In the Tommy and Tuppence short story The Sunningdale Mystery, Hollaby (Senior) is a friend and business partner of Captain Anthony Sessle. He is one of the last persons to see Sessle alive. The evening before the day Sessle was found dead, Hollaby played evening golf with him at the Sunningdale Golf Club.
Much of the account of what happened during this last game comes from Hollaby, supported by two other witnesses, Major Barnard and Mr Lecky in the flight behind. According to Hollaby, they had holed out on the sixth tee and Sessle walked on ahead to the seventh tee while he replaced the pin in the hole. Hollaby saw Sessle was speaking with a tall woman dressed in brown. They went off together towards the bushes and Sessle said he would be back soon. He returned shortly thereafter but something had happened because his his playing had become considerably worse. Two other witnesses, Major Barnard and Mr Lecky were in the flight behind them and they also saw the same thing. Sessle played on for a while, but also finishing the eigth hole, he declared that the light was too poor and took one of the slips and left the course for the Windlesham Road, heading for his cottage. Hollaby, Barnard and Lecky discussed what it could have been which made Sessle suddenly play so badly. They then repaired to the club house and Hollaby spent the night at the Dormy House.
After the death of Sessle, it emerged that Sessle's and Hollaby's firm, the Porcupine Assurance Company, was in liquidation because someone had been embezzling the money. Hollaby said that he and his son Hollaby Junior, also a member of the firm, were ruined.
Name[]
In the short the character is simply called Hollaby. The Senior is added to the Agatha Christie wiki, to differentiate him from his son, who has the same name.
Portrayals[]
In LWT's 1983 TV adaptation of The Sunningdale Mystery, Hollaby is portrayed by Edwin Brown. Here Hollaby is given the first name "Wilfred".