"And a search must be made," broke in Colonel Kingston Bruce. "Quite so. I give you carte Blanche, Mr. Blunt. Search the house from attic to cellar."
"Oh! Charles," murmured Mrs. Kingston Bruce tearfully. "Do you think that is wise? The servants won't like it. I'm sure they'll leave."
"We will search their quarters last," said Tommy soothingly. ”The thief is sure to have hidden the gem in the most unlikely place."
"I seem to have read something of the kind," agreed the Colonel.
"Quite so," said Tommy. "You probably remember the case of Rex. v. Bailey which created a precedent."
"Oh-er-yes," said the Colonel looking puzzled.
"Now, the most unlikely place is in the apartments of Mrs. Betts," continued Tommy.
"My! Wouldn't that be too cute?" said Mrs. Betts admiringly.
Without more ado, she took him up to her room where Tommy once more made use of the special photographic apparatus.
Presently Tuppence joined him there.
"You have no objection, I hope, Mrs. Betts, to my assistant's looking through your wardrobe?"
"Why, not at all. Do you need me here any longer?"
Tommy assured her that there was no need to detain her, and Mrs. Betts departed.
"We might as well go on bluffing it out," said Tommy. "But personally I don't believe we've a dog's chance of finding the thing. Curse you and your twenty-four hours stunt, Tuppence."
"Listen," said Tuppence. "The servants are all right, I'm sure, but I managed to get something out of the French maid. It seems that when Lady Laura was staying here a year ago, she went out to tea with some friends of the Kingston Bruces', and when she got home a teaspoon fell out of her muff. Everyone thought it must have fallen in by accident. But, talking about similar robberies, I got hold of a lot more. Lady Laura is always staying about with people. She hasn't got a bean, I gather, and she's out for comfortable quarters with people to whom a title still means something. It may be a coincidence-or it may be something more, but five distinct thefts have taken place whilst she has been staying in various houses, sometimes trivial things, sometimes valuable jewels."
"Whew!" said Tommy, and gave vent to a prolonged whistle. "Where's the old bird's room, do you know?"
"Just across the passage."
"Then I think, I rather think, that we'll just slip across and investigate."
The room opposite stood with its door ajar. It was a spacious apartment, with white enameled fitments and rose pink curtains. An inner door led to a bathroom. At the door of this appeared a slim dark girl, very neatly dressed.
Tuppence checked the exclamation of astonishment on the girl's lips.
"This is Elise, Mr. Blunt," she said primly. "Lady Laura's maid."
Tommy stepped across the threshold of the bathroom, and approved inwardly its sumptuous and up to date fittings. He set to work to dispel the wide stare of suspicion on the French girl's face.
"You are busy with your duties, eh, Mademoiselle Elise?"
"Yes, Monsieur, I clean Milady's bath."
"Well, perhaps you'll help me with some photography instead. I have a special kind of camera here, and I am photographing the interiors of all the rooms in this house."
He was interrupted by the communicating door to the bedroom banging suddenly behind him. Elise jumped at the sound.
"What did that?"
"It must have been the wind," said Tuppence.
"We will come into the other room," said Tommy.
Elise went to open the door for them, but the door knob rattled aimlessly.
"What's the matter?" said Tommy sharply.
"Ah, Monsieur, but somebody must have locked it on the other side." She caught up a towel and tried again. But this time the door handle turned easily enough, and the door swung open.
"Voila ce qui est curieux. It must have stuck," said Elise.
There was no one in the bedroom.
Tommy fetched his apparatus. Tuppence and Elise worked under his orders. But again and again his glance went back to the communicating door.
"I wonder," he said between his teeth. "I wonder why that door stuck?"
He examined it minutely, shutting and opening it. It fitted perfectly.
"One picture more," he said with a sigh. "Will you loop back that rose curtain, Mademoiselle Elise? Thank you. Just hold it so."
The familiar click occurred. He handed a glass slide to Elise to hold, relinquished the tripod to Tuppence, and carefully readjusted and closed the camera.
He made some easy excuse to get rid of Elise, and as soon as she was out of the room, he caught hold of Tuppence and spoke rapidly.
"Look here, I've got an idea. Can you hang on here? Search all the rooms-that will take some time. Try and get an interview with the old bird-Lady Laura-but don't alarm her. Tell her you suspect the parlormaid. But whatever you do, don't let her leave the house. I'm going off in the car. I'll be back as soon as I can."
"All right," said Tuppence. "But don't be too cocksure. You've forgotten one thing."
"What's that?"
"The girl. There's something funny about that girl. Listen, I've found out the time she started from the house this morning. It took her two hours to get to our office. That's nonsense. Where did she go before she came to us?"
"There's something in that," admitted her husband. "Well, follow up any old clue you like, but don't let Lady Laura leave the house. What's that?"
His quick ear had caught a faint rustle outside on the landing. He strode across to the door, but there was no one to be seen.
"Well, so long," he said. "I'll be back as soon as I can."
4. THE AFFAIR OF THE PINK PEARL (continued)
Tuppence wat
ched him drive off in the car with a faint misgiving. Tommy was very sure-she herself was not so sure. There were one or two things she did not quite understand.
She was still standing by the window, watching the road, when she saw a man leave the shelter of a gateway opposite, cross the road and ring the bell.
In a flash Tuppence was out of the room and down the stairs. Gladys Hill the parlormaid, was emerging from the back part of the house, but Tuppence motioned her back authoritatively. Then she went to the front door and opened it.
A lanky young man with ill-fitting clothes, and eager dark eyes was standing on the step.
He hesitated a moment, and then said.
"Is Miss Kingston Bruce in?"
"Will you come inside?" said Tuppence.
She stood aside to let him enter, closing the door.
"Mr. Rennie, I think?" she said sweetly.
He shot a quick glance at her.
"Er-yes."
"Will you come in here, please?"
She opened the study door. The room was empty, and Tuppence entered it after him, closing the door behind her. He turned on her with a frown.
"I want to see Miss Kingston Bruce."
"I am not quite sure that you can," said Tuppence composedly.
"Look here, who the devil are you?" said Mr. Rennie rudely.
"International Detective Agency," said Tuppence succinctly-and noticed Mr. Rennie's uncontrollable start.
"Please sit down, Mr. Rennie," she went on. "To begin with, we know all about Miss Kingston Bruce's visit to you this morning."
It was a bold guess, but it succeeded. Perceiving his consternation, Tuppence went on quickly.
"The recovery of the pearl is the great thing, Mr. Rennie. No one in this house is anxious for-publicity. Can't we come to some arrangement?"
The young man looked at her keenly.
"I wonder how much you know," he said thoughtfully. "Let me think for a moment."
He buried his head in his hands-then asked a most unexpected question.
"I say, is it really true that young St. Vincent is engaged to be married?"
"Quite true," said Tuppence. "I know the girl."