Blackstone and the New World Read Online Free

not.’
    ‘Of course you don’t,’ Todd agreed. ‘But, you see, I do. I know how to use my brain, Inspector – which is why I’m sitting behind this desk and you’re standing in front of it.’
    ‘I knew there had to be some reason for it, sir,’ Blackstone said. ‘Thank you for explaining it to me.’
    Todd looked at him suspiciously. ‘Are you being insolent, Inspector? Or, perhaps, in the interest of strictest accuracy, I should say, are you being insolent again?’
    ‘Of course not, sir,’ Blackstone assured him .
    ‘Good,’ Todd said. ‘Would you now like to hear how I’ve solved this problem to which you see no solution?’
    ‘If you wouldn’t mind, sir.’
    ‘The New York Police have agreed that if one Scotland Yard officer can personally identify the man as Duffy, that will be sufficient cause to extradite him. And that officer, Inspector Blackstone, will be you.’
    ‘You want me to go to America, sir?’
    ‘Good Lord, but you do catch on quickly,’ Todd said sarcastically. ‘You sail from Liverpool the day after tomorrow.’
    ‘First class, I take it,’ Blackstone said, before he could stop himself .
    Todd glared at him. ‘You’ll be travelling second class,’ he said. ‘And you can thank your lucky stars you’re even doing that, because, if it wasn’t for the need to uphold the dignity of Scotland Yard in the eyes of the travelling public, I’d have booked you into steerage, with the rest of the riff-raff.’ He glanced up at the clock on the wall. ‘I assume you have no questions.’
    ‘Well, sir, I was wondering—’
    ‘Good, because I’m a busy man, and I’ve already spent more than enough time on this minor matter. You can go, Inspector.’
    ‘Thank you, sir,’ Blackstone said .
    He had almost reached the door when he heard Todd say, ‘Actually, there’s one question I’d like to ask you. ’
    Blackstone turned around again. ‘Yes, sir?’
    ‘Are you a good sailor, Inspector?’ the assistant commissioner asked .
    ‘I’m afraid not,’ Blackstone replied. ‘I think I must have been at the back of the queue when they were handing out sea legs.’
    Todd permitted himself one of his rare smiles. ‘Excellent,’ he said .
    Blackstone had lied about the sea legs, of course, but it had been a lie with a purpose. Because if Todd had even suspected that he would enjoy the trip, the assistant commissioner would have done his damnedest to make sure somebody else – anybody else – was sent instead.
    It was as Blackstone was walking down the gangplank that he first noticed the man standing directly in his path. He was a young man, not more than twenty-five or twenty-six. He had a straw boater on his head and was dressed in a white linen suit, which matched his white bow tie. In his hands, he held a large piece of cardboard, on which he had written – in impeccable script – the words ‘Inspector Blackstone, New Scotland Yard’.
    The last three words seemed a little unnecessary to Blackstone, but since this was clearly his reception committee of one, he walked over to the young man and said, ‘I’m Blackstone.’
    His words had an instantaneous effect. The young man immediately let the card fall, and before it had even had time to reach the ground, he was already holding out his hand.
    ‘Gosh, this is a real honour, sir,’ he said, as he pumped Blackstone’s hand up and down.
    ‘Is it always this hot here?’ Blackstone asked, loosening his tie with his free hand.
    ‘Hot?’ the young man repeated, as if, in his bubbling enthusiasm, he had not even noticed the temperature. ‘Oh, hot! Yeah, this is New York City in July, and it is always hot.’ He continued pumping away at Blackstone’s hand. ‘I have to tell you, sir, you have absolutely no idea how long I’ve been waiting to finally meet a real police detective.’
    ‘Oh?’ Blackstone replied, mystified. ‘I shouldn’t have thought it would have been difficult to meet one in a city this size. The