“What’s with this ‘Major’ business?”
“Ah. Well, can’t really have the Bursar of a girls’ boarding school called ‘Fancy’, can you?”
“Come to that, what’s with all this ‘Bursar’ business?”
“Well, to be quite honest, I’d been thinking for some time of going str – ” He stopped himself, thinking perhaps of listeners on the school switchboard “…of, er, giving up the sort of work I had been doing, and when I saw this job advertised, it seemed to be just the ticket.” His voice became more confidential. “Quite honestly, once Mr Pargeter wasn’t there, the fun seemed to have gone out of the other business. He really made it seem exciting. Oh, I continued for a bit, working with other people, but it just wasn’t the same without him…”
“No,” Mrs Pargeter agreed quietly.
“Anyway,” the Bursar asked briskly, in his best ‘Major’ voice, “what can I do for you?”
“Well, I’m not sure that you can do anything…I mean, if you’re completely out of that line of work nowadays.”
“My dear lady, for you I’d do anything. Even go back to – ” Once again he pulled himself up short “…the sort of work we were discussing. Quite honestly, I owe so much to you and Mr Pargeter, that you have only to say the word and I’ll do whatever you require.”
“I just want some information…”
“About what?”
“Jewellery.”
“Harrumph,” said the Major. “I wonder, could you give me a number where I might call you back in about five minutes?”
She gave him the number of the call box and put the receiver down. Three minutes later the phone rang.
“So sorry about that. I’m calling from my house. Live on the premises, you know. This has the advantage of being a private line. Round a girls’ school, you know, difficult to talk confidentially.”
“That I can believe.”
“But now we can talk about whatever we like. Jewellery, did you say?”
“Yes. I want to know who are the best fakers around.”
“Fakers?” He sounded utterly bewildered.
“People who make imitation jewels.”
“Oh. Sorry. Stupid. Thinking of Indian mystics. I’m a bloody idiot.” He cleared his throat. “Right, with you now. You’re setting up a substitution, are you?”
Mrs Pargeter was very offended. “Fancy, you know I have never in my life been involved in anything criminal.”
He was appropriately chastened. “No. Sorry. Of course. Don’t know what I was thinking of. Forgive me.”
“What I am doing is
“Yes. Of course. Fully understand. Tell me, are we talking about bent or legit.?”
“Sorry?”
“Fakers. I mean, there are some who just do work for ‘the business’, and others who do it quite publicly. You know, often happens when times get hard – people sell off the family jewels and have copies made. Thriving business – and, as I say, all above board.”
“I think the name I’m after is probably legit., but I’d be grateful if you could give me some bent ones, too.”
“No problem. It’s a small field, anyway…for the ones who’re any good. Only about four in the country who do decent work.”
“Four legit, or four bent?”
“Four altogether. Of whom two are bent, one’s legit, but doesn’t ask questions, and one kicks with both feet.”
“Hmm. What’s the name of the legit, one who doesn’t ask questions?”
“Desmond Chiddham. Very pukka. Workshop off Bond Street. Includes many of the crowned heads of Europe among his clientele. Indeed, when there’s a Coronation or a Royal Wedding or that sort of number, people say you see more of his stuff than the genuine article.”
“Ah. Well, could you give me his details, and the names and addresses of the other three?”
“Of course.” Without a moment’s hesitation, the Bursar reeled off the information.
“I’m most grateful to you, Fancy.”
“Think nothing of it. Delighted to help. Do you know, just before he died, Mr Pargeter took me on one side and asked if I’d look after you…if the occasion arose. You know, he really cared for you so much.”
“Yes,” said Mrs Pargeter. “Yes, he did.”
? A Nice Class of Corpse ?
33
“I won’t be in for lunch today, Miss Naismith.”
“Oh? I believe I did mention, Mrs Pargeter, that most residents tend to give such information to one of the staff.”
“Yes. Yes, you did.” Mrs Pargeter smiled sweetly.
“Something interesting planned…?” Miss Naismith fished.
“Oh yes,” Mrs Pargeter replied unhelpfully.
“Going far…?”
“Quite a distance, yes.”
“Ah.”
“But I should be back for dinner.”
“Oh. Good.”
“Goodbye, then.”
And Mrs Pargeter left, treasuring the expression of frustrated curiosity on Miss Naismith’s face.
¦
The train from Littlehampton to London is not fast, but Mrs Pargeter welcomed the time on her own to sit and think about the case (or the cases).
At Victoria she took a taxi to the Savoy Grill, where she had booked a table, and ate a substantial lunch. She remembered fondly how the late Mr Pargeter had always been most insistent that she should have a good lunch.
From the Savoy she took another taxi to Desmond Chiddham’s showroom and workshop off Bond Street. She had telephoned in the morning to make an appointment, but he was not free when she arrived. While she waited she looked at the displays of jewellery. It was all very good, and without the eye-glass she certainly couldn’t have told whether the stones were real or not.
Desmond Chiddham was profuse with apologies for having kept her waiting. He was a small, bald man with rimless glasses and the upper-crust accent of someone who hasn’t grown up with it but has mixed a lot with people who talk like that. Like his work, he was a fake.
“Well, Mrs Pargeter, and what can I do for you?”
By way of answer, she produced her matching set of rubies from her handbag and laid them on his desk. The little eyes behind the glasses sparkled at the sight.
“I understand, Mr Chiddham, that you could replace the jewels in these with artificial replicas.”
“Oh, most certainly,” he replied. “And replace them with stones that none but a trained eye would have the remotest suspicions about. And many trained eyes would have to look twice.”
“Could you tell me how much that would cost?”
He named a price. It was high, but still represented only ten per cent of the value of the stones he would be replacing.
“And, of course, Mrs Pargeter, I am always happy to arrange the sale of the stones removed. Many of my clients like to take advantage of that part of the service. In that way, rather than their giving me money for the
