CHAPTER I

       The Stage is Set

       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.

      ‘Of course I’m sure. It was in last night’s Standard.’

      ‘Well, I’m damned!’

      ‘You’ll also be fired if you don’t get down to Southampton. We’ve been waiting for this story to break for weeks.’

      ‘But everybody knows why Temple is on his way home,’ protested Rex. ‘They’ve been rehearsing that new play of his. It’s due to open in a fortnight.’

      ‘That’s old stuff. Iris Archer in The First Lady Seaton.’

      ‘Yes. Only for some reason or other Iris Archer isn’t going to play the part.’

      This was obviously news to Cosgrove and he raised his eyebrows in surprise. ‘What’s the matter with Archer? Why isn’t she playing the part?’

      ‘I don’t know. Gibson had a chat with her last night. She talks a lot of nonsense about the part being unsuitable.’

      Cosgrove nodded. ‘Well, get down to Southampton and see what Temple has to say about it.’

      Rex wearily levered himself from the arm of the chair.

      ‘I’d sooner cover that new movie at the Empire,’ he grinned. ‘It’s all about an editor who took the wrong turning.’

      ‘Southampton!’

      ‘OK, Snow White! OK!’