Death of a Delft Blue

‘Less of that! What about men getting a kick out of strip-tease?’

‘That’s understandable and natural. Male mauleys gripping blue hyacinths are not!’

‘Very well, if you say so. Anyway, the sittings for the bust were given in Amsterdam and the hand and flower (sounds like a pub) was painted in the artist’s other studio at a farm near Hoorn. The farm has Frisian cattle and milkmaids and he likes it there much better than his place in Amsterdam, but, of course, it’s in Amsterdam that he gets his commissions, I’m told. I went to Hoorn to see him, and he seemed pretty certain that Florian…’

‘Who?’

‘Florian.’

‘Good God!’

‘Well, his mother’s name’s Flora, so I expect that explains it.’

‘It explains the pansy-like fistful of bluebells, too! Well, well! Go on.’

‘He thought Florian had gone back to England.’

‘Gone back to England?’

‘Yes. He lives in Norfolk with his sister and his grand-uncle. The granduncle is head of the family of van Zestien and apparently stinkingly wealthy. He’s a diamond merchant.’

‘Is he, by Jove!’

‘There couldn’t be any connection between that and Florian’s disappearance.’

‘Why not?’

‘When Florian walked out on him and went to the grandmother and the aunts in Amsterdam, old Bernard disinherited him, so it couldn’t be to anybody’s advantage to do Florian in, if that’s what you’re thinking.’

‘Who’s the present heir?’

‘A rather decent Jew-boy named Bernardo Rose. The Rose family are also in diamonds. I don’t think he’ll get the lot, of course, but even half would be a pretty hefty chunk of dough.’

‘Does this young fellow Rose know he’s going to inherit that much of the kitty?’

‘Oh, yes, of course he does. Actually, I believe it’s merely a restitution of original rights. I think the old man cut Bernardo out and substituted Florian when there was a row and the engagement between Bernardo and Florian’s sister Binnie sprang a leak. Bernardo, you see, handed Florian a punch in the ribs and Binnie took a dim view and slung back the ring. But it’s all right now. Mrs Croc. worked it so that they kissed and made friends.’

‘Who? Bernardo and Florian?’

‘No, Bernardo and Binnie, chump!’

‘Well, if nobody had a reason for sending Florian to heaven, why does anybody think he’s been murdered?’

‘Well, they probably only think he’s ordinarily dead, and I suppose it’s conceivable also that he’s lost his memory and wandered off, but he hadn’t lost it when he went over to Amsterdam this last time. He sat for the sculpture — it’s in plaster painted over in gold, incidentally. It was supposed to be done in bronze, but the price was too high. Well, he told his grandmother and his aunts that he was going to explore caves, grottoes and abandoned mines in Maastricht and Valkenburg. The older aunt, however, said he had also told her that he would be going on to explore similar spots in the Dolomites. She claims she lent or gave him the money to go, but her mother avers that she did not have any money, and, having met old Binden, I bet she’s right. Her daughters are entirely dependent on her and, from my observation of her, I should hardly class her as a willing spender. I suppose she’s afraid they’d leave home if she allowed them enough money to live on.’

‘I see. Did this — er — Florian realise that he would be offending his granduncle by prancing over to Amsterdam like that?’

‘I shouldn’t think he could have done, but he’s very cocky, and cocky people are apt to be obtuse where other people’s feelings are concerned.’

‘Very true. One other thing strikes me. These two professors — didn’t I get the impression from one of your letters that they are the old man’s sons?’

‘That’s right. But there’s a daughter named Maarte, who married Bernardo’s papa and so kept diamonds in the family, whereas the two sons had no such idea, but, instead, went into the lecture-room-and-church-mouse business, to the ire and irritation, doubtless, of their sire. They’re fond of him, but at one time I believe he cut them off with a solitary Dutch guilder and, from what I gather of their characters, nobody cared less than they did. They’re quite unworldly and live only for their work.’

‘Research can be expensive. Didn’t you tell me one of them goes to Mexico for his?’

‘I don’t suppose he spends much, except for his fare, and I dare say he goes with a party and they charter a plane. Anyhow, if you’re thinking of them as possible criminals, well, they just aren’t, and that’s all there is to it.’

‘You’re not often wrong about people, so I accept that as a working hypothesis. What about the rest of the family?’

‘I wouldn’t put anything past Auntie Opal. I’m sure she’s nasty, but I can’t see what she could gain by putting Florian out of the way. The old man would never leave her his money. I’m pretty certain of that!’

‘But what about her mother? The old boy’s sister, isn’t she? Could she have expectations?’

‘I should hardly think so, but, of course, I don’t know. Anyway, she dotes on Florian, so does Opal. I don’t know about Ruby, the other aunt, but she’s such a rabbit that she wouldn’t put anybody out of the way, no matter what she might hope to gain by it.’

‘Crippen was a rabbit, remember — or so it was thought. Ever been bitten by a rabbit?’