‘Chance,’ replied Sir Richard. ‘I was – er – constrained to escort my cousin to this neighbourhood, upon urgent family affairs. Upon the way, we encountered an individual who was being pursued by a Bow Street Runner – your Runner, Ceddie – and who slipped a certain necklace into my cousin’s pocket.’
‘You don’t mean it! But did you know Bev was here?’
‘By no means. That fact was only revealed to me when I overheard him exchanging somewhat unguarded recriminations with the man whom I suppose to have murdered him. To be brief with you, there were three of them mixed up in this lamentable affair, and one of the three had bubbled the other two. I restored the necklace to Beverley, on the understanding that it should go back to Saar.’
Cedric cocked an eyebrow. ‘Steady now, Ricky, steady! I’m not cork-brained, dear old boy! Bev never consented to give the diamonds back – unless he was afraid you were going to mill his canister. Devilish lily-livered, Bev! Was that the way of it?’
‘No,’ said Sir Richard. ‘That was not the way of it.’
‘Ricky, you fool, don’t tell me you bought him off!’
‘I didn’t.’
‘Promised to, eh? I warned you! I warned you to have nothing to do with Bev! However, if he’s dead there’s no harm done! Go on!’
‘There is really very little more to tell you. Beverley was found – by me – dead, in a spinney not far from here, last night. The necklace had vanished.’
‘The devil it had! Y’know, Ricky, this is a damned ugly business! And, the more I think of it the less I understand why you left town in such a hurry, and without a word to anyone. Now, don’t tell me you came on urgent family affairs, dear boy! You were disguised that night! Never seen you so foxed in my life! You said you were going to walk home, and by what the porter told George you had it fixed in your head your house was somewhere in the direction of Brook Street. Well, I’ll lay anyone what odds they like you did not go to serenade Melissa! Damme, what did happen to you?’
‘Oh, I went home!’ said Sir Richard placidly.
‘Yes, but where did this young sprig come into it?’ demanded Cedric, casting a puzzled glance at Pen.
‘On my doorstep. He had come to find me, you see.’
‘No, damn it, Ricky, that won’t do!’ protested Cedric. ‘Not at three in the morning, dear boy!’
‘Of course not!’ interposed Pen. ‘I had been awaiting him – oh, for hours!’
‘On the doorstep?’ said Cedric incredulously.
‘There were reasons why I did not wish the servants to know that I was in town,’ explained Pen, with a false air of candour.
‘Well, I never heard such a tale in my life!’ said Cedric. ‘It ain’t like you, Ricky, it ain’t like you! I called to see you myself next morning, and I found Louisa and George there, and the whole house in a pucker, with not a man-jack knowing where the devil you’d got to. Oh, by Jupiter, and George would have it you had drowned yourself!’
‘Drowned myself! Good God, why?’
‘Melissa, dear boy, Melissa!’ chuckled Cedric. ‘Bed not slept in – crumpled cravat in the grate – lock of –’ He broke off, and jerked his head round to stare at Pen. ‘By God, I have it!NowI know what was puzzling me! That hair! It was yours!’
‘Oh, the devil!’ said Sir Richard. ‘So that was found, was it?’
‘One golden curl under a shawl. George would have it it was a relic of your past. But hell and the devil confound it, it don’t make sense! You never went to call on Ricky in the small hours to get your hair cut, boy!’
‘No, but he said I wore my hair too long, and that he would not go about with me lookingso,’ said Pen desperately. ‘And he didn’t like my cravat either. He was drunk, you know.’
‘He wasn’t as drunk as that,’ said Cedric. ‘I don’t know who you are, but you ain’t Ricky’s cousin. In fact, it’s my belief you ain’t even a boy! Damme, you’re Ricky’s past, that’s what you are!’
‘I am not!’ said Pen indignantly. ‘It is quite true that I’m not a boy, but I never saw Richard in my life until that night!’
‘Never saw him until that night?’ repeated Cedric, dazed.
‘No! It was all chance, wasn’t it, Richard?’
‘It was,’ agreed Sir Richard, who seemed to be amused. ‘She dropped out of a window into my arms, Ceddie.’
‘She dropped out of – give me some more burgundy!’ said Cedric.
THIRTEEN
