"That's our job," Walker said. "We'll find it for you." He was mid-thirties, young for a detective inspector, with a small frame that seemed smaller as he stood in front of the burly constable.
"I feel better having Mr. and Mrs. Glass look too," Lord Cox said. "They're experts."
"Glass, eh?" The detective eyed Matt up and down. "I've heard of you."
"We assist Scotland Yard from time to time," Matt said. "Detective Inspector Brockwell can vouch for us."
"I'm sure he can, but I have little do with him." Walker spoke quickly, as if dashing off the sentence with as much haste as possible so he could get on with the next item on his list. He was Brockwell's opposite in that respect.
"What have you learned so far?" Matt asked.
"Nothing of use."
"Nevertheless, perhaps you can tell me what the servants told you."
"It's police business, sir. Of course, you may interview them yourself." He stepped aside.
"I will," Matt said amiably.
That amiability saw the detective's disdainful smile slip. He didn't know how to react to it.
"India?" Matt extended his hand to me. "Shall we begin?"
We left together with Patience in our wake.
"Shouldn't you find out what he learned?" she whispered. "It could expedite your investigation."
"I'd rather form my own opinions," Matt said.
"Could you inform the maid who discovered the theft that we'd like to speak with her," I said. "We'll start there."
"The box was wide open," said the young maid, pointing to the cherry wood box on the desk. The lid was still open and the velvet cushion beside it. "That cushion was on the floor. That's what I noticed first. I picked it up." She bit her lip. "I know I shouldn't have, but I wasn't thinking. I didn't know there was a burglary then, see."
"It's all right, Mary," Patience said. "Please, just answer Mr. and Mrs. Glass's questions."
Mary swallowed audibly. "Well, there ain't much more to tell. I put the cushion on the desk and that's when I noticed the box was open. I knew that's where his lordship kept something real precious, but I didn't know what."
"Really?" I asked, skeptical.
"As God is my witness," Mary said, eyes huge. "You got to believe me. I didn't know what was in it until that policeman told me a crown was stolen."
"At what point did you alert the housekeeper?" Matt asked.
She nibbled on her lip and dipped her head.
"Mary," Patience said. "Mr. Glass asked you a question."
"I—I didn't tell her straight away. I didn't know it was important, at first. I just thought Lord Cox opened the box. It wasn't until later, when I heard the downstairs door had been broken, that I mentioned it to the housekeeper. She came in here, took one look, and informed Lady Cox." She clasped her hands together, as if in prayer. "I'm sorry, my lady. I should have said something straight away, but I didn't know it was important."
"It's all right." Patience glanced at Matt and he shook his head. "You may go, Mary."
"She's very nervous," I said after the maid left.
"A guilty conscience, perhaps?" Patience asked.
"Perhaps," was all Matt said as he inspected the box. He pointed to the lock. "No sign it was forced, but I suspect it would have been an easier lock to pick than the downstairs door."
"Shall we look at it now?" I asked.
Patience rose. "I'll have the butler show you."
She left us in the capable hands of the elderly butler, with instructions to answer all our questions, no matter how uncomfortable they made him. The butler showed us the door, its broken lock, and the cabinet where he kept the silver.
"I immediately counted it, upon seeing the door, and it's all there," he said. "As word got out to the other servants about the break in, Mary remembered the box."
He introduced us to the footman who'd discovered the door. "I've remembered something that may be important," the tall youth said. "I heard a noise during the night. I should have got up and made sure everything was secure, but…but I didn't hear it again and I thought I dreamt it. I only just thought of it now as the detective questioned me."
"Do you know what time it was?" I asked.
"Ten to two. The moon was full and the curtains in my room are thin. I could just make out the hands on my watch. I keep it beside my bed."
Matt thanked him and inspected the lock next, using a magnifying glass he'd brought with him.
"There are scratch marks in the lock itself," he said, handing me the magnifying glass.
The wood had splintered where a sharp tool had forced open the lock. That would account for the sounds that had woken the footman. I looked through the magnifying glass and saw the scratch marks in the metal. Someone tried to pick the lock and failed, resorting to more desperate measures. Still, the intruder hadn't made much noise, considering the damage they'd inflicted on the door. They knew what they were doing.
We stopped by the kitchen on our way back along the service corridor. Mary was there, both hands wrapped around a cup, and another maid rubbed her shoulder. The portly cook was in the middle of lecturing her, but she stopped when she saw us and returned to the stove.
Mary quickly stood to attention. She'd been crying.
"Is something wrong, Mary?" I asked gently.
"No, madam."
"Is there something else you need to tell us?"
She shook her head, tears pooling in her eyes. "I did nothing, I swear!"
"A word, if you will, sir," the butler said from behind us. I hadn't heard his footsteps.
We walked away from the kitchen, out of earshot. "Is there something more?" Matt asked.
The butler glanced past us toward the kitchen. "I'd like to assure you, the staff are not guilty. Most have worked here for years and have a great deal of respect for Lord Cox. Only the maid, Mary, is new, but she came highly recommended by a friend of the housekeeper. Her references were excellent."
"Thank you. You can tell them none are under suspicion."
The butler's thick white brows rose. "Sir? That policeman, Walker, suspects the staff."
"Is that what he said?" I asked.
"Not in so many words, madam. He alluded to it, however, both in his interview with Mary and with the footman."
"You can assure them that I don't suspect them," Matt said. "And I'll tell Walker as much. It's clear the door was forced open. If the thief received assistance from inside the house, there'd be no need for force."
The butler looked relieved. "I'll tell the staff, sir. Thank you, sir."
Matt and I headed up the stairs and were met in the drawing room by Lord Cox and Patience. There was no sign of the police.
"Well?" Lord Cox asked. "What did you learn?"
"Nothing to rule Longmire in or out," Matt said.
"It's him." Cox rubbed his temples. "It must be."