The Blue Cross (short Story) - Plot

Plot

Aristide Valentin, head of the Paris Police, is on the trail of the world's most famous criminal, Flambeau, who is a master of disguise, and may appear to be anyone, except for the one fact he cannot conceal, he is six feet four inches tall. He has reason to suspect that the arch-criminal is going to London, to attend the international conference of clergymen, and possibly steal one of the precious religious articles on display there. On the train ride from Paris to London, where he believes Flambeau to be hiding, Valentin encounters a little country Catholic priest. He overhears the priest tell a lady that he is carrying a sterling silver cross, covered in precious blue stones, which Valentin knows to be the famous Blue Cross. The detective cautions the priest, whose name is Father Brown, on the dangers of advertising the fact that he is carrying an object of great value to the world.

When Valentin arrives in London, he tries to tail Father Brown, but loses him. Later that day, retracing his steps, he comes across a very elegant restaurant, with a mysterious dark splash upon one of its walls. He sits down in and orders a cup of coffee. When his drink arrives, he realises that the positions of the table salt and sugar have been switched. He brings this to the attention of the waiter who instantly says it must have been "those two clergymen". Valentin enquires, and finds out that the smaller of the two priests threw his half-empty bowl of soup at the wall before quickly leaving the restaurant. Valentin recognizes the description of Father Brown, and hurries on. He comes across a grocers stand, and brings it to the attention of the grocer that atop his display of nuts, a large sign reading oranges, and atop oranges, a sign reading nuts. The grocer tells him a similar story of two priests, one small and one large, and how the little one upset the apple cart and ran. Valentin enlists the help of two London bobbies, and continues looking. After riding in a London omnibus for some time, Valentin spots a restaurant with the front window having a large star shaped break in it. Upon questioning the waiter (and slipping him a generous tip), Valentin learns that the plate glass window was smashed by a little priest, who was in earlier with a large companion, and paid over three times his proper bill, then smashed the window with his umbrella to compensate for the difference, and ran before the shocked waiter could object. Valentin's final clue is in a sweetshop, where the lady at the counter tells him that two priests were there not a half hour before. Though they left, the smaller of the two soon returned, saying he had misplaced a package, and that if it were found to send it on to an address in Westminster. The shopkeeper did indeed find the package once the priest had left, despite having just searched the entire store for it, and sent it on as instructed. The shopkeeper then tells them that the two priests headed for Hampstead Heath, and Valentin heads to the park.

Here he comes across the two priests, and following them stealthily, overhears them involved in a theological debate, in which the larger priest criticises reason. He then reveals his true identity as Flambeau, and demands the package from Father Brown. When Father Brown refuses, Flambeau triumphantly reveals that he has already obtained the cross and slipped the priest a dummy package. However, Father Brown replies that he has switched the packages back at the candy shop and mailed the cross safely to a friend at Westminster. He explains how he suspected his companion was no priest because he recognized the bulge up his sleeve as the spiked bracelet, a criminal insignia. This suspicion was confirmed when Father Brown tested Flambeau and found that his companion did not want to draw attention to himself in the restaurant (this being tested by swapping the positions of the sugar and table salt, the thief drinking his salty coffee without a word; and modifying the bill so that it shows a value three times higher, the thief merely paying it without complaint). Finally, Father Brown claims that by attacking reason, Flambeau showed a bad understanding of theology (and therefore could not be a priest). Contrary to the statement that Flambeau made of them being alone, and therefore making the thief free to threaten his intended victim, Father Brown in fact summoned the police to him by doing things that would get them talked about (throwing soup, knocking over apples, smashing a window), thereby leaving an obvious trail for Valentin to follow. On this note, the bobbies and Valentin emerge from their hiding place and arrest Flambeau. In the final scene both Flambeau and Valentin bow to Father Brown in salute of his detective skills.