Saturday 28th December 1929, Newcastle upon Tyne
‘Good heavens, are you sure?’ asked Inspector Hawkes, looking from Charlie to Clara.
‘I am,’ said Clara. ‘It’s crystal clear – if you’ll excuse the pun. I studied crystallography as part of my chemistry degree. And I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that the single jewel left in that wand is a real diamond.’
Inspector Sandy Hawkes picked up the wand and examined it closely. There had been at one time twelve jewels in the wand, but they had now been removed – bar one. ‘So what’s your theory?’ he asked.
Clara was taken aback at how amenable Hawkes was being. Perhaps he was just being kind to her because of yesterday’s near-death experience – he had seemed quite concerned when he asked after her health when she and Charlie arrived at his office. Best not look a gift horse in the mouth, she thought.
Charlie nodded to her to continue. ‘Well,’ she said, ‘my theory is that this wand once held real jewels, not the usual paste. Or the paste had been replaced by real jewels. Perhaps to hide them in plain sight. When you told me van Lelyveld was a suspect in the theft of diamonds from a jewellery shop that’s what got me thinking. I’ve been trying to figure out what the killer’s obsession with wands might be. Why he – and it does appear now that it’s a he – was looking for Sybil’s wand even after she died. He was trying to get his hands on the diamonds. Perhaps that’s why he and Sybil were meeting that night down by the river – to hand over the diamonds. But Sybil lost the wand – or perhaps hid it – in the taxi. She was so poorly with the atropine poisoning that she probably couldn’t tell him what had happened to it. Or she couldn’t remember. So he went looking for it.’
‘Did he go looking for it, though? Or was it Wally Ransom? Didn’t you tell me that Wally was heard searching Sybil’s room later that night?’ asked Hawkes.
Clara nodded. ‘That’s correct. That’s what Mrs Morrison said. So perhaps Wally was working for van Lelyveld. Peggy Rose told me she’d seen Wally and Jannie van Lelyveld having a drink together at the York Theatre Royal bar. But he denied knowing Jannie when I asked him. So, they could have been in cahoots. Or, perhaps, he was freelancing and was looking for the diamonds himself.’
‘Either way, I think we need to bring him in for questioning. Hold on a minute.’ Hawkes opened the door and called for his sergeant, instructing him to bring Wally Ransom in for questioning immediately. He then returned to Clara and Charlie. ‘Hopefully we’ll get some more answers from him. Inspector Bradshaw has told me that Jeremy Iceton is sticking to his story that he only helped van Lelyveld out with buying the house but knew nothing about any poisoning – or diamonds. That may or may not be true – they’re still interrogating him – but one thing is clear: he has a cast-iron alibi for the night Isobel was murdered at the Newcastle Theatre Royal. He was in York – witnessed by hundreds of people at the theatre when he went on stage to give a fire and safety announcement.’
‘But was van Lelyveld in York that night?’ asked Charlie. ‘He could have come up to Newcastle and killed Isobel while looking for the diamonds. Perhaps he thought the wand had been passed on to the next fairy godmother.’
Clara toyed with this for a while then said: ‘Don’t you think a six-foot-four stranger would have been spotted wandering around the theatre that night? Not one person mentioned it. It would have been hard to sneak in. And it seems likely that the atropine was added to the tea in the green room. Which does not have public access. Someone would have seen him. So, while I was hoping this would let Peggy off the hook, I think we still need to work on the assumption that van Lelyveld had an accomplice who fed both Sybil and Isobel the poison. And if it wasn’t Peggy, it could very well have been Wally Ransom. Wouldn’t you agree, Inspector Hawkes?’
Hawkes tapped his finger to his lips. ‘It is certainly a plausible theory and one I’ll pursue when we get Ransom in custody. However, there are a few questions we haven’t yet considered. The first being: where are the diamonds now? If van Lelyveld – or Ransom – had found them, why haven’t they done a runner?’
Clara nodded. ‘Yes, I agree. The diamonds must still be missing. But where are they? The taxi driver said he searched his car and couldn’t find anything other than the wand. He believes they’re just glass, so there would be no reason for him to lie about that. So if they’re not in the taxi, then that means they were removed from the wand before Sybil got in. Who removed them? Sybil? Or someone else?’
She opened her hands to suggest it was a question that still needed to be answered. ‘And of course, the bigger question now is: where are they?’
Hawkes grunted in agreement. ‘I’ll have to get on to Bradshaw and get his men to do a fine-tooth comb search of the theatre – to look for the diamonds. Perhaps Sybil removed them before she died and hid them somewhere. And, as you say, Clara, was too confused to remember. So, van Lelyveld tried to keep her alive so that she would be able to tell him. But she never did.’
Charlie shook his head. ‘But why didn’t he just take her to the hospital? She could have been saved. And then he would get the information he needed when she was more coherent.’
‘That would have alerted the authorities,’ said Clara. ‘Perhaps he didn’t want to take the risk. If Sybil knew about his diamond theft – and don’t forget they had been involved with one another for quite a few months, and she was the one who gave him the alibi in London – she would have known too much.’
‘Do you think that’s why he poisoned her? To silence her?’ asked Charlie.
Clara considered this a moment then said: ‘No. I don’t think so. If he wanted to silence her, he could have done it much more quickly and efficiently.’
‘I agree,’ said Hawkes. ‘I’m really not sure what he hoped to gain through the whole atropine poisoning thing. And to do it twice? What did Isobel Baxter have to do with it? Was it simply to get to her wand? If so, why not just take it? Why kill her? Did she know something too – and she needed to be kept quiet? I’ve questioned Isobel’s family and friends and none of them have indicated that she was in touch with Sybil before she took over the role. Or that she was in contact with Jannie van Lelyveld. There seems to be no connection between the two women other than they played fairy godmothers.’
Clara nodded. ‘I agree. That is one of the puzzling parts of this. Hopefully Wally will be able to shed some light on it all. But come on, Inspector – Sandy, if I may – what will you gain by holding Peggy Rose? Can’t you release her? There are far more likely suspects in the mix now. And the only evidence you have is that she touched the cream and the teacup. There could be a perfectly innocent explanation for both. Please, let her go. You can always rearrest her if needs be. I’m sure the defence barrister will be arguing for the same thing.’
Sandy again tapped his finger to his lips and eventually said, ‘And he has. There’s going to be a bail hearing tomorrow. And I’m expected to attend – to argue why she ought to still be held in custody. However, to be honest, my time would be better spent tracking down van Lelyveld and interrogating Ransom. So, all right. I’ll let her go. But I will hold you responsible to make sure she doesn’t do a runner. Both van Lelyveld and Ransom might still implicate her.’
‘Fair enough,’ said Clara.
Clara waited for Peggy Rose outside the Pilgrim Street police station. Charlie had to get back to his office as there had been a traffic accident with fatalities that needed to be examined. As she waited, the sergeant who had been sent to get Wally Ransom returned – alone.
‘Oh, don’t tell me …’ said Clara.
‘I’m afraid so, Miss Vale. No one has seen Wally Ransom since last night. His suitcase has gone too. It looks like he’s done a runner. I’ll just tell the boss and we’ll get some men out looking for him.’ The sergeant hurried off. Clara thought of following him and discussing this development with Inspector Hawkes, but there was nothing to be gained from it. As the sergeant said, they’d be putting out men to look for him and until he was caught and questioned there wasn’t much more she could learn.
And at that moment, Peggy Rose arrived. She was pale and weary, her blonde hair lank and greasy. Clara put her arm around her. ‘Oh, Peggy, are you all right?’
‘As rain,’ said Peggy and gave a wan smile. ‘Thanks for getting me out, Miss Vale.’
‘I’m just sorry it couldn’t have been earlier. Did they treat you all right?’
Peggy nodded. ‘No one was cruel. But I couldn’t have taken much more of it. So have you caught the real killer yet?’
‘Not yet. But we’ve got a lot more information now. Hopefully Inspector Hawkes will get the right man this time.’
‘So it’s a man?’
‘We think so, yes.’ She didn’t go into any more detail than that. She reminded herself that while she didn’t think Peggy was involved, she didn’t yet know for sure. And if it turned out she was implicated, Clara didn’t want the chorus girl passing on any information to either van Lelyveld or Ransom. ‘Come,’ she said, leading the girl up Pilgrim Street. ‘You’ve been released into my custody. But I think you’d be best staying with Juju and Jonny. They’ll look after you. Is that all right with you?’
Peggy sighed with relief. ‘Oh yes. That will be grand.’
After depositing Peggy at the Levine house, and impressing on the twins that the girl was not to be let out of their sight, Clara went to her office. It was late afternoon so she was surprised to see Bella Cuddy still there, hard at work reading through files. And the office was warm. Bella had been busy. Clara took off her coat.
‘Bella! What are you doing here? There’s no need to work beyond office hours. But thank you for getting the radiators fixed. Tell me how much I owe your brother-in-law.’
Bella grinned. ‘He said he’d send in a bill. I told him not to try to fleece you, mind, or he’d have me to deal with.’
Clara laughed. ‘He’d be a fool to try! So why are you still here?’
‘Well, I wasn’t sure what me hours were! And this lot has kept me busy. Eee, Miss Vale. Your uncle was a brilliant detective.’
Clara smiled. ‘I believe he was. I’ve got a lot to live up to.’
‘Well, you’re doing well so far. How did it go in York?’
Clara let out a long sigh. ‘Well, that’s a story and a half! Let me put the kettle on.’
Bella’s eyes were wide as saucers after Clara finished telling her tale. ‘And you’re sure you’re all right? Shouldn’t you be in bed or something if you nearly died?’
‘I’m fine, Bella, thank you. Dr Malone has checked me out and he’s given me the all-clear. I had a good sleep last night and I don’t feel any the worse for wear today. I hope my real death will be as painless!’
Bella crossed herself rapidly. ‘Oh don’t say that, Miss Vale, you’ll be tempting the devil.’
‘Sorry,’ said Clara, not sharing in Bella’s superstition, but not wanting to worry the woman. ‘You’re right, I shouldn’t tempt the devil. But I need to be prepared if he comes.’
‘What do you mean?’ asked Bella.
‘Hold on.’ Clara got up and opened the cupboard door. At the back of the cupboard was a safe. She opened it and extracted a Webley .22 revolver.
‘Bleedin’ heck, miss, you’ve got a gun!’
‘I have, and I know how to use it. Hopefully I won’t have to, but if the devil comes knocking again, I’ll be ready.’ She slipped it into her coat pocket and sat down at the desk again.
‘So did anything happen here while I was away?’ she asked, changing the subject.
Bella was flushed with excitement but remained calm. ‘Not really. It was quiet. There was just the one telephone call. From the taxi driver in York. You gave him your card. That’s why I was able to tell him you were there this morning. Oh, and this came for you …’ She picked up a parcel and passed it to Clara. It was postmarked London.
‘What’s this?’ mused Clara as she opened it. ‘Oh,’ she said, ‘it’s from Vince Vexler! He’s an agent my uncle sometimes used in London. He was the one who told me about the break-in at Sybil’s flat and that someone had searched her trunk. I’d forgotten I’d asked him to forward Sybil’s post to me!’
Clara flicked through the half dozen envelopes. There were bills – none of which seemed overdue, suggesting Sybil didn’t have any particular financial difficulties and was earning enough to keep her flat – a couple of invitations to charity events, and then what looked like a personal letter. Clara noted instantly that it was postmarked North Shields. ‘Oh my,’ she said, pointing this out to Bella. ‘I wonder if this has significance.’ She then went on to tell Bella, briefly, about Sybil’s connection to North Shields and how, curiously, Mrs Morrison received a telegram from there, purporting to be from Sybil. ‘But she couldn’t have been there. She was in York, being held in that house.’
‘Is it possible this van Lelyveld fella took her there and then brought her back?’ asked Bella.
‘It is, but from what I’ve heard from witnesses and seen myself in the autopsy, Sybil wouldn’t have been well enough to travel. So I think van Lelyveld sent the telegram himself hoping people would think Sybil had left town.’
‘Why did he go to North Shields though?’
Clara shrugged. ‘I thought it might have been to get a ferry back to Amsterdam, but it turns out he didn’t go. Let’s see what it says …’
Clara slit open the envelope and extracted the letter. It was addressed to Dear Sally …
‘Sally?’ asked Bella. ‘Who’s that?’
‘It’s Sybil. Wally Ransom told me her real name was Sally Smith. Dear Sally,’ she read out loud. ‘I know we’ll be seeing you when you come up to Newcastle for the show, but this is just to let you know that I’ll be needing more money for the bairn. She’s a growing lass and is starting to eat me out of house and home. If you cannot up her board I’ll have to send her out with our Flo and Fran. There’s already plenty fellas with an eye on her. I know you don’t want her to become a working girl like me and your sisters, but that’s what’ll happen soon. Unless you take her to live with you.
‘What happened to that Dutch fella who said he’d take the two of you with him back to Holland? For you to have a fresh start? That he’d say he was the bairn’s father? When we saw you in the summer it seemed all but certain that’s what you’d do. But the lassie says you told her it’s not going to happen now. Are you still going to take her? She’s fourteen now. I know you don’t want anyone to know she’s your bairn, but everyone here does. There’s no secret to keep no more. If you don’t want your posh London friends to know then you’ve got two choices: pay for her to go to a boarding school or let me put her out to work.
‘Looking forward to seeing you after Christmas.
‘Mam.’
Clara folded the pages and put them back in the envelope, then checked the back. There was a return address. ‘Do you know where this is?’ she asked Bella.
‘Aye, I do. Bad part of town. Near the fish quay. So Sybil has a bairn.’
‘Looks that way. I presume illegitimate. Her grandmother’s been raising her.’
‘Not for much longer, it seems. Poor little lass.’
‘And with her mother dead and no one paying her board anymore, she might be sent out to work.’
Bella gave a knowing look. ‘And it’s clear what kind of work that is.’
‘Quite,’ said Clara, with a sigh.
Bella scratched her head. ‘But what’s any of this got to do with the diamonds?’
‘I don’t know,’ said Clara, finishing off the last of her tea. ‘Perhaps Sybil stole them to help her child. To help pay for her upkeep. Seems like she was wanting to take the girl to Holland. But that fell through. Peggy Rose told me she thought Sybil’s relationship with Jannie van Lelyveld had faltered. That she’d been happy over the summer but was miserable by the autumn. And Mrs Morrison said the same: Sybil was in tears after van Lelyveld visited her. Perhaps she’d put her hopes in him. Not just for herself, but for her daughter too.’
‘Aye, that makes sense,’ said Bella. ‘But more the fool she was trusting a fella like that. Seems though that she finally realised that and decided to feather her own nest without him.’
‘You mean the diamonds?’
‘Aye, I do. Sell them and she’d be able to set herself – and her daughter – up for life. Where do you think she put them?’
Clara shook her head, genuinely puzzled. ‘That’s the thousand-pound question, Bella. But there are three police forces working on it. And looking for van Lelyveld. And now Wally Ransom, too. Hopefully if they’re caught they’ll shed some more light on it all.’
‘And you, miss? What are you going to do now? You’re not going to leave it all to the police, are you?’
Clara laughed. ‘Absolutely not!’ She picked up the envelope and reread the return address. ‘So you know where this is?’
‘I do,’ said Bella.
‘Fancy a drive through there in the morning?’
‘To do some more investigating?’ Bella’s eyes lit up.
Clara smiled at her new assistant. ‘That’s exactly what we need to do.’
‘Oh aye, miss! That’ll be grand!’