely three minutes, passing the Toff without acknowledging him. He thereby demonstrated his alertness, for as he passed, Irma and her companion came down the steps of the Embassy, and a commissionaire called a cab for them.
    Jolly also secured one, twenty yards farther along the road. The Toff followed suit, and the three cabs moved off one after the other. Rollison wondered whether Irma would try to dodge him, and also wondered – with sardonic amusement – what reason she had advanced to her companion for this sudden departure.
    He instructed his driver to follow Irma’s cab.
    It was not easy at night, and he was not sure of getting through. His doubts were vindicated, and Anthea would have been disappointed at what looked like a set-back. For at the first traffic lights in Piccadilly Irma’s cabby made a quick burst of speed, and the Toff, with Jolly behind him, was held up.
    The Toff kept on the road for three minutes, but saw no further signs of the cab and the woman he badly wanted to follow. He did not complain, even to himself, for he considered such indulgences a waste of time. He stopped his cab and climbed out, paying the man off as Jolly’s cab drew up. The Toff joined his servant, and in silence they were driven back to the Toff’s Gresham Terrace flat.
    It was a remarkable flat in one way.
    Except for the living-room, it was ordinary enough. Even that, but for one wall, was comfortable but not excessively so, suggesting good taste without ostentation. The exception, however, showed one of those bizarre and always unpredictable tendencies of the Toff.
    It was covered – almost literally – with an assortment of weapons, and, as he liked to term them, trophies of the chase. There were knives by the dozen, and automatics, even old service revolvers, and three distinct kinds of pistols small enough to be held in the palm of the hand. There were blackjacks, small, shiny, leather-covered, and narrow bags containing lead shot, which induced unconsciousness with a minimum of injury in anyone they struck. There were sandbags, there were swords, there were daggers and krisses, there were ropes and cords, there were scarves – several of them brown-stained with dried blood – and there was even a small glass case, standing on brackets, which contained phials and bottles which were the actual containers of poisons which had been used in cases that had attracted the Toff’s attention.
    In London – both the East and the West Ends – there was much talk of the Toff’s armoury, and of his Trophy Wall which was almost as legendary as the Toff himself. It amused him, he said, and it also caused Jolly much bother, for there were times when the Toff wanted to display a “piece” which Jolly considered was too large or else in excessive bad taste. Jolly usually had his way – although on occasions a particularly unattractive souvenir adorned the wall or the floor just beneath it for longer than he liked.
    Into this room went the Toff and Jolly, who immediately stepped to a cocktail cabinet.
    â€œWeak or strong, sir?”
    â€œNeither,” said the Toff, who had a reputation for drinking which was not wholly deserved. “I’ve had enough for the time being, Jolly, and the shock passed some time ago. Had you no idea that Irma was in London?”
    â€œNone at all , sir,” said Jolly reproachfully. “I would have informed you immediately.”
    â€œYe-es. Although I wouldn’t put it past you to try to keep something up your sleeve. But I will overlook it this time! She is. She saw me. She wished she