The Nine Bright Shiners

by Anthea Fraser

  ‘That’s why we’re here now, as a matter of fact, Langley said reflectively. ‘One last visit while we’re still welcome guests. The weather’s not ideal, but we had to come.’

  He shifted his position and took a long draught of beer, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. On the canvas above them, the rain kept up its remorseless patter, and a rumble of thunder rolled along the valley wall.

  ‘All right – it’ll be a relief to get it over. Here goes, then: the trip had been plagued with difficulties from the outset. Supplies were held up, which delayed the start of it, and soon afterwards my father went down with some virulent bug. They kept hoping he’d shake it off, but he got steadily worse, and finally had to be air-lifted to hospital. So what happened initially concerned only my wife’s father and Cody.’

  ‘Go on, sir.’

  ‘Well, the aim of the expedition was to trace the last living descendants of Manco Inca. It had been thought the line had died out, but Cody’d discovered there were a couple of members living in a remote mountain village not far from here. So he and Sir Reginald set out to find them. To cut a long story short, they did find the village, and the man, Jose Quispe Tupac, but only just in time. He was dying, and what was worrying him most was that, having no children, he was the last of his line.

  ‘When he realized his visitors were the men who’d discovered Cajabamba, he became very excited and instructed his wife to dig in the hard mud floor in the corner of the cabin. After some time, she managed to extract a dirty old blanket, wrapped round something.’

  Langley looked up and met Webb’s eyes, it contained a priceless emerald collar which had belonged to his ancestor Cura Ocllo, Manco’s sister-queen. And, even more startling, the original Punchao, a golden image of the sun containing the powdered hearts of dead Incas, which was their most treasured possession.’

  Webb wondered fleetingly how Jackson had spelt ‘Cura Ocllo’. But Langley was continuing. ‘These fantastic works of art were placed in the dying man’s hands, and with great ceremony he then passed them over to Cody, entrusting him to take them to the Sun Temple at Pachacamac. This, of course, had been violated at the time of the conquest, and it seemed incredible he didn’t know that. Perhaps he just didn’t want to, because though they did their best to explain, he refused to listen. To him, it was still the most sacred of places, and nowhere else would do. When the men tried to argue with him, he became very agitated and made them swear not to hand the treasures to the government. That’s not surprising; Indians generally have little faith in the Peruvian government. Perhaps they regard it as their conquerors’ natural successor.

  ‘Anyway, all this excitement was apparently too much for him, and he lapsed into a coma shortly afterwards. Peel and Cody took the wife to one side and tried to explain to her, but she was terrified of being held responsible for the treasure, and begged them to take it. She said her husband would die happy, knowing it was safe.’

  Langley looked across at Webb. ‘All right,’ he challenged him, ‘what would you have done?’

  ‘I don’t know, sir. The point is, what did they do?’

  ‘Well, they couldn’t leave it there. The woman was weeping and beseeching them to take it. She wrapped it up in the blanket again, and pushed it into their hands.’

  ‘Just a minute,’ Webb interrupted. ‘How big was that idol thing? It’d be pretty heavy, surely?’

  ‘Surprisingly, no. It only weighs about five pounds – they’d no difficulty carrying it. So they made their way back to Cuzco, endlessly discussing what they should do.

  ‘My father, meanwhile, had been moved down to Lima, to assist his breathing. He was still extremely weak, and was to be flown home on a stretcher. That seemed to offer the best chance of getting the things out of the country, so just before the flight, Cody pushed them under his blankets. Father’d no idea what was going on – he was barely conscious – and since he went straight from hospital to the airport, he wasn’t checked through Customs. It was the same when they landed at home. And Peel extracted the treasures before he was taken to the Royal Broadshire.’

  ‘As simple as that,’ Webb said.

  ‘Believe me, Chief Inspector, there was nothing simple about it. Those jewels changed the lives of all three men. When my father was well enough, Peel and Cody told him the story. Not having been there, he was horrified at what they’d done. But the other two had given their word to a dying man, and felt they couldn’t go back on it.’

  ‘They could have told the British Government.’

  ‘Who’d have been bound to return the treasure to Peru. They didn’t want a diplomatic incident on their hands. Finally, they decided to keep it hidden until all three of them were dead, leaving a posthumous letter with a full explanation to their children, who would be free to decide as they chose.’

  ‘But Sir Reginald withdrew his.’

  ‘Ah, you know about that. It was principally because the jewels were hidden at Rylands, but also, I suspect, because he was very close to my wife, and she accompanied him on several expeditions. It would have been asking too much of human nature to expect him not to confide in her.’

  Webb remembered Lady Peel. ‘Did he also confide in his wife?’

  ‘No, and that was something all three men regretted. They explained in the letter that it was too much of a burden to place on their wives, but the real reason was Isabelle Cody. She was a neurotic woman, unbalanced and hardly the type to entrust with such a secret. And since she obviously couldn’t be told, my father and Sir Reginald thought it unfair to tell their own wives.’

  So Lady Peel had spoken the truth. Obscurely, Webb was glad of that.

  ‘Well, sir, it’s quite a story, but I’m not sure it gets us much further. I still can’t see any connection with Marriott, unless, as you say, he was after the treasure.’

  ‘But on reflection, he couldn’t have been. At the time of his death, the only people who knew about it were my wife and myself.’

  ‘But, Edward,’ Rowena interrupted, ‘Miles had his suspicions, didn’t he?’ She turned to Webb. ‘He visited Father just before he died, when he was rambling a bit. He must have mentioned the Nine Bright Shiners, because after the funeral, Miles came and asked us about them. I thought we’d managed to fob him off, though there was an unpleasant scene. Even so, I’m sure he didn’t know what the Shiners were.’

  Webb felt a prickle of excitement. ‘Mrs Coverdale’s letter was sent to Australia,’ he said thoughtfully, ‘but Cody received his as instructed. The post office confirmed it. He also received a parcel left by his father. Did you know Laurence Cody had written a book about the expedition?’

  ‘We most certainly did not.’

  ‘They were both delivered by registered post last Wednesday, the day Mrs Carr was killed.’

  The Langleys stared at him, shock in their faces. ‘My God, you think Miles killed Lily?’

  ‘Suppose he read the letter, flicked through his father’s manuscript, and, possibly knowing Mrs Coverdale was out for the day, decided to look for the jewels.’

  ‘But why?’ Rowena broke in. ‘We’d no intention of hanging on to them. When we got back, and before Janis left, we were going to have a discussion about them.’

  ‘Why didn’t you discuss it when your father died?’

  ‘Because we wanted them to hear the story from their fathers’ letters first. The three-month interval was to ensure that nothing rash was decided in the aftermath of grief or shock, and it seemed sensible to stick to that.’

  ‘I can’t believe Miles killed Lily,’ Edward said.

  Webb could. ‘We assumed she’d been killed because she disturbed the burglar. Perhaps it was because she recognized him. However, the most damning evidence against Cody is the sequins on the jacket. From what you say, no one else could have known about the emeralds.’

  There was a long silence, while they all thought over what had been said and its possible implications. Then Langley said resignedly, ‘We’ll come back w
ith you, of course. We couldn’t carry on here as if nothing had happened.’

  ‘I’d appreciate that, sir. The disposal of the jewels isn’t my problem, thank goodness, but clearly I’ll have to pass on the information. I’d just be much happier if we could see where Marriott fitted into all this.’

  In fact, the missing link had already been supplied. Two days earlier and some six thousand miles away, the telephone had rung in Broadminster police station.

  ‘My name is Colin Plaidy,’ came a crisp voice over the line, ‘I’d like to speak to the officer in charge of the Marriott case.’

  CHAPTER 13

  The day after their dinner together, Jan tried without success to telephone Miles. Her mind was still churning, but in the clear light of morning she discounted some of her wilder imaginings. Above all, she needed to learn the contents of Laurence Cody’s letter. If it confirmed that the jewels were at Rylands, a decision would have to be taken. They couldn’t go to the police without consulting Edward, but a guard of some sort should be put on the house. The burglar might be more successful at a second attempt.

  Why, oh why, hadn’t she let Miles tell her about the letter?’ she thought despairingly, as the answer-phone again came into operation. Unwilling to leave yet another message, she replaced the receiver and returned to the drawing-room, where Lady Peel was embroidering and the children engrossed in a film on television.

  ‘I’m just slipping out for a while,’ she said, ‘I shan’t be long.’ Lady Peel nodded, the children took no notice. She let herself quietly out of the house, tightening her belt as the cold wind tore at her coat. The snow was vanishing last, and white clouds raced over a clear blue sky.

  The Chief Inspector would have arrived in Lima by now. Why had he really gone all that way? Because he suspected Edward, if not of murder, of a serious crime? And was it Edward that the murdered man came to see?

  The Rylands key was still in her handbag, and she made her way there without conscious thought. It was strange to be alone in the house that held so many ghosts for her, one of them sadly recent. Like a ghost herself, she moved restlessly from room to room. In the library, the jigsaw that the children had been playing with the day they went to London still lay on the table. She wished uselessly that she could turn the clock back. But how far? I o before Lily s death? Guy Marriott’s? Roger’s defection?

  She turned and half ran from the room and up the stairs. Bracing herself, she again entered her half-brother s bedroom and went to the wardrobe. But several minutes sustained pressing and prodding produced no effect whatever. The wardrobe was preserving its secret.

  Miles phoned at nine o’clock that evening. With a glance over her shoulder, Jan spoke quickly and quietly. Miles, I must see you as soon as possible. I think I’ve discovered what Sir Reginald meant, and the meaning of the pencil marks, but I need to know what was in your father s letter.

  ‘No problem about that. What changed your mind?

  Another glance confirmed there was no one within earshot. ‘I think I know where they are.’

  There was a long silence. Then he said, ‘They?’

  ‘You know what I mean.’

  ‘And where are they?’ he asked softly.

  ‘At Rylands. The children found them, but I didn’t realize.’

  ‘Now you have aroused my curiosity. Very well, I’ll meet you there in the morning. Ten o’clock? But Jan – better not to say where you’re going. Just in case.’

  He phoned again the next morning. ‘Sorry to be a nuisance, but could I ask a favour? I left a sketch there on Sunday, and I want to get it in the post before midday. Could you possibly send the children round with it? Then I can put it into an envelope, and post it on the way to Rylands.’

  She hesitated, ‘I’m not sure they remember the way.’

  ‘Of course they do. It’s a sketch of the rose-garden at Buckhurst – I brought it to show Mary, and must have left it on the table by the window.’

  ‘All right, I’ll see if I can find it.’

  ‘Thanks so much. If they leave straight away, we can still be at Rylands by ten o’clock.’

  The sketch was where he’d said. Jan handed it to Ben, instructing him to keep it flat. ‘Can you find your way to the Mews?’

  ‘Of course – it’s easy.’

  ‘Well, be careful, especially crossing roads, and don’t talk to anyone on the way. I’ll see you at Rylands in about half an hour.’

  But when Miles arrived at the house, he was alone.

  Jan had the door open before he reached the steps. ‘Where are the children?’ she demanded urgently. ‘Didn’t they arrive? They left –’

  ‘Hush!’ He put his hand on her arm with a laugh. ‘Don’t panic, mother hen. Of course they arrived, they’re perfectly safe.’

  ‘Then where are they?’

  ‘I gave them fifty pence for bringing the sketch, so they stopped off in Monks’ Walk to buy sweets.’

  ‘But you should have waited for them.’ She was peering past him down the road.

  ‘I was impatient to hear your news. Where are the jewels?’

  ‘Could I see the letter before I show you?’

  ‘It’s here.’ He almost thrust it into her hand.

  With a last glance up the road she closed the door, leaving it on the latch, and went into the library. Miles followed her with barely concealed impatience, watching her face as she read. The information in the letter was much as Webb would hear from Edward, but its tone was bitter, that of a man who felt wronged.

  The hidey-hole at Rylands is the best we could come up with [it ended], but William’s not happy about it. He refuses to take sole responsibility, which is why we and the Peels had to move to Broadminster. In any case, not having met Quispe Tupac, he doesn’t feel so committed, and keeps saying we should hand it over.

  The truth is, those artefacts have soured our friendship. It was I who traced Quispe Tupac, and into my hands that he put the treasure, but since we reached home, I’ve been pushed aside. William, apart from housing them, has opted out, and Reggie’s left in the limelight, which suits him very well. He’s always giving lectures and appearing on TV, and though he’s planning another trip, he hasn’t asked me to join him. Yet it was I who introduced them to Peru!

  Still, to tell the truth I’ve lost the stomach for it, specially since your mother died. All the same, I’m determined you’ll know the true story some day, which is why I’m writing a book about it. Then you can make your own judgement.

  Jan folded the letter and handed it back. At least it explained the ambivalence of the men’s position regarding the jewels. That much, she registered with relief; but the overwhelming ramifications, the confirmation of her wild guess that the treasure was indeed upstairs, were too complex to grasp. For the moment, she was more concerned with the children’s non-arrival. She glanced anxiously out of the window. ‘I wonder what’s keeping them.’

  ‘For God’s sake – they won’t be long!’ Miles burst out impatiently. ‘Look, don’t keep me in suspense. Where are the jewels?’

  ‘Behind the wardrobe in Edward’s room, but it won’t open. We’ve all been trying.’

  ‘Show me.’

  She led the way upstairs. ‘Julie was trying on Rowena’s shoes and lost her balance. She fell forward into the wardrobe, knocking against the back of it, and it came open. But though we’ve pressed over the whole area, we can’t make it move.’

  ‘Where was she standing?’

  ‘Just here.’

  ‘So if she fell forward, she’d have knocked the wood about – here.’ He bent down, gave it a sharp tap, and the partition slid smoothly aside. Jan gasped and clutched at his shoulder. In the small space hollowed out of the wall stood a table, on which was a display model of a woman’s head and shoulders; and clasped round the throat was the most beautiful necklace Jan had ever seen. Nine great emeralds sparkled in the light, living green fire against the dead polystyrene skin. And in front of them, their equal in splendour, lay
the legendary sun idol, its encircling medallions so dazzling that the eye couldn’t focus on the image itself.

  Miles was still bending forward with his hand on the partition, but as he straightened, it began to slide shut.

  ‘Wedge it open,’ Jan said quickly. ‘Or we might have the same trouble again.’

  ‘You must have been trying too high up.’ His voice was light and breathless, it’s an added safeguard, having the spring low down and not at the height you’d normally press.

  What incredible luck, that she fell at precisely the right level.’ He took the dressing-stool she handed him, and wedged open the space. Then he stood back beside her, gazing inside.

  ‘I tried to imagine them.’ His voice was shaking. ‘But I never dreamt they’d be like this. What would you say they’re worth?’

  ‘It’s impossible to put a price on them.’

  ‘Don’t you believe it.’ The exultant note in his voice sent a shiver down her spine. He drew a deep breath and slowly released it. ‘Treasure-trove, right in front of our eyes. Just think of it? The Sun Idol and the Nine Bright Shiners.’

  Jan glanced at him in surprise. ‘How d’you know they’re called that?’

  He blinked, interrupted in his euphoria. ‘Ah, you’ve caught me out there. The truth is, I didn’t repeat everything Sir Reginald told me. He did answer, when I asked what he shouldn’t have kept. He said, “The Sun, of course, and the Nine Bright Shiners.” And when I looked blank, he added testily, “The emeralds, boy, the emeralds.”’

  Jan said clearly, ‘The murderer knew about them, too.’

  There was a silence, filled with the deafening sound of her heartbeats. God, what had she said? What had she meant?

  And what had he done with the children? Quite suddenly, their absence took on a new dimension of fear.

  She spun to face him, only half-registering the knife which had materialized in his hand. ‘For God’s sake, Miles, where are the children? Tell me the truth.’

  His mind on other things, it took him a moment to answer her. ‘They’re safe enough. For the present.’