Temple nodded. Then, after a momentary hesitation, he told Steve about the mysterious parcel.
Steve didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She had the peculiar sensation of feeling both relieved and horrified.
‘It’s a good job you had your wits about you,’ she said, ‘or we’d have all been blown to pieces.’ Temple laughed and helped himself to another piece of toast. Now that it was all over he felt that he could treat the matter with a certain degree of unconcern. His manner was quite nonchalant, almost gay in fact.
Steve said: ‘You’ve been such a darling you can have your Christmas present today – now – this very minute in fact.’
‘I hope it’s a surprise,’ said Temple.
There was a twinkle in Steve’s eyes as she left the room.
‘Don’t worry, you’ll be surprised all right.’ Temple waited.
He waited nearly five minutes.
Suddenly the door opened and Steve returned. Steve was still smiling and carrying a neat little brown-paper parcel. ‘I certainly didn’t intend you to find it,’ she said. ‘I hid it behind the wardrobe in the spare bedroom.’
‘But what is it?’ said Temple.
Steve untied the string, unwrapped the parcel and proudly revealed the clock.
Temple stared. He’d never seen anything like it in his life before.
‘Well?’ beamed Steve. ‘Are you surprised?’
‘Surprised?’ gasped her husband. As a matter of fact he was dumbfounded. He’d expected the gold cigarette case.
THE END
THE DETECTIVE STORY CLUB
E. C. BENTLEY • TRENT’S LAST CASE
E. C. BENTLEY • TRENT INTERVENES
E. C. BENTLEY & H. WARNER ALLEN • TRENT’S OWN CASE
ANTHONY BERKELEY • THE WYCHFORD POISONING CASE
ANTHONY BERKELEY • THE SILK STOCKING MURDERS
LYNN BROCK • NIGHTMARE
BERNARD CAPES • THE MYSTERY OF THE SKELETON KEY
AGATHA CHRISTIE • THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD
AGATHA CHRISTIE THE BIG FOUR
HUGH CONWAY • CALLED BACK
HUGH CONWAY • DARK DAYS
EDMUND CRISPIN • THE CASE OF THE GILDED FLY
FREEMAN WILLS CROFTS • THE CASK
FREEMAN WILLS CROFTS • THE PONSON CASE
FREEMAN WILLS CROFTS • THE GROOTE PARK MURDERS
MAURICE DRAKE • THE MYSTERY OF THE MUD FLATS
J. JEFFERSON FARJEON • THE HOUSE OPPOSITE
RUDOLPH FISHER • THE CONJURE-MAN DIES
FRANK FROËST • THE GRELL MYSTERY
FRANK FROËST & GEORGE DILNOT • THE CRIME CLUB
ÉMILE GABORIAU • THE BLACKMAILERS
ANNA K. GREEN • THE LEAVENWORTH CASE
VERNON LODER • THE MYSTERY AT STOWE
PHILIP MACDONALD • THE RASP
PHILIP MACDONALD • THE NOOSE
PHILIP MACDONALD • THE MAZE
NGAIO MARSH • THE NURSING HOME MURDER
G. ROY MCRAE • THE PASSING OF MR QUINN
R. A. V. MORRIS • THE LYTTLETON CASE
ARTHUR B. REEVE • THE ADVENTURESS
FRANK RICHARDSON • THE MAYFAIR MYSTERY
R. L. STEVENSON • DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE
EDGAR WALLACE • THE TERROR
ISRAEL ZANGWILL • THE PERFECT CRIME
FURTHER TITLES IN PREPARATION
About the Publisher
Australia
HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty. Ltd.
Level 13, 201 Elizabeth Street
Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
www.harpercollins.com.au
Canada
HarperCollins Canada
2 Bloor Street East – 20th Floor
Toronto, ON, M4W, 1A8, Canada
www.harpercollins.ca
New Zealand
HarperCollins Publishers (New Zealand) Limited
P.O. Box 1
Auckland, New Zealand
www.harpercollins.co.nz
United Kingdom
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
1 London Bridge Street
London, SE1 9GF
www.harpercollins.co.uk
United States
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
195 Broadway
New York, NY 10007
www.harpercollins.com