“So it’s possible the real one is still out there?” he said, when I’d finished.
“I think so.”
“Where?”
“It could be anywhere.”
“But it’s in Canada?”
“Probably. Both the real one and the fake were brought over from either Glasgow or Orkney or both. Trevor needed to have both of them for this to work.”
“First you raise my hopes, and then you dash them,” he said. “I guess I might as well go home.” With that he hopped on his bike and rode away. I just stood there too depressed to make good on a threat to yell thief. It took me a minute to realize I still didn’t know his name!
So that was two illusions shattered. I’d half thought that Percy, once found, would confirm something about the real writing cabinet and maybe even point me in the right direction for getting to the bottom of this mess. Now I found that he hadn’t a clue about its value, even if he’d shown me a picture of his grandmother standing in front of it. Clearly he was not the person to confirm that the cabinet I had seen was authentic. He was on a quest, to use his quaint expression, but not for the same reasons I was. Maybe he really just wanted to help his grandmother retrieve a piece of furniture the family thought had sentimental value. Maybe telling him what it was worth was going to make my own little quest harder. It was in a rather grumpy state of mind that I went to the party the following day.
Tickets for this exclusive little event that Robert and Maya Alexander were hosting were five hundred pounds each, a rather breathtaking sum for a few shrimp and a couple of small glasses of champagne. But still there was the charity, a new drop-in center for drug addicts, and, of course, the cachet. Cachet does not come cheap. Neither, of course, does obsession, at least certainly not mine. Every day that I persisted in my hunt for the sources of two writing cabinets put a bigger and bigger dent in my wallet.
On the bright side, transportation was included, a bus that picked up those of us with tickets on George Square and then took us out into the countryside. I had no idea where I was, but it was very pleasant wherever it was with fine views of water and a rather splendid home.
With the exception of the Scottish accents, the ticket prices and the admirable fact that no one was chopping up the furniture, the party seemed remarkably similar to one I had attended earlier in the summer. There were important-looking people, even if I didn’t know who they were, the requisite number of fawning hangers-on, and enough food to feed a small country.
Still, the house was spectacular. The invitation had said the affair was limited to a mere one hundred guests, and like Blair’s, this place could hold them. Unlike Blair’s, which was the living embodiment of his rather obsessive love of Art Nouveau, this home was furnished in a much more attractive and eclectic fashion. I liked it a lot better than Blair’s, even if I hadn’t made a cent on it. The art and the furnishings were of exceedingly good quality, but they had been chosen by someone with a good eye for the whole. Pieces were put together because they looked good that way, not because they belonged to a particular school of design or period. It was also, I suppose, more relaxed because of the country vistas with the lights of the city visible only in the distance.
I was very happy to see Lester Campbell arrive, given he was the only person I knew at the party, and one of only two people, if one could include Percy Bicycle Clips, that I knew in all of Glasgow. He had waved and was making his way toward me when there was some clinking of glasses, and a woman’s voice, amplified by a microphone, could be heard above the din.
“Could I have your attention for just one minute,” the voice said, and I moved into the main room to see an earnest-looking woman of about thirty at a small podium. “I don’t want to interrupt this lovely party, but I cannot let the occasion pass without a heartfelt thank-you to our hosts, Robert and Maya Alexander.” There was an enthusiastic round of applause. “You all know, I’m sure, what a terrible problem drugs are in Scotland, in Edinburgh particularly, but also here in Glasgow. The suffering these drugs cause for individuals and their loved ones, the huge costs, social and economic to our community, must be addressed. And Robert and Maya are doing something about it, supporting as they have our new center in a very significant way. I don’t know what we’d do without you, Robert and Maya, and others like you. I’d like to thank all of you for coming, and I’d like to ask Robert to say a few words.”
To a second round of applause, a rather attractive man of about fifty, with lovely silver hair and dark eyes took the microphone. “Thank you, Dorothy,” he said. “I want you to know that how delighted Maya and I are to be able to help even in a small way.”
“Hardly small,” Lester whispered to me. “He’s given them a million pounds.”
While Robert was talking, Maya, delighted to be able to help or not, hung back a bit, shy perhaps. She was wearing a lovely silk dress, but what really caught my eye was her gorgeous necklace. It was simple but beautifully designed, with what looked at this distance to be garnets and pearls. I have a weakness for antique jewelry. We don’t carry much of it in the shop, and I can’t afford the good stuff for myself, so I usually just admire it from afar, as I was doing now. People think jewelry has to have lots of precious stones to be worth much, but an antique with great design and a good designer or manufacturer can be costly even with just semiprecious stones. I’d seen one very similar at home, in fact. Blair Bazillionaire had been thinking of buying it for his wife, but they broke up soon after, so I guess that hadn’t happened. The one he’d been looking at was worth about ten thousand dollars, so there was no way I was going to buy it if he didn’t. Let’s face it, my lifestyle doesn’t involve enough sparkling social events to justify jewelry worth even a tenth of that price.
“We are relatively new to this community,” Alexander continued. “Ten years, I think. And you’ve been most welcoming, considering I’m English and my wife’s American— not at all what I heard about Scottish reserve.” People applauded a bit more. “Well, perhaps at bit reserved, at least at first, but not nearly as bad as we expected.” Everyone laughed. “And there is no question Scotland has been good to us. Who would have thought a boy from Liverpool, a former army captain, a kid who joined the army just to get a cheap education and see the world, would end up with a house like this, and a spectacular wife like Maya!”
“You’re a captain of industry now, Robert,” someone called out, as Robert kissed Maya’s hand and everyone applauded.
“We wanted to repay the community in some way. We are so glad to have been able to make even a small contribution to helping make our streets a little safer. We thought about it a great deal before making a decision as to how we could best help. Dorothy is very persuasive, believe me.” Everybody laughed and clapped, and Dorothy blushed. “Seriously now, it’s the least we could do, and really, the thanks go to each of you,” Alexander continued. “Maya and I are perfectly aware that you can find champagne and Scottish salmon for less at other establishments.” More laughter greeted that comment. “Please enjoy the evening. Our home is at your disposal, although we do hope you won’t stay the night.”
“Pleasant fellow,” I said, turning to Lester. “Nice sense of humor.”