The Attenbury Emeralds by Jill Paton Walsh Read Free Book Online Page A

for the smallest aspersion cast on any of his house guests, it was unthinkable that any of them were involved. They were under his roof, and under his protection and it was an outrage beyond bearing to subject them to questioning.
    ‘“I can take them to the local police station for questioning if you prefer,” said Sugg.
    ‘Attenbury had brought me with him to confront Sugg, because he was convinced that “that odd Indian chappy” might have something to do with it, although I told him I couldn’t see how. “You may take their names and addresses before they leave,” he told Sugg. “But that is all. I absolutely forbid you to subject them to interrogation.”
    ‘“It is as witnesses I need to question them, my lord,” said Sugg. “Not as suspects. But question them I will.”
    ‘“You will not!” said Attenbury. “You are dismissed. Remove yourself and your men from my property immediately.”
    ‘“I’m afraid I cannot do that,” said Sugg.
    ‘“I hired you, and I am firing you!” said Attenbury, at the top of his not inconsiderable voice.
    ‘“I have reason to believe that a felony has been committed,” said Sugg stubbornly. “This is no longer a private arrangement with the police to protect your property. This is now a criminal investigation. I must remind you, my lord, that obstructing the police in the course of their enquiries is itself a serious offence.”’
    ‘Well, so far, bully for Sugg,’ said Harriet.
    ‘Oh, he’s not short of guts,’ said Peter. ‘Just brains. I thought Attenbury would bust a gasket. He stormed off to telephone the Chief Constable, who was, he declared, a friend of his. “And we shall see!” he said as he went.
    ‘Well, he did see. The Chief Constable backed up his man, and the enquiry went ahead as Sugg wished. Perversely, you might think, he decided to question the servants first. Attenbury made one last rather muted protest, saying that if the guests were questioned first they would then be free to leave, and the servants could wait. But Sugg said that when he had questioned the servants there would be in all probability no need to question the guests, and since his lordship had expressed himself forcefully opposed to questioning the guests…
    ‘So Sugg commandeered the gunroom as an interview room, and the servants were called in one by one.
    ‘As you can imagine, Harriet, there was an atmosphere of discomfort in the house. Mrs Ansel and Mr Pender had attempted to go out for a walk in the grounds, rather than stay caged up in their rooms. A policeman at the door had stopped them. The ladies had gravitated to the conservatory where they were playing a desultory round of whist. We gentlemen gathered in the billiard-room. I was very agitated – too excited to play. Abcock played a round with Freddy. I was fidgeting about, distracting him.
    ‘“Look here, Wimsey,” he said, in a while. “You’re putting me off my stroke. What’s the matter?”
    ‘“I wish the hell I knew what was going on downstairs,” I said.
    ‘“Oh, don’t let it bother you,” said Abcock. “It isn’t bothering me. If the damn thing has gone missing Papa will clean up on the insurance money, and make it up to Charlotte.”
    ‘“It’s just that I have a feeling something may be going horribly wrong for somebody,” I said.
    ‘“If you want to know what’s going on in the gunroom,” said Abcock, “that’s no problem. It used to be the dining-room – the main hall – when the house was much smaller, and there’s a ladies’ peephole into it.”’
    ‘Enlighten me,’ said Harriet, ‘into the nature and uses of a ladies’ peephole. If you please.’
    ‘In the high and far-off times, O Best Beloved,’ said Peter, ‘it let the ladies enjoy the bawdy uproar at the tables without being seen to be part of it. I know one or two houses where such a thing remains. Anyway, Abcock led us to it. The old hall had a solar at one end of it, now used as a linen store.