I decided to try to put myself into the mind of the killer, to see what he or she saw, to retrace his steps and perhaps find what he might have tried to conceal. I went into the library through the nearer door and took a look around.
The cases were still where we had found them yesterday, but now covered in a thin dusting of fingerprint powder. I stood among them, imagining myself in the role of the burglar, searching frantically through them, terrified that I might be interrupted at any moment. Was I looking for something? Or was I looking for somewhere to hide something? In the present, the real me had no idea. I’d picked up the trumpet case when the door behind me opened. I had turned. It was the trumpet player himself. He had challenged me, then saw what I was doing and charged. We struggled and I hit him… with the trumpet case. He fell. He was out cold. I could hear the door handle again, so I fled out through the nearest door and into the corridor just as someone came into the room behind me. Had they seen me? I had to get rid of the trumpet case. Perhaps I’d had time to conceal something in it, or perhaps what I was looking for was still in it. Either way, I had to put it somewhere I could find it again so I could search it properly and retrieve the mystery item. Somewhere it wouldn’t be seen. Somewhere easy to reach. I had to hurry.
Back in the present I stood in the corridor and looked at the ornate Chinese cabinet opposite the library door, the one Haddock had misidentified as a reproduction yesterday. I’d seen that cabinet several times before and it had never struck me as particularly interesting until Sir Hector had told me a little of its history, but now, in my imaginary panic, it stood out as my potential salvation.
A vase of dried flowers stood on top of the cabinet, next to the revolting clock that Haddock had been so excited about the day before, and there was a tantalizing gap between the clawed feet beneath, but it was the brass handle on the intricately inlayed doors that caught my attention. I reached out and opened one of the doors, and there inside was the missing trumpet case.
I rushed into the dining room, almost bowling the inspector over in my haste.
‘Inspector,’ I blurted. ‘I’m so sorry. I–’
‘Calm down, young lady,’ he said, kindly. ‘What’s troubling you?’
As succinctly as I could I told the story of my morning’s adventures.
‘Well bless my soul,’ he said. ‘I shall have to have words with the local uniformed boys. How on earth did they miss that? I’d been assured that everything had been thoroughly searched.’
‘It’s an anonymous little cupboard, sir,’ I said. ‘I only noticed it because it’s directly opposite the door. It’s in a little alcove so it’s easy to ignore it otherwise.’
‘That’s as may be, miss, but it’s a policeman’s duty to notice everything. No matter. What did you do with the trumpet case?’
‘I left it there. I was already feeling a little stupid for touching the door handle so I didn’t want to get my fingerprints on the case as well.’
‘Quick thinking,’ he said, encouragingly. ‘We’ll make a detective of you yet. Now then, would you mind waiting here in case your mistress turns up, and I’ll go and take a look at this trumpet case for myself.’
‘Of course, sir. Is that tea fresh?’
‘Dora brought it in a few moments ago,’ he said. ‘She seemed a little put out that you weren’t here as a matter of fact, looked like she had something on her mind. I told her you were running an errand for me.’
‘Thank you. I expect she wanted to gloat about being so thoroughly comforted by Mr Dunn.’
He chuckled. ‘I don’t doubt it,’ he said. ‘Why don’t you help yourself to some tea and I’ll be back in a few moments.’
And with that, he left the room.
I poured myself a cup of tea and tried to sit quietly to wait for the inspector’s return or Lady Hardcastle’s arrival, but I couldn’t settle. I was too excited. I’d made an actual discovery. A real piece of detection. It was all far too thrilling to be sitting quietly drinking tea in someone else’s dining room.
At length I heard voices in the corridor and as I rose to find out what was going on, the door opened and Lady Hardcastle came in.
‘Thank you, Jenkins,’ she said with her head still turned towards the corridor. ‘You’re a sweetheart. I don’t suppose you could magic up a pot of coffee? And perhaps some of Mrs Brown’s delicious biscuits?’
There was a muffled, ‘Certainly, my lady,’ from the corridor and then the sound of Jenkins’s unhurried footsteps on the wooden floor.
Lady Hardcastle closed the door.
‘Hello, pet,’ she said, putting her bag on the table. ‘No Inspector Sunderland? How did your snooping go?’
Once more I described my search, and the unexpectedly easy discovery of the missing case.
‘Oh, I say, how exciting,’ she said.
‘I should say so. In the words of Sergeant Dobson I was “all of a pother”.’
‘I’m not surprised. Actual detecting. Well done you. We have even more to tell the inspector when he turns up.’
‘Oh, sorry, my lady, I neglected to say that he’s already here. I told him about the case and he’s gone to look for himself.’
‘Splendid,’ she said, and sat down to await his return.
We didn’t have to wait long. We’d only just begun to chatter excitedly, speculating on what the significance of the discovery might be, when the inspector came in, carrying the trumpet case.
‘Aha,’ he said. ‘Good morning, Lady Hardcastle. I trust you’re well.’
‘Splendidly well, than you, Inspector,’ she said. ‘And rather proud of dear Flo, too. What a find!’
‘Quite a breakthrough, my lady, yes. Well done, Miss Armstrong. This should help things along nicely.’
‘How exciting,’ I said. ‘But don’t we have to wait for… what did you call him? The “fingerprint man”?’
‘Ordinarily, miss, yes, but see the brass catch here?’ He indicated the locking clasp that held the case closed. ‘Bright and shiny. Not a mark on it, nor anywhere else on the case as far as I can see. The whole thing has been wiped clean. Work of an experienced thief, I’d say.’
‘Oh,’ I said, disappointedly.
He smiled. ‘Not to worry, though, miss, it’s still an important part of the puzzle. And who knows what we might find inside.’
He made to open the case, but Lady Hardcastle laid a hand on his arm.
‘Before you do, Inspector, would you mind indulging us a little? Flo and I have a little theory about what might be inside and it will be so much more impressive if we tell you before you open it.’
‘By all means, my lady. I’m all ears.’
‘It relies,’ she said, ‘on our supposition that Sylvia Montgomery, the newcomer to the band, is actually a notorious jewel thief who is using the band as a cover to get herself into rich houses and steal from the families who live there. Rather than take the jewels out in her own luggage, she conceals them in her fellow musicians’ instrument cases without their knowledge. On the evening of the party, she was caught by Mr Holloway as she attempted to hide her spoils in his trumpet case. A struggle ensued and she left him unconscious on the floor as she fled.’