Had she taken a fancy to one of these small treasures? Thora wondered, studying her sister’s small flushed face against the pillows. Had she taken a Netsuke when the bag had perhaps been left unattended by Esmeralda in the TV room? Alice had never deliberately stolen anything valuable before. But there was always a first time. And it could be Alice’s last. She had a mental picture of Alice appearing in the dock in court and trembled. It was all too much for her at that moment.
The fear that Thora was experiencing brought on an asthma attack. She left the room abruptly, went next door and took out her puffer out of the drawer. She used it and sat down on the bed slowly recovering. This was doing neither of them any good. She almost felt like risking a chuckle over it. They were two silly old girls quarrelling like school children. But this was serious. If she was prepared to wait a while longer, Alice might give herself away. But then again she might not.
If Alice had hidden it so well it could mean it was somewhere else. In her room for instance, where she thought her sister wouldn’t think of looking for it.
Thora smiled. If she searched the room carefully then she would find it. She let her eyes glance over the large wardrobe. Her hat boxes were tucked tidily along the top. She had been thinking earlier about the Carey girl’s funeral. She hadn’t worn her black straw for ages. She noticed now that the lid was not set on it properly. Thora was fussy about letting in the dust on her hats; especially on the straw models. She clicked her teeth with annoyance.
She reached up and got it down, lifted out the hat to check it out and gasped. There it was. Alice’s hidden treasure. A gold anklet. ‘Oh dear! What have you done, Alice?’
She could understand her sister’s strong attraction to it. But this simply could not be allowed. Where had she found it? Had she stolen it?
She breathed in deeply, pulled herself together and marched into her sister’s room, holding up her find triumphantly. ‘So - what’s this? Where did this come from?’
‘O-oh, dear!’ Alice smothered her gasp of alarm with a trembling hand.
‘You’d better tell me now. And I don’t want any more fibs.’
‘You’re bullying me-e,’ Alice whimpered. ‘Father wouldn’t allow it. You’re cruel and hateful.’
‘Nonsense! Stop behaving like a baby. What am I going to do with you? Father would be so ashamed and angry if he knew about this. Picking up things just because you take a fancy to them. It doesn’t belong to you. So tell me where did you get this?’
She held up the slender gold chain. Alice shrank back in the bed. ‘Come on now. We’ve got to return it. Straight away. You can’t keep it.’
Alice sniffed and muttered. ‘I-I found it in the chapel on Sunday after the evening service.’
‘I don’t believe you.’
‘I found it in the chapel,’ she insisted.
‘Where in the chapel? On the floor?’
Alice shook her head. ‘No. When we had a cup of tea in the meeting room. I saw it sticking out of the side of the sofa when I sat on it and was drinking my cup of tea.’
‘And?’
‘And you were talking to Frances Leach. I brushed my hand against it. I saw it glinting and pulled it out. It’s so pretty,’ she wailed.
‘It doesn’t matter. You should have given it to me, or Aiden Ludlam, straight away. Someone has lost it. So it’s lost property. The owner must be wondering where it is right now.’
Alice was crying. ‘I’m sorry, Thora.’
‘I’ll give it to Aiden Ludlam. And I’ll say we forgot to hand it in. It’s better late than never. I’ll make our most abject apologies. All right? And promise me never to do anything like this again.’
Alice nodded tearfully. ‘Yes. I promise.’
60
‘Esmeralda Corrie here. I wish to speak to Inspector Kent immediately. Please get him on the phone for me. Tell him it’s most important. And it has to do with Yvette Marceau.’
Kent picked up the phone, listened carefully, and within the hour was taking action in the Incident room. His team at first received the information from him with incredulous looks, laughter and some disbelief registered in their voices, as they questioned the reliability of his informant. But they went along with it. And it was proved right when shortly afterwards the letter was found amongst the school work; just as Esmeralda had seen it.
‘Mrs Sherlborne, may I speak to you in confidence. Somewhere we won’t be disturbed.’ Thora Wilberforce looked anxious when she approached Viviane in the library. ‘I must talk to someone.’
Viviane thought quickly. ‘Come into the office a moment, Miss Wilberforce. We won’t be disturbed there.’