had switched off the burglar alarm this morning. And since that time, as any of the residents can confirm, I have not left the premises.'
'So?'
Mrs Pargeter sighed with exasperation. The solicitor really was being very obtuse. 'So, since I haven't left the premises, if I stole the jewels, they can't have left the premises either.'
'Well . . .'
'Unless, of course, I had an accomplice . . . Yes, perhaps I took Newth into my confidence. He after all has the keys to the alarm system – not to mention a pass key to Mrs Selsby's room.'
Miss Naismith coloured. 'How dare you, Mrs Pargeter? I will not have such imputations made about one of my staff.'
'You seemed quite happy to make such imputations about one of your guests,' Mrs Pargeter observed mildly.
'So what you are saying . . . ?' asked Mr Holland.
Really he wasn't very intelligent. Still, Mrs Pargeter reflected, you didn't have to be very intelligent to be a solicitor. Just somehow scrape through a few exams in your twenties and then the British legal system saw to it that you had a meal ticket for life.
'What I am saying,' she explained patiently, 'is that, if you really believe I stole the jewels, all you have to do is to search my room, or – crediting me with a little subtlety – search the rest of the hotel, and you will find evidence to convict me, won't you?'
'Ye-es.' Mr Holland sounded uncertain.
'Such a search,' said Miss Naismith with distaste, 'would be very upsetting to the other residents.'
At this Mrs Pargeter finally lost her temper. Without forfeiting her considerable dignity, she snapped, 'Listen, if you're prepared to upset me so easily, I don't give a damn about your upsetting the other residents! You have to face the fact, Miss Naismith, that, repellent though it may be to your sensibilities, a robbery has taken place in the Devereux. And the circumstances of that robbery mean it was committed either by one of the residents or by one of the staff. Now it would be extremely convenient if I had committed it, because you could then quietly ask me to leave, and sweep the whole matter under the carpet.
'Unfortunately for you, I didn't do it, so you are faced with the unpleasant prospect of starting an enquiry into the activities of the other people who live in this hotel.'
'Ah, you say you didn't do it. . . .'
'Yes, and, as I mentioned before, a search of the premises will prove I didn't do it. And, if you once again make the accusation that I did do it, let me assure you I will get in touch with my solicitor and see to it that you pay me very substantial damages.'
At last Mr Holland felt they were on to a subject he knew something about. 'Might I ask,' he enquired superciliously, 'who your solicitor is?'
'I deal with the Justiman Partnership.'
'Oh.' He was impressed. 'Might I ask who in particular you deal with there?'
'I have always had my affairs handled by Arnold Justiman.'
This was another of her fortunate legacies from the late Mr Pargeter. Her husband had been a constant employer of Arnold Justiman, one of the most eminent of his profession, and Mrs Pargeter often reflected that she owed much of her conjugal happiness to Arnold Justiman. Without his good offices, Mr Pargeter's occasional necessary absences from the marital home would have been much longer.
'Oh. Arnold Justiman himself.' Mr Holland was now very impressed. He sat back in his chair with hands folded on his lap, as if to dismiss any idea that they might ever have contemplated reaching for a telephone. 'I think, Miss Naismith, we would be very ill-advised to pursue this line of enquiry.'
'What?' asked Mrs Pargeter with a hint of mockery. 'You don't want to find out who stole the jewels?'
'Well, yes, we do. Of course we do. And in the fullness of time, in consultation with the proper authorities, I am sure that we will. I was merely suggesting that we should not be too precipitate in our actions. Wouldn't you agree, Miss Naismith?'
'Yes, yes, I would.'
The
'So?'
Mrs Pargeter sighed with exasperation. The solicitor really was being very obtuse. 'So, since I haven't left the premises, if I stole the jewels, they can't have left the premises either.'
'Well . . .'
'Unless, of course, I had an accomplice . . . Yes, perhaps I took Newth into my confidence. He after all has the keys to the alarm system – not to mention a pass key to Mrs Selsby's room.'
Miss Naismith coloured. 'How dare you, Mrs Pargeter? I will not have such imputations made about one of my staff.'
'You seemed quite happy to make such imputations about one of your guests,' Mrs Pargeter observed mildly.
'So what you are saying . . . ?' asked Mr Holland.
Really he wasn't very intelligent. Still, Mrs Pargeter reflected, you didn't have to be very intelligent to be a solicitor. Just somehow scrape through a few exams in your twenties and then the British legal system saw to it that you had a meal ticket for life.
'What I am saying,' she explained patiently, 'is that, if you really believe I stole the jewels, all you have to do is to search my room, or – crediting me with a little subtlety – search the rest of the hotel, and you will find evidence to convict me, won't you?'
'Ye-es.' Mr Holland sounded uncertain.
'Such a search,' said Miss Naismith with distaste, 'would be very upsetting to the other residents.'
At this Mrs Pargeter finally lost her temper. Without forfeiting her considerable dignity, she snapped, 'Listen, if you're prepared to upset me so easily, I don't give a damn about your upsetting the other residents! You have to face the fact, Miss Naismith, that, repellent though it may be to your sensibilities, a robbery has taken place in the Devereux. And the circumstances of that robbery mean it was committed either by one of the residents or by one of the staff. Now it would be extremely convenient if I had committed it, because you could then quietly ask me to leave, and sweep the whole matter under the carpet.
'Unfortunately for you, I didn't do it, so you are faced with the unpleasant prospect of starting an enquiry into the activities of the other people who live in this hotel.'
'Ah, you say you didn't do it. . . .'
'Yes, and, as I mentioned before, a search of the premises will prove I didn't do it. And, if you once again make the accusation that I did do it, let me assure you I will get in touch with my solicitor and see to it that you pay me very substantial damages.'
At last Mr Holland felt they were on to a subject he knew something about. 'Might I ask,' he enquired superciliously, 'who your solicitor is?'
'I deal with the Justiman Partnership.'
'Oh.' He was impressed. 'Might I ask who in particular you deal with there?'
'I have always had my affairs handled by Arnold Justiman.'
This was another of her fortunate legacies from the late Mr Pargeter. Her husband had been a constant employer of Arnold Justiman, one of the most eminent of his profession, and Mrs Pargeter often reflected that she owed much of her conjugal happiness to Arnold Justiman. Without his good offices, Mr Pargeter's occasional necessary absences from the marital home would have been much longer.
'Oh. Arnold Justiman himself.' Mr Holland was now very impressed. He sat back in his chair with hands folded on his lap, as if to dismiss any idea that they might ever have contemplated reaching for a telephone. 'I think, Miss Naismith, we would be very ill-advised to pursue this line of enquiry.'
'What?' asked Mrs Pargeter with a hint of mockery. 'You don't want to find out who stole the jewels?'
'Well, yes, we do. Of course we do. And in the fullness of time, in consultation with the proper authorities, I am sure that we will. I was merely suggesting that we should not be too precipitate in our actions. Wouldn't you agree, Miss Naismith?'
'Yes, yes, I would.'
The
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