The Kit Aston Mysteries (All Five Books)

by Jack Murray

  Kit and Mary walked towards Wolf. ‘How rich is he?’ asked Mary nodding towards the wall housing the Titian.

  ‘Clearly not in penury,’ said Kit under his breath.

  Wolf turned around just as the couple moved towards him. He was a tall man, around sixty, tanned with hair turning from dark to silver. His blue eyes crinkled into a smile as he saw Kit with Mary.

  ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t see you arrive. We’ve dispensed with announcing arrivals.’

  ‘I’m glad,’ replied Kit, ‘It would seem like a relic from the last century.’

  ‘I agree. After Flanders, I’m not sure it feels appropriate either,’ said Wolf. Turning to Mary, ‘Is this the extraordinary Lady Mary?’

  ‘I wouldn’t quite go that far, Lord Wolf,’ said Mary modestly.

  ‘I would. Your story caused quite a stir in our household,’ replied Wolf taking Mary’s hand and shaking it. ‘What you did in going to nurse the men at the front was very much to your credit so you may count me amongst your many devotees. Although if the rumours are true, it seems you have one particular admirer.’

  Kit laughed and admitted the rumours were true. Wolf looked at them, and his smile grew wider. They made a beautiful couple. Noble without superiority, intelligent without conceit and approachable without being over-familiar.

  ‘My wife and I weren’t fortunate enough to have children but, if I may say, I’d have been immensely proud if they’d been like you, my dear. Congratulations, Kit,’ and Wolf took Kit’s hand and shook it vigorously. The sincerity of Wolf’s sentiments was clear.

  ‘Thank you, sir, and thank you for the invitation to your...,’ he searched for the right word to convey the fact that they were amongst many of Europe’s leaders on the eve of a major peace conference in London. He settled on, ‘soiree.’

  This made Wolf smile and he said, ‘I thought it appropriate you come given your escapade in Paris last year.’

  Mary looked up at Kit proudly, ‘Yes he’s been somewhat reluctant to tell me exactly what he did.’

  ‘There’s a man coming towards us who should be able to elaborate,’ replied Wolf.

  ‘Lord Aston, Lady Mary,’ boomed a voice rich enough in timbre to suggest a long and successful career on the boards. In fact, this was not so very far from the truth as the man was playing a role. The role was as fictitious as his playing of it was true.

  Both turned around to be greeted by the sight of Percy Pendlebury, gossip columnist and, as of last year’s unintentional involvement in ‘The French Diplomat Affair’, mysterious man of, well, mystery. Wolf rolled his eyes and made good his escape.

  ‘Percy,’ said Kit shaking the journalist’s hand, ‘How are you? Glad to see you’re fully recovered.’

  ‘Oh, completely, Kit, but enough about me. Now, Lady Mary, I don’t believe we’ve met but I have met Lady Esther,’ said Pendlebury fixing Mary with his full attention.

  ‘Yes, I read the piece you wrote about her. You were very kind.’

  ‘I should love to have included you also, my dear. My readers were bewitched by my series on what people such as yourself were doing during the War.’

  Mary had nursed at the Front under a pseudonym for the last year of the War.

  ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t want to talk about my time there.’

  Just for a moment Mary found it hard to breathe. Unhappy images of the appalling injuries inflicted on the soldiers in her care swam in front of her eyes. Kit was aware of Mary’s grip growing stronger. He looked at her face and saw a change, almost imperceptible, but clear. He fell in love with her again for what seemed like the hundredth time that day.

  Pendlebury, whose own intuition was as highly tuned as Kit’s, also saw the change. He took her hand and smiled sympathetically.

  ‘Please forgive me. I quite understand your desire not to discuss those heart-breaking days.’

  He did. Unusually for a newsman whose prior career had principally involved the reporting of rich people being and acting as rich people do, he had travelled to the front to see for himself and report on the lives of the men and women serving.

  ‘But am I to assume that you two wonderful young people, have some news to share with me and all my readers?’

  Mary blushed slightly and glanced at Kit who returned her look.

  ‘Yes, Percy. I rather think you can.’

  ‘Is this official?’

  ‘It will be when you break it,’ pointed out Kit.

  Pendlebury offered hearty congratulations before nodding to two older men standing in a corner, ‘Well, Kit, I must thank you for this scoop, although I think we’ll both agree you did owe me one. Ah, you’ll have to excuse me on that happy note. I’ve just seen two Prime Ministers talking to one another. I shall see if I can hear what they’re saying.’

  The two Prime Ministers in question were Lloyd George and Francesco Nitti of Italy. Both were due to host the Conference of London the next day.

  Mary looked up at Kit suspiciously.

  ‘What did he mean by that, I wonder?’ asked Mary. ‘Is this another thing you’ve neglected to tell me milord?’

  ‘I’m afraid it is rather a failing of our gender that we sometimes omit details in our desire to avoid boring to death the audience.’

  ‘Or,’ pointed out Mary, ‘when said detail may not reflect well on you?’

  ‘Especially that.’

  Wolf returned and taking Mary’s arm said, ‘If I may, Kit, I’d like to take the most beautiful lady in the room to meet her many admirers.’

  ‘That didn’t take long,’ laughed Kit relinquishing Mary’s arm.

  As he did so he became aware of a man ambling up beside him. He turned around and found himself looking at Gerald Geddes, a man he’d encountered last in Paris around the time of the Peace Conference.

  ‘Hello, Aston,’ said Geddes.

  Kit nodded at Geddes, ‘Hello, Geddes.’ He tried not to look surprised at seeing a spy at the soiree. But, then again, it made sense. There were a lot of senior politicians and businessmen here this evening. There were bound to be indiscretions and when alcohol was involved.

  ‘Working?’ asked Kit amiably.

  ‘Yes. You?’

  ‘No, purely social. I’m with my fiancé,’ replied Kit.

  ‘Congratulations,’ said Geddes before nodding a goodbye. This coincided with the arrival of a man Kit knew well.

  ‘So, I gather congratulations are in order,’ said the man, who was at least as tall as Kit.

  ‘Yes, Lord President,’ replied Kit to former Prime Minister Arthur Balfour.

  Balfour nodded, and both men regarded Mary appreciatively. Then he turned back to Kit and said, ‘I knew her grandmother slightly. She was also very beautiful. You must introduce us later. How are you anyway? You’ve had a busy few weeks if what I hear is true.’

  Kit laughed. In the last few weeks, he’d solved the murder of Lord Arthur Cavendish, seen his fiancée almost fall victim to poisoning and solved a crime involving several murders connected to a conspiracy to assassinate the King and the Queen Consort.

  ‘Yes, it’s been somewhat hectic,’ agreed Kit.

  ‘You met my successor, Curzon, I gather.’

  ‘Indeed,’ said Kit looking at Balfour with a half-smile.

  ‘Indeed,’ responded Balfour in an equally neutral tone. Glancing ahead he saw Mary ensconced with Lloyd George and Nitti.

  ‘Your intended may need rescuing. One Welsh goat and an Italian seem to be wooing her. If she’s in any way attracted by power, you could be in trouble. If, instead, she values men of a more philosophical bent, I may throw a hat into the ring myself.’ Both observed the Italian Prime Minister put a protective arm around Mary before noting his hand dropping further down.

  ‘Normally I would say she can hold her own but perhaps, on this occasion, she’s outgunned.’

  The two men walked forward to rescue Mary, who glanced archly at Kit as he arrived. Turning momentarily to Lloyd George before looking again at Kit, s
he said, ‘The Prime Minister was just telling me how you probably saved his life last year in Paris. I must say I’m looking forward to knowing more about my future husband, Prime Minister. He tells me nothing.’

  ‘And the King’s life this year,’ added Balfour. ‘By the way Lady Mary, I’m Arthur, as none of these gentlemen seem in a rush to introduce me.’

  ‘Lord President,’ said Mary smiling up to Balfour, ‘I’ve been an admirer of yours for many years.’

  ‘And I of you for many minutes,’ replied Balfour nobly.

  -

  Around midnight, the main dignitaries had retired for the evening. Wolf suggested they withdraw to the library for a nightcap. The library, if not as large as the drawing room, was as impressive. Books lined the walls from floor to ceiling. Some wall space was occupied by paintings from the French Impressionists who were gaining in popularity and value by the year in England.

  The room was lit by an enormous crystal chandelier which had, as Wolf demonstrated, several dimmer switches around the room. Mary had been subject to vigorous displays of what she and Kit later agreed was behaviour only marginally differentiated from a Gorilla beating its chest and a lot less impressive. All of which amused Kit and provided no end of entertainment to Mary as well as to her newfound friend, Arthur Balfour.

  With the politicians gone, bar the indefatigable Balfour, the conversation moved on to the recent spate of robberies in the city. This brought back memories for some of the thief known as ‘The Phantom.’

  ‘You’re not going to claim credit for that one also, Kit?’ asked Balfour, with one eyebrow raised.

  Kit laughed, ‘No, I was just leaving for the War when the Phantom was captured. I do know the chap who caught him: Chief Inspector Jellicoe. Good man.’

  ‘I must say, I was relieved when they caught him,’ admitted Wolf. Upon saying that, he went over to a painting on the wall and moved it to one side. Behind it was a safe. Given that he was with men and women of unimpeachable background, Wolf felt completely at ease in what he was doing.

  He opened the safe and removed a small black velvet pouch. From the pouch he extracted a diamond necklace. Mary gasped involuntarily. She wasn’t the only one. There were over a dozen sizeable diamonds on the chain. It was beautiful and unquestionably worth a small fortune. Everyone in the room inched forward to have a better look at the necklace Wolf had placed on the table.

  Just as Wolf stepped back, the lights went out leaving the room in complete darkness. Two of the women screamed and there were shouts from a couple of the men. The lights came on again after a few moments. When everyone looked down at the table, the diamonds were gone.

  Wolf looked at everyone in the room, and said, ‘Is this some sort of joke? If I may say, it’s in very poor taste.’

  Mary looked up at Kit and whispered, ‘Do something.’

  ‘Me?’

  ‘Yes, you.’

  Everyone turned to Kit.

  ‘Oh,’ said Kit, unsure of what was expected from him, ‘Perhaps we should lock the doors.’ Behind him the footmen in the room did as they were bid. Kit looked at Wolf. The room was silent as they waited for Kit’s next words. And then Mary spoke.

  ‘Well, clearly they’re hidden up above. Who’s going to look?’

  Everyone looked up at the chandelier.

  ‘Good thinking,’ said Balfour smiling.

  A young man volunteered, and space was cleared for him to stand on a chair and to root around the chandelier with his outstretched hand. All this time Kit kept his eyes on Wolf.

  ‘I can’t find anything,’ admitted the young man.

  ‘Oh,’ said Mary, clearly disappointed that her first stab at detection had, on this occasion, been a failure. She felt a comforting hand on her elbow from Kit. She looked up and made a face. Kit had a faint smile. Mary frowned. She sensed what was coming.

  ‘What are you thinking, Kit?’ asked Wolf.

  ‘A greater and, frankly, more credible detective than I once said that if you can eliminate the impossible then whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth.’

  ‘Go on Sherlock.’ said Mary, who made having a grin and frown at the same moment not only physically possible but very enticing.

  ‘Well, with that in mind,’ said Kit walking forward to the safe and looking inside, ‘I would suggest that the necklace is back in the safe where Lord Wolf placed it when the lights went out.’

  The safe was empty.

  Wolf’s face was non-committal. Kit turned to face the room. No one had moved except to look either at Kit or the empty safe.

  ‘As you can see the safe is empty,’ said Kit. He caught Arthur Balfour’s eye. The glint suggested the former Prime Minister was enjoying this as much as he was fascinated by what the solution to the mystery might be. Mary was beside him. Her face now betrayed a degree of nervousness. With the safe empty, she was worried he was going to make a fool of himself. So was Kit.

  ‘However, if I do this,’ said Kit, pressing down on the base of the safe and extracting from the compartment underneath, a diamond necklace which he held up for all to view, ‘then the diamonds reappear, as if by magic’.

  Everyone broke out into spontaneous applause, none more so than Lord Wolf who was laughing in delight. Shouts of ‘Bravo’ filled the air. As the ovation died down one voice broke the silence.

  ‘Of course, you’re now in trouble,’ said Arthur Balfour.

  ‘Indeed, that thought has also just occurred to me,’ admitted Kit.

  Wolf and the others in the assembly turned to Balfour for an explanation, who duly provided it.

  ‘Well Kit has, rather publicly, been proved right. I fear his delightful fiancée will, indeed must, make Kit spend a lifetime reflecting on how he chose to deploy his unquestioned intellect ahead of a piece of wisdom that has existed at least as long as humanity.’

  ‘Which is?’ prompted Mary, with something approaching relish.

  ‘That women are always right,’ finished Kit, shamefacedly.

  Mary stepped forward and kissed Kit gently on the cheek. This brought a second round of applause. Kit glanced and saw Gerald Geddes looking at him quizzically.

  ‘Any other party tricks?’ asked Geddes. He was smiling but there seemed to be little humour in his tone. Kit was distracted by Lord Wolf coming up alongside him clutching the diamond necklace.

  ‘I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes when you go home, Kit,’ said Wolf with a grin. The smile on Wolf’s face changed in a moment to confusion. He stared at the diamond necklace and then looked back up at Kit.

  ‘What’s wrong, Peter?’ asked Kit, looking also at the necklace. He looked back at the ashen face of Lord Wolf.

  ‘It’s fake. The necklace is a fake.’

  Wolf went over immediately to the safe. He placed his hand down on the base which tipped down to into the hidden compartment found by Kit during the practical joke.

  He turned to face the assembly. Incredulity was written on his face. Kit picked up the black velvet pouch and turned it inside out. As he did so, a small card fell onto the table. Kit lifted the card and showed it to Lord Wolf.

  On the card was the face of a phantom.

  Chapter 2

  There was at a gasp as Kit showed the card to the assembly. Wolf sat down in shock. A voice from the back of the group asked, ‘But how? He’s in prison.’

  Kit looked around at the group. Every person was someone of rank either through inheritance, patronage, or wealth. It was inconceivable to Kit that one was a thief.

  ‘I believe the best course of action, Peter, is to call Scotland Yard immediately. We need Jellicoe. I also think it best if your guests retire for the evening. You’ll all probably be asked to give a statement tomorrow. My feeling is that the diamond necklace was stolen before tonight. The security I saw this evening would be something no sane thief would look to take on.’

  Wolf looked up at Kit and nodded gratefully. Kit turned around to search out Mary, but she was already at t
he door instructing a footman to call the police. In fact, she had moved before Kit had addressed the group, clearly anticipating the need. Kit felt a glow of pride as she returned.

  ‘Police?’ asked Kit.

  ‘Police,’ responded Mary.

  ‘I would get used to this if I were you. They’re always one step ahead of us,’ pointed out Balfour. This lightened the mood in the room and even seemed to raise the spirit of Lord Wolf.

  ‘Did you ask the footman to insist on Jellicoe?’

  ‘Of course,’ said Mary, ‘I do listen to you, you know.’

  ‘Enjoy that while it lasts, Kit,’ added Balfour glancing archly at Mary.

  -

  Half an hour later the only remaining people in the room were Kit, Mary, and Lord Wolf. A maid brought some tea as they discussed what would happen next. Wolf, by now, had regained his composure following the initial shock. However, he remained bewildered at how a thief could have entered the house never mind located and stolen the diamonds.

  ‘By the way, Kit, you know that you don’t have to stay,’ pointed out Wolf.

  ‘I’d like to, Peter,’ replied Kit before adding, ‘besides which, I know Jellicoe.’

  ‘I understand, Kit, and thank you. But you, Mary?’ asked Wolf.

  Kit glanced at Mary one eyebrow raised.

  ‘I should like to stay also, Lord Wolf, if I may. The alternative is to return to Kit’s aunt or stay with Kit and yourself. Not such a difficult choice when you think of it.’

  Wolf smiled and bowed his head.

  ‘Your aunt, Kit?’ asked Wolf turning to Kit.

  ‘Yes, Mary and her sister have moved into the house of my aunt now that she’s back from the Riviera. You may know her, Lady Agatha Frost?’

  The look on Wolf’s face suggested a delicate mixture of surprise, amusement, and fear, rather in the manner of meeting a baby shark and then its mother.

  ‘Well,’ smiled Wolf, ‘I do know the lady in question. Quite formidable if I remember correctly.’