Dulworth Bay was a peaceful place at night when the tide was out. The sea lapped gently at the sides of the yacht and the full moon glimmered in the waves. The distant lighthouse was the only sign of life. It was half past three; the party was over, but nobody felt like going home.
The Windswept had been boarded by police shortly after one o’clock and Doyle had been arrested following a brief but desperate battle. Peter Malo had been arrested without resistance. A coastguard had stayed on board to bring them home to Dulworth.
It hadn’t been much of a party really, Steve decided. The Curzon case had been the only successful topic of conversation, and it had cropped up too often.
‘I thought you were going to prove that Curzon was me,’ said Dr Stuart. ‘I was quite disappointed when you picked on poor Tom Doyle.’
‘I’m sorry,’ said Paul. ‘But once we accepted Doyle’s story about the boys it had to be pure coincidence that you were in the lane that afternoon.’
‘Aye, but it was a funny story. After all, when Doyle, or Curzon, had the boys why didn’t he simply threaten Baxter and demand the diamonds?’
‘Because Doyle didn’t know that Baxter had the diamonds. When Baxter found the diamonds he contacted Lord Westerby, and that was when people began to get hurt. Doyle knew very little about it.’
‘So who murdered Baxter?’
‘Peter Malo, I’m afraid. That was something which confused me for a long time. I thought it had to be Curzon who was running wild and hiring Lou Kenzell to retrieve the notebook. But in fact that was Peter Malo. He’s a ruthless young man.’
Conversation had flagged after the arrests. Paul and Steve had gone up on deck to watch the stars. Dr Stuart had become rather drunk and he would keep humming Loch Lomond. They found Inspector Vosper standing on the bridge with the coastguard. He was still on duty.
‘Let’s go and sit on the prow,’ Steve murmured.
When the yacht came into harbour Charlie Vosper went below to fetch Lord Westerby. The hereditary earl was glassy eyed and unsteady on his feet but he still retained a bluff dignity. ‘I say, Temple,’ he called. He left Charlie Vosper waiting on the gangplank. ‘Temple, I’ve been worried all blasted evening. I mean, dammit, you’ve been telling everybody about our smuggling ring and all the rest of it, but you haven’t told me the only thing I want to know.’
‘What’s that?’ Paul asked politely.
‘Well, dammit, what was all that about opening the window?’
Paul laughed. ‘Yes, I’m sorry, that was a little cryptic. But it was the decisive point at which I realised that Doyle was the undoubted villain. He had been over-acting.’
‘We gave Doyle a lift in the car,’ Steve explained. ‘He was supposed to be wildly drunk, just to prove that he had all the money you were giving him as a bribe. But he wasn’t drunk at all. There was absolutely no smell of drink on the man.
‘My wife,’ Paul explained, ‘is not too keen on the smell of alcohol. But when Doyle got out of the car she did not need the window open. That was all. Quite simple, really.’
‘Bless my soul.’ Lord Westerby turned in bewilderment to Inspector Vosper. ‘I say, sergeant! Where are you?’ He wandered off to the gangplank. ‘All right, lead away.’
Steve sighed. ‘Well,’ she said, ‘I suppose that’s about it. Another Paul Temple crime solved. It’s all over bar our holiday?’ She leaned her head against his shoulder and stared out across the bay. ‘Isn’t it a beautiful night? So quiet and still, so warm.’
Paul put his arm round her and closed his eyes.
‘We’re alone now,’ said Steve. ‘There’s only Diana Maxwell down in her bunk asleep, and old Dr Stuart in a drunken coma. Don’t you find the sea romantic?’
‘Well, yes,’ he began.
‘Let’s have another drink to cheer ourselves up. And then we can bathe in the moonlight. Do you know, we’ve never bathed in the moonlight together?’
Paul yawned. ‘Darling, it’s nearly four o’clock. I’m tired. You were dozing off yourself just now—’
‘Now listen to me, Paul Temple, you’re going into that water or I’ll damn well throw you overboard! Take your choice!’
She had spoken rather loudly and somewhere beyond the harbour a dog barked. A few moments later there was a splash, and somebody cried for help. But it was late and nobody came to investigate. The dog seemed to have gone back to sleep.