by Conrad Allen
“I can vouch for that,” said Goss. “There are endless accounts of Egyptian sailors being blown off course or destroyed at sea. Even the Phoenicians, who were master mariners, had problems in the Mediterranean.”
“Yes,” said Dillman, “but they weren’t in a ship as large as the Marmora.”
“Or under the aegis of a company like P and O,” added Pountney. “We’ve got a ship’s company of over three hundred and fifty to look after our needs. In olden days, they didn’t have such luxuries.”
“They did have slaves to pull on the oars,” Goss pointed out.
“They shovel coal into the boilers now. A vast amount of it, as well.”
“Yes,” said Dillman, “you have to be strong to be a stoker. They work shifts around the clock to keep the ship moving at this speed. That’s the beauty of sail. If the winds are favorable, you can glide over the waves without anyone having to beaver away down in the engine room.” He turned to Goss. “What would you have been in ancient Egypt? Master or slave?”
“I know what I’d like to have been,” said Goss, exhaling a cloud of pipe smoke, “and that’s the architect who designed some of their magnificent palaces.”
“But you have a chance to fulfil that ambition right now,” Pountney argued with a grin. “Invest in the project I’ve been describing and you can help to bring a wondrous new palace into being. That would make you an architect, of sorts.”
“Let me think it over, Mr. Pountney.”
“Of course, old chap. There’s no hurry. Take all the time you want.”
“I’d need to discuss it with my wife.”
“You’re under no pressure at all,” said Pountney, touching him on the arm. “Take it or leave it, Mr. Goss. I only approached you because of your great interest in Egypt. Anyway,” he continued, “I’ll have to leave you in the capable hands of Mr. Dillman. I need to drop in on the purser.”
There was an exchange of farewells before Pountney went marching jauntily off.
“Investing money is not really my field,” confessed Goss. “It frightens me.”
“You’ve done pretty well so far,” said Dillman. “The biggest investment you’ve made is in your wife and family and it’s obviously paid handsome dividends.”
Goss needed a moment to agree. “Yes, yes. I never thought of it that way.”
“I gather that your daughter has acquired an accompanist, Mr. Goss.”
“That’s right. Who’d have believed a French chef could play the piano so well?”
“Oh, I’d believe anything of Monsieur Vivet. He’s very talented. The trouble is that he likes everyone to know it.”
“Polly says that he’s helped her a lot already,” said Goss. “She didn’t even like the man at first but now she can’t wait to get to that music room with him.” He opened his pipe and tapped it on the rail so that the tobacco fell out and blew away. “While we’re on the subject of my daughter, I wanted to say something.”
“Yes?”
“Well, I did tell you that she’d taken a liking to you.”
“I’m fond of her as well, Mr. Goss.”
“Look,” said the other, licking his lips nervously, “I’m not good at talking about this kind of thing. My wife is always saying that I don’t pay enough attention to Polly, and she’s probably right. The thing is, Mr. Dillman, I hadn’t really noticed how quickly she’d grown up.”
“It’s a habit young ladies seem to have.”
“There’s another habit as well,” said Goss. “It was Sir Alistair Longton who pointed it out to me. I felt so stupid. I mean, I had seen it, of course, but I didn’t recognize it for what it was.”
“You don’t need to tell me anything more,” said Dillman, wanting to spare the man further embarrassment. “I understand the situation.”
“Polly is infatuated with you.”
“I certainly haven’t given her any encouragement, Mr. Goss. Nor would I.”
“She doesn’t need any encouragement.”
“I know. To be honest, I’ve tried to keep out of her way.”
“That’s very considerate of you.”
“I don’t want her to get hurt,” said Dillman, “and I certainly don’t want to cause any problems for you and your wife. It’s been a delight to meet all three of you.”
“And we’ve enjoyed meeting you, Mr. Dillman. Unfortunately, it looks as if my daughter has done rather more than that.” He gave a pained smile. “I hope that you don’t mind my mentioning it.”
“On the contrary. I’m glad that you brought it up. Perhaps I should dine at another table this evening. It might ease the situation slightly.”
“In one way,” said Goss. “In another, it might make it worse.”
“Worse?”
“Polly would feel that you were rejecting her.”
“It’s bound to come to that at some stage, Mr. Goss,” Dillman reasoned. “Maybe I should tell you there’s someone else in my life. If you could find a way to mention that to your daughter, I’d be grateful. I want to let her down lightly.”
“I knew you’d understand.”
“I’m sorry that you had to raise the topic.”
“Well, I did,” said Goss, “and I’m glad that it’s over. I’m rather hoping that Monsieur Vivet has come to our rescue. He’ll take Polly’s eye off you and spare me from having to have this kind of awkward conversation.”
“There’s no need to feel awkward. It’s one of the perils of fatherhood.”
“There are ample rewards, as well. Polly has been a wonderful child.”
“She’s an exceptional musician,” said Dillman. “I heard her play her flute.”
“She won’t be parted with it, Mr. Dillman. When we first bought it, Polly used to sleep with it beside her.” He gave a brittle laugh. “Considering how much it cost, maybe I should have slept with it.”
“It’s a fine instrument, Mr. Goss. You could tell that by its tone.”
“It’s the most important thing in Polly’s life. She’d be lost without it.”
The strongbox was in the middle of the cabin with its lid open to reveal the empty interior. Tufts of cotton wool lay all around it. Beside it, on the floor, was a long, black leather case that had once held an expensive silver flute.
FOURTEEN
The atmosphere in the purser’s cabin was charged with tension. Brian Kilhendry was throbbing with anger and there was nothing his deputy could say to soothe him. Dillman stood there in silence, letting the others do all the talking. After managing to impress the purser, he could see that he had, albeit unjustly, now done the opposite.
“I blame you for this, Mr. Dillman,” Kilhendry accused.
“That’s unfair,” said Martin Grandage. “This is nothing to do with Mr. Dillman. It could have happened just as easily if he’d not even been on board.”
“Oh, no, it couldn’t.”
“Calm down, Brian.”
“He’s brought bad luck to the Marmora and it’s the last thing we need. I’ve sailed on dozens of voyages in this ship and the worst crime we had to deal with was someone who cheated at cards. We’ve never even had a drunken brawl,” Kilhendry said. “Cardsharps and petty theft, that’s all.”
“This particular thief is a bit more ambitious.”
“Then there’s the murder,” Kilhendry reminded him. “Don’t forget that, Martin. We still have a killer at large on the ship.”
“Mr. Dillman has a theory about that.”
“I’m not interested in his theories. I want arrests.”
“So does he, Brian,” said his deputy. “At least hear him out.”
“I’ve had all that I can stand of his excuses.”
Kilhendry flopped into his chair and glared at Dillman. News of the latest thefts had left him seething with rage. He pointed a finger at the detective. “And don’t you dare say anything sarcastic about my nose,” he warned.
“It’s your ears that interest me at the moment,” said Dillman quietly. “When they�
�re available to listen to sound reason, I’d like to speak into them. Blame me, if you wish, Mr. Kilhendry, but you need me if we’re to solve these crimes.”
“We need you like a hole below the waterline!”
“Brian!” exclaimed Grandage. He turned to Dillman. “I’m sorry about this.”
“Mr. Kilhendry is entitled to blow off steam,” said Dillman.
“Tell him about your theory.”
“I don’t think he’s in the right mood just now, Mr. Grandage.”
“Then I’ll do it,” said the other, looking at Kilhendry. “Mr. Dillman believes that the killer and thief may be the same man. He feels there may be a connecting link between the crimes.”
“He’s right,” growled the purser. “There it is, standing next to you. It goes by the name of George Dillman.”
“Be serious for a moment.”
“I am being serious, Martin. Look at his record so far—a vicious murder and four robberies. What’s next, Mr. Dillman?” he taunted. “A mass suicide pact? A shipwreck?”
“What’s next is for me to visit the latest victims,” said Dillman. “I know the Goss family and they’ll be overwhelmed by this. The relics that were stolen belong to a museum in Cairo and Mr. Goss—Professor Goss, to give him his full title—has been looking after them as if they were the crown jewels. In its own way, the loss of her flute will be just as devastating to his daughter.”
“Why should anyone steal a flute?” Grandage wondered.
“Because it’s a costly item that can easily be sold.”
“There’s a more limited market for those stone fragments that were taken.”
“But a much more lucrative one, Mr. Grandage,” said Dillman. “And I don’t think the thief would have stolen them if he didn’t have a buyer in mind. They’re heading back to Egypt, but not to any museum. They’ll go into private hands. So will the jewelry that’s been stolen. That’s what we fall back on as a last resort.”
“Last resort?” said the purser, listening to him at last.
“Yes, Mr. Kilhendry. He has quite a haul so far and may look to add to it. But the longer it stays on board, the greater the risk of detection. That means he intends to unload everything in Port Said. As a last resort, we search all baggage thoroughly before we allow passengers off, and we get our man.”
“I want the bastard long before that!”
“We all do, Brian,” said Grandage. “What do you advise, Mr. Dillman?”
Dillman was positive. “First of all, I’ll speak to Mr. Goss and his family.”
“On your own or with Miss Masefield in tow?”
“On my own. It means I’ll have to break my cover, but that can’t be helped. They’re nice people and deserve all the help they can get. What puzzles me is how anyone knew that those relics were even there. Mr. Goss told nobody.”
“The secret must have leaked out somehow.”
“But how? He was extremely careful.”
“Not careful enough,” said Kilhendry. “The main items he was carrying were put in our safe, so he’ll have something to deliver to the museum. But he’s going to have egg all over his face when he admits that the rest of the stuff was stolen.”
“Unless we can find it beforehand,” noted Dillman.
“What hope is there of that?”
“Every hope. We’re getting closer. I feel it.”
Kilhendry was scornful. “You’ll tell me next that you, too, have a nose for this kind of thing.”
“Oh, no,” said Dillman, meeting his stare. “That’s your prerogative. I rely, for the most part, on my brain. It’s the good, old-fashioned American variety. You’d be surprised how often it produces excellent results.”
Araminta Wilmshurst kept her head in the book but she did not read a word of it. She was simply ignoring her husband as he paced restlessly up and down the cabin. When he glanced over at her, she kept her eyes fixed on the page before her. Wilmshurst stood directly in front of her but even that did not lift her eyes. He made an effort to control his rising temper and spoke as gently as he could manage.
“Araminta—” he began.
“Not now, Nigel. I’m trying to read.”
“I need to talk to you.”
“I’m not in the mood to hear any more of your lies.”
“They were not lies. I was trying to spare your feelings, that’s all.”
“If you don’t mind,” she said pointedly, “I want to be left alone with my book.”
“You’ve been gazing at the same page for ten minutes.”
“It’s more comforting than looking at you.”
“We can’t go on like this.”
“You’re standing in my light.”
“Give that book here!” he said, snatching it from her hands.
“Nigel!”
“I’m not putting up with this any longer. We have to talk, Araminta. You must let me explain. When I’ve done that,” he promised, “you can read as long as you wish.” He put the book on the table and crouched down in front of her. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m truly sorry that this has happened.”
“I’m a lot more than sorry,” she murmured.
“It’s not my fault that she’s on the same ship as us,” he said earnestly. “The chance of that happening was so remote that it never even entered my mind. Heavens above! Do you think I wanted to see the damn woman again?”
“You loved her once. You got engaged to her.”
“That was a ghastly mistake.”
“You didn’t think so at the time, Nigel,” said his wife. “And neither did she. You told me how heartbroken she was when you broke off the engagement. For all I know, she may still be carrying a torch for you.”
“That’s absurd.”
“Is it? She must have some feelings for you.”
“I’m not interested in her or her feelings, Araminta. The only person I care about is you, and that’s why I want to sort this out once and for all. We can’t go on bickering like this. We’re supposed to be dining with the Princess Royal and her family this evening,” he said. “Have you forgotten that?”
“No, Nigel. I’m dreading it.”
“But you begged me to invite them here. In fact, they prefer to dine in their own cabin so you’ll get the opportunity to see inside it. Won’t that be a nice treat?”
“I’d rather call the whole thing off.”
“Araminta!”
“I would,” she insisted. “How can I enjoy a dinner party when I’ve got this hanging over me? I wouldn’t be able to eat a morsel of food.”
“Yes, you will,” he said. “If you’ll just let me explain.” She looked skeptical. “The reason I didn’t tell you she was on board was that I was trying to keep it from you. That way, your feelings wouldn’t have got hurt. Don’t you see, darling? I wanted to protect you.”
“Then why did you keep on shooting glances at her?”
“I wasn’t conscious of doing that. It won’t happen again, rely on it.”
“Did she look at you?”
“No,” he said firmly. “That’s the other thing you never gave me the chance to tell you. She’s obviously so shocked to see me that she daren’t even turn her head in my direction. As for carrying a torch, there’s no question of that. She has cause to hate me. I was the one who ended the engagement.”
“Only because she did something that you couldn’t tolerate.”
“She may not see it that way, Araminta.”
“But she was at fault,” argued his wife. “Otherwise, she could have sued you for breach of promise. Nobody cancels his wedding lightly. She must have done something terrible for you to cast her aside like that.”
“She did, Araminta.”
“What exactly was it?”
“I’d rather not talk about,” he said, getting up and turning away slightly. “It was very hurtful. Seeing her again brought it all back. Let’s just say I discovered that she was involved with someone else. That was how much she loved me.”
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She got to her feet. “When did this all happen?”
“Don’t make me go through it all again, Araminta. It was a nightmare.”
“Then why didn’t you cut her dead in the dining room?”
“I did,” he said. “I treated her as if she wasn’t there.” He held her gently by the shoulders. “And that’s what you must do, Araminta. Forget all about her. I apologize for what happened last night. We don’t even need to eat in the dining room again or to visit any of the public rooms. Neither of us will ever see her again.”
“But you’ll think about her, Nigel. And so will I.” She pouted at him. “I can see why you fell in love with her. She’s very beautiful.”
“So are you, my darling. Much more beautiful.”
“Oh, I don’t think so. No wonder you kept looking at her like that.”
“I won’t even leave the cabin again!” he affirmed. “We’ll stay here.”
“And let her frighten us away? No,” she said with spirit, “I won’t let anyone do that. We have as much right to be on this ship as she does. I’m not going to be imprisoned in here for the rest of the voyage.”
“Then come with me this evening,” he pleaded. “We’re going to be guests of the Duke and Duchess of Fife. Most people would give their right arm for such an honor. Yes,” he said, “and we’ll have our photograph taken with them as well. Herr Lenz is going to give us a souvenir that nobody else on the Marmora will have.” He kissed her softly on the forehead. “Say that you’ll come.”
“What was her name, Nigel?”
“Forget her, will you? She’s dead and buried.”
“I just want to know her name.”
“Why? It will mean nothing to you.”
“Oh, yes, it will. You said there’d be no secrets between us, yet you’ve never told me the full story of why you and she parted. At least, I want to know her name. Tell me that and I’ll agree to go with you this evening.” There was steel in her voice. “If you don’t,” she cautioned, “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
There was a long pause as Wilmshurst wrestled with the possibilities. He was so used to getting his own way with her that he did not know how to cope with her resistance. Araminta had an unexpected streak of determination in her.
