Impostors and imposture -- Fiction; Short stories; Swindlers and swindling -- Fiction; Thieves -- Fiction
"It's been opened by another key, that's evident," replied the widow.
"And where's Ferrini?" inquired his Highness quickly.
"He's missing. Nobody has seen him this morning," answered the
distressed woman. "Ah, Prince, you were right--quite right in your
surmise. I believed in him, but you summed him up very quickly. I
intended to discharge him to-morrow, but I never dreamed he possessed a
second key."
"He has the jewels, evidently," remarked Sir Henry Hutton, himself a
county magistrate. "I'll run into Whitby, and inform the police, Mrs
Edmondson. We have no idea which direction the fellow has taken."
At that moment the door opened, and Garrett, cap in hand, stood on the
threshold.
"Well, what's the matter?" asked his master.
"Please, your Highness, our car's gone. It's been stolen from the
garage in the night!"
The announcement caused an electrical effect upon the assembly.
"Then this man could also drive a car, as well as wait at table!"
exclaimed Sir Henry. "Myself, I always distrust foreign servants."
"Ferrini had one or two lessons in driving from my chauffeur, I
believe," remarked the widow, now in a state of utter collapse.
"Never mind, Mrs Edmondson," said his Highness cheerily. "Allow Sir
Henry and myself to do our best. The fellow is bound to be caught.
I'll give the police the number of my car, and its description. And
what's more, we have something very valuable here." And he drew out his
pocket-book. "You recollect the suspicions of Ferrini which I
entertained, and which I explained in confidence to you? Well, my valet
has a pocket camera, and with it three days ago I took a snap-shot of
your exemplary servant. Here it is!"
"By Jove. Excellent!" cried Sir Henry. "This will be of the greatest
assistance to the police."
And so it was arranged that the police of Whitby should be at once
informed.
At breakfast--a hurried, scrappy meal that morning--every one condoled
with the Prince upon the loss of his car. Surely the whole affair had
been most cleverly contrived by Ferrini, who had got clear away.
Just as the meal had concluded and the Parson had promised to accompany
Sir Henry over to Whitby to see the police, he received a telegram
calling him to his brother, who had just landed in Liverpool from
America, and who wished to see him at the Adelphi Hotel that evening.
To his hostess he explained that he was bound to keep the appointment,
for his brother had come from San Francisco on some important family
affairs, and was returning to New York by the next boat.
Therefore he bade adieu to Mrs Edmondson--"de-ah Mrs Edmondson," he
always called her--and was driven in the dog-cart to Grosmont station,
while a few minutes later, the Prince and Sir Henry set out in the
widow's Mercedes for Whitby.
The pair returned about one o'clock, and at luncheon explained what they
had done.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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