The Old Man in the Corner

A chance encounter in the bustling marble hall of a London bakery sets the stage for a clever contest of wits. Polly Burton, a sharp‑tongued reporter for the Evening Observer, finds herself drawn into a quiet debate with a pale, nervous stranger who claims that no crime remains a mystery when logic is applied. Their banter crackles as the old man, fiddling with a string, hints at a methodical mind that could untangle even the most baffling case on the city’s headlines.

When the notorious Fenchurch Street robbery—still unsolved after a year—comes up, Polly’s curiosity spikes. She challenges the stranger, hoping his enigmatic insights might illuminate the baffling clues that have stumped the police. The exchange promises a battle of deduction and personality, inviting listeners to follow their intellectual duel and wonder whether a seemingly harmless corner seat can conceal a master sleuth.