CHAPTER 3 DETECTIVE FIX

On Wednesday, 9th October a small thin man waited for a ship at Suez, Egypt. The ship, a fast ship, was the Mongolia. The man was Detective Fix. He was at the port because he wanted to find the Bank of England thief.

Fix looked at everybody. He wanted a tall man in expensive clothes. When the Mongolia arrived at the port, Phileas Fogg left the ship. He had to get a stamp in his passport. He went back to the ship. Fix watched him,

Then the detective found Passepartout out in the town.

'Can I help you?' asked Fix.

'You are very kind,' said Passepartout.' This is Suez?'

'Yes,' said Fix.' Suez, in Egypt, in Africa.'

Passepartout looked at Fix with wide eyes.

'Africa!' he said.' This morning I saw Paris again, from 7.20 to 8.15 in the morning, through the windows of a train, between two railway stations. And now I am here in Africa.'

'You haven't got much time, then?' asked the detective.

' No, Mr. Fogg hasn't got much time. Oh, and I have to buy some clothes. We came away with only one small bag for the journey.'

'I'll show you the way to the shops.'

'Thank you,' said Passepartout. And the two men walked through Suez. ' I have to be careful about the time. The ship leaves again in a short time.'

'You've got time for shopping,' Fix answered. 'And you've got time for lunch.'

Passepartout pulled out his big watch.

‘Lunch?' he said.' It's 9.52 in the morning!'

'No, it's 11.52,' said Fix. 'You've got London time on your watch. That's two hours behind Suez time. When you go round the -world, time changes. On your journey you'll have to change the time on your watch for each new country.'

'What! Change the time on my watch? Never!' said Passepartout.

Fix smiled. Five minutes later he said,' Here are the shops. You can buy everything here. I think you left London quickly.'

'Oh yes! Last Wednesday, Mr. Fogg came back from his club at 7.50 in the evening. He usually comes back at midnight. And then we started our journey.'

Fix thought about that. Then he asked, ‘But where is Mr. Fogg going?'

'Round the world.'

'Round the world?'

'Yes, in eighty days. He says it is for a bet.'

' Is he rich?' Fix asked.

'I think he is,' said Passepartout. The Frenchman was always ready to talk. 'He has a lot of new banknotes with him, and he buys things all the time. He gave the captain of the Mongolia a lot of money because he wanted to get to Bombay early.'

So the detective wrote to London and asked for a warrant in Bombay. Phileas Fogg was tall and wore expensive clothes. He left London quickly. He had a lot of money in new banknotes. Phileas Fogg was, Fix thought, the Bank of England thief.

Ten minutes before the Mongolia left Suez, Fix was on the ship with a light bag and some money. He was on his way to Bombay.