The Debutante's Code, page 27
The wall cupboard in the corner opposite the door was next, and this had a sizeable lock. Once again she employed her skeleton keys, but none fit. She resorted to the picks. The coals in the fireplace collapsed and settled, and she nearly went straight up into the air. Cold as it was, a trickle of sweat glided down her temple, and she wiped it away on her shoulder.
How was Uncle Bertie faring? He must be faster than she, with so much practice. Why wouldn’t these tumblers fall into place?
The whisper of a shoe on carpet brought her up straight. Though it frustrated her that she hadn’t been able to get this lock open by herself, at least Uncle Bertie could help her. She removed her tools from the lock, and at the last minute, as she turned toward the door, a shiver scampered up her spine.
What if it wasn’t Uncle Bertie?
Better to be safe than sorry. She slipped behind the heavy drapes to the right of the cabinet. Every muscle knotted, she waited, peeping through the opening in the curtains.
The door eased back by increments. A small candle entered first, held in a gloved hand.
Uncle Bertie would never use a candle. She froze until she felt light-headed. Breathe, or you’ll faint. She looked down to make certain her hem and shoes were hidden by the curtains, pressing back against the cold windowpane and thankful the drapes reached the floor.
“It’s got to be in here. It wasn’t in the library.” The whisper, a man’s, crawled across Juliette’s skin. Not Uncle Bertie.
“Look around then. We’ve been here too long already. I don’t like finding the back door open. It’s almost like someone was laying a trap for us.”
There were at least two of them. Who were they? Were they the same two who had broken into Juliette’s house and injured Mrs. Dunstan? Her heart pounded in her ears, and her hands fisted, the lock picks poking her palm. What should she do? What if they found the jewels before she did?
What if Uncle Bertie crossed their path without knowing they were here?
File drawers slid open, and soft noises came from the area where Gravesend’s desk sat.
“Anything?”
“No, you? He said it was as big as a tea chest. A blue box with hasps.”
They were after the folio.
And they knew it was in a protective box and what color that box was. They had been informed by someone who had seen it firsthand.
One drew near to her hiding place. “It’s as black as the inside of an ink bottle in here. I wish we could open the drapes and let in a little light.”
Panic twisted through Juliette, and she closed her eyes.
“You won’t let in enough to be worth it, and the candlelight would shine like a beacon to any night watchman passing by, you simpleton. What about that cabinet?”
Shuffling, a small thump, and a grunt. “It’s locked.”
“How secure? Can you force it?”
A rattle and a knock. “Not without making a lot of noise.”
“We’ve looked everywhere on this floor. What if he keeps it upstairs?”
“Maybe we should break the lock, grab what’s inside, and run for it? It will make some noise, but we can be out of the house before anyone gets down here.”
“And what if the book isn’t in there?”
“We’ll tell him we couldn’t find it. I already told him we could go after the book, but he was out of his head if he thought we could nab the book and the jewels at the same time. Not unless they were sitting together on the dining room table.”
“I don’t like this. We’ve been here too long as it is. Break the lock, and let’s make a run for it.”
What should I do? What should I do? What would Mother do? God, what should I do? Help me!
“Eh? Who’s there?” A quavery voice sounded from the hall. “Is that you, Hester?”
Lord Gravesend? Calling for his wife?
A scuffling, bumbling sound of bodies hitting one another came from the other side of the curtain. Juliette dared a peek through the opening, and two dark figures collided in the doorway in their haste to get out, the candle in one of their hands dropping to the floor and going out. Heavy footsteps, a crash, and a door slamming.
A dark figure appeared in the doorway as Juliette reached to part the curtains, and she froze.
“Juliette, come with me now.”
Uncle Bertie. She was so relieved, she wanted to cry. She hurried to him, and he grabbed her hand, pulling her down the hallway toward the front doors. “We can’t go out the back. Those oafs must surely have wakened the entire staff with their plowing about.”
They dashed through the front door, running down the street for half a block before Uncle Bertie slowed her to a walk. “Act calmly. If anyone stops us, we’re an accoucheur and midwife coming home from a birthing.”
Since Juliette didn’t know the first thing about delivering a baby, she prayed no one would ask. How did he come up with these cover stories so easily?
“What happened?” Uncle Bertie led them diagonally across a square, hurrying over the grass under the bare branches of winter trees.
She told him in gasps, still breathless. “They were after the folio, and someone had described not only the book but the box.”
“Lord Gravesend hasn’t been shy about showing the folio to people, but how many could have seen it in the fortnight or so since he acquired it? You and I, and Marcus and Charlotte, for certain.”
“And Duke Heinrich.”
“Yes.” Uncle Bertie walked quickly.
“I was near to getting that cabinet open, and I feel certain the book was in there. And probably the jewels too.” Disappointment dragged at her. “We were so close.”
Bertie pulled her into a shadowed nook as the night soil wagon trundled by. The odor smacked her in the face, making her gag. The job of shoveling out privies was considered so foul, the work could only be done under cover of darkness.
When the wagon had passed, Bertie released her arm. “We got close enough.” He patted the pocket of his cloak. “The jewels were upstairs in Lady Gravesend’s dressing room. Her maid was asleep on a cot, and I had just removed the last piece from the case when I heard a stair creak.” They stepped out of the nook and continued along the street. “I was angry at first, thinking you hadn’t heeded my warning about the stairs, when someone coughed, a male someone. It was time to get out of there, but I needed to find you first.”
“I jumped behind the curtains when they came in. I thought it was you, but then I thought, what if it isn’t? I didn’t know what to do. Especially when they mentioned opening the drapes to let in some light.”
“What would you have done?” he asked over his shoulder and she trotted to keep up.
“Hoped that I had surprise on my side, waited for the right moment, and then run for it. Neither looked to be physical specimens, and I believe I could have escaped and hidden outside. Better to have lost the opportunity to find the jewels than to be apprehended by fellow spies.”
“You believe they were spies then, and not just thieves?”
She considered this, thankful to see they were nearing Belgrave Square and their home. “I believe we must proceed under the assumption that they are the henchmen of whatever spy sent men to break into our house and who arranged to steal the jade dragon after the auction. The same person who stole the papyrus and the alabaster eagle.”
Arriving home, Juliette mounted the staircase to her chamber to lay aside her dark cloak.
Uncle Bertie left her at her bedchamber door. “Go to sleep. You can look at the code tomorrow. And brace yourself, because we’ll probably get another visit from the police. We were dinner guests at a house that was burgled the same night. They’re going to connect some points of commonality sooner rather than later, and we’ll have to have a story ready.”
Though she wanted to examine the necklace, she was so tired she could barely hold her eyes open. Tomorrow would be soon enough.
Tomorrow she might see Detective Swann.
And tomorrow she would have to lie to him … again.
Chapter 14
DANIEL ARRIVED AT BOW STREET feeling like a thundercloud. In spite of his exhaustion, he’d been unable to sleep. No matter which way he looked at it, nothing made sense. The office was buzzing along when he arrived at seven.
“Night reports are in.” Owen slouched by. “I put them in the interview room this time.”
“Is Mr. Beck here yet?”
“Came in. Went out. Said he’d be back soon.”
“Fetch me some coffee, please.”
The reports of which Owen spoke were the incidents of crime across the city, collected by night watchmen and citizens. He read through them, his heart heavy at so much lawbreaking. A woman attacked, a brawl at a tavern, a window broken, a store robbery. Every morning at least half a dozen crimes were reported.
His eyes locked on one line. Jewelry stolen from a house.
Scrabbling, he found the inventory sheets provided by Mr. Rickets.
There it was. Peridot and diamond parure, purchased in Denmark for a Lord Gravesend.
“Why do I feel,” Ed said from the doorway, “that we’re chasing a wisp o’ mist?” He closed the door, then blew on his hands. “It’s cold as a miser’s heart out there. I went by the museum and questioned the two watchmen who were working the night of the theft. They reported that they were together when the items were stolen. They were having a cuppa in the guards’ room, and they heard glass breaking. Went to investigate, and someone had thrown a rock through a window in the front of the building. Nothing damaged but the windowpane, but a few moments later, they heard more glass. Thought it was another window, but found it was a display case. The thieves came in through a cellar door. Broke the hasp with a pry bar. The watchmen never saw them.”
Daniel pulled out a chair. “It’s almost like we’re chasing two different thieves. One is clumsy and brazen, robbing a lady on the street of her newly purchased auction item, breaking into that same lady’s house and threatening her staff but not stealing anything, and now smashing glass and breaking door locks. But the other thefts are more … delicate? Precise? Nicking a painting in the middle of a debutante ball without anyone seeing. Stealing a statue from a crowded house with a cleverly designed and executed distraction that no one would see as deliberate. And you’ll never guess. The jewelry from the art list? It was stolen last night. I’m heading to the scene now.”
Ed reached for the door handle. “Which group murdered Selby?”
“The killing was chaotic and unplanned, and the damage to the gallery was substantial and appears indiscriminate, more rage than anything. But the theft of the paperwork was meticulous and thorough. Only items related to purchases made over the years was taken.”
“Are we looking at two people from the same outfit but vastly different personalities and motives? Or are we looking at two different people with opposing motives and personalities?” Ed stepped onto the street and held up his hand.
Cadogan appeared, as if he’d been waiting for them at the end of the block, Lola and Sprite snorting and blowing. “Morning, gents. Where to?”
At the Gravesend residence, his lordship vacillated between irate and distressed, while Lady Gravesend sat like a stone statue at the end of the table.
“Never in my life has anyone invaded the sanctity of my home and stolen from me. We have locks on our doors. What are night watchmen for if they cannot keep subjects of this realm safe?”
“Sir, where were the jewels kept?”
“Last night they were in my wife’s dressing room. Our valuables are usually kept in a locked box in a locked cabinet in my locked office, but last night it was so late when we said goodbye to our guests, my wife left them in her dressing room to be put away in the morning.”
Lady Gravesend let out a small moan and put her hand to her trembling lips. Her husband rounded the table and clasped her shoulder. “It wasn’t your fault, Hester. We should have been able to leave them on the parlor table overnight if we so chose. This is our house.”
Daniel looked from the corner of his eye at Ed. Lord Gravesend’s naivety had been punctured. Amazing that it had taken this long.
“Sir, was anything else stolen?”
“No, thankfully, though it appears they tried. I recently acquired a Shakespearian first folio, and though the cabinet where it was kept showed some marks that they attempted to get in, they didn’t manage it.”
Stiffening, Daniel consulted his notebook, flipping back through the pages to where he had copied the list from Mr. Rickets. “A first folio? Did you purchase it through Turner and Rathbone?”
“Yes. How did you know?”
“Sir, we’re investigating a string of thefts connected to that business.”
Lord Gravesend snapped his fingers. “Mr. Montgomery’s Lotto painting?”
“Among other pieces, yes.”
“So this wasn’t a random theft? A housebreaker didn’t decide to come in and see what they could find?” Lady Gravesend asked. “We were … targeted?”
“Milady, who knew about the jewels?” Ed asked.
“Last night was the first evening I had worn them. We had guests over for a party. I was so happy.” Her fingers drifted toward her collarbone, as if she could feel the weight of the necklace still. “Before that I told no one. My personal maid knew of course, but she’s been with me for more than ten years, and I trust her. She would never betray me.”
“You hosted a party? Who attended?” Why were these people constantly entertaining? They opened their doors to all sorts, and showed off their treasures, and then were shocked when someone broke in to steal. Daniel held his pencil poised over his notebook to list the guests, but his mind hopped and skipped, reminding him of his lack of sleep and lack of results.
“Just a few friends. It was going to be small and intimate, just eight including us, but at the last minute …” She turned to look up at her husband, who stood behind her. “There were some additions.”
Daniel raised his brows.
“Well, it seemed impolite not to invite them. He’s a duke, after all.” Gravesend pulled out a chair beside his wife and sat, lacing his fingers on the polished surface. “I ran into the Duke of Haverly at the club. I was telling Fotheringham about the folio, and I suppose I was going on a bit, but I was that excited. It’s the find of a lifetime.” His fingers tightened. “Haverly overheard, and he asked about it, very interested. To be honest, I was flattered to have someone of his rank impressed by something I owned. I asked him if he would like to come round to see it, and I invited him and his wife to dinner. When he said he would love to, but would I mind if the invitation also included two of his friends, because he had made dinner plans with them, and he told me who they were, I was delighted. Sir Bertrand Thorndike and Lady Juliette, his niece. Respectable people who would certainly be a pleasure to host.”
A sinking feeling started in Daniel’s gut.
“Did any of your guests show an interest in the jewels?” Ed asked.
Gravesend frowned. “No. Beyond a compliment here and there. You aren’t suggesting that one of our dinner guests was responsible for this? That’s preposterous. They’re quality. None of them would have need of the jewels. They could buy diamonds if they wanted them.”
But stealing them might be more fun. Daniel had suspected the thief might be stealing for the thrill of it or from some compunction rather than for monetary gain.
“Some of the guests were much more interested in the book than my baubles. Harold took them into the library and brought the book from his study to examine. The others came back fairly quickly, but I did wonder if Duke Heinrich would return in time to play cards at all.” Lady Gravesend reached over and put her hand on her husband’s wrist. “When you get talking about your passion for collecting old manuscripts, you can go on a bit.”
He covered her fingers with his as if acknowledging the truth of her statement. “But he asked such interesting questions, time got away from us. The countess and Lady Juliette were intrigued at first too, but Sir Bertrand grew bored rather quickly. There doesn’t seem to be much substance to that man. Unlike his brother, the earl, who has as keen a mind as any I’ve encountered, Sir Bertrand seems more interested in drink and idleness.”
Daniel and Ed were shown through the house, both the lady’s dressing room where the velvet-lined box that had contained the parure set lay empty, and the cabinet in the study that had nearly been breached.
“The slam of the back door awoke you?” Daniel consulted his notebook, trying to envision what had occurred.
“Actually, I believe it was a creak of a stair. When winter damp sets in, the wood swells and the stairs do moan and groan a bit. I thought I heard a sound on the stairs, and I sat up, but after a while of hearing nothing, I lay back down.” Lord Gravesend jiggled the door on the locked cabinet. “I was almost asleep again when I heard a door slam. I’m sure it was the back door, but when I came downstairs, the front door stood open too. I went right to my study to check on the folio. There was a stub of candle on the floor in this doorway, and the scratch marks you can see here. I was so relieved that the manuscript was still inside. I and the footman who had also been roused locked the doors and checked the windows. There was a window in the upper hallway unlocked, but I don’t think that’s significant. With the doors open, who would climb up to get into a window? We returned to our beds. It wasn’t until first thing this morning that my wife reported that her jewels were gone. We sent for a watchman, and he said he would report it to you.”
“Do you think you’ll find my jewels?” Lady Gravesend asked. “They were a gift.”
“We’ll do our best, ma’am.” Ed touched his hat brim. “We’ll be in touch.”
When they stood on the pavement, Daniel caught Ed’s eye. “It’s too much to overlook. I think the guest list narrows our focus.”
“But what is the motive? Like Gravesend said, they’re all as rich as Croesus. Why steal when you can purchase?”
