Read The Peculiar Case of Lord Finsbury's Diamonds: A Casebook of Barnaby Adair Short Novel (The Casebook of Barnaby Adair) for Free Online

followed him, and she and Riggs eventually saw Mitchell off in the pony-trap to the village.” Culver shrugged. “That’s all there was to it.”
     Inwardly, Barnaby frowned. “You said you didn’t trust Mitchell—was there any specific reason for your distrust?”
     Culver paused, then, clearly reluctantly, shook his head. “There was nothing I could put my finger on—he was charming and seemed a good enough sort. Easy-going, easy to talk to, yet…there was something just not quite right. I can’t be more specific. And, truth be told, if it had been one of the other girls he’d set his sights on rather than Gwen, I probably wouldn’t have been so suspicious.”
     “To return to yesterday afternoon”—Stokes frowned at his notebook—“you and Miss Finsbury were watching the end of the path. Did you see anyone coming out from the path or anywhere in the vicinity?”
     “No. And we were watching. We’d planned to meet Mitchell on the lawn, in the open. When he didn’t arrive by the time we’d expected him, Gwen and I went into the house to see if, contrary to what we’d thought, the pony-trap had been sent to fetch him, but it hadn’t.” After a moment, Culver raised his gaze to Stokes’s face. “You still haven’t said how Mitchell was killed.”
     Stokes studied Culver’s face as he said, “He was immobilized using a trap, then bludgeoned to death with the long-handled hammer from the croquet shed.”
     Culver’s face was akin to an open book as he tried to imagine what Stokes had described. Eventually, Culver frowned. “Trap—what sort of trap?”
     Which, Barnaby reflected, was exactly the question an innocent man would ask. “An old-fashioned, steel-jawed animal trap, one large enough to crush a man’s ankle. It had been hidden in a dip in the path along a narrower stretch.”
     Culver looked genuinely shocked. But after a moment, he frowned. “Why trap him first?”
     “Indeed,” Stokes said. “And regardless of the reason, sadly that means we cannot rule out the possibility that Mitchell was killed by a woman.”
     Culver appeared even more affronted. A bare second passed before he said, “I cannot imagine any of the ladies of the family, or their female guests, doing such a thing.” He looked at Stokes, then at Barnaby. “Aside from all else, as I told you, no one really knew Mitchell. What reason could a stranger have for killing a man like that?”
     Stokes stared at Culver for a second, then nodded. “That is, indeed, an excellent question. However, as I said, our inquiries today are purely to learn all we can about Mitchell, and along the way to rule out as many people as possible.” He met Culver’s gaze. “Lord Finsbury told us you’ve only recently returned from overseas.”
     Culver readily volunteered his life history, which was much as Lord Finsbury had related it, and confirmed that it was Agnes, his godmother, who had invited him to the house party.
     “Very well.” Stokes sat back. “Just one last thing. When Mitchell’s body was found this morning, he had the Finsbury diamonds in his pocket.”
     Culver’s eyes flew wide. “What?”
     “Do you know of the diamonds?” Barnaby asked.
     Culver nodded. “But I haven’t seen them in years—decades. The last time was when Gwen’s mother was alive—she occasionally wore them.” After a moment, in a tone of patent puzzlement, Culver murmured, “I wonder—was that what Mitchell intended to show Gwen?”
     Another moment passed, then, frowning, Culver looked at Stokes. “The Finsbury diamonds are worth a king’s ransom, but how did Mitchell get the necklace?”
     “That,” Stokes admitted, “is another excellent question.” He glanced at Barnaby, who shrugged faintly, indicating he had no further questions for Culver.
     Stokes looked at Culver. “Thank you—you’ve been most helpful.” Somewhat cynically, he added, “I can only hope the others are equally forthcoming.”
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