Inwardly, I winced and was thankful I hadn’t been there.
‘Thanks, Tom. It’s a hell of a thing. I still can’t believe he’s gone.’
‘No.’ Luce shook his head. ‘I’ve been talking to Dr. Summers. From what he tells me, Larry, you’ll be out of action for three or four months. Can you suggest anyone we can get to take your place until you can get back?’
I had been thinking of this problem.
‘You’ll need a designer and an assistant to work with Terry. I know Hans Kloch wants a change. He’s a good designer: not quite in Sydney’s class, but good enough. Why not write to him? He’s with Werner of Antwerp. Then there’s Pierre Martin. He’s with Carders, Los Angeles. I think he would jump at the chance.’
Luce made notes on the back of an envelope.
‘I’ll get on to them right away. Terry and Miss Barlow are really stretched.’ Again he paused, then said, ‘You should know right away, Larry, that you are now the senior partner.’
‘Senior partner?’ I stared at him. ‘You mean you are offering me a partnership, Tom?’
‘Of course I would have offered you a partnership, but Sydney has willed you all his holdings, so that makes you senior partner without my say-so. I am most happy about this, Larry. I wouldn’t want a better man to work with.’
I felt a rush of cold blood up my spine.
‘Tom! What are you saying? I don’t understand.’
‘I’ve read his will. There are a few bequests, but the bulk of his estate which is considerable goes to you.’
‘To me?’ My voice shot up.
‘Yes. I’ve brought along a copy of the will and a list of his assets. As you probably know I handle all his affairs. Sydney was very fond of you, Larry. As he says in his will you will make a worthy successor and I agree with that.’
I couldn’t help it. I was still weak and I had little or no control over myself. I began to weep, hiding my face in my hands while violent sobs shook me. How I hated myself! I had been directly responsible for Sydney’s death! If I hadn’t planned to rob him of the necklace, he would be alive today. And in return for my treachery, he had left me the bulk of his estate.
The nurse came in, took one look at me, waved Luce out of the room and called Dr. Summers.
The next thing I knew was feeling a prick in my arm and I drifted off into blessed oblivion.
I was under sedation for the rest of the day. When Dr. Summers came to see me the following morning, he said I was not to have any visitors for the next three days. This emotional upset of mine must not be repeated.
In a way I was glad, although I was going to miss Jenny’s visits, but it did give me time to think about my future.
I read Sydney’s will. He had left his fine collection of Wedgwood and Spode to Luce. Claude received a hundred thousand dollars. His secretary and Miss Barlow had ten thousand each. Terry had Sydney’s personal jewellery. The rest of his estate came to me.
Luce had listed Sydney’s assets. His stock holdings were worth a million and a half. There was the penthouse and a number of valuable paintings, including the Picasso. There was his Rolls Corniche and the contents of the penthouse and I knew that included Mrs. P.’s necklace.
I read through the list and I was dazzled, then I told myself I couldn’t possibly accept all this. I could never live with myself if I did. I thought like that for several hours, then it occurred to me it would not only be difficult but also dangerous to refuse. After more thought I began to persuade myself that I wasn’t responsible for Sydney’s death. Hadn’t I told Fel not to load the guns? How was I to know that Rhea was so vicious she wouldn’t hesitate to kill? How could I possibly know? Hadn’t I suffered also? It was pure chance that I too hadn’t been killed. I was sure Rhea had meant to kill me. Hadn’t I warned Fel not to hit me over the head and hadn’t she been there when I had warned him?
At the end of two days of constant thought, I began to realize what Sydney’s money and possessions would mean to me. I would be a rich man. I would be senior partner of the best and oldest established jewellers in the city. If I wanted to I could move into his penthouse. Why not? I would make a few changes, but it was one of the finest penthouses in the city and I had often wished it were mine.
I would even ask Claude if he would continue to run the place. I had no idea what Sydney paid him, but if he could afford Claude, then with his money, so could I.
Then my thinking shifted to Jenny. Did I want to marry her? Did she want to marry me? We had known each other for only a short time but I had this thing for her and surely she wouldn’t have come to Paradise City to be with me if she, in her turn, hadn’t a thing for me.
The doctor had told me that as soon as I left hospital I should go on a long cruise. This seemed to be the solution. I would ask Jenny to come with me and we would be able to get to know each other during the two months on the ship. This idea excited me. When Dr. Summers came around in the evening, he said I was making excellent progress.
‘Could I see Miss Baxter tomorrow?’ I asked.
‘Of course. I’ll get nurse to telephone her.’
When the nurse brought my supper, I asked her to let me have the newspapers. I felt it was time to know what was being said about Sydney, the murder and myself.
After a little delay — I guessed she was consulting Dr. Summers — she turned up with copies of The Paradise Herald for the past five days.
‘We haven’t bothered you with your mail, Mr. Carr,’ she told me, ‘but there are two sacks of letters from well-wishers. Miss Baxter is checking them at your apartment.’
I said that was fine with me and settled down to read the papers.
The report of what happened at Sydney’s apartment on that fatal night stated that while Sydney and I were working on designs for a diamond collar, a man and a woman had burst into the apartment, guns in hand. The reporter said that I had tried to close with them, but received a stunning blow across my face, knocking me half unconscious and that Sydney, attacking the man with a paper knife, had been shot to death by the woman.
The two bandits had immediately fled before the alarm could be raised. They had been seen leaving by the doorman and the reporter went on to give a detailed description of them. He added that the police would make no comment as to whether the bandits had stolen anything. This puzzled me as it seemed to puzzle the reporter. Why no mention of the necklace?
Turning to yesterday’s Herald, its headline came as a blow in the face to me.
My photograph accompanied the report which stated that I had worked for Fremlin for the past five years. I was considered one of the leading diamond experts and that Fremlin had left the bulk of his vast fortune to me and I was now Luce & Fremlin’s senior partner. The reporter had faked up my engagement (how long ago that seemed now), told how Judy had died, explained how I had gone to Luceville on the advice of the famous alienist, Dr. Melish, for a change of scene, how I had worked with the poor, had returned to Paradise City and now because of Fremlin’s death was his successor and a millionaire.
I read and reread this report feeling as cold as a dead man. Would the Morgans see it? If they did what would they do? For several minutes I felt sick with an awful nagging fear, then I got control of myself.
What could they do? I asked myself. If they gave me away, they would give themselves away. It would be their word against mine. Rhea was no fool. She must realise that to give me away would be suicidal.
But suppose the police caught them? That was the danger. If they were caught, then they would talk. How would I stand then?