Chapter Ten
If Hugh Collins had one quality in spades, it was Patience. That was just as well, because getting the telephone call placed to Echuca, getting through and managing to speak to Constable Hogben would have tried the patience of the saint Dot knew very well he wasn't.
Eventually, though, the call was achieved. The Chief Inspector was summoned to the telephone, and the shortcomings of the telecommunications lines were eventually surmounted. Hogben hadn't met Cec, but knew Alice's family very well indeed, and would do his best to help Cec track down Herr Dieter and bring him to Melbourne on the Saturday morning train.
When Jack eventually put the telephone down, Hugh took the opportunity to place a strategic cup of tea under his nose. He took a long draught and closed his eyes thankfully.
Then opened them again and, picking up the saucer, beckoned the Sergeant into his office. Closing the door behind him, he took his seat behind the desk and indicated the chair opposite to Collins, who perched uneasily on the edge of it. Hugh was getting the hang of command quite readily – it was pretty straightforward, mostly, given how green the latest crop of recruits were – but he'd yet to be comfortable with the Chief Inspector's occasional relaxation of the hierarchy between them.
Jack knew he wasn't comfortable, but having staked his reputation on Collins' promotion, was determined to make it a success; and if that meant putting Collins on the spot now and again, Collins would just have to learn to cope.
"Right, Collins," he began, setting cup on saucer. "We've hopefully got von Meier arriving on the train tomorrow afternoon; all we have left to do is track down the rest of those jewels; and I know you'll understand why I want this kept quiet."
"Yes – and no, sir," said Hugh hesitantly. "I mean, we don't want the press hearing about it, but I'd trust our men to say nothing."
"I trust them to mean to say nothing," amended Jack. "All it would take, though, would be a careless word over the washing up and the whole damn city will be looking for those jewels." Hugh had to admit the truth of that judgement, and hoped it wouldn't matter that he'd already poured the whole story out to Mrs Collins.
Jack reflected that one of the skills his sergeant needed to acquire was the ability to dissemble, but carried on. "We don't have many potential hiding places for the jewels; I'd say they're either in storage at a bank, or they're somewhere in that house." He steepled his fingers and considered, before saying slowly, "I'd be surprised if he went straight to a strange bank with something of this nature. Perhaps we need to commandeer a few private forces for a proper search of the house."
In the meantime, Phryne strolled into her parlour, gratefully accepting a martini from Mr Butler while warmly greeting her business partner.
"Dot, darling! Lovely to see you, how did you get on with the fabric samples?"
Mrs Collins accepted a small sherry and delivered a swift report on her progress with their attempts to track down a missing housemaid.
"So, it's all down to the suppliers in Sydney, I think – and I'm hoping to get a telegram back from them by tomorrow." She sipped her drink and cocked her head at Miss Fisher. "What's this I'm hearing about rubies, though?"
Phryne chuckled. "How on earth did Hugh manage to get that story to you in such a short time?"
Dot grinned. "It's amazing how resourceful a man can be, given the opportunity of a twenty minute lunch break and a rendezvous at the pie cart." She set her glass down and leaned forward eagerly. "Please tell me the rest, though, Miss!"
Phryne shrugged, and skimmed a finger around the rim of her martini glass. "I wish I could. 'The rest' as you call it, is really just the location of the rest of this wonderful set of jewels; and I can't think where they can be."
"Surely they'll be in the house?" objected Dot.
"You'd have thought so, but there's no safe there that we could see; and they're far too valuable just to shove in a drawer." She narrowed her eyes and raised her glass. "You're right, though, Dot."
As she spoke, the front door slammed, and Detective Chief Inspector Robinson was heard to call for his wife; she responded by calling his name, and he appeared in the doorway.
They smiled.
They spoke.
"We need to search the house again."
She finished first because he'd already stopped and started laughing,