âNeed you ask?' Dame Cecile gave Evangeline a disdainful look. Hearing her voice, the puppy pranced back to her and tried to kiss her.
âShe likes you best,' Evangeline said persuasively.
âHmmmph!'
âI've spoken to the police.' Matilda was still caught up in her own problems. âThey're sending someone over to collect the things we found. I don't know why they want them but â ' she shrugged â âI certainly don't.'
Spurned again, but undaunted, the puppy scurried over to the box it had arrived in and, with a roguish look inviting Dame Cecile to come and play, jumped inside.
âThere!' Cecile wasn't playing. In one quick movement, she stood and snapped the lid back on. âNow get that thing out of here!' She glared at Evangeline.
Cho-Cho quivered in my lap. The ancient call of boxes and bags to felines was exerting its pull. Especially when a small paw groped out of one of the holes before being stopped by its pom-pom. Cho-Cho put one forepaw on the table and watched intently.
The lid popped open and, like a jack-in-the-box, the puppy leaped out, this time carrying something in its mouth. It advanced on Cecile, dangling its prize before her.
âMy glove! Where did you get that?' She reached for it and the puppy danced away, delighted at enticing her into a game.
I looked at Evangeline. It was an old trick, but it still worked. She had taken the glove, well-impregnated with Cecile's scent, and shut it in the box with the pup so that it would learn the scent and go to Cecile when it was released.
Cecile managed to catch one finger of the glove and pulled. The puppy hunched down and tugged against her with little growls of excitement.
âOh, all right!' Cecile let go abruptly and the puppy sat down with a thump. âKeep it!' She waved a dismissive hand.
The puppy watched her hand, then did a backwards somersault. Taken by surprise, even Cecile laughed.
âDo that again!' Evangeline waved her own hand. The puppy ignored her, bright eyes watching Cecile.
âAllez-oop!'
Cecile waved her hand again and the pup did another back flip. The little creature was a natural-born clown.
âYou can't say that one needs straining,' I told her.
âWe'll see about that.' Intrigued now, Cecile caught up the wriggling bundle of ecstatic fur, set it down on the floor and walked away from it. âHeel!' She threw the command over her shoulder.
The puppy did its best. As often in front of her as at her heels, it was firm in its determination not to let her get away from it.
âWell â¦' Cecile strode back to her chair. âWell â¦' She sat and the pup promptly leaped into her lap.
âNot bad for such a little one,' I applauded. âIt's still got a lot of growing up to do.'
Sensing victory, Evangeline kept quiet.
âNo!' Dame Cecile drew herself up and placed the puppy back in the box. âNo â it's too soon. And it's not Fleur.'
âThere was only one Fleur,' I sympathized. Stroking Cho-Cho's little head, I knew just what she meant. âThere can never be another.'
âNever!' she agreed fervently.
Cho-Cho's curiosity was getting the better of her. She wanted a closer look at the strange creature occupying the box she had marked out for her own. Stealthily, she got all four feet up on the table and inched towards the box.
Noticing her approach and thinking it had found a new playmate, the pup gave a joyous yelp and sprang out of the box, charging forward to greet her.
Her fur bristled, her back arched, she hissed and a paw lashed out to strike with deadly accuracy.
The pup retreated yelping and dashed for the sanctuary of Dame Cecile's arms.
âPoor baby,' she cooed, gathering it to her. âPoor baby, did the nasty cat scratch you?'
Recognizing a good ploy when it saw one, the pup sank against her bosom, whimpering piteously.
Cho-Cho gave it a contemptuous look and took possession of the empty box.
âPoor baby!' Cecile was dabbing at the tiny nose with a lace-edged handkerchief. âOh!
Look
at that!' She displayed the hanky indignantly. âThat ruffian cat has drawn blood!'
Really! You could hardly see it. It was barely more than a speck. And you couldn't blame Cho-Cho for defending herself when an unidentifiable creature rushed at her noisily.
âFrou-Frou's blood!' Dame Cecile elaborated.
âFrou-Frou?' She had lost me.
âChlo-Chlo, Margot,
Frou-Frou
â ' Evangeline began humming the song from
The Merry Widow.
Of course! It was a French poodle.
And Cecile had already given it a name, a name that had obviously popped into her head some little while ago. Evangeline and I exchanged triumphant glances. They were bonding nicely.
The sudden pounding at the back door, demanding admittance, broke the pleasant spell.
I didn't like the sound of it â and I was right. Eddie opened the door, then retreated faster than the battered puppy.
A large sheaf of roses intruded into the room. It was beautiful, but I lost any admiration for it when I realized Superintendent Thursby was carrying it.
âLadies!' he greeted us. âForgive my dropping in so informally, but I felt I had to come by and express my appreciation for your wonderful hospitality the other night.' He extended the bouquet to Evangeline.
Oh, yes? If it was such a social call, why were two uniformed police officers â one of them a woman â lurking behind him?
âHow kind of you.' Evangeline dropped the bouquet on the table and waited for his next move.
âAlso â ' He turned to Matilda smoothly. âI understand you have something for us.'
âYes.' Matilda stood up slowly. âI'll get it.'
âConstable Martin will help you.' He nodded sharply and the female officer moved forward.
âThat won't be necessary â ' Matilda began.
âNo trouble at all, madam. That's what she's paid for.' He nodded again and the woman followed a flustered Matilda from the room. The male constable remained by the door, at ease but watchful. No one was going to get past him.
I told myself that the unsettling thought was ridiculous. Then I looked back at Thursby â Thursby, with the slick vulpine smile that never quite reached his cold eyes â and
had an even more unsettling thought: when he left this house, he was planning to take more than the housekeeper's effects with him.
âWhat are the police doing here?' All the situation had lacked was Soroya and here she was. âAre they arresting Matilda?'
âNow why would we want to do a thing like that?' Thursby asked innocently.
âWhy have you got a policewoman following her around?' Soroya countered. âI met them going up the stairs just as I was coming down. Neither of them spoke to me. What's going on here?'
âJust a little matter of routine,' he assured her. âIt won't take long.' Casually, he strolled over to the cellar door, opened it and looked down. âYou've repaired those steps, I see.'
âYou didn't say not to.' Eddie was instantly on the defensive.
âNo, I didn't.' Thursby turned and gave Eddie a long look before snapping the wall switch and nodding as the cellar flooded with light. âNew bulb, too, I see.'
âIt was dangerous, the way it was.' Eddie backed away and rubbed his wrists as though he could feel handcuffs snapping around them.
âVery dangerous. As was proved.' In the ensuing silence, Thursby seemed to listen for the footsteps overhead.
He had missed his calling. Anyone who could hold their audience so mesmerized belonged on the stage. We could not take our eyes off him.
He closed the cellar door and, with measured tread, came over to the table to stare back at us. He wasn't going to be the one to blink.
Frou-Frou stirred uneasily in Cecile's arms and the sound she made was more whine than whimper. Cecile closed her hand around the little muzzle, quieting it.
âWhat's that?' Soroya advanced on the table. âWhat is that â that â
thing
doing here?'
âIt's mine.' Cecile nuzzled the pup. âMy little Frou-Frou. Frivolous Frou-Frou.'
âWell, you can get rid of it! I won't have animals in my house!'
âYou have a cat.' Cecile relinquished any claim to Cho-Cho in the light of her new acquisition. âYou can't talk!'
Thursby had gone into freeze-frame mode; only his eyes moved as he looked from one speaker to the other.
Evangeline was also watching, with the slightly puzzled frown she has when trying to decode English crossword clues.
Cho-Cho picked that moment to pop out of the box where she had been crouching and start back towards me, detouring to inspect the roses. Thursby transferred his attention to her.
âInteresting little cat,' he observed. âI've never seen one like it before. What is it, a failed Manx?'
âCho-Cho-San is a Japanese bobtail,' Soroya said. âShe comes of an ancient lineage. You can see her ancestors in old Japanese prints and paintings of many centuries ago. They're quite rare in this country,' she added condescendingly.
âUnobtainable, in fact,' Evangeline said under her breath. I realized she had been making efforts on my behalf.
âIs that so?' Thursby nodded sagely. âThat's very interesting. Import her, did you?'
âNot the way you put it, no. I bought her as a kitten when I was touring in the Far East and brought her home with me.'
And gave her to Teddy for an engagement present, then tried to snatch her back when Teddy eloped with Frella. But she wasn't telling Thursby that.
âAnd no problems bringing her in?' He seemed to sense that there was more to the story than she had revealed. âNo trouble arranging for her six months' quarantine?'
âOh, the rules had changed by then and she'd had all her
shots and proper papers â her Passport for Pets, as they're calling it.'
Cho-Cho gave a sneeze and abandoned the roses. She was close enough to reach now and I gathered her to me. Soroya didn't seem to notice.
âPretty little thing,' Thursby said dismissively. He looked over our heads and became alert.
I turned to see Matilda and the policewoman returning. The policewoman nodded and I turned back in time to catch Thursby's answering nod. A satisfied, but unpleasant, smile curved his thin lips.
Matilda looked dazed. She moved to the table like an automaton and seated herself between Cecile and me. She kept her eyes downcast, her face expressionless. She might just as well have worn a placard around her neck announcing that something had happened.
âYou were right, sir.' The policewoman marched up to Thursby carrying the housekeeper's suitcase. They beamed at each other briefly, radiating self-congratulations.
What was wrong with this picture?
Evangeline and I exchanged glances â she felt it, too. Even Cho-Cho sensed the atmosphere; she shivered and shrank against me. Matilda sat with her shoulders hunched, as though expecting a blow. Eddie had all but disappeared into the wallpaper.
âGood work, Constable Martin,' Thursby praised, accepting the suitcase. The large, the very large, suitcase â with no labels at all stuck on it.
That was it!
That was not the suitcase we had found!
âWhat are you doing with my suitcase?' Soroya demanded. âGive it back to me at once! You have no right â Where did you get it? You've been in my room! How dare you? I'll report you! I'll complain to â '
âThey had a search warrant, Soroya,' Matilda said wearily. âI had to allow Constable Martin to search. She didn't disturb much, she had a pretty good idea of what she was looking for.'
âYou little slut! You've always hated me!'
âNot half as much as you've hated me.'
While they were distracted, Thursby set the case on the table and opened it.
Cho-Cho snapped to attention and twisted out of my arms, heading purposefully for the suitcase. She reached it just as Thursby found the catch that released the lid of a hidden compartment.
âNo, no, little one.' Thursby pushed her away. âMustn't contaminate the evidence. There've been quite a few exotic specimens occupying that space since you did.'
âExotic species â endangered species!' Evangeline caught on immediately. âFor the taxidermist. Like that golden eagle â '
âNot the eagle, I think,' Thursby said. âToo large. But quite definitely the hooded cobra. I wonder if she got it from a snake charmer.' He whirled on Soroya suddenly. âDid you?'
âNo!' The denial was automatic, putting it into the
Well
,
she would say that, wouldn't she?
category. âI didn't get anything, anywhere. I don't know what you're talking about!' Soroya quivered with indignation. Or was it fear?
âI understand you're in and out of the country a great deal,' Thursby said. âFilming in all sorts of exotic locations.'
âI am in great demand, yes. Unfortunately, my acting skills are more appreciated abroad than in my own country. It's often the way.' Talking about it seemed to calm her. âHowever, Bollywood films are reaching a greater audience now and we're doing more filming in this country. I'm overdue for a breakthrough.'
âYou travel with a great deal of luggage.'
âOne must consider one's fans. I attend many formal events abroad. That requires a wide selection of costumes. When I'm out of the country, I'm a star. I must dress the part.'
âI'm sure.' Thursby was not impressed. âAnd does all your luggage have hidden compartments?'
âI often carry valuable jewellery with me. Naturally, I want to keep it safely near me.' She was overacting. Nothing new with her, I was sure, but something about it tugged at a chord in my memory. I had seen part of this phoney performance before and not in any Bollywood movie.
âAnd you bring in a lot more jewellery than you take out!' Evangeline couldn't restrain herself any longer. âWithout paying Customs duty! And it was probably stolen by your cohorts, to begin with!' She turned to Thursby triumphantly. âI
told
you to look for jewel smugglers!'
âQuite.' He gave her a nasty look. âUnfortunately for your pet theory, jewellery is a side issue, if it figures at all. Isn't that right, Mrs Jordan?'
Matilda made a small choking sound. I didn't blame her. It was bad enough to have Soroya for a stepmother without anyone rubbing it in.
âI don't know what any of you are talking about!' Soroya blustered. âAnd I will not stay here and be insulted!'
âDon't you?' Thursby eyed her coldly. âIf you're not happy here, we can always continue our conversation down at the station.'
âWhat's she done, then?' Eddie became a little more visible, sensing that he was off the hook.
âI've done nothing!' Soroya flared at him, then turned her fury on Thursby. âNothing!'
âOh, you mustn't be so modest. We think you've done quite a bit, Mrs Jordan.'
Matilda winced.
âWe've been keeping a weather eye on Stuff Yours for some time now, in conjunction with the Worldwide Fund for Nature and Customs and Excise. We found you were one of their regular visitors, along with a few other frequent travellers.'
âNever!' Soroya lost colour.
âEvery time you returned from a trip, you wasted no time in joining their parade of late-night visitors. You
might have been a minor player, but it was a lucrative little sideline, wasn't it, Mrs Jordan?'
âMust you keep calling her that?' Matilda's overstretched nerves snapped. âHer stage name is Zane. Use that!'
âOh, yes, that would suit you very well, wouldn't it, Your Ladyship?' Soroya rounded on her. âI have a right to the Jordan name â I was Gervaise's legal wife! Just as you were his legitimate daughter!'
There was an electric silence. Thursby was smart enough not to break it. He just watched. And waited.
âA very good point.' Evangeline moved in where no one else dared tread. âHave you encountered many of Gervaise's by-blows?'
âEnough! More than enough! Wretched ghastly creature!' Tellingly, Soroya lapsed into a grotesque parody of an Australian accent: â“Ooew, you were married to him! Tell me â what was Dad really like?”
Dad!
Ugh!' Soroya shuddered and sketched a push-away motion with her hands. âThe nerve of her! The presumption!'
She might have been carried away by righteous anger, but Soroya was overacting again. Just as she had been when she had pounced first on me and then on Jocasta, pretending that she thought each of us was the new housekeeper. When all the time she knew that the woman was lying dead at the foot of the cellar stairs. Where she had pushed her.
“Ere!' Eddie had been following his own train of thought. âIf all those people were watching Stuff Yours, âow come you let the owner get killed right under your nose and the place set on fire?'
âWe weren't watching it every single minute. None of our budgets are that generous.' Thursby was aggrieved. âWe kept an eye on the place on nights when we suspected a delivery was due.'
âSo you tried to pin it on me â ' Eddie was no less aggrieved â âeven when you knew there was all these other geezers floating around with a lot more motive.'
âYou would have been all right.' Thursby did not have the grace to look embarrassed, but he did seem a bit uncomfortable. âIt's just that if someone thought we were concentrating on you, they'd feel safe and might give themselves away.' He looked pointedly at Soroya.