The Harlequin Tea Set and Other Stories Part 9

"Naturally it wants puzzling over," I said. "We can't expect it to leap to the eye."

Mrs. Skillicorn interrupted with a suggestion of supper, to which we agreed thankfully.

"And could we have some coffee?" said Fenella. "Lots of it - very black."

Mrs. Skillicorn provided us with an excellent meal, and at its conclusion a large jug of coffee made its appearance.

"And now," said Fenella, "we must get down to it."

"The first thing," I said, "is direction. This seems to point clearly to the northeast of the island."

"It seems so. Let's look at the map."

We studied the map attentively.

"It all depends on how you take the thing," said Fenella. "Does the cross represent the treasure? Or is it something like a church? There really ought to be rules!"

"That would make it too easy."

"I suppose it would. Why are there little lines on one side of the circle and not the other?"

"I don't know."

"Are there any more maps anywhere?"

We were sitting in the library. There were several excellent maps. There were also various guidebooks descriptive of the island. There was a book on folklore. There was a book on the history of the island. We read them all.

And at last we formed a possible theory.

"It does seem to fit," said Fenella at last. "I mean the two together is a likely conjunction which doesn't seem to occur anywhere else."

"It's worth trying, anyhow," I said. "I don't think we can do anything more tonight. Tomorrow, first thing, we'll hire a car and go off and try our luck."

"It's tomorrow now," said Fenella. "Half past two! Just fancy!!"

Early morning saw us on the road. We had hired a car for a week, arranging to drive it ourselves. Fenella's spirits rose as we sped along the excellent road, mile after mile.

"If only it wasn't for the other two, what fun this would be," she said. "This is where the Derby was originally run, wasn't it? Before it was changed to Epsom. How queer that is to think off"

I drew her attention to a farmhouse.

"That must be where there is said to be a secret pa.s.sage running under the sea to that island."

"What fun! I love secret pa.s.sages, don't you? Oh! Juan, we're getting quite near now. I'm terribly excited. If we should be right!"

Five minutes later we abandoned the car.

"Everything's in the right position," said Fenella tremulously.

We walked on.

"Six of them - that's right. Now between these two. Have you got the compa.s.s?"

Five minutes later, we were standing facing each other, an incredulous joy on our faces - and on my outstretched palm lay an antique snuffbox.

We had been successful!

On our return to Maughold House, Mrs. Skillicorn met us with the information that two gentlemen had arrived. One had departed again, but the other was in the library.

A tall, fair man with a florid face rose smilingly from an armchair as we entered the room.

"Mr. Faraker and Miss Mylecharane? Delighted to meet you. I am your distant cousin, Dr. Fayll. Amusing game, all this, isn't it?"

His manner was urbane and pleasant, but I took an immediate dislike to him. I felt that in some way the man was dangerous. His pleasant manner was, somehow, too pleasant, and his eyes never met yours fairly.

"I'm afraid we've got bad news for you," I said. "Miss Mylecharane and myself have already discovered the first 'treasure.'"

He took it very well.

"Too bad - too bad. Posts from here must be odd. Barford and I started at once."

We did not dare to confess the perfidy of Uncle Myles.

"Anyway, we shall all start fair for the second round," said Fenella.

"Splendid. What about getting down to the clues right away? Your excellent Mrs. - er - Skillicorn holds them, I believe?"

"That wouldn't be fair to Mr. Corjeag," said Fenella, quickly. "We must wait for him."

"True, true - I had forgotten. We must get in touch with him as quickly as possible. I will see to that - you two must be tired out and want to rest."

Thereupon he took his departure. Ewan Corjeag must have been unexpectedly difficult to find, for it was not till nearly eleven o'clock that night that Dr. Fayll rang up. He suggested that he and Ewan should come over to Maughold House at ten o'clock the following morning, when Mrs. Skillicorn could hand us out the clues.

"That will do splendidly," said Fenella. "Ten o'clock tomorrow."

We retired to bed tired but happy.

The following morning we were aroused by Mrs. Skillicorn, completely shaken out of her usual pessimistic calm.

"Whatever do you think?" she panted. "The house has been broken into."

"Burglars?" I exclaimed incredulously. "Has anything been taken?"

"Not a thing - and that's the odd part of it! No doubt they were after the silver - but the door being locked on the outside they couldn't get any further."

Fenella and I accompanied her to the scene of the outrage, which happened to be in her own sitting room. The window there had undeniably been forced, yet nothing seemed to have been taken. It was all rather curious.

"I don't see what they can have been looking for," said Fenella.

"It's not as though there were a 'treasure chest' hidden in the house," I agreed facetiously. Suddenly an idea flashed into my mind. I turned to Mrs. Skillicorn.

"The clues - the clues you were to give us this morning?"

"Why to be sure - they're in that top drawer." She went across to it. "Why - I do declare - there's nothing here! They're gone!"

"Not burglars," I said. "Our esteemed relations!"

And I remembered Uncle Myles's warning on the subject of unscrupulous dealing. Clearly he had known what he was talking about. A dirty trick!

"Hush," said Fenella suddenly, holding up a finger. "what was that?"

The sound she had caught came plainly to our ears. It was a groan and it came from outside. We went to the window and leaned out. There was shrubbery growing against this side of the house and we could see nothing; but the groan came again, and we could see that the bushes seemed to have been disturbed and trampled.

We hurried down and out round the house. The first thing we found was a fallen ladder, showing how the thieves had reached the window. A few steps further brought us to where a man was lying.

He was a youngish man, dark, and he was evidently badly injured, for his head was lying in a pool of blood. I knelt down beside him.

"We must get a doctor at once. I'm afraid he's dying."

The gardener was sent off hurriedly. I slipped my hand into his breast pocket and brought out a pocket book. On it were the initials E.C.

"Ewan Corjeag," said Fenella.

The man's eyes opened. He said faintly: "Fell from ladder..." then lost consciousness again.

Close by his head was a large jagged stone stained with blood.

"It's clear enough," I said. "The ladder slipped and he fell, striking his head on this stone. I'm afraid it's done for him, poor fellow."

"So you think that was it?" said Fenella, in an odd tone of voice.

But at that moment the doctor arrived. He held out little hope of recovery. Ewan Corjeag was moved into the house and a nurse was sent for to take charge of him. Nothing could be done, and he would die a couple of hours later.

We had been sent for and were standing by his bed. His eyes opened and flickered.

"We are your cousins Juan and Fenella," I said. "Is there anything we can do?"

He made a faint negative motion of the head. A whisper came from his lips. I bent to catch it.

"Do you want the clue? I'm done. Don't let Fayll do you down."

"Yes," said Fenella. "Tell me."

Something like a grin came over his face.

"D'ye ken -" he began.

Then suddenly his head fell over sideways and he died.

"I don't like it," said Fenella suddenly.

"What don't you like?"

"Listen, Juan. Ewan stole those clues - he admits falling from the ladder. Then where are they? We've seen all the contents of his pockets. There were three sealed envelopes, so Mrs. Skillicorn says. Those sealed envelopes aren't there."

"What do you think, then?"

"I think there was someone else there, someone who jerked away the ladder so that Ewan fell. And that stone - he never fell on it - it was brought from some distance away - I've found the mark. He was deliberately bashed on the head with it."

"But Fenella - that's murder!"

"Yes," said Fenella, very white. "It's murder. Remember, Dr. Fayll never turned up at ten o'clock this morning. Where is he?"

"You think he's the murderer?"

"Yes. You know - this treasure - it's a lot of money, Juan."

"And we've no idea where to look for him," I said.

"A pity Corjeag couldn't have finished what he was going to say."

"There's one thing that might help. This was in his hand."

She handed me a torn snapshot.

"Suppose it's a clue. The murderer s.n.a.t.c.hed it away and never noticed he'd left a corner of it behind. If we were to find the other half -"

"To do that," I said, "we must find the second treasure. Let's look at this thing."

"Hmm," I said, "there's nothing much to go by. That seems a kind of tower in the middle of the circle, but it would be very hard to identify."

Fenella nodded.

"Dr. Fayll has the important half. He knows where to look. We've got to find that man, Juan, and watch him. Of course, we won't let him see we suspect."

"I wonder whereabouts in the island he is this minute. If we only knew -"

My mind went back to the dying man. Suddenly I sat up excitedly.

"Fenella," I said, "Corjeag wasn't Scotch?"

"No, of course not."

"Well, then, don't you see? What he meant, I mean?"

"No?"

I scribbled something on a piece of paper and tossed it to her.