“My dear child”—he was beside Carlota instantly. “I am so very sorry for you. I never dreamt of all this. I deemed it my duty to acquaint Mr. Ward with your intention to come here as proof of your finality, and he would come also, therefore I am with him.”
Dmitri’s gaze never left the face of Ward. Steadily he looked at him, not sardonically nor with any animosity, but rather whimsically and pityingly.
“You brought this on yourself, Ames,” Ward said slowly. “I did it to protect the interests of Miss Trelango. Through the criminal associates she met in your place here, she lost hundreds of thousands of dollars worth in jewels. I resolved, after hearing her decision from the Marchese, to tell her myself of your deliberate sacrifice of her to get possession of these gems. From the first moment that I learned of the double murder, I myself took up the pursuit of the guilty parties with the commissioner himself, and this is the result.”
“Pardon.” Ward started at the first sound of Dmitri’s voice, suave and evenly pitched, as if he had heard it before. “When was that first moment, if one may ask, Mr. Ward?”
Ward’s face set in deeper lines. Only Dmitri and he himself of all those in the room knew the menace behind the words. Until that instant he had not known of the presence there of one who had spoken to him over the wire at daybreak that morning. Lorrie looked at the banker sharply, waiting for his reply.
“You don’t have to be annoyed by him, you know, Mr. Ward. My orders are to bring them both down to headquarters.”
Ward lifted his hand.
“I will be responsible, sergeant,” he said coldly. “Wait below.”
With the Marchese’s arm around her, Carlota watched in amazement the man she loved, the man who hated him, and Dmitri last of all. He was smiling, courteous as ever, thoroughly at ease and even enjoying the situation.
“May I draw your attention, Mr. Ward,” he remarked, motioning to the table where the jewels lay. “See, they are there. I was bringing them here to give them to their rightful owner, Miss Trelango. It was best that she should not see me, so I was about to transfer them to the care of my friend, Mr. Ames. They are all there, not one missing. Stay. There is one the genial sergeant overlooked, but it is not of that set.” He reached in his pocket and drew out his tobacco pouch. “For safe-keeping,” he smiled, and produced the opal which Steccho had saved for the golden-haired Maryna to play with.