The Crime

Wired by his employer to attend an unfamiliar address, diamond-merchant clerk, Mr Semple, promptly complies. After all, his boss, Theodore Gainer, is not a man to be questioned. On arrival at No. 8 Balville Terrace, London NW1, he finds another man waiting for an appointment with a third party. Whilst casting his eyes round the nondescript sitting-room, Semple sees a man’s boot protruding from the end of a chesterfield sofa. He draws his new companion’s attention to the grisly discovery; the couch is moved to reveal a very dead Mr Gainer. Or is it? The other man identifies the corpse with equal certainty as James Hubsch. Inspector Pledge of Scotland Yard investigates this puzzling case assisted by insurance enquiry agent, Mr Buckley.