Ellery strolled over and glanced down at the box. Then he blew smoke and said: “Happy chance. It’s a little after eight now. You discovered the theft, then, at a quarter of eight or so. Therefore the pearls were stolen between six and seven-forty-five. Didn’t you hear anything, Miss Barrett?”
Leonie smiled ruefully. “I’m a disgustingly sound sleeper, Mr. Queen. That’s something you’ll learn, Dick. And then for years I’ve suspected that I snore, but nobody ever—”
The Lieutenant blushed. The General said: “Leonie,” not very convincingly, and Leonie made a face and began to weep again.
“What the deuce are we to do?” snarled the General. “We can’t... well, hang it all, you just can’t search people. Nasty business! If the pearls weren’t so valuable I’d say forget the whole ruddy thing.”
“A body search is scarcely necessary, General,” said Ellery. “No thief would be so stupid as to carry the loot about on his person. He’d expect the police to be called; and the police, at least, are notoriously callous to the social niceties.”
“Police,” said Leonie in a damp voice, raising her head. “Oh, goodness. Can’t we—”
“I think,” said Ellery, “we can struggle along without them for the proverbial nonce. On the other hand, a search of the premises... Any objection to my prowling about?”
“None whatever,” snapped Leonie. “Mr. Queen, you prowl!”
“I believe I shall. By the way, who besides the four of us — and the thief — knows about this?”
“Not another soul.”
“Very good. Now, discretion is our shibboleth today. Please pretend nothing’s happened. The thief will know we’re acting, but he’ll be constrained to act, too, and perhaps... ” He smoked thoughtfully. “Suppose you dress and join your guests downstairs, Miss Barrett. Come, come, get that Wimpole Street expression off your face, my dear!”
“Yes, sir,” said Leonie, trying out a smile.
“You gentlemen might cooperate. Keep everyone away from this floor while I go into my prowling act. I shouldn’t like to have Mrs. Nixon, for example, catch me red-handed among her brassieres.”
“Oh,” said Leonie suddenly. And she stopped smiling.
“What’s the matter?” asked the Lieutenant in an anxious voice.
“Well, Dorothy Nixon is up against it. Horribly short of funds. No, that’s a... a rotten thing to say.” Leonie flushed. “Goodness, I’m half-naked! Now, please, clear out.”
“Nothing,” said Ellery in an undertone to Lieutenant Fiske after breakfast. “It isn’t anywhere in the house.”
“Damnation,” said the officer. “You’re positive?”
“Quite. I’ve been through all the rooms. Kitchen. Solarium. Pantry. Armory. I’ve even visited the General’s cellar.”
Fiske gnawed his lower lip. Leonie called gaily: “Dorothy and Mr. Harkness and I are going into the pool for a plunge. Dick! Coming?”
“Please go,” said Ellery softly; and he added: “And while you’re plunging, Lieutenant, search that pool.”
Fiske looked startled. Then he nodded grimly and followed the others.
“Nothing, eh?” said the General glumly. “I saw you talking to Richard.”
“Not yet.” Ellery glanced from the house, into which the others had gone to change into bathing costume, to the riverside. “Suppose we stroll down there, General. I want to ask your man Braun some questions.”
They made their way cautiously down the stone steps in the cliff to the sliver of beach below, and found the old pensioner placidly engaged in polishing the brasswork of the General’s launch.
“Mornin’, sir,” said Braun, snapping to attention.
“At ease,” said the General moodily. “Braun, this gentleman wants to ask you some questions.”
“Very simple ones,” smiled Ellery. “I saw you fishing, Braun, at about eight this morning. How long had you been sitting on the jetty?”
“Well, sir,” replied the old man, scratching his left arm, “on and off since ha’-past five. Bitin’ early, they are. Got a fine mess.”
“Did you have the stairs there in view all the time?”
“Sure thing, sir.”
“Has anyone come down this morning?” Braun shook his gray thatch. “Has anyone approached from the river?”
“Not a one, sir.”
“Did anyone drop or throw anything down here or into the water from the cliff up there?”
“If they’d had, I’d ’a’ heard the splash, sir. No, sir.”
“Thank you. Oh, by the way, Braun, you’re here all day?”
“Well, only till early afternoon, unless someone’s usin’ the launch, sir.”
“Keep your eyes open, then. General Barrett is especially anxious to know if anyone comes down this afternoon. If someone does, watch closely and report.”
“General’s orders, sir?” asked Braun, cocking a shrewd eye.
“That’s right, Braun,” sighed the General. “Dismissed.”
“And now,” said Ellery, as they climbed to the top of the cliff, “let’s see what friend Magruder has to say.”
Magruder was a gigantic old Irishman with leathery cheeks and the eyes of a top-sergeant. He occupied a rambling little cottage at the only gateway to the estate.
“No, sir,” he said emphatically, “ain’t been a soul near here all mornin’. Nob’dy, in or out.”
“But how can you be sure, Magruder?”
The Irishman stiffened. “From a quarter to six till seven-thirty I was a-settin’ right there in full view o’ the gate a-cleanin’ some o’ the Gin’ral’s guns, sir. And afther I was trimmin’ the privets.”
“You may take Magruder’s word as gospel,” snapped the General.
“I do, I do,” said Ellery soothingly. “This is the only vehicular exit from the estate, of course, sir?”
“As you see.”
“Yes, yes. And the cliffside... Only a lizard could scale those rocky side-walls. Very interesting. Thanks, Magruder.”
“Well, what now?” demanded the General, as they walked back toward the house.
Ellery frowned. “The essence of any investigation, General, is the question of how many possibilities you can eliminate. This little hunt grows enchanting on that score. You say you trust your servants implicitly?”
“With anything.”
“Then round up as many as you can spare and have them go over every inch of the grounds with a fine comb. Fortunately your estate isn’t extensive, and the job shouldn’t take long.”
“Hmm.” The General’s nostrils quivered. “B’gad, there’s an idea! I see, I see. Splendid, Mr. Queen. You may trust my lads. Old soldiers, every one of ’em; they’ll love it. And the trees?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“The trees, man, the trees! Crotches of ’em; good hiding-places.”
“Oh,” said Ellery gravely, “the trees. By all means search them.”
“Leave that to me,” said the General fiercely; and he trotted off breathing fire.
Ellery sauntered over to the pool, which churned with vigorous bodies, and sat down on a bench to watch. Mrs. Nixon waved a shapely arm and dived under, pursued by a bronzed giant who turned out to be Harkness when his dripping curls reappeared. A slim slick figure shot out of the water almost at Ellery’s feet and in the same motion scaled the edge of the pool.
“I’ve done it,” murmured Leonie, smiling and preening as if to invite Ellery’s admiration.
“Done what?” mumbled Ellery, grinning back.
“Searched them.”
“Searched—! I don’t understand.”
“Oh, are all men fundamentally stupid?” Leonie leaned back and shook out her hair. “Why d’ye think I suggested the pool? So that everyone would have to take his clothes off! All I did was slip into a bedroom or two before going down myself. I searched all our clothes. It was possible the... the thief had slipped the pearls into some unsuspecting pocket, you see. Well... nothing.”