it himself--and I'll swear it was nowhere in
that room I A nd nobody left the room "No waiters, for instance?" suggested Mr. Parker Pyne. Llewellyn shook his head. "They went out before the girl began messing about with the diamond, and afterwards Pointz locked the door so as to keep them out. No, it lies between one of us." "It would certainly seem so," said Mr. Parker Pyne thoughtfully. "That damned evening paper," said Evan Lewellyn bitterly. "I saw it come into their minds--that that was the only way--" "Just tell me again exactly what occurred." "It was perfectly simple. I threw open the win THE REGATTA MYSTERY 19
dow, whistled to the man, threw down a copper and he tossed me up the paper. And there it is; you see--the only possible way the diamond could have left the room--thrown by me to an accom-plice waiting in the street below."
"Not the only possible way," said Mr. Parker
Pyne.
"What other way can you suggest?"
"If you didn't throw it out, there must have been some other way."
"Oh, I see. I hoped you meant something more definite than that. Well, I can only say that I didn't throw it out. I can't expect you to believe me--or anyone else."
"Oh, yes, I believe you," said Mr. Parker Pyne. "You do? Why?"
"Not a criminal type," said Mr. Parker Pyne. "Not, that is, the particular criminal type that steals jewelry. There are crimes, of course, that you might commit--but we won't enter into that subject. At any rate I do not see you as the pur-!oiner of the Morning Star."
"Everyone else does though," said Llewellyn bitterly.
"I see," said Mr. Parker Pyne.
"They looked at me in a queer sort of way at the time. Marroway picked up the paper and just glanced over at the window. He didn't say any-thing. But Pointz cottoned on to it quick enough! I could see what they thought. There hasn't been any open accusation, that's the devil of it."
Mr. Parker Pyne nodded sympathetically.
"It is worse than that," he said.
"Yes. It's just suspicion. I've had a fellow
20 Agatha Christie
round asking questions--routine inquiries, he called it. One of the new dress-shirted lot of police, I suppose. Very tactful2nothing at all hinted. Just interested in the fact that I'd been
hard up and was suddenly cutting a bit of a
splash."
"And were you?"
"Yes--some luck with a horse or two. Unluck-ily my bets were made on the course--there's nothing to show that that's how the money came in. They can't disprove it, of course--but that's just the sort of easy lie a fellow would invent if he didn't want to show where the money came from."
"I agree. Still they will have to have a good deal more than that to go upon."
"Oh! I'm not afraid of actually being arrested and charged with the theft. In a way that would be easier--one would know where one was. It's the
ghastly fact that all those people believe I took it." "One person in particular?" "What do you mean?"
"A suggestion--nothing more--" Again Mr. Parker Pyne waved his comfortable-looking hand.
"There was one person in particular, wasn't there? Shall we say Mrs. Rustington?"
Llewellyn's dark face flushed.
"Why pitch on her?"
"Oh, my dear sir--there is obviously someone whose opinion matters to you greatly--probably a lady. What ladies were there? An American flap-per? Lady Marroway? But you would probably rise not fall in Lady Marroway's estimation if you had brought off such a coup. I know something
THE REGATTA MYSTERY 21
of the lady. Clearly then, Mrs. Rustington." Llewellyn said with something of an effort, ,'She--she's had rather an unfortunate experi-ence. Her husband was a down and out rotter. It's made her unwilling to trust anyone. She--if she thinks--"
He found it difficult to go on.
"Quite so," said Mr. Parker Pyne. "I see the
matter is important. It must be cleared up." Evan gave a short laugh. "That's easy to say."
"And quite easy to do," said Mr. Parker Pyne. "You think so?"
"Oh, yes--the problem is so clear cut. So many possibilities are ruled out. The answer must really be extremely simple. Indeed already I have a kind of glimmering--"
Llewellyn stared at him incredulously.
Mr. Parker Pyne drew a pad of paper towards him and picked up a pen.
"Perhaps you would give me a brief description of the party."
"Haven't I already done so?"
"Their personal appearance--color of hair and
$o on."
"But, Mr. Parker Pyne, what can that have to do with it?"
"A good deal, young man, a good deal. Classi-fication and so on."
Somewhat unbelievingly, Evan described the personal appearance of the members of the yacht-ing party.
Mr. Parker Pyne made a note or two, pushed away the pad and said:
22 Agatha Christie
"Excellent. By the way, did you say a wineglass was broken?" Evan stared again. "Yes, it was knocked off the table and then it
got stepped on."
"Nasty thing, splinters of glass," said Mr.
Parker Pyne. "Whose wine-glass was it?" "I think it was the child's--Eve." "Ah!--and who sat next to her on that side?" "Sir George Marroway." "You didn't see which of them knocked it off the table?" "Afraid I didn't. Does it matter?" "Not really. No. That was a superfluous question. Well"--he stood up--"good morning, Mr. Llewellyn. Will you call again in three days' time? I think the whole thing will be quite satisfactorily cleared up by then." "Are you joking, Mr. Parker Pyne?" "I never joke on professional matters, my dear sir. It would occasion distrust in my clients. Shall we say Friday at 11:30? Thank you."
Evan entered Mr. Parker Pyne's office on the Friday morning in a considerable turmoil. Hope and skepticism fought for mastery. Mr. Parker Pyne rose to meet him with a beaming smile. "Good morning, Mr. Llewellyn. Sit down. Have a cigarette?"