A Present from Paul Temple: Two Short Stories including Light-Fingers: A Paul Temple Story

An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers

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First published in Great Britain in

The Daily Mail Annual for Boys and Girls 1950, 1951

Introduction from the Paul Temple Library 1964

Copyright © Francis Durbridge 1950, 1951 and 1964

All rights reserved

Francis Durbridge has asserted his right under the Copyright,

Designs and Patents Act, 1988 to be identified as the author of this work

Cover design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2015

Cover image © Shutterstock.com

A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

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Ebook Edition © June 2015 ISBN: 9780008148003

Version: 2015-11-04

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

INTRODUCTION: How I Created Paul Temple

A Present From Paul Temple

Light-Fingers

SOLUTION TO: Light-Fingers

About the Author

Also in This Series

About the Publisher

It was in April 1938 that I created the character of ‘Paul Temple’ and Martyn C. Webster, the famous BBC Producer, put the first of the series on the radio.

I had been thinking about the character for almost three months before I actually came across the person whose manner, voice and attitude suggested to me the man-of-the-world novelist with an interest in criminology. I was hurrying to catch a train to Birmingham, where I lived in those days, after a visit to London. The train was, in fact, already moving as I scrambled in.

There was one other occupant of the compartment and he slowly raised his head at my unexpected entrance. As far as I can remember he was tall and dark and was reading a battered copy of Arnold Bennett’s Imperial Palace. We never spoke, but for some unknown reason after he had left the train – he got out at Leamington Spa – I started thinking about him.

I remembered the quiet, casual manner in which he had inserted a cigarette in an unusual type of holder; the keen, intelligent face; the smiling eyes a little crinkled at the corners; the friendly nod he gave the inspector as he showed his season ticket.

The man had other characteristics which fascinated me. He was obviously interested in literature and not merely a casual reader; one could tell that by the way he pondered over the novel he was reading.

That night, when I arrived home, I started to read Somerset Maugham’s First Person Singular, and I came across the following paragraph:

‘I think, indeed, that most novelists, and surely the best, have worked from life. But though they have had in mind a particular person, this is not to say that they have copied him, or that the character they have devised is to be taken for a portrait. In the first place they have seen him through their own temperament, and if they are writers of originality this means that what they have seen is somewhat different from fact.’

This passage by Somerset Maugham made me think again about the man on the train. I jotted down a few details about him. From these details, plus, of course, a certain amount of elaboration, emerged the character of ‘Paul Temple’.

Francis Durbridge

1964

One morning, two or three weeks before Christmas, the telephone rang in Paul Temple’s flat and Mrs. Temple – known affectionately as Steve – lifted the receiver.

‘Is that you, Steve?’ asked a man s voice.

For a moment Steve was puzzled, then suddenly she recognised the voice. The speaker was Dr. Raymond, the Headmaster of St. Conrads.

St. Conrads was a famous public school at Downbeach in Sussex and Dr. Charles Raymond, author of several well-known text-books on Forensic Medicine, was a very old friend of Temple’s.

After a word or two with Steve, Dr. Raymond said, ‘I’d like to speak to that famous husband of yours, Mrs. Temple!’

‘I’m sorry but Paul’s in the bathroom,’ said Steve. ‘Can I deliver a message?’

Dr. Raymond hesitated. ‘I’d like to see Temple,’ he said quietly. ‘I’ve a very serious problem on my hands, Steve, and I need help.’ There was no mistaking the note of urgency in his voice.

‘I’ll have a word with Paul the moment he comes out of the bathroom,’ said Steve. ‘He’ll ring you back, Charles.’