Part 17 (1/2)

'About twenty minutes. It might have been a bit longer. Signora Medina called to see me and I can't be sure of the time.'

'Does the Signora usually come into the office when you are working there?'

'She is a good client and comes in frequently.'

'Why did she come today?'

'She wanted to see some designs I had made.'

'And she looked at the brooch at the same time?'

'She already knew it,' Erica said with a faint smile and a glance at Filippo which he did not return. 'But she didn't touch it. No one touched it except me. It was never out of my sight,' she repeated. 'Never.'

'You sound as if you wish to be thought guilty, Miss Ray- burn.'

'Of course I don't!' She was horrified. 'But I don't know how anyone could have-'

'You aren't supposed to know,' the inspector interrupted. 'That is why I have been called in. Now, please, you will answer my questions without any more interruptions.'

Once more he led her through the sequence of events that had taken place during Claudia's stay in the office, only pausing as they reached the point of Filippo's arrival at the shop to collect her and to take the brooch from her possession.

'What is the value of the emerald, Conte?' the Inspector inquired.

'At today's valuation, probably a million lire.'

Erica's gasp was audible and the Inspector stared at her. 'You did not realize it was so much?'

'No. If I had I would never have taken it to the shop. I would have brought my tools here. A million lire!' She put her hands to her head. 'I had no idea.'

'It won't be an easy stone to sell. Is that what you are thinking?' the inspector asked conversationally. Unless it is broken up into several smaller ones.'

'You can't break up an emerald the way you can a diamond.' Her reply was automatic, made without thinking. 'It would have to be sold as it was.'

'Would there be many buyers for such a jewel?'

'Many,' she said grimly. 'In Arabia alone you could find a hundred sheiks willing to pay that amount.'

'You speak with knowledge.'

The very lack of expression in the words made Erica realize the importance of their meaning. Too late she realized that her knowledge was implicating her, but knew that even if she had had warning, she would still have answered in the same way. 'I know my business, Inspector, as well as you know yours. My father is a connoisseur of antiquities - Greek and Egyptian - and some of those are as valuable as anything in the Rosetti Collection. What applies to an Egyptian vase equally well applies to a jewel. But I did not take it.'

'That is what I am here to establish.' Black calf shoes gleamed as the man got to his feet. 'We will go to your apartment, please. I wish to look around.'

'Surely that isn't necessary.' Filippo spoke for the first time.

'I am afraid it is,' the Inspector said regretfully. 'But there is no need for you to accompany us. I can take Miss Rayburn myself.'

'Of course I will go with you.' Filippo moved to the door. 'Come, Erica. Let's get this horror over with.'

She was not sure what he meant, but his expression was impossible to read. In silence they went down the stairs, and as they reached the bottom one a bell pealed through the cavernous hall.

Filippo muttered inaudibly and they stood motionless as a liveried servant unlocked the door.

Looking at the figure who entered, Erica felt an enormous sense of desolation, as if a ghost were walking over her grave. Did Claudia Medina always know when to arrive at the most inopportune moment?

'Claudia!' Filippo went across to her. 'Is anything wrong? I wasn't expecting you tonight.'

'Anna said she had left a box of clothes for me and I came to collect them.'

'Clothes?'

'Old ones. For the charity stall at Princess Eda's garden party. You know I organize it each year. But if I am calling at an inopportune moment, I will come back when Anna is here.'

'No, no. I will have the box brought down for you at once.' Filippo spoke quickly, as if his mind was not on his words. 'Will you forgive me if we don't wait with you?'

'Is something wrong?' Claudia looked into his face. 'You seem disturbed.' The liquid brown eyes slid to Erica and there was a faint tightening of the lovely face. 'We always seem to be meeting each other here, Miss Rayburn. Have you come to repair some more jewellery?'

Erica drew a deep breath. She had half hoped Filippo would speak, that he would tell Claudia she was here because she was the woman he loved and was going to marry. But he said nothing, and with something like despair she wondered if he no longer wished to marry her. Perhaps he did think she had stolen the jewel. This could be the only reason for his silence.

Pride made her stare defiantly at Claudia. 'The emerald has been stolen.'

'Stolen!' Claudia looked at her in astonishment 'But you had it this afternoon. I saw it.'

'You saw it?' Filippo asked.

'Of course. Surely Miss Rayburn told you? I went to the shop and she was working on it.'

'Ah yes. The emerald had been taken out of its setting, hadn't it?'

Claudia nodded. 'It was on a black velvet tray. I only saw it for a couple of seconds. I came to look at some designs Miss Rayburn had done for me, but I could tell she did not like me being in the office when she was working on the brooch, so I left'

This was not quite the way Erica would have put it, but she forbore to say so.

'You only looked at the emerald for a few seconds?' Filippo repeated.

'Yes, my dear,' Claudia replied, and put her hand on his arm. 'I can see you are upset. I will come back for the clothes when Anna returns from Rome.'

Filippo nodded but did not disengage his arm from Claudia's as they walked through the garden to the jetty. Claudia's launch was moored there and he saw her down to it and watched her being driven away before he jumped into his own launch and guided Erica down.

His eyes looked into hers as she stepped on to the small deck, but she could not see any message in them, nor could she feel any warmth in the pressure of his hands as he steadied her as the launch moved down the ca.n.a.l. It could have been any hand on hers; not the hand of a man who loved her.

The living room of Erica's apartment appeared small with the Inspector and Filippo standing in it, and she was glad she had tidied it before leaving for work that morning.

'What do you wish to see?' she asked the Inspector.

'Everything. You will permit me to go though your things?'

'Is that necessary?' Filippo asked.

'You wish this matter to be cleared up, no? Then permit me to do it my way.' The man returned his gaze to Erica. 'I wish to examine everything, Miss Rayburn, but please do not be embarra.s.sed. Regard me as you would a medico - a doctor.'