“We caught Rudolf Maximilian extracting the jewels from the dinosaurs’ skulls.” Daisy leaned back against Alec’s comfortingly broad chest. “The others chased him, but I came back to make sure the jewels were safe. He must have eluded them and followed me, and hit me on the head.”
“With this.” Alec reached out for one of the white objects, long, heavy, curved, tapering, “a broken rib, if I’m not mistaken.”
Daisy started to laugh. She couldn’t help it, though it made her head hurt worse.
“My poor darling,” Alec said tenderly, kissing her ear. “But this is no time to get hysterical.”
“Shall I let Mr. Steadman go?” Tom called.
“No, not yet, though I can’t see him breaking a precious dinosaur bone.”
“I wouldn’t,” Steadman affirmed.
“But it’s not!” said Daisy.
“She’s concussed,” Alec said worriedly.
At that moment the lights went on.
Over by Saltopus, a ladder lay on the floor. Steadman sprawled beside it, on his back, his hands cuffed before him. Tom stood over him, splinters of shattered Saltopus skull scattered about his feet. Amidst the shards, gems winked red, purple, and green.
“It’s plaster of Paris,” said Daisy, “like the Diplodocus rib. I think I understand, now.”
“I don’t!” Alec and Tom chorused.
The unmistakable sound of police boots approached beyond the entrance arch. Sergeant Jameson appeared, followed by Constables Mason and Neddle, with a sullen, disconsolate, handcuffed Grand Duke between them.
“Miss Dalrymple!” cried Jameson, running forward. “What the … ? Oh lor’, Chief Inspector Fletcher!” He skidded to a halt, saluting, then saw Tom Tring and Steadman. “Oh lor’, what’s happened?”
“The Grand Duke hit Miss Dalrymple over the head with a dinosaur bone,” said Alec, without any great degree of conviction.
“I do not! Chentlemans not hit ladies. Only want mine ruby, de odders for police to find I was leave. I not never will not hit Miss Dalrymple,” declared Rudolf Maximilian passionately.
“Can’t’ve, sir, and that’s the truth. We was chasing him, four of us, right up till he went up to the Upper Mammals on the second floor and we nabbed him when he tried to hide in with the chimpanzees.”
“’Sright, sir,” said Sergeant Drummond, coming in behind the others. “Had him in sight the whole time, if it was only his heels. What’s been going on here, then?”
Alec, still kneeling with his arm around Daisy’s shoulders, looked down at her and said, “Miss Dalrymple claims to know.”
“Notknow,”Daisy demurred, “but it’s more of an educated deduction than sheer guesswork.”
“Pray tell,” said Alec.
“Mr. Tring, those jewels at your feet, are they actually embedded in the plaster?”
Tom bent down and picked up a chunk in one massive hand. With the other, he hauled Steadman to his feet as he straightened, keeping hold of the curator’s arm. “Yes, Miss Dalrymple, right inside.”
“That settles it, I think.” Her head aching like billy-oh, Daisy cut her explanation as short as possible. “Mr. Steadman stole the jewels and hid them in the dinosaurs’ heads. GrandDuke Rudolf could conceivably have done so, but he couldn’t possibly have moulded some into the Saltopus skull. I believe he overheard Sergeant Jameson and me discussing it, and decided to try for his ruby, but he must have missed our planning to search tonight.”
“Was lots noisy pee-ople,” said Rudolf sulkily.
“He must have come in here very soon after Atkins cleared the public out. Mr. Jameson and I found him here, assumed he was the thief, and gave chase. I hadn’t considered that this was the logical time for Mr. Steadman to retrieve his loot, on a Sunday evening, when none of his colleagues would be working late.”
There, that would have to satisfy them for now. Daisy’s head was pounding and swimming at the same time, and she simply did not have the pep to go into more detail. As for the murder, she didn’t even want to think about it. She had to leave something for Alec to solve.
“And now, please, darling, I want to go home!”
“Can you stand, love? Careful.” He helped her to rise, steadied her when she wobbled, then swept her up into his arms. “Sergeant Tring, you’re in charge. You can take both of ’em in. We have evidence and witnesses enough to hold them both.”
