‘And what’s that?’
Eve put her head on one side, her fair hair wagged excitedly. ‘I’m not telling you–now. What do you bet I couldn’t?’
Memories of Mr Pointz’s youth rose in his mind.
‘Half a dozen pairs of gloves,’ he said.
‘Gloves,’ cried Eve disgustedly. ‘Who wears gloves?’
‘Well–do you wear nylon stockings?’
‘Do I not? My best pair ran this morning.’
‘Very well, then. Half a dozen pairs of the finest nylon stockings–’
‘Oo-er,’ said Eve blissfully. ‘And what about you?’
‘Well, I need a new tobacco pouch.’
‘Right. That’s a deal. Not that you’ll get your tobacco pouch. Now I’ll tell you what you’ve got to do. You must hand it round like you did last night–’
She broke off as two waiters entered to remove the plates. When they were starting on the next course of chicken, Mr Pointz said:
‘Remember this, young woman, if this is to represent a real theft, I should send for the police and you’d be searched.’
‘That’s quite OK by me. You needn’t be quite so lifelike as to bring the police into it. But Lady Marroway or Mrs Rustington can do all the searching you like.’
‘Well, that’s that then,’ said Mr Pointz. ‘What are you setting up to be? A first class jewel thief?’
‘I might take to it as a career–if it really paid.’
‘If you got away with the Morning Star it would pay you. Even after recutting that stone would be worth over thirty thousand pounds.’
‘My!’ said Eve, impressed. ‘What’s that in dollars?’
Lady Marroway uttered an exclamation.
‘And you carry such a stone about with you?’ she said reproachfully. ‘Thirty thousand pounds.’ Her darkened eyelashes quivered.
Mrs Rustington said softly: ‘It’s a lot of money…And then there’s the fascination of the stone itself…It’s beautiful.’
‘Just a piece of carbon,’ said Evan Llewellyn.
‘I’ve always understood it’s the “fence” that’s the difficulty in jewel robberies,’ said Sir George. ‘He takes the lion’s share–eh, what?’
‘Come on,’ said Eve excitedly. ‘Let’s start. Take the diamond out and say what you said last night.’
Mr Leathern said in his deep melancholy voice, ‘I do apologize for my offspring. She gets kinder worked up–’
‘That’ll do, Pops,’ said Eve. ‘Now then, Mr Pointz–’
Smiling, Mr Pointz fumbled in an inner pocket. He drew something out. It lay on the palm of his hand, blinking in the light.
‘A diamond…’
Rather stiffly, Mr Pointz repeated as far as he could remember his speech of the previous evening on the Merrimaid.
‘Perhaps you ladies and gentlemen would like to have a look at this? It’s an unusually beautiful stone. I call it the Morning Star and it’s by way of being my mascot–goes about with me anywhere. Like to see it?’
He handed it to Lady Marroway, who took it, exclaimed at its beauty and passed it to Mr Leathern who said, ‘Pretty good–yes, pretty good,’ in a somewhat artificial manner and in his turn passed it to Llewellyn.
The waiters coming in at that moment, there was a slight hitch in the proceedings. When they had gone again, Evan said, ‘Very fine stone,’ and passed it to Leo Stein who did not trouble to make any comment but handed it quickly on to Eve.
‘How perfectly lovely,’ cried Eve in a high affected voice.
‘Oh!’ She gave a cry of consternation as it slipped from her hand. ‘I’ve dropped it.’
She pushed back her chair and got down to grope under the table. Sir George at her right, bent also. A glass got swept off the table in the confusion. Stein, Llewellyn and Mrs Rustington all helped in the search. Finally Lady Marroway joined in.
Only Mr Pointz took no part in the proceedings. He remained in his seat sipping his wine and smiling sardonically.
‘Oh, dear,’ said Eve, still in her artificial manner, ‘How dreadful! Where can it have rolled to? I can’t find it anywhere.’
One by one the assistant searchers rose to their feet.
‘It’s disappeared all right, Pointz,’ said Sir George smiling.
‘Very nicely done,’ said Mr Pointz, nodding approval. ‘You’d make a very good actress, Eve. Now the question is, have you hidden it somewhere or have you got it on you?’
‘Search me,’ said Eve dramatically.
Mr Pointz’ eye sought out a large screen in the corner of the room.
He nodded towards it and then looked at Lady Marroway and Mrs Rustington.
‘If you ladies will be so good–’
‘Why, certainly,’ said Lady Marroway, smiling.
The two women rose.
Lady Marroway said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Mr Pointz. We’ll vet her properly.’
The three went behind the screen.
The room was hot. Evan Llewellyn flung open the window. A news vendor was passing. Evan threw down a coin and the man threw up a paper.
Llewellyn unfolded it.
‘Hungarian situation’s none too good,’ he said.
‘That the local rag?’ asked Sir George. ‘There’s a horse I’m interested in ought to have run at Haldon today–Natty Boy.’
‘Leo,’ said Mr Pointz. ‘Lock the door. We don’t want those damned waiters popping in and out till this business is over.’
‘Natty Boy won three to one,’ said Evan.
‘Rotten odds,’ said Sir George.
‘Mostly Regatta news,’ said Evan, glancing over the sheet.
The three young women came out from the screen.
‘Not a sign of it,’ said Janet Rustington.
‘You can take it from me she hasn’t got it on her,’ said Lady Marroway.
Mr Pointz thought he would be quite ready to take it from her. There was a grim tone in her voice and he felt no doubt that the search had been thorough.
‘Say, Eve, you haven’t swallowed it?’ asked Mr Leathern anxiously. ‘Because maybe that wouldn’t be too good for you.’
‘I’d have seen her do that,’ said Leo Stein quietly. ‘I was watching her. She didn’t put anything in her mouth.’
‘I couldn’t swallow a great thing all points like that,’ said Eve. She put her hands on her hips and looked at Mr Pointz. ‘What about it, big boy?’ she asked.
‘You stand over there where you are and don’t move,’ said that gentleman.
Among them, the men stripped the table and turned it upside down. Mr Pointz examined every inch of it. Then he transferred his attention to the chair on which Eve had been sitting and those on either side of her.
The thoroughness of the search left nothing to be desired. The other four men joined in and the women also. Eve Leathern stood by the wall near the screen and laughed with intense enjoyment.
Five minutes later Mr Pointz rose with a slight groan from his knees and dusted his trousers sadly. His pristine freshness was somewhat impaired.
‘Eve,’ he said. ‘I take off my hat to you. You’re the finest thing in jewel thieves I’ve ever come across. What you’ve done with that stone beats me. As far as I can see it must be in the room as it isn’t on you. I give you best.’
‘Are the stockings mine?’ demanded Eve.
‘They’re yours, young lady.’
‘Eve, my child, where can you have hidden it?’ demanded Mrs Rustington curiously.
Eve pranced forward.
‘I’ll show you. You’ll all be just mad with yourselves.’
She went across to the side table where the things from the dinner table had been roughly stacked. She picked up her little black evening bag–
‘Right under your eyes. Right…’
Her voice, gay and triumphant, trailed off suddenly.
‘Oh,’ she said. ‘Oh…’
‘What’s the matter, honey?’ said her father.
Eve whispered: ‘I
t’s gone…it’s gone…’
‘What’s all this?’ asked Pointz, coming forward.
Eve turned to him impetuously.
‘It was like this. This pochette of mine has a big paste stone in the middle of the clasp. It fell out last night and just when you were showing that diamond round I noticed that it was much the same size. And so I thought in the night what a good idea for a robbery it would be to wedge your diamond into the gap with a bit of plasticine. I felt sure nobody would ever spot it. That’s what I did tonight. First I dropped it–then went down after it with the bag in my hand, stuck it into the gap with a bit of plasticine which I had handy, put my bag on the table and went on pretending to look for the diamond. I thought it would be like the Purloined Letter–you know–lying there in full view under all your noses–and just looking like a common bit of rhinestone. And it was a good plan–none of you did notice.’
‘I wonder,’ said Mr Stein.
‘What did you say?’
Mr Pointz took the bag, looked at the empty hole with a fragment of plasticine still adhering to it and said slowly: ‘It may have fallen out. We’d better look again.’
The search was repeated, but this time it was a curiously silent business. An atmosphere of tension pervaded the room.
Finally everyone in turn gave it up. They stood looking at each other.
‘It’s not in this room,’ said Stein.
‘And nobody’s left the room,’ said Sir George significantly.
There was a moment’s pause. Eve burst into tears.
Her father patted her on the shoulder.
‘There, there,’ he said awkwardly.
Sir George turned to Leo Stein.
‘Mr Stein,’ he said. ‘Just now you murmured something under your breath. When I asked you to repeat it, you said it was nothing. But as a matter of fact I heard what you said. Miss Eve had just said that none of us noticed the place where she had put the diamond. The words you murmured were: “I wonder.” What we have to face is the probability that one person did notice–that that person is in this room now. I suggest that the only fair and honourable thing is for every one present to submit to a search. The diamond cannot have left the room.’
When Sir George played the part of the old English gentleman, none could play it better. His voice rang with sincerity and indignation.
‘Bit unpleasant, all this,’ said Mr Pointz unhappily.
‘It’s all my fault,’ sobbed Eve. ‘I didn’t mean–’
‘Buck up, kiddo,’ said Mr Stein kindly. ‘Nobody’s blaming you.’
Mr Leathern said in his slow pedantic manner:
‘Why, certainly, I think that Sir George’s suggestion will meet with the fullest approval from all of us. It does from me.’
‘I agree,’ said Evan Llewellyn.
Mrs Rustington looked at Lady Marroway who nodded a brief assent. The two of them went back behind the screen and the sobbing Eve accompanied them.
A waiter knocked on the door and was told to go away.
Five minutes later eight people looked at each other incredulously.
The Morning Star had vanished into space…
II
Mr Parker Pyne looked thoughtfully at the dark agitated face of the young man opposite him.
‘Of course,’ he said. ‘You’re Welsh, Mr Llewellyn.’
‘What’s that got to do with it?’
Mr Parker Pyne waved a large, well-cared-for hand.
‘Nothing at all, I admit. I am interested in the classification of emotional reactions as exemplified by certain racial types. That is all. Let us return to the consideration of your particular problem.’
‘I don’t really know why I came to you,’ said Evan Llewellyn. His hands twitched nervously, and his dark face had a haggard look. He did not look at Mr Parker Pyne and that gentleman’s scrutiny seemed to make him uncomfortable. ‘I don’t know why I came to you,’ he repeated. ‘But where the Hell can I go? And what the Hell can I do? It’s the powerlessness of not being able to do anything at all that gets me…I saw your advertisement and I remembered that a chap had once spoken of you and said that you got results…And–well–I came! I suppose I was a fool. It’s the sort of position nobody can do anything about.’
‘Not at all,’ said Mr Parker Pyne. ‘I am the proper person to come to. I am a specialist in unhappiness. This business has obviously caused you a good deal of pain. You are sure the facts are exactly as you have told me?’
‘I don’t think I’ve left out anything. Pointz brought out the diamond and passed it around–that wretched American child stuck it on her ridiculous bag and when we came to look at the bag, the diamond was gone. It wasn’t on anyone–old Pointz himself even was searched–he suggested it himself–and I’ll swear it was nowhere in that room! And nobody left the room–’
‘No waiters, for instance?’ suggested Mr Parker Pyne.
Llewellyn shook his head.
‘They went out before the girl began messing about with the diamond, and afterwards Pointz locked the door so as to keep them out. No, it lies between one of us.’
‘It would certainly seem so,’ said Mr Parker Pyne thoughtfully.
‘That damned evening paper,’ said Evan Llewellyn bitterly. ‘I saw it come into their minds–that that was the only way–’
‘Just tell me again exactly what occurred.’
‘It was perfectly simple. I threw open the window, whistled to the man, threw down a copper and he tossed me up the paper. And there it is, you see–the only possible way the diamond could have left the room–thrown by me to an accomplice waiting in the street below.’
‘Not the only possible way,’ said Mr Parker Pyne.
‘What other way can you suggest?’
‘If you didn’t throw it out, there must have been some other way.’
‘Oh, I see. I hoped you meant something more definite than that. Well, I can only say that I didn’t throw it out. I can’t expect you to believe me–or anyone else.’
‘Oh, yes, I believe you,’ said Mr Parker Pyne.
‘You do? Why?’
‘Not a criminal type,’ said Mr Parker Pyne. ‘Not, that is, the particular criminal type that steals jewellery. There are crimes, of course, that you might commit–but we won’t enter into that subject. At any rate I do not see you as the purloiner of the Morning Star.’
‘Everyone else does though,’ said Llewellyn bitterly.
‘I see,’ said Mr Parker Pyne.
‘They looked at me in a queer sort of way at the time. Marroway picked up the paper and just glanced over at the window. He didn’t say anything. But Pointz cottoned on to it quick enough! I could see what they thought. There hasn’t been any open accusation, that’s the devil of it.’
Mr Parker Pyne nodded sympathetically.
‘It is worse than that,’ he said.
‘Yes. It’s just suspicion. I’ve had a fellow round asking questions–routine inquiries, he called it. One of the new dress-shirted lot of police, I suppose. Very tactful–nothing at all hinted. Just interested in the fact that I’d been hard up and was suddenly cutting a bit of a splash.’
‘And were you?’
‘Yes–some luck with a horse or two. Unluckily my bets were made on the course–there’s nothing to show that that’s how the money came in. They can’t disprove it, of course–but that’s just the sort of easy lie a fellow would invent if he didn’t want to show where the money came from.’
‘I agree. Still they will have to have a good deal more than that to go upon.’
‘Oh! I’m not afraid of actually being arrested and charged with the theft. In a way that would be easier–one would know, where one was. It’s the ghastly fact that all those people believe I took it.’
‘One person in particular?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘A suggestion–nothing more–’ Again Mr Parker Pyne waved his comfortable-looking hand. ‘There was one person in particular, wasn’t there? Shall
we say Mrs Rustington?’
Llewellyn’s dark face flushed.
‘Why pitch on her?’
‘Oh, my dear sir–there is obviously someone whose opinion matters to you greatly–probably a lady. What ladies were there? An American flapper? Lady Marroway? But you would probably rise not fall in Lady Marroway’s estimation if you had brought off such a coup. I know something of the lady. Clearly then, Mrs Rustington.’
Llewellyn said with something of an effort,
‘She–she’s had rather an unfortunate experience. Her husband was a down and out rotter. It’s made her unwilling to trust anyone. She–if she thinks–’
He found it difficult to go on.
‘Quite so,’ said Mr Parker Pyne. ‘I see the matter is important. It must be cleared up.’
Evan gave a short laugh.
‘That’s easy to say.’
‘And quite easy to do,’ said Mr Parker Pyne.
‘You think so?’
‘Oh, yes–the problem is so clear cut. So many possibilities are ruled out. The answer must really be extremely simple. Indeed already I have a kind of glimmering–’
Llewellyn stared at him incredulously.
Mr Parker Pyne drew a pad of paper towards him and picked up a pen.
‘Perhaps you would give me a brief description of the party.’
‘Haven’t I already done so?’
‘Their personal appearance–colour of hair and so on.’
‘But, Mr Parker Pyne, what can that have to do with it?’
‘A good deal, young man, a good deal. Classification and so on.’
Somewhat unbelievingly, Evan described the personal appearance of the members of the yachting party.
Mr Parker Pyne made a note or two, pushed away the pad and said:
‘Excellent. By the way, did you say a wine glass was broken?’
Evan stared again.
‘Yes, it was knocked off the table and then it got stepped on.’
‘Nasty thing, splinters of glass,’ said Mr Parker Pyne. ‘Whose wine glass was it?’
‘I think it was the child’s–Eve.’
‘Ah!–and who sat next to her on that side?’
‘Sir George Marroway.’
‘You didn’t see which of them knocked it off the table?’
‘Afraid I didn’t. Does it matter?’
‘Not really. No. That was a superfluous question. Well’–he stood up–‘good morning, Mr Llewellyn. Will you call again in three days’ time? I think the whole thing will be quite satisfactorily cleared up by then.’
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