He reached across, and she clenched her fist over it. “Give it to me,” he said.
“No, I won’t. Not until you tell me what it is. Not until you tell me why you have it.”
He leaned over and almost crushed her hand as he took the stone, then held it up to catch the light. It sparkled.
“Mountain of Light,” he said softly, and his face was like a boy’s as he looked at the stone. “It is the most priceless diamond in the world.”
“Why have you got it?” she said in awe.
“Because I needed it.”
“You have to return it.”
“Do I?”
“You can’t keep it.”
“I can’t?”
“No, you must be insane even to think that you can.”
“Why is that?”
She sat up angrily and looked at him. “It’s stolen.”
He gave her a glance that chilled her. She moved away from him, and the fear she had felt earlier returned. At first it was fear for herself, but he had softened again and he reached out to her.
“No, please don’t touch me. I don’t want you near me. I can’t deal with this.” She got up, reached for a robe, and wrapped it around her. “What did you have to do with Sylvia Hewitt’s death?”
“Nothing,” he replied.
“But the police want to question this Philip Simmons, and I know it’s you. He was the last person to see her alive, that’s what they said on the program. Why would they say that if you were not involved?”
“How do you know it’s me?” he asked, almost mockingly.
“You fit the description.”
“Along with how many thousands of other men?” he asked. “Besides, you know where I was on the day of the robbery. First at Brighton racetrack and then at the girls’ play. I couldn’t be in two places at once, sweetheart, could I?” He placed the diamond where he could see it. “I had nothing to do with Sylvia Hewitt’s death. At the time they are claiming she died, I was at my club, I even spoke to you from there. If you don’t believe me, ask the porter.”
“So if you had nothing to do with her death, why do they want to speak to you?”
“I have no idea. Maybe it’s connected to David Lyons. He topped himself, and it looks as if she did the same. He lost her savings as well as mine, and as I told you before, I didn’t get in touch with her because I had a good idea she was trying to hit me for money. On and on she went about hiring a private investigator, and as for this”-he nodded to the stone and turned back to her-“it’s a crystal replica I bought when we went to the Tower of London with your parents. I intended to give it to one of the girls. I carried it around in my pocket and forgot about it until I was going out riding, so I slipped it into one of my old boots.” He chuckled. “For God’s sake, darling, don’t tell me you thought I was involved in the Crown Jewels robbery. You can’t have thought that.” He chuckled again as she stood at the end of the bed and flushed. “Oh, my poor darling. What have you been doing all evening? Trying to find the rest of them?”
“Not to begin with. I was looking for the passports you had. Where did you go tonight?”
“For a drive. Then I parked the car and walked for a while. How long is this interrogation going to go on, Miss Marple?”
He laughed, tossed the stone in the air, and caught it. The light from the diamond cut shafts across the room.
“Give it to me,” she said and snatched it. She crossed to the dressing table mirror and slashed at it with the stone. When it cut into the glass, she began to tremble.
“I wish you hadn’t done that,” he said softly, and he was no longer smiling.
“Oh, God. Oh, my God,” she said, and he took a deep breath.
“It’s going to be all right, sweetheart, but now that you do know I’m involved, I will have to take great care of you. I won’t let any harm come to you. I’ll have to work out just how I can keep you and the girls out of it.”
“Will you go away?” she asked.
“No. No need as yet, but now you know why I had the passports in your name and the girls’. We might have to do a moonlight flit. We’ll have to have a serious talk about what we should do, but right now I don’t think we have too much to worry about.”
“How can you say that? If I recognized you, how long do you think it will be before someone else does?”
“You are my wife, dearest.”
She swallowed. His calm made her even more afraid.
“Did you… I mean, did you do it?”
“Do what?”
“For God’s sake, the robbery.”
“Yes,” he said simply.
Then, as if nothing had happened, he walked casually to the door, tying his robe. “I’m going to put on some tea. Would you like some?”
“No.” Her throat felt as if it was burning.
“I’m starving. I think I’ll make a toasted cheese sandwich too. Maybe I can tempt you,” he called as he left the room.
She remained huddled on the bed, listening to him moving around downstairs, and her head started to throb.
De Jersey busied himself in the kitchen. He took some of Christina’s sleeping tablets from the pocket of his dressing gown, crushed them into powder, and layered some under the melting cheese, then put the rest into her tea.
She was sitting up in bed when he returned with the tray, plus the brandy bottle, and he poured some into both their mugs as he sat cross-legged on the bed.
“Can I tempt you?” he asked teasingly, and she shook her head, but her mouth felt so dry she picked up a mug and drank.
She pulled a face at the tea, not liking the brandy he’d put in it, but he encouraged her to drink it. Then he started to eat a sandwich, and she took one too.
“This might be our last meal together,” he joked.
She turned away from him.
“I’m teasing, you know that.”
Christina turned back to him, and tears filled her eyes until she shook her head. “I am so frightened,” she whispered.
He put aside the tray and took her in his arms. “Listen to me, everything is going to be all right, and now I can tell you the truth. You must have pieced it together anyway by now. I have plans. We’ll have to leave England. Are you listening?”
She nodded as tears streamed down her cheeks.
“I love you,” he said softly, and he made love to her again. He held her until he heard her breathing deeply. He lay beside her, gently stroking her hair until he was sure she wouldn’t wake. He tucked the duvet around her and checked that she had drunk most of the tea and eaten half of the sandwich. He reckoned that would be enough. He packed quickly, and put the diamond in his pocket. He went downstairs to collect the briefcase. He left no note and didn’t look back as he let himself out of the kitchen door. He walked across the silent stable yard. It was three thirty in the morning, and no one was awake. He entered Royal Flush’s stable and cradled the horse’s head in his arms. The bond he felt with the great stallion crushed him, and he was almost in tears. “Good-bye, my son. Wherever I am, I’ll be watching you.”
The sound of the helicopter woke a few of the lads, and one sat up swearing, but silence soon returned.
Christina slept on throughout the next morning as trailers drew up at the estate and took away the horses. They had been bought by the billionaire Sheikh, and the jewel in his crown was Royal Flush.
26
The estate was in turmoil when it became clear that de Jersey had sold up, lock, stock, and barrel, but the staff were informed that they could continue to work for the Sheikh. The stable lads watched the great horse being led into the trailer. As always, he was kicking and biting. Even his blanket had been changed, to one that bore the colors of his new owner, who stood, smoking and inspecting his purchases, then walked around the estate with the shattered Donald Fleming.