Chapter Eight
Jack signalled and turned before answering her. "City South, first, because I'd rather have Collins with me than Albert for the next part – sorry, Albert," he apologised. "Then you and I are going to call on Mr Vimer."
"Goody!" she said, happily.
"Here, Vimer was the name those two toughs were talking about," Bert leaned forward to tell them.
"Really?" Phryne considered. "Interesting. A pseudonym, perhaps? I have a feeling that the person we're looking for is actually called von Meier."
Jack cast her a puzzled glance, and she explained about the ring's inscription. "I think Vimer might just be a corruption of Weimar."
The Inspector pulled the car to a halt outside the station. "You may be right. Wait here – I'm going to get Collins, and then we can return Albert to St Kilda."
"Ah, what? No way!" complained Bert. "I've got work to do!"
Phryne turned to face him as Jack disappeared into City South. "Bert, dear, until we know who those two men are, I want you kept safe. I'm sure Mr Butler can find you something to do, and with Mary Lou still laid up with that ankle of hers, Elizabeth will want someone to entertain her too."
Mollified, Bert settled back and resigned himself to his fate. Phryne inwardly blessed the twin powers of Tobias Butler and Lin Soo, who between them could render 221B The Esplanade a fortress if necessary.
The Hispano made short work of the journey back to St Kilda, and Bert was escorted to the door by both sleuths.
It was opened by the maid Soo. She admitted Bert wordlessly, but held a hand up to Phryne as she was about to turn back to the car.
"Miss Fisher, there was a telephone call for you. From the jeweller, Lucas. He asked that you telephone him as soon as possible."
Phryne nodded. "Wait for me?" she begged Jack, who shrugged agreement and wandered back to join Collins in the Hispano.
Lucas was the most animated she'd ever heard him.
"Miss Fisher! I'm so glad you've rung. I've remembered what it was about the ruby!"
"All right, Lucas, steady on," she responded. "What have you remembered?"
"If it's the one I think it is, there was a piece about it in one of the trade journals a couple of years ago. The reason it didn't make sense was because it was about a set of jewels that have never, to anyone's knowledge, been in Australia."
"Interesting!" she exclaimed. "Can I hazard a guess that the country of origin is – Germany?"
"Yes!" he said excitedly. "The word was Weimar, just as you said. The ring is just one part of a jewellery set of immeasurable value and historical importance. As well as the ring, there's a collar-style necklace, a matching pair of drop earrings and even a tiara. What makes them a set is the rubies that are used – all of unusual size and quality. They're called the Ettersburg Rubies".
"I'm surprised I haven't heard of them," commented one of Melbourne's pre-eminent aficionados of the Finer Things in Life.
"There is a mystery about them – no-one has known where they are for years," explained Lucas. "They used to belong to the Duchess Anna Amalia of Saxe-Weimar; then they were mentioned as property of Queen Catharina of Westphalia and there's been no word of them since the dissolution of the Napoleonic State."
"Until now!" Phryne agreed. "Lucas, you're an enormously valuable gem yourself. Thank you!"
She returned the telephone to its cradle and, with a shouted farewell to the kitchen, bolted out of the door and flung herself into the passenger seat of the Hispano.
"Drive, Chief Inspector," she instructed imperiously. "I rather think we have an appointment with some fabulous jewels!"
As they wove through the streets, she relayed the story of the Ettersburg Rubies. Hugh Collins was agog, but Jack shook his head doubtfully.
"It's a great story, but why on earth would a set of important jewels that had vanished hundreds of years ago suddenly show up in Australia?" he objected.
"Well, I don't know, Jack!" she replied crossly. "Perhaps they were brought over by some international woman of mystery."
His lips twitched at that, but the Keeper of the Peace decided it would be best to, well, keep the peace.
As he pulled up outside the house, Phryne looked at it doubtfully. Somehow, she'd rather expected the resting place of such fabulous jewels would be a little … grander. Perhaps more pillars. Crenellations. The odd spire. Instead, it sat placidly in a patch of neat garden; if houses could speak, this one would be offering to put the kettle on.
They descended from the Hispano, and Hugh Collins gave the door knocker a brisk tattoo. After a few moments, he tried again. Nothing.
"Let's try round the back," suggested Jack. "Collins, you go that way, I'll go the other. Can you wait here, Miss Fisher, in case anyone comes to the front door after all?"
"Of course, Jack," she smiled.
Innocently.
A few minutes later, they were both back at the front door, where Miss Fisher was standing with her back to the door, admiring her beautiful car.
"Any joy, gentlemen?" she asked, backing towards the door to give them room on the step.
"Nothing," said Jack gloomily. "We'll just have to come back later, I suppose. Collins, you'd better wait here in case someone comes in the meantime."
"Yessir," the Sergeant saluted.
Phryne pulled a face and stuffed her hands in her pockets. "I was so sure we were going to get to … Oh!"
As she spoke, she'd started to slump back against the door – which swung open, causing her to lose her balance.
"Goodness, it was open all the time!" she exclaimed artlessly.
The Chief Inspector glared at her.
It was locked, and you know it was.
She fluttered her eyelashes winningly.
He groaned. "At least let me go first."
"Of course, Chief Inspector. I wouldn't dream of stepping in front of you."
As Jack stepped warily over the threshold, Hugh Collins moved closer to Phryne's shoulder and muttered in her ear, "What about that thing you said to Dot, Miss? About there being a good woman standing beside every good man, and …"
"Hush, Hugh, we don't want to put the Chief Inspector off his stride."
