BIGGLES WORKS IT OUT

by Captain W. E. Johns

VIII. BERTIE TAKES A JOB (Pages 90 – 100)

“Biggles’s broad summing-up of the situation in the matter of Bertie’s disappearance was not far wrong. This is what happened”. Bertie is at Nice airport watching cuffs for a missing button. He sees a Mosquito aircraft come in to land, painted in a light shade of blue. The aircraft has French civil registration marks. Bertie is in the hangar and the Mosquito pilot, noting his interest, engages him in conversation. The pilot is a slim dark man of about thirty-five, with a small black moustache, smartly dressed in a blue serge suit. When the man runs his fingers through his hair, which is brushed straight back without a parting, Bertie is reminded of the description of Canton. The man asks Bertie if he is a pilot and Bertie confirms that he “Did the war in the jolly old R.A.F., on Spits”. “So did I” says the man, who now introduces himself as Canton. Bertie says he is Tommy Smith and he had lost all his money gambling at Monte Carlo and is looking for a lift home. Bertie asks Canton for a loan but Canton asks him if he might be interested in a flying job. Bertie says he likes excitement in big doses and Canton says that maybe he can provide that too. Canton asks Bertie if he has ever flown a Hurricane and Bertie confirms that he has many times. They go to the buffet for a drink. Canton says that the job would depend on his boss and he goes off to ring him. That leaves Bertie enough time to empty the contents of his pockets and bundle them up in his handkerchief. He leaves this at the consigne (deposit) and puts the receipt in an envelope given to him and addresses it to Algy. He has no time to write a note. He gives the letter to the woman at the counter to post together with money to do so. Canton returns and ask Bertie to go with him. Bertie says he has no flying licence with him and his passport has been stolen. They go in Canton’s blue sports car down the Middle Corniche road towards Monaco, turning at Eze and to the “Villa Hirondelle”. Bertie is taken to meet a man of about sixty years of age who is introduced as “The Count”. Bertie says he is staying at the Hotel de Paris, Monte Carlo and he hasn’t paid his bill. Asked if he has ever been in trouble with the police, Bertie answers “Not yet” and says that the money he lost gambling “wasn’t entirely my own”. Bertie is asked if he has flown a Hurricane in combat and he confirms he has. He is given a wad of French notes and told that he will be required to go to Africa. He is not to worry about his things back at the hotel as they will be taken care of. Bertie asks what he is supposed to do and is told “I have reason to suppose that someone is taking an interest in my property in Africa”. “You will discourage visitors by air in the most effective way possible. No one will see what happens”. As they leave, Canton tells Bertie “Now you’re in it’s money for jam”.