The Game Played in the Dark E-Book

Ernest Bramah

• Herausgeber: Booksell-Verlag
• Kategorie: Krimi
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

In "The Game Played in the Dark," Ernest Bramah masterfully blends elements of mystery and psychological insight, delivering a gripping narrative that delves into the complexities of human behavior when shrouded in shadows. Set against a Victorian backdrop, the novella unfolds in a dark tavern where intimate secrets are exchanged, and moral boundaries are tested. Bramah's crisp prose and sharp wit serve to both intrigue and challenge the reader, inviting them to explore themes of deception, perception, and the duality of man. The literary context of the early 20th century is evident, as Bramah skillfully crafts a tale that reflects the anxieties and curiosities surrounding human nature and moral dilemmas, embedded within the fabric of a mystery genre popularized during his time. Born in 1868 in England, Bramah was an influential writer known for his keen observations of society and the human condition. His background in journalism and interest in the esoteric influenced his narrative style, allowing him to create immersive worlds filled with moral ambiguity. The philosophical undercurrents in "The Game Played in the Dark" may stem from his own experiences, embodying a unique blend of humor and darkness that invites scrutiny into the psyche of his characters. This enthralling novella is a must-read for fans of classic literature and psychological thrillers. Bramah'Äôs deft handling of suspense and character dynamics ensures that readers will remain captivated until the last page. Those intrigued by the interplay between light and dark, both literally and metaphorically, will find valuable insights in this provocative exploration of the unseen forces that govern human interactions.

Leseprobe

Ernest Bramah

The Game Played in the Dark

Published by Good Press, 2022

[email protected]

EAN 4066338051998

Table of Contents

Cover

Titlepage

Text

'It's a funny thing, sir,' said Inspector Beedel, regarding Mr Carrados with the pensive respect that he always extended towards the blind amateur, 'it's a funny thing, but nothing seems to go on abroad now but what you'll find some trace of it here in London if you take the trouble to look.'

'In the right quarter,' contributed Carrados.

'Why, yes,' agreed the inspector. 'But nothing comes of it nine times out of ten, because it's no one's particular business to look here or the thing's been taken up and finished from the other end. I don't mean ordinary murders or single-handed burglaries, of course, but—' a modest ring of professional pride betrayed the quiet enthusiast—'real First-Class Crimes.'

'The State Antonio Five per cent. Bond Coupons?' suggested Carrados.

'Ah, you are right, Mr Carrados.' Beedel shook his head sadly, as though perhaps on that occasion someone ought to have looked. 'A man has a fit in the inquiry office of the Agent-General for British Equatoria, and two hundred and fifty thousand pounds' worth of faked securities is the result in Mexico. Then look at that jade fylfot charm pawned for one-and-three down at the Basin and the use that could have been made of it in the Kharkov "ritual murder" trial.'

'The West Hampstead Lost Memory puzzle and the Baripur bomb conspiracy that might have been smothered if one had known.'

'Quite true, sir. And the three children of that Chicago millionaire—Cyrus V. Bunting, wasn't it?—kidnapped in broad daylight outside the New York Lyric and here, three weeks later, the dumb girl who chalked the wall at Charing Cross. I remember reading once in a financial article that every piece of foreign gold had a string from it leading to Threadneedle Street. A figure of speech, sir, of course, but apt enough, I don't doubt. Well, it seems to me that every big crime done abroad leaves a finger-print here in London—if only, as you say, we look in the right quarter.'

'And at the right moment,' added Carrados. 'The time is often the present; the place the spot beneath our very noses. We take a step and the chance has gone forever.'

The inspector nodded and contributed a weighty monosyllable of sympathetic agreement. The most prosaic of men in the pursuit of his ordinary duties, it nevertheless subtly appealed to some half-dormant streak of vanity to have his profession taken romantically when there was no serious work on hand.

'No; perhaps not "for ever" in one case in a thousand, after all,' amended the blind man thoughtfully. 'This perpetual duel between the Law and the Criminal has sometimes appeared to me in the terms of a game of cricket, inspector. Law is in the field; the Criminal at the wicket. If Law makes a mistake—sends down a loose ball or drops a catch—the Criminal scores a little or has another lease of life. But if he makes a mistake—if he lets a straight ball pass or spoons towards a steady man—he is done for. His mistakes are fatal; those of the Law are only temporary and retrievable.'

'Very good, sir,' said Mr Beedel, rising—the conversation had taken place in the study at The Turrets, where Beedel had found occasion to present himself—'very apt indeed. I must remember that. Well, sir, I only hope that this "Guido the Razor" lot will send a catch in our direction.'

The "this" delicately marked Inspector Beedel's instinctive contempt for Guido. As a craftsman he was compelled, on his reputation, to respect him, and he had accordingly availed himself of Carrados's friendship for a confabulation. As a man—he was a foreigner: worse, an Italian, and if left to his own resources the inspector would have opposed to his sinuous flexibility, those rigid, essentially Britannia-metal, methods of the force that strike the impartial observer as so ponderous, so amateurish and conventional, and, it must be admitted, often so curiously and inexplicably successful.