The Hardway Diamonds Mystery by Miles Burton

Author:Miles Burton [Burton, Miles]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780766195455
Goodreads: 7664339
Publisher: Kessinger Publishing
Published: 1930-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER XX

POLLARD’S first act on reaching Scotland Yard was to take the tin containing the door-knob to the finger-print department, and to give the official in charge there certain instructions. He then requested an interview with the Assistant Commissioner, which was readily granted.

“Well, Pollard, what do you make of this business of the Maharajah’s Rubies?” was Sir Edric’s greeting.

“I’d like to discuss it with you, sir, if I may,” replied Pollard gravely. “I think I’ve got a line upon it already.”

“Good man!” exclaimed Sir Edric. “Fire away. What have you discovered?”

“I’ll give you the details later, sir. The theft was organised by some one who must have been acquainted with Mr. Ibbotson and his house in Park Lane. It has evidently been in preparation for some time. The first move was made last September, when Mr. Ibbotson’s keys were taken from his pocket at the Eros night-club, and wax impressions made of the key of the safe and the front door.”

Sir Edric smiled. “I shouldn’t be surprised at anything happening at some of these places,” he remarked. “You’ve no clue to who took the keys? One of the waiters, I suppose?”

Pollard shook his head. “One of the members, I fancy, sir,” he replied. “You get all sorts of queer people at these posh places. Why, I spent three or four nights at the Eros myself, when I was looking into that Crampton affair, and jolly glad I was when it was over. Well, what’s one man’s meat is another man’s poison, I suppose, sir. But it’s a queer thing that this should have happened in September, long before Mr. Ibbotson bought the rubies.”

“I don’t think that need worry you, Pollard,” remarked Sir Edric. “I imagine the idea then was merely to secure a means of access to Mr. Ibbotson’s safe. You see, he is pretty well known as a buyer of valuables. He deals in these things as a sort of hobby. I have no doubt that when he bought the rubies, he had some customer in his mind who would take them off his hands at a profit. This habit of his being known, it was pretty certain that sooner or later the safe would contain something worth going for.”

“Ah, that explains it, sir,” replied Pollard, in a tone of satisfaction. “Now, yesterday afternoon Mr. Ibbotson had arranged to go down for a couple of nights to his son’s place in Surrey. The thief must have known of this, so far as I can see, and decided to go for the rubies in his absence. Anyhow, he rang up Mr. Ibbotson just before he started, saying he was his solicitor’s clerk, and gave a message about some property that Mr. Ibbotson is buying. Now, that shows that the thief must have known a good deal about his affairs. At all events, he knew the name of the solicitor and the fact that Mr. Ibbotson was buying property.”

“I’m afraid that leaves you a pretty wide field to cover,” said Sir Edric.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.