| The Blurred Man | |
|---|---|
2003 edition cover |
|
| Author(s) | Anthony Horowitz |
| Cover artist | Phil Schramm |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Diamond Brothers |
| Genre(s) | Short story |
| Publisher | Walker Books |
| Publication date | 6 January 2003 |
| Media type | Paperback |
| Pages | 80 pp |
| ISBN | 978-0744590661 |
| OCLC Number | 52286616 |
| Preceded by | The French Confection |
| Followed by | I Know What You Did Last Wednesday |
"The Blurred Man" is the fifth story in the Diamond Brothers series of comedy mysteries, written as a short story by Anthony Horowitz and published as a book on 6 January 2003 by Walker Books. It was included in the omnibus Three of Diamonds in 2004.
The title refers to the blurred photograph that is the only known image of Lenny Smile. It is also an assonant allusion to the classic mystery film The Third Man, in which the hero arrived in Vienna only to discover that his friend Harry Lime had been recently killed by a lorry while crossing the street, just as in this story Joe Carter arrives in London shortly after Lenny Smile has been run over by a steamroller.
The story opens with the Diamond Brothers being hired by the American crime author Joe Carter, who finances Lenny Smile's children's charity Dream Time. Lenny Smile apparently died in a tragic accident when he was run over by a steamroller just before Carter was due to meet him for the first time. The American wants them to find out what really happened to the reclusive philanthropist he so much admired. He shows them his only photograph of Lenny, in which the man's features are blurred.
Tim and Nick interview Lenny's two assistants at the charity offices and his neighbour, and visit his grave. At the cemetery, Nick spots someone who looks like the Lenny Smile in the photograph, and wonders if he could still be alive. They visit the Steamroller driver who is in a mental hospital, but due to Tim's words, like 'The clues are a bit thin on the ground,' the man loses more of his sanity.
The brothers discover that a balloon seller advertising the Russian circus may have witnessed the accident, but when they go to the circus to speak to him, Nick again sees someone who looks like Lenny Smile, and they find the balloon seller has just been stabbed to death. Tim foolishly picks up the knife and the circus performers assume he is the murderer, partly due to Tim trying to correct a clown's grammar. A bizarre chase across the fields ensues, before a Police Car driven by Snape saves the Brothers.
After hearing that the charity is under investigation for fraud, Nick puts together the clues and confronts the bad guys, Lenny's assistants, in a thrilling finale at the London Eye, deducing that 'Lenny Smile' is simply an assumed name that could be used by Lenny's 'assistants' as a scapegoat for their own crimes. They then reveal the compartment was bugged, and the Police are in compartments on either side.