Page 38 of Marriage and Murder
Madeline leapt on the point. “After learning what she did from Swithin, she no longer trusted H at all, so she hid the jewelry so even if he insisted on trying to take it away, he couldn’t.” Eyes alight, she looked around the company. “Viola hid the jewelry so H couldn’t take it. That’s certainly something Viola would do.”
“And,” Barnaby added, “that’s why she chose that particular grave.” He looked at Penelope and Stokes. “That grave is so old that no one knows who’s buried there, which means that no one would have turned up to put flowers in that urn.” He looked at Madeline and Henry. “Given Viola didn’t know Billy was watching her, the urn was a safe place to leave the jewelry.”
They all seemed happy with that piece of deduction.
After a moment of savoring, Stokes looked from Madeline to Penelope. “Am I correct in thinking that the jeweler who made the necklace to match the bracelet so perfectly was the person who switched the stones?”
Penelope nodded decisively. “Given how well the fake stones fit and that they were good enough to fool Viola, the jeweler would have had to be the one who made the substitution.”
“And that means,” Madeline said, “that the jeweler who made the necklace will be able to identify who brought him the bracelet to copy and commissioned the work and, presumably, paid him to switch the stones as well.”
“That’s another reason why Viola might have hidden the jewelry,” Penelope said. “Not only were the pieces the sole proof ofH’s crime, but they were also the best way to trace the jeweler and, perhaps, get back her aquamarines.”
“As matters now stand,” Barnaby concluded, “those two pieces of jewelry are our most promising route to identifying Viola’s secret admirer,H, and potentially convicting him of the greater crime of murder.”
Penelope looked at Madeline and Henry. “In this area, where would you go to find a skilled jeweler?” With her head, she indicated the necklace in Madeline’s hands. “One capable of work of that quality?”
Henry and Madeline exchanged a glance, then looked at the others and, in unison, said, “Salisbury.”
Henry added, “Shaftesbury and Blandford Forum are closer, but neither is large nor boasts any jeweler of that level. Salisbury, however, has several that I know of.”
Madeline was nodding. “It would have to be Salisbury, I think. I can’t imagine Viola allowing anyone to take the bracelet for long. Not long enough to engage a jeweler in London.”
“Right, then.” Penelope looked at Barnaby and Stokes. “I believe we have a solid lead to pursue.”
Henry glanced at Madeline, then ventured, “Actually, aside from learning of your progress, we came looking for you to let you know that Madeline has discovered an unexpected gentleman loitering about the village.”
“Oh?” Stokes reached for his notebook, which he’d laid aside, and looked inquiringly at Madeline. “Who’s that?”
Under the combined weight of their interested gazes, Madeline colored faintly. “His name is Montgomery Pincer. He’s…well, I suppose you could say he’s something of an old flame of mine—more a girlhood fancy, really—from the time we lived in Salisbury many years ago. I met him at the church onMonday morning. He said he’d just returned the day before from America. It sounded as if he’s been living there for quite some years. He said he was passing and saw me going into the church, and having just heard about Viola’s murder, he stopped to offer his condolences.”
The others nodded their understanding and waited as Madeline paused, then, frowning slightly, went on, “The thing is, he joined me in the church this morning as well, and I have no idea why he would still be in the area, simply walking about. When I met him before, on Monday, I thought he was on his way from Southampton to Salisbury. I assumed he was returning to his parents’ house there.”
Penelope frowned. “You said he was an old flame. Is it possible that he has his eye on you? After all, you are still unmarried and will inherit your sister’s estate, and”—she gestured to Madeline’s subdued yet expensive gown—“you are plainly sufficiently well off in your own right.” Penelope paused, then bluntly asked, “Could he be a fortune hunter?”
Madeline’s expression eased, and she laughed. “Oh yes. Monty Pincer is assuredly that. For as long as I’ve known him, which is virtually from childhood, he’s been intent on marrying money. Indeed, that was the cause of the rupture between us all those years ago. So yes, it’s likely he’s still very much of that mind, and he’s already told me he hasn’t yet married.”
She paused, then sighed. “Given he’s tallish, lean, and dark-haired, it did occur to me that he might be Viola’s secret admirer, except that his name doesn’t begin withH,and I can’t imagine Viola setting aside my past experience with him.”
“Nevertheless,” Stokes said, scribbling in his book, “do you know where he’s staying?”
Madeline shook her head. “The oddity of him still being around the village only struck me later.” She looked at Henry. “While we were having luncheon in Shaftesbury.”
“Well,” Stokes said, “if you see Monty again, ask him where he’s staying. It would be useful to know so he won’t confuse matters if we end up having to search the area for our mystery man.”
Madeline nodded. “If I do cross his path again, I’ll ask, if nothing else, to appease my own curiosity.”
Penelope had been thinking. She looked at Madeline. “Returning to our earlier point of finally having a solid lead to pursue regarding identifying H, I believe our next steps will involve interviewing Salisbury’s jewelers until we discover who made the necklace and substituted the fake stones for the aquamarines in the bracelet.” She arched a brow at Barnaby and Stokes, and when they said nothing to discourage her, she returned her gaze to Madeline. “It would be a great help if you could accompany us. You’re the victim’s sister and her heir, and you know Salisbury and the jewelry in question better than any of us.”
Without hesitation, Madeline nodded. “Yes, of course. I’ll be happy to help.”
The answer pleased everyone, and they settled to make plans for the following day, then Madeline and Henry accepted the investigators’ invitation and joined them for dinner, during which the company spoke of other, more relaxing subjects.
The following morning, as arranged, Henry dropped Madeline off at the inn in time for breakfast. Henry had estate business he needed to attend to that day, for which he’d been sincerely apologetic, but Madeline had assured him she quite understood, and Penelope had watched the exchange with a gleam in her eye and a calculating smile on her lips.
After breakfast, the company set off in the carriage and reached Salisbury in good time. Along the way, they had discussed the most effective strategy to find the jeweler who had made the necklace and had settled on a two-pronged approach. Consequently, Phelps drove directly to the police station, where Barnaby and Stokes parted from the ladies and went inside to inquire of the local force regarding any likely suspects known to the police among the jewelry-making community.
Phelps then turned the carriage and drove back to Silver Street and Swithin’s Jewelers.
