Death of an Airman by Christopher St. John Sprigg Page A

Spider!” she exclaimed effusively. “Fancy seeing you here! Have you been in England long?”
    Tommy Vane gave her a startled stare. “I think you have made some mistake!”
    â€œI never forget faces,” exclaimed Lady Crumbles positively. “Surely,” she added, a little plaintively, “you haven’t forgotten me, Mr. Spider? Don’t you remember in Hollywood, showing me round, when they were filming Veronica Gubbage in ‘Naughty but Nice’?”
    â€œMerciful heavens? A maniac!” exclaimed Tommy Vane loudly. He backed out and closed the door rapidly behind him.
    Lady Crumbles looked indignantly round. “How extremely impolite! Mr. Spider was introduced to me when I visited Hollywood two years ago. He was in the cast of ‘Naughty but Nice’ when I saw it being filmed, and as he was English they gave him the task of looking after me. He did it very sweetly too; and now he seems so abrupt. I really cannot understand it!”
    â€œSurely there is some mistake,” suggested Sally, concealing a smile. “His name is Vane—Thomas Vane—and I’m sure he’s never been out of England; certainly not on the films. Are you sure the name was Spider?”
    â€œPerhaps it isn’t the same man,” admitted Lady Crumbles, in a tone that indicated she was fairly certain it was. “As for his name being Spider, now you mention it, perhaps it wasn’t. Everyone called him Spider at the studio, so naturally I called him Spider too, but it may have been only a nickname.”
    â€œI ’ad a monkey called Spider wot I brought ’ome from Singapore,” said Sir Herbert. “The pore little beast pegged out though.”
    â€œWhat on earth has a monkey to do with it?” said Lady Crumbles. “Really, Sir Herbert, you do say the most extraordinary things!”
    Walsyngham had meanwhile noticed Sally’s growing impatience. “Perhaps we’ve done enough business for to-day,” he said soothingly. “Shall we make our next meeting here at, say, noon to-morrow? Does that suit you, Miss Sackbut?”
    â€œPerfectly.” She nodded resignedly. How she wished Furnace was still alive. He would probably have been equal to Lady Crumbles. The new instructor, Winters, was too broken to the slings and arrows of outrageous committees at his previous clubs to offer much resistance. If only the woman hadn’t been Grunnage’s sister she would have told her to go to hell. She might yet.…
    The Executive Committee walked out. Sir Herbert, the last to go, favoured Sally with a wink and an expressive thumb jerked in the direction of Lady Crumbles, which heartened her a little.
    On her way to the car, Lady Crumbles halted as she saw a familiar figure hurrying by.
    â€œLady Laura!” she hailed it. “Fancy seeing you here! But, of course, you do fly yourself, don’t you, you clever thing!”
    â€œHallo!” said Lady Laura in her loud clear voice. “I haven’t seen you since we met at Hollywood.”
    â€œWell, so it was, at Hollywood. How very strange. Only just now I was reminded of that visit. Do you remember Mr. Spider, that man who showed us round?”
    Lady Laura laughed. “You mean ‘Spider’ Hartigan? A rather amazing young Englishman?”
    â€œThat’s the man. My dear, I met somebody just like him, a member of the club.”
    â€œOh, that would be Tommy Vane,” said Lady Laura. “They are rather alike; I’ve noticed it. He’s younger though, I think. What are you doing here, by the way? The charity racket, I suppose? You aren’t dragging Sir Herbert round for nothing!”
    Hallam gave a deprecating grin.
    Lady Crumbles became enthusiastic, a quality she could turn on like a tap. “Haven’t you heard? I’m organizing a display for the club. Half the profits are going to the club and half to my Airies. What do you