THE JEWELS OF DEATH

I AM INSPECTOR LUCIUS FROM THE SCOTLAND YARD, AND I AM ABOUT TO NARRATE THE STRANGE CASE OF MR JOHN RONALDS, A PROSPEROUS AND WEALTHY CITIZEN OF THE GREAT CITY OF LONDON, WHERE CRIMES ARE COMMON, BUT SUCH CRIMES ARE SCARCE.
THIS CASE WAS CRACKED NOT BY ME, BUT BY MY GREAT FRIEND, THE SECRETIVE MR SILIUS CANE. MR CANE IS A MIDDLE SIZED MAN, IN HIS FORTIES, AND HAS A MOUSTACHE WHICH IS AS THIN AS A HAIR. HE HAS A DERRINGER PISTOL UNDER HIS POSSESION, AND CALLS HIMSELF ‘JUST A DETECTIVE’- NOT A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR, OR INSPECTOR.
I REMEMBER THAT IT WAS A SUNDAY EVENING, AROUND 4 O’CLOCK, WHEN I ENTERED MR CANE’S HOUSE, TO FIND HIM LISTENING KEENLY TO A YOUNG LADY.
I WAITED FOR THEM TO FINISH, AND THE YOUNG LADY TO DEPART.
AFTER THE YOUNG LADY HAD DEPARTED, I MADE MY ENTRY INTO THE ROOM WHERE MR CANE WAS SITTING, AND SANK INTO THE SOFA FACING THE WOODEN CHAIR MY FRIEND WAS SITTING ON.
‘YOU COULDN’T HAVE CHOSEN A BETTER TIME, INSPECTOR,’ SAID HE ON SEEING ME.
‘WHY, MR CANE?’ SAID I, PLACIDLY.
‘WELL,’ EXPLAINED SILIUS CANE. ‘YOU JUST SAW THAT YOUNG LADY DIDN’T YOU? SHE…’
AT THIS POINT I INTERRUPTED HIM.
‘HOW DID YOU KNOW I SAW HER?’
‘THAT CONFIRMS IT,’ SAID MY FRIEND. ‘ANYWAYS, I SMELT YOU. YOUR PERFUME.’
‘I SEE, NOW, PRAY PROCEED.’SAID I
‘VERY WELL,’SAID MR CANE. ‘YOU MUST HAVE HEARD OF THE MURDER OF MR JOHN RONALDS?’
I NODDED. THE DREADFUL DEED HAD BEEN COMMITED A DAY AGO. THE PROSPEROUS BUSINESSMAN HAD BEEN FED GLASS.
‘GOOD,’CONTINUED MR CANE. ‘I DON’T HAVE TO GO INTO DETAILS. THE YOUNG LADY YOU SAW WAS MRS RONALDS. SHE MENTIONED A CERTAIN MR DAVID, WHOM SHE SUSPECTS. HE HAD BEEN VISITING THE FAMILY RECENTLY, AND DURING HIS STAY, MR RONALDS HAD BEEN VERY TENSED. BUT THERE IS ONE THING THAT MRS RONALDS HAS GIVEN ME, WHICH SHE FOUND IN THE PLATE FROM WHICH MR RONALDS HAD EATEN-THIS!’
HE FISHED OUT A LITTLE SHINE OBJECT FROM HIS POCKET, AND GAVE IT TO ME.
‘IT’S A DIAMOND!’I EXCLAIMED.
‘EXACTLY,’ SAID MR CANE. ‘AND THIS IS HOW MR RONALDS HAS BEEN KILLED.’
‘SOMEONE SLIPPED THESE INTO HIS FOOD! WHO ELSE BUT THE COOK?’SAID I.
‘NO, CERTAINLY NOT. MR DAVID ALSO ATE THE SAME DISH. HE DIDN’T DIE!’ SAID MR CANE.
‘YOU’RE RIGHT!’ I ADMITTED.
‘I HAVE MADE AN ASSUMPTION, HOWEVER.’
‘WHAT?’
‘THAT MR DAVID IS RESPONSIBLE. BUT I NEED PROOF. WAIT HERE FOR ME, INSPECTOR. I’LL BE BACK IN AN HOUR.’
AND SAYING SO, HE STEPPED OUT OF THE ROOM, AND LEFT.
ONE HOUR LATER, MR CANE RETURNED.
‘COME, INSPECTOR,’SAID HE. ‘I’LL TELL ALL LATER.’
‘RIGHT,’SAID I, AND FOLLOWED HIM OUTSIDE THE HOUSE AND INTO A TAXI.
JUST WHEN I SHUT THE DOOR ON MY SIDE, THE ENGINES OF THE AUTOMOBILE ROARED TO LIFE, AND WE SPED OFF.
‘WILL YOU EXPLAIN NOW, MR CANE?’ I CRIED.
‘OF COURSE’’ REPLIED MR CANE. ‘I FIND THE DOCTOR WHO CONDUCTED THE POST MORTEM SUSPICIOUS. WE WILL SPY ON HIM.’
I REMAINED SILENT AFTER THAT.
OUR TAXI STOPPED AT THE GATE OF THE Charing Cross HOSPITAL.
I AND MR CANE STEPPED OUT OF THE CAR.
A FEW MINUTE LATER, A PLUMP DOCTOR HOLDING A BAG STEPPED OUT OF THE HOSPITAL.
‘THAT’S OUR MAN!’ MUTTERED MR CANE.
WE FOLLOWED THE DOCTOR ON FOOT TO AN OLD ABANDONED HOUSE, AND SAW HIM ENTER IT.
MR CANE AND I TOOK OUR POSITIONS ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT OF AN OLD WINDOW, WHICH PROVIDED A GOOD VIEW OF THE ROOM IN WHICH THE DOCTOR WAS SITTING.
A FEW MINUTES LATER, I PEEPED INTO THE HOUSE, MAKING SURE THE PEOPLE INSIDE DID NOT NOTICE ME.
NOW THE DOCTOR WAS NOT ALONE. THERE WAS ANOTHER MAN INSIDE.
THEY WERE TALKING, THAT I KNEW, BUT I COULDN’T CATCH WHAT THEY WERE SAYING.
SUDDENLY, I SNEEZED.
THE PEOPLE INSIDE GOT ALERT.
I HEARD THE CLICK OF A COCKING PISTOL.
‘WHO IS THERE?’ A VOICE SHOUTED FROM INSIDE.
MR CANE SPRANG INTO ACTION. HE DREW OUT HIS PISTOL, FIRED ONE SHOT INTO THE HOUSE, AND DUCKED.
HIS SHOT WAS ANSWERED BY TWO FROM INSIDE.
I DREW OUT MY OWN REVOLVER AND FIRED INSIDE. MY SHOTS WERE NOT ANSWERED.
AT A SIGNAL FROM MR CANE, I SWIFTLY FIRED TWO MORE SHOTS.
THEN HE AND I BOTH JUMPED INTO THE HOUSE THROUGH THE WINDOW.
THE DOCTOR AND HIS COMPANION BOTH FIRED AT US, BUT MISSED.
THEM MR CANE FIRED THE LAST TWO SHOTS- BOTH OF WHICH WERE ACCURATE. THEY HIT THE HANDS OF THE TWO OUTLAWS, CAUSING THEM TO DROP THEIR WEAPONS.
I SPRANG FORWARD AND PUT THE TWO IN HANDCUFFS.
FORTUNATELY, OUR FIRING HAD ATTRACTED THE ATTENTION OF SOME CONSTABLES, WHO HAD THE DOCTOR AND HIS COMPANION SENT TO PRISON.
THE NEXT MORNING FOUND MR CANE EXPLAINING THE CASE TO ME.
‘THE PERSON WHO WAS WITH THE DOCTOR IS MR DAVID,’ HE EXPLAINED. ‘MR DAVID OWNED SOME PRECIOUS DIAMONDS, WHICH MR RONALDS HAD STOLEN. MR DAVID DID ALL THIS TO TAKE REVENGE.’
I SMILED.
‘SO MR SILIUS CANE HAS STARTED HIS JOB AS A DETECTIVE SUCCESSFULLY, EH?’



THE END