Valentin, a famous Parisian detective, comes to London, on the trail of an
equally notorious French thief, Flambeau. Valentin notices the smallest
details very cleverly. He has the extraordinary ability to place himself in the
shoes of the criminal he is searching for. Thanks to this sense, Valentin
notices a series of very strange clues left behind by a couple old priests.
11. What kind of ability does Valentin have?
12. Why does Valentin come to London?
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Answer:
Valentin, a famous Parisian detective, comes to London, on the trail of an equally-notorious French thief, Flambeau. Valentin notices the smallest details very cleverly. He has the extraordinary ability to place himself in the shoes of the criminal he is searching for. Thanks to this sense, Valentin notices a series of very strange clues left behind by a couple old priests. As a result, he manages to follow Flambeau's trail around London. When he sits in a quiet restaurant, he finds salt in the sugar bowl. The waiter suspects one of the two old priests who had come there earlier in the day. One of the priests splashed soup on the restaurant walls.Valentin continues to follow their trail via a market stall and a restaurant with a broken window. The priest had upset the apples in the market stall and had changed price labels of oranges and nuts. At the other restaurant, he had increased the amount on the bill and broken a window deliberately. Eventually, Valentin is led to Hampstead Heath. Valentin is sure that this man is Flambeau. Valentin and two officers follow him and overhear the following conversation between them.Then, with brow still bent and without changing by the faintest shade of his attitude or voice, Flambeau Said:
"Just hand over that sapphire cross now. We're all alone here, and I could tear you to pieces like a straw doll."The calm voice and attitude added a strange violence to that shocking change of speech. But the little priest only turned his head slightly. He still seemed to have a somewhat foolish face turned to the stars.Maybe he had not understood. "Yes," said the tall priest in the same low voice and in the same posture, "Yes, I am a flamboyant."
Then, after a pause, he said: "Come, give me that cross."No," said the other, and the reply had an odd sound.To this reply, the great robber leaned back in his seat and laughed low but long.
"No," he cried, "you won't give it me, you proud priest. You won't give it me, you little foolish man. Shall I Tell you why you won't give it me? Because I've got it already in my own pocket."
The small priest replied, "Are .... are you sure?"Flambeau yelled with delight. "My goodness ! ! Yes, you turnip, I am quite sure. I had the sense to make a duplicate of the right parcel. Now, my friend, you've got the duplicate and I've got the jewels. An old trick,
Father Brown-a very old trick."
"Yes," said Father Brown, "Yes, I've heard of it before."
The master criminal leaned over to the little rustic priest with a sort of sudden interest.
"You have heard of it ?"he asked. "Where have you heard of it ?"
"Well, I mustn't tell you his name, of course," said the little man simply. "He was a person who had come for confession, you know. He had lived prosperously for about twenty years entirely on duplicate brown paper parcels. And so, you see, that's how I began to suspect you."
"Began to suspect me?" repeated the outlaw sharply. "Did you really have the stomach to suspect me just because I brought you up to this field?"
"No, no," said Brown as if he was sorry. "You see, I suspected you when we first met. It's that little bulge up the sleeve. I know you people have the spiked bracelet there."
"How in the world," cried Flambeau, "did you ever hear of the spiked bracelet?"
"Oh, one's little flock, you know!" said Father Brown, rather blankly. "When I served in Hartlepool, there were three of them with spiked bracelets. So, as I suspected you from the first, don't you see, I made sure that