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Tether's End

by Margery Allingham

Tether's End is another great mystery novel by the deceased English author, Margery Allingham. This is one of the books where her usual protagonist, Albert Campion, takes on a minor role, even though he's instrumental in solving the murders and catching the criminal in the end. Also highlighting Ms. Allingham's writing expertise is the fact that we know who the murderer is from the very beginning, yet Margery Allingham holds our attention throughout by focusing on how the various crimes are finally connected by the investigating detectives.

We're in a rather disreputable section of London. A section, however, that's already hit bottom and is now being rediscovered and on the upswing. A country bus, archaic and very unnoticeable in appearance, parks in a cul-de-sac called Goff's Place near a darkened theatre with two dozing old people on the front seat. It's raining. The driver gets out and uses a convenient telephone booth, then heads for Deban Street around the corner. The rear of the shop where the bus parked happens to front on Deban Street. The bus driver has a gun.

Albert Campion is dragged into the mystery of Goff Place eight months later through old friendship – the mystery being that no corpse was ever found at the address even though the moneylender there was obviously shot and the body gone missing. Charles Luke, a new superintendent, has a map on his wall with a number of flags on it – all positioned in or around Garden Green, including Goff's Place. He has witnesses for the bus and its passengers – and even though he thinks the only way the moneylender's body could be taken away was in that bus, he has no proof. The bus itself cannot be found. Other murders, including a shooting on Church Row, are indicated by the remaining flags.

Meanwhile an attractive girl named Annabelle sits on a bench in Garden Green awaiting the arrival of the only person she knows in London, a young man by the name of Richard Waterfield. Annabelle hasn't seen Richard for several years, so when Richard arrives, both are surprised at the changes in the other. Annabelle gets Richard to read the letter sent to her mother, who has had a stroke and couldn't receive, comprehend, or answer it.

The letter is a missive from Annabelle's Aunt Polly Tassie. Aunt Polly is a relation Annabelle has never met, a relation partially estranged from the rest of the family. The letter requests Jennifer, Annabelle's older sister, to come for a visit, but Jennie has to take care of their mother. Annabelle has come in her stead. They haven't written to Aunt Polly, who lives there in Garden Green, and Annabelle wanted some familiar backup before she approached her unknown aunt.

Aunt Polly lives in a house called Tether's End, next to the little museum she also owns which is filled with the curios and oddments her late husband had collected. When Richard leaves her, Annabelle wanders around the museum. Fascinated by one exhibit, she sets off a series of loud noises. Gerry Hawker, who has been talking to Polly outside, comes in and stops it for her. Annabelle learns that Gerry is like a son to Polly, who has looked after him since he was a youngster.

Richard sees Gerry going into Mrs. Tassie's house and emerging with a hat. Curious, and a little suspicious of the older man (Gerry is at least thirty), Richard follows him to a barbershop. Gerry there encourages Richard to accompany him, and the result is a whirlwind round of pubs – the last one where Gerry ostensibly leaves Richard to make a phone call. But Gerry doesn't return, and Richard begins to realize Gerry was simply using him as an alibi for something.

Matthew Phillipson, a solicitor and friend of Polly's, has come to see her. Polly wanted Jennifer for Gerry, thinking he needed a wife to straighten him out, but Jennifer is already engaged and Annabelle is far too young. It seems that Gerry altered a check written by Polly,
increasing the amount considerably, and when she discovered it, Polly asked Matt to frighten the young man and get the difference from him. Gerry is supposed to return the cash to Phillipson that very afternoon. Then Matt Phillipson is murdered.

Richard, of course, has fallen in love with the beautiful Annabelle. So at the end of the novel, everyone is present – Gerry, Polly, Annabelle, Richard, and Campion with a number of other police types. The murderer has at last given himself away – in his surprise at an unexpected turn of events he's even managed to leave proof at last. And in a darkened museum there's a struggle where he loses his gun. Tether's End closes with at least one person in the hospital but the murderer apprehended at last.

Margery Allingham has created another engrossing story in Tether's End – which is also a good title for this mystery! The characters are well-rounded and arouse your empathy immediately. Written almost fifty years ago, the personalities in this novel remain immediate, recognizable, and alive. Another plus for the old adage 'Human nature doesn't change.' Neither, evidently, did Margery Allingham's writing ability.

Alan Paul Curtis

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