“If he was his confederate, why should he carry his photograph?” I asked.
“As a means of tracing him if he wished to inquire about him from any third person. That was the obvious reason. Well, after the murder I calculated that Beppo would probably hurry rather than delay his movements. He would fear that the police would read his secret, and so he hastened on before they should get ahead of him. Of course, I could not say that he had not found the pearl in Harker’s bust. I had not even concluded for certain that it was the pearl; but it was evident to me that he was looking for something, since he carried the bust past the other houses in order to break it in the garden which had a lamp overlooking it. Since Harker’s bust was one in three, the chances were exactly as I told you—two to one against the pearl being inside it. There remained two busts, and it was obvious that he would go for the London one first. I warned the inmates of the house, so as to avoid a second tragedy, and we went down, with the happiest results. By that time, of course, I knew for certain that it was the Borgia pearl that we were after. The name of the murdered man linked the one event with the other. There only remained a single bust—the Reading one—and the pearl must be there. I bought it in your presence from the owner—and there it lies.”
We sat in silence for a moment.
“Well,” said Lestrade, “I’ve seen you handle a good many cases, Mr. Holmes, but I don’t know that I ever knew a more workmanlike one than that. We’re not jealous of you at Scotland Yard. No, sir, we are very proud of you, and if you come down tomorrow there’s not a man, from the oldest inspector to the youngest constable, who wouldn’t be glad to shake you by the hand.”
“Thank you!” said Holmes. “Thank you!” and as he turned away it seemed to me that he was more nearly moved by the softer human emotions than I had ever seen him. A moment later he was the cold and practical thinker once more. “Put the pearl in the safe, Watson,” said he, “and get out the papers of the Conk-Singleton forgery case. Goodbye, Lestrade. If any little problem comes your way I shall be happy, if I can, to give you a hint or two as to its solution.”
PERMISSIONS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Charlotte Armstrong. “The Enemy” by Charlotte Armstrong. Copyright © 1951 by Charlotte Armstrong. Copyright renewed by Jeremy B. Lewi & Jaquelin Lewi Bynagte. Originally published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. Used by permission of the Jack and Charlotte Lewi Family Trust and Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents, Inc. All rights reserved.
Robert Bloch. “The Real Bad Friend” by Robert Bloch. Copyright © 1957, 1985 by Robert Bloch. Reprinted by permission of the Richard Henshaw Group.
Fredric Brown. “Madman’s Holiday” by Fredric Brown. Copyright © 1943 by Street & Smith. Renewed. Originally published in Street & Smith’s Detective Story Magazine. Reprinted by permission of the Estate of Fredric Brown.
A. H. Z. Carr. “The Trial of John Nobody” by A.H.Z. Carr. Copyright © 1950 by Davis Publications, Inc. Copyright renewed 2003 by Anne K. Carr. Reprinted by permission of Anne K. Carr and Frances Collin Literary Agent.
Agatha Christie. “The Witness for the Prosecution” by Agatha Christie. Copyright © 1925 by Agatha Christie. Renewed. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
Richard Connell. “Brother Orchid” by Richard Connell. Copyright © 1938 by Richard Connell. Copyright renewed 1965 by Louise Fox Connell. Originally published by Collier’s Magazine. Used by permission of Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents, Inc. All rights reserved.
Richard Connell. “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell. Copyright © 1924 by Richard Connell. Copyright renewed 1952 by Louise Fox Connell. Originally published by Collier’s Magazine. Used by permission of Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents, Inc. All rights reserved.
Daphne du Maurier. “Don’t Look Now” by Daphne du Maurier. Copyright © 1970 by The Chichester Partnership. Reprinted by permission of Curtis Brown Group Ltd London on behalf of The Chichester Partnership.
Stanley Ellin. “The Best of Everything” by Stanley Ellin. Copyright © 1952 by Stanley Ellin. Renewed. Reprinted by permission of Curtis Brown, Ltd.
Jack Finney. “The House of Numbers” by Jack Finney. Copyright © 1956 by the Hearst Corporation. Copyright renewed 1984 by Jack Finney. Reprinted by permission of Don Congdon Associates, Inc.
Ian Fleming. “From a View to a Kill” by Ian Fleming. Copyright © 1959 by Ian Fleming Publications Ltd. Renewed. Reprinted by permission of Ian Fleming Publications Ltd.
G. T. Fleming-Roberts. “Lady Killer!” by G.T. Fleming-Roberts. Copyright © 1945 by G.T. Fleming-Roberts. Renewed. Reprinted by permission of the Estate of G.T. Fleming-Roberts, James T. Roberts, heir and personal representative.
Dashiell Hammett. “The House in Turk Street” by Dashiell Hammett. Copyright © 1924 by Dashiell Hammett. Renewed. Reprinted by permission of Richard Layman, Trustee of the Dashiell Hammett Literary Property Trust, and the Joy Harris Literary Agency, Inc.
Dashiell Hammett. “On the Make” by Dashiell Hammett. Copyright © 2013 by the Dashiell Hammett Literary Property Trust. Reprinted by permission of Richard Layman, Trustee of the Dashiell Hammett Literary Property Trust, and the Joy Harris Literary Agency, Inc.
Dashiell Hammett. “Woman in the Dark” by Dashiell Hammett. Copyright © 1933 by Dashiell Hammett. Renewed. Reprinted by permission of Richard Layman, Trustee of the Dashiell Hammett Literary Property Trust, and the Joy Harris Literary Agency, Inc.
MacKinlay Kantor. “Gun Crazy” by MacKinlay Kantor. Copyright © 1940 by MacKinlay Kantor. Renewed. Originally published in The Saturday Evening Post. Reprinted by permission of the Estate of MacKinlay Kantor and the Donald Maass Literary Agency.
Dennis Lehane. “Animal Rescue” by Dennis Lehane. Copyright © 2009 by Dennis Lehane. Reprinted by permission of the author and Ann Rittenberg Literary Agency.
W. Somerset Maugham. “The Letter” by W. Somerset Maugham. Copyright © 1924, 1952 by W. Somerset Maugham. Reprinted by permission of United Agents.
W. Somerset Maugham. “The Traitor” by W. Somerset Maugham. Copyright © 1927, 1955 by W. Somerset Maugham. Reprinted by permission of United Agents.
Frederick Nebel. “No Hard Feelings” by Frederick Nebel. Copyright © 1936 by Frederick Nebel. Copyright renewed 2018 by Steeger Properties, LLC. All rights reserved.
Joyce Carol Oates. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates. Copyright © 1966 by Joyce Carol Oates. Copyright renewed 2006 by the Ontario Review. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers.
Stuart Palmer. “The Riddle of the Dangling Pearl” by Stuart Palmer. Copyright © 1933 by Stuart Palmer. Copyright renewed 2002 by Jennifer Venola. Reprinted by permission of JABberwocky Literary Agency.
Stuart Palmer. “The Riddle of the Forty Naughty Girls” by Stuart Palmer. Copyright © 1934 by Stuart Palmer. Copyright renewed 2002 by Jennifer Venola. Reprinted by permission of JABberwocky Literary Agency.
Craig Rice. “Once Upon a Train” by Stuart Palmer and Craig Rice. Copyright © 1950 by Stuart Palmer and Craig Rice. Renewed. Reprinted by permission of JABberwocky Literary Agency and the Estate of Craig Rice.
Tod Robbins. “Spurs” by Tod Robbins. Copyright © 1923 by Tod Robbins. Copyright renewed 2018 by Steeger Properties, LLC. All rights reserved.
Budd Schulberg. “Murder on the Waterfront” by Budd Schulberg. Copyright ©1954 by Budd Schulberg. Renewed. Reprinted by permission of Betsy Schulberg and DeFiore and Company Literary Management, Inc.
Irwin Shaw. “Tip on a Dead Jockey” by Irwin Shaw. Copyright © 1954 by Irwin Shaw. Renewed. Reprinted by permission of the Estate of Irwin Shaw and Sayle Literary Agency.
Raoul Whitfield. “Inside Job” by Raoul Whitfield. Copyright © 1932 by Raoul Whitfield. Copyright renewed 2018 by Steeger Properties, LLC. All rights reserved.
Cornell Woolrich. “All at Once, No Alice”
by Cornell Woolrich. Copyright © 1940 by Frank A. Munsey Co. Copyright renewed 1967 by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Trustee for the Claire Woolrich Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Cornell Woolrich. “And So to Death” by Cornell Woolrich. Copyright © 1941 by Frank A. Munsey Co. Copyright renewed 1968 by Popular Publications, Inc.
Cornell Woolrich. “The Boy Cried Murder” by Cornell Woolrich. Copyright © 1947 by Mystery Club Inc. Copyright renewed 1974 by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Trustee for the Claire Woolrich Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Cornell Woolrich. “C-Jag” by Cornell Woolrich. Copyright © 1940 by Fictioneers Inc. Copyright renewed 1968 by Popular Publications, Inc.
Cornell Woolrich. “Dormant Account” by Cornell Woolrich. Copyright © 1942 by Fictioneers Inc. Copyright renewed 1969 by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Trustee for the Claire Woolrich Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Cornell Woolrich. “Face Work” by Cornell Woolrich. Copyright © 1937 by Pro Distributors Publishing C., Inc. Copyright renewed 1964 by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Trustee for the Claire Woolrich Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Cornell Woolrich. “He Looked Like Murder” by Cornell Woolrich. Copyright © 1941 by Frank A. Munsey Co. Copyright renewed 1968 by Popular Publications, Inc.
Cornell Woolrich. “I Wouldn’t Be in Your Shoes” by Cornell Woolrich. Copyright © 1938 by Red Star News Co. Copyright renewed 1965 by Popular Publications, Inc.
Richard Wormser. “The Road to Carmichael’s” by Richard Wormser. Copyright © 1942 by Richard Wormser. Renewed. Reprinted by permission of the Estate of Richard Wormser and Cosmos Literary Agency.
What’s next on
your reading list?
Discover your next
great read!
Get personalized book picks and up-to-date news about this author.
Sign up now.
The Big Book of Reel Murders Page 225
