A few minutes later Shirley,
the woman and some other important people where in another room trying
to make the woman calm down. She was offered several glasses of water,
but after she had swallowed the sixth glass in one gulp, everybody knew
it was no use to offer water. Shirley started the conversation in the hope
she could figure out what exactly happened.
“Can you tell us what happened exactly?”
she asked the woman. The woman was still frantically trying to get her
hair back into its model. She was obviously obsessed with her looks.
“It all happened so fast.” she said.
“Just try to tell us what you remember.”
Shirley encouraged her. The woman hesitated for a moment.
“What’s your name?” Shirley asked
to really start it off. She took the time the woman didn’t speak to observe
her. She wore a long red gala dress and high-heeled shoes in the same color.
Her make-up had run down her face. Apart from that she was quite pretty.
She had a beautiful uniform complexion all over her body. Or at least the
parts of her skin that were exposed. Shirley was sure Alicia would have
been jealous of the woman.
“I’m Mrs. Creevey-Thorne.” she finally
said introducing herself. She started sobbing again. “They even took my
wedding ring!” she exclaimed. Shirley offered the Mrs. Creevey-Thorne a
handkerchief and ushered her to continue talking.
“I came upstairs, because I have
been receiving letters from a secret admirer. I wanted to tell him I was
married and that I couldn’t respond to his advances. When I entered the
master bedroom, I saw someone had cracked the safe. Then someone put a
handkerchief to my mouth and I passed out. When I woke up I noticed all
my jewelry was gone, so I ran downstairs to get help.” She paused and almost
immediately started to cry again. “I’ve had most of my jewelry for more
than 20 years. Some of them have been in the family for ages. I never took
any of my jewels off. Please help me! They’re precious to me!”
********
Shirley’s next step was to give
the master bedroom a thorough investigation. She thought it was quite a
funny place to dump someone. But then again, people are funny creatures,
right? When Shirley went around the room she found a handkerchief carelessly
stuffed under a cabinet. She put on some latex gloves (Yes! She always
takes those with her.) and pulled it out. Cautiously she sniffed it, confirming
the handkerchief contained chloroform, a chemical that could possibly have
been used to subdue someone for a quite a long period of time.
The wall safe showed a lot less.
Someone had opened it, taken out its contents and left. Pretty straightforward.
The safe hadn’t been forced in any way. The robber must’ve known the code.
That was all Shirley could find. She quickly left the room to avoid any
questions.
********
A little while later Shirley had
tracked down the owner of the house for a chat. They sat down at a desk
in his study.
“Mr. Forbes, can you tell me what
exactly was in your safe?” Mr. Forbes stared in front of him and coughed
before he answered.
“Pearls mostly. I have an extensive
collection of those beautiful stones. Normally they are on display throughout
the house. But for this particular evening I though it would be safer to
keep them in the safe.” He sadly shook his head while he remembered the
mistake he made.
“Is there anyone here who knows
the combination to the safe?” Shirley inquired.
“No, not that I know of. But I suppose
someone could have watched me.”
Suddenly a heavily built man burst
through the doors, pushing a struggling woman in front of him. “Sir,” he
said, addressing Forbes, “I found this woman trying to leave the house.
She wasn’t on the guest list.” Shirley immediately recognized the woman.
She had cut an article out of the paper about two weeks ago about the escaped
jewelry thief, Maria Carrere, and she was sure this woman was the one the
police was looking for. “The police will be here within 15 minutes,” the
man said. Then he left, closing the door on the way out.
The woman noticed Shirley’s look.
“OK, I’ll be straight with you two. I do collect jewelry, but the disappearance
of tonight is not my doing. Someone is trying to frame me.” she said, shaking.
Shirley examined the woman. She wore a tight and fashionable black dress,
with matching shoes and purse. “I have been toying with the idea, but someone
was a step ahead of me.”
“Can I have a look at your purse,
please.” Shirley asked the woman. In amazement the woman complied after
a few minutes. Shirley rumbled through the stuff. Her actions were closely
followed by the eyes of the woman. The purse contained the usual stuff:
lipstick, a mirror, money… But after a little more searching Shirley stumbled
upon a lock-picking set and a small vial of chloroform. Maria’s eyes grew
wider at the sight of the chloroform.
“I didn’t bring that, someone planted
that with me!” she yelled again.
“How do you know?” Shirley asked.
“Someone called me, asking me to
be here tonight…”
********
Shirley returned to the ballroom
and found her father instantly.
“Where have you been?” he asked
her.
“Powdering my nose.” Shirley lied.
Robert Holmes looked back at her and smiled.
“You look lovely.”
Suddenly it hit Shirley. She knew
who stole all those jewels. She quickly shot away from her father, hoping
she could be at the door in time to give the police the evidence AND the
culprit…
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