This was the letter:
ELIAS VAN DER SPYCK & CO.
GENERAL IMPORTERS
ROTTERDAM Rotterdam 25th Nov.
Codes
A.B.C.
Liebler’s
Personal
Dear Mr. Parrish,
Your favor of even date to hand and contents noted. The last delivery of steel was to time but we have had warning from the railway authorities that labour troubles at the docks are likely to delay future consignments. If you don’t mind we should prefer to settle the question of future delivery by Nov. 27 as we have a board meeting on the 30th inst. While we fully appreciate your own difficulties with labour at home, you will understand that this is a question which we cannot afford to adjourn sine die.
Yours faithfully,
pro ELIAS VAN DER SPYCK & CO.
The signature was illegible.
Euan MacTavish folded the letter again and handed it back to Mary.
“That doesn’t take me any farther,” he said. “What do the police think of it?”
“They haven’t seen it,” was the girl’s reply. “I took it without them knowing. I mean to make my own investigations about this ...”