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Agatha Christie
"Not? Ah, what a mercy! I feel restored." She half
rose. "I will return to my own compartment."
"Not just yet." Mr. Parker Pyne's hand pressed her
gently back. "I will ask of you to wait a moment, Ma-dame."
"Monsieur, this is an outrage!"
"Madame, you will remain."
His voice rang out coldly. The woman sat still looking
at him. Elsie joined them.
"It seems it was a smoke bomb," she said breath-lessly.
"Some ridiculous practical joke. The conductor
is furious. He is asking everybody--" She broke off,
staring at the second occupant of the carriage.
"Mrs. Jeffries," said Mr. Parker Pyne, "what do
you carry in your little scarlet case?"
"My jewelry."
"Perhaps you would be so kind as to look and see
that everything is there."
There was immediately a torrent of words from the
Slav lady. She broke into French, the better to do justice
to her feelings.
In the meantime Elsie had picked up the jewel case.
"Oh!" she cried. "It's unlocked."
". . . et je porterai plainte d la Compagnie des
Wagons-Lits," finished the Slav lady.
"They're gone!" cried Elsie. "Everything! My dia-mond
bracelet. And the necklace Pop gave me. And the
emerald and ruby rings. And some lovely diamond
brooches. Thank goodness I was wearing my pearls.
Oh, Mr. Pyne, what shall we do?"
"If you will fetch the conductor," said Mr. Parker
Pyne, "I will see that this woman does not leave this
compartment till he comes."
"Sclrat.t Monstre.t'' shrieked the Slav lady. She
went on to further insults. The train drew in to Venice.
HAVE YOU GOT EVERYTHING YOU WANT? l
The events of the next halfhour may be briefly su
marized. Mr. Parker Pyne dealt with several differc
officials in several different languages--and suffer
defeat. The suspected lady consented to be searchl
--and emerged without a 'stain on her character. TI
jewels were not on her.
Between Venice and Trieste Mr. Parker Pyne m
Elsie discussed the case.
"When was the last time you actually saw yo
jewels7"
"This morning. I put away some sapphire earrings
was wearing yesterday and took out a pair of plain pea
ones. ' '
"And all the jewelry was there intact?"
"Well, I didn't go through it all, naturally. But
looked the same as usual. A ring or something like th
might have been missing, but not more."
Mr. Parker Pyne nodded. "Now, when the conduct
made up the compartment this morning?"
"I had the case with mc--in the restaurant car.
always take it with me. I've never left it except when
ran out just now."
"Therefore," said Mr. Parker Pyne, "that injur
innocent, Madame Subayska, or whatever she calls he
self, must have been the thief. But what the devil did sl
do with the things? She was only in here a minute and
half--just time to open the case with a duplicate key an
take out the stuff--yes, but what next?"
"Could she have handed them to anyone else?"
"Hardly. I had turned back and was forcing my w
along the corridor. If anyone had come out of this con
partment I should have seen them."
"Perhaps she threw them out of the window to sore
one."
"An excellent suggestion; only, as it happens,
110
Agatha Christie
were passing over the sea at that moment. We were on
the bridge."
"Then she must have hidden them actually in the car-riage.''
"Let's hunt for them."
With true transatlantic energy Elsie began to look
about. Mr. Parker Pyne participated in the search in a
somewhat absent fashion. Reproached for not trying,
he excused himself.
"I'm thinking that I must send a rather important
telegram at Trieste," he explained.
Elsie received the explanation coldly. Mr. Parker
Pyne had fallen heavily in her estimation.
"I'm afraid you're annoyed with me, Mrs. Jeffries,"
he said meekly.
"Well, you've not been very successful," she re-torted.
"But my dear lady, you must remember I am not a
detective. Theft and Crime are not in my line at all. The
human heart is my province."
"Well, I was a bit unhappy when I got on this train,"
said Elsie, "but nothing to what I am now! I could just
cry buckets. My lovely, lovely bracelet--and the emer-ald
ring Edward gave me when we were engaged."
"But surely you are insured against theft?" Mr.
Parker Pyne interpolated.
"Am I? I don't know. Yes, I suppose I am. But it's
the sentiment of the thing, Mr. Pyne."
The train slackened speed. Mr. Parker Pyne peered
out of the window. "Trieste," he said. "I must send my
telegram."
"Edward!" Elsie's face lighted up as she saw her hus-band
hurrying to meet her on the platform at Stamboui.
HAVE YOU GOT EVERYTHING YOU WANT?
For the moment even the loss of her jewelry faded fr
her mind. She forgot the curious words she had fot
on the blotter. She forgot everything except that it wE
fortnight since she had seen her husband last, and tJ
in spite of being sober and strait-laced he was reall,.
most attractive person.
They were just leaving the station when Elsie l
a friendly tap on the shoulder and turned to .
Mr. Parker Pyne. His bland face was beaming go<
naturedly.
"Mrs. Jeffries," he said, "will you come to see me
the Hotel Tokatlian in half an hour? I think I may h
good news for you."
Elsie looked uncertainly at Edward. Then she mE
the introduction. "This--er--is my husband--l
Parker Pyne."
"As I believe your wife wired you, her jewels h
been stolen," said Mr. Parker Pyne. "I have been do
what I can to help her recover them. I think I may ha
news for her in about half an hour."
Elsie looked inquiringly at Edward. He repli
promptly:
"You'd better go, dear. The Tokatlian, you said, Iv
Pyne? Right; I'll see she makes it."
It was just half an hour later that Elsie was sho,
into Mr. Parker Pyne's private sitting room. He rose
receive her.
"You've been disappointed in me, Mrs. Jeffries,"
said. "Now, don't deny it. Well, I don't pretend to b,
magician, but I do what I can. Take a look inside here
He passed along the table a small stout cardbo
box. Elsie opened it. Rings, brooches, bracelet, neckla
--they were all there.
"Mr. Pyne, how marvelous! How--how too wond
ful!"
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Agatha Christie
Mr. Parker Pyne smiled modestly. "I am glad not to
have failed you, my dear young lady."
"Oh, Mr. Pyne, you make me feel just mean! Ever
since Trieste I've been horrid to you. And now--this.
But how did you get hold
of them? When? Where?"
Mr. Parker Pyne shook his head thoughtfully. "It's a
long story," he said. "You may hear it one day. In fact,
you may hear it quite soon."
"Why can't I hear it now?"
"There are reasons," said Mr. Parker Pyne.
And Elsie had to depart with her curiosity unsatisfied.
When she had gone, Mr. Parker Pyne took up his hat
and stick and went out into the streets of Pera. He
walked along smiling to himself, coming at last to a little
cafe, deserted at the moment, which overlooked the
Golden Horn. On the other side, the mosques of Stamboul
showed slender minarets against the afternoon sky.
It was very beautiful. Mr. Pyne sat down and ordered
two coffees. They came thick and sweet. He had just
begun to sip his when a man slipped into the seat opposite.
It was Edward Jeffries.
"I have ordered some coffee for you," said Mr.
Parker Pyne, indicating the little cup.
Edward pushed the coffee aside. He leaned forward
across the table. "How did you know?" he asked.
Mr. Parker Pyne sipped his coffee dreamily. "Your
wife will have told you about her discovery on the blotter?
No? Oh, but she will tell you; it has slipped her
mind for the moment."
He mentioned Elsie's discovery.
"Very well; that linked up perfectly with the curious
incident that happened just before Venice. For some
reason or other you were engineering the theft of your
wife's jewels. But why the phrase 'just before Venice
would be the best time'? There seemed no sense in that.
HAVE YOU GOT EVERYTHING YOU WANT? 11
Why did you not leave it to your--agentmto choose he
own time and place?
"And then, suddenly, I saw the point. Your wife
jewels were stolen before you yourself left London an
were replaced by paste duplicates. But that solution di,
not satisfy you. You were a highminded, conscientiou
young man. You have a horror of some servant or oth{
innocent person being suspected. A theft must actually
occur--at a place and in a manner which will leave n
suspicion attached to anybody of your acquaintance o
household.
"Your accomplice is provided with a key to the jew
box and a smoke bomb. At the correct moment sh
gives the alarm; darts into your wife's compartmen
unlocks the jewel case and flings the paste duplicate
into the sea. She may be suspected and searched, bu
nothing can be proved against her, since the jewels ar
not in her possession.
"And now the significance of the place chosen be
comes apparent. If the jewels had merely been throw
out by the side of the line, they might have been fount
Hence the importance of the one moment when the trai
is passing over the sea.
"In the meantime, you make your arrangements fo
selling the jewelry here. You have only to hand over th
stones when the robbery has actually taken place. M
wire, however, reached you in time. You obeyed my ir
structions and deposited the box of jewelry at th
Tokatlian to await my arrival, knowing that otherwise
should keep my threat of placing the matter in the hand
of the police. You also obeyed my instructions in join ing me here."
Edward Jeffries looked at Mr. Parker Pyne appeal
ingly. He was a good-looking young man, tall and fair
with a round chin and very round eyes. "How can
114
Agatha Christie
make y-ou understand?" he said hopelessly. "To you I
must se. em just a common thief."
"Noat all," said Mr. Parker Pyne. "On the con-trary,
I should say you are almost painfully honest. I am
accusto reed to the classification of types. You, my dear
sir, fall naturally into the category of victims. Now, tell
me the vhole story."
"I ca tell you that in one word--blackmail."
,,Yes..,,
"Yore'ye seen my wife; you realize what a pure, inno-cent
creature she is--without thought or knowledge of
evil."
"She has the most marvelously pure ideals. If .she
were to find out about--about anything I had done, she
would leave me."
"I wcnder. But that is not the point. What have you
done, nY young friend? I presume this is some affair
with a
Edwa rd Jeffries nodded.
"$ince your marriage--or before?"
"Before--oh, before."
"Well, well, what happened?"
"Noticing; nothing at all. This is just the cruel part of
it. It wa at a hotel in the West Indies. There was a very
attractive woman--a Mrs. Rossiter--staying there. Her
husbanc was a violent man; he had the most savage fits
of temper. One night he threatened her with a revolver.
She escaped from him and came to my room. She was
half craZY with terror. She--she asked me to let her stay
there till morning, l--what else could I do?"
Mr. Parker Pyne gazed at the young man, and the
young nan gazed back with conscious rectitude. Mr.
Parker NSSyne sighed. "In other words, to put it plainly,
you wer had for a mug, Mr. Jeffries."
HAVE YOU GOT EVERYTHING YOU WANT?
11 S
"Really--"
"Yes, yes. A very old trick--but it often comes off
successfully with quixotic young men. I suppose, when
your approaching marriage was announced, the screw
was turned ?"
"Yes. I received a letter. If I did not send a certain
sum of money, everything would be disclosed to my
prospective father-in-law. How I hadmhad alienated
this young woman's affection from her husband; how
she had been seen coming to my room. The husband
would bring a suit for divorce. Really, Mr. Pyne, the
whole thing made me out the most utter blackguard."
He wiped his brow in a harassed manner.
"Yes, yes, I know. And so you paid. And from time
to time the screw has been put on again."
"Yes. This was the last straw. Our business has been
badly hit by the slump. I simply could not lay my hands
on any ready money. I hit upon this plan." He picked
up his cup of cold coffee, looked at it absently, and
drank it. "What am I to do now?" he demanded
pathetically. "What am I to do, Mr. Pyne?"
"You will be guided by me," said Parker Pyne
firmly. "I will deal with your tormentors. As to your
wife, you will go straight back to her and tell her the
truthmor at least a portion of it. The only point where
you will deviate from the truth is concerning the actual
facts in the West Indies. You must conceal from her the
fact that you were--well, had for a mug, as I said
before."
"But--"
"My dear Mr. Jeffries, you do not understand
women. If a woman has to choose between a mug and a
Don Juan, she will choose Don Juan every time. Your
wife, Mr. Jeffries, is a charming, innocent, high-minded
girl, and the only way she is going to get any kick out of
116
&
nbsp; Agatha Christie
her life with you is to believe that she has reformed a
rake."
Edward Jeffries was saring at him openmouthed.
"I mean what I say," said Mr. Parker Pyne. "At the
present moment your wife is in love with you, but I see
signs that she may not remain so if you continue to present
to her a picture of such goodness and rectitude that
it is almost synonymous with dullness."
Edward winced.
"Go to her, my boy," said Mr. Parker Pyne kindly.
"Confess everything--that is, as many things as you can
think of. Then explain that from the moment you met
her you gave up all this life. You even stole so that it
might not come to her ears. She will forgive you enthusiastically.''
"But when there's nothing really to forgive--"
"What is truth?" said Mr. Parker Pyne. "In my experience
it is usually the thing that upsets the apple cart!
It is a fundamental axiom of married life that you must lie to a woman. She likes it! Go and be forgiven, my
boy. And live happily ever afterwards. I dare say your
wife will keep a wary eye on you in future whenever a
pretty woman comes along--some men would mind
that, but I don't think you will."
"I never want to look at any woman but Elsie," said
Mr. Jeffries simply.
"Splendid, my boy," said Mr. Parker Pyne. "But I
shouldn't let her know that if I were you. No woman
likes to feel she's taken on too soft a job."
Edward Jeffries rose. "You really think--?"
"I know," said Mr. Parker Pyne, with force.
The Gate of
Baghdad
"Four great gates has the city of Damascus "
AgathaChristie-ParkerPineDetective Page 13