Next he produced a small brown jewel-case from the drawer and putting it on the broad shelf, opened it.
Even before he saw the heart-shaped ruby brooch that was pinned to the satin lining of the lid, Tab knew what it was.
“Those are Ursula Ardfern’s jewels,” he said, and they looked at one another.
“The jewels that were stolen on Saturday morning?” asked the detective incredulously.
Tab nodded and the detective took out an emerald cross, turned it over, looked at its face, then put it back again.
“On Saturday morning,” he said slowly, “if I remember the facts aright, and I only read them in the newspaper this morning, Miss Ursula Ardfern went into a post office to buy some stamps. Whilst she was there she put her jewel-case by her side, and looking round, discovered it was gone. Thinking she had made some mistake, she went back to her hotel and searched her room. She reported it to the police on Sunday morning.”
“That is the case as I understand it,” said Tab, who was as dumb-founded as his companion.
“And three or four hours after Miss Ardfern lost her jewels, Trasmere was murdered in this room. The jewels were here at that time, because obviously nobody has been in or out of this room since Trasmere was murdered, except possibly the murderer; in other words, in the space of two hours, the jewels were stolen and conveyed to Jesse Trasmere and locked in his strong-room—why?” He stared at Tab.
Tab could only stare back. Carver scratched his head, massaged the back of his neck irritably, rubbed his chin, and then: “In other circumstances, one would say that Trasmere was a receiver. I have known some very unlikely people who were receivers of stolen property and grew rich on the proceeds, and I have known very unlikely folk to loan money, not only to actresses, but very substantial people, on the security of their jewels. Had we not Miss Ardfern’s report of their loss, the obvious explanation would have been that these had been pledged to Trasmere in security for a loan.”
“I am perfectly sure she doesn’t know Trasmere. I happen to be—an—an acquaintance of hers,” said Tab quickly.