{"id":9928,"date":"2021-10-11T17:33:05","date_gmt":"2021-10-11T15:33:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beseit.net\/?p=9928"},"modified":"2021-10-11T17:40:11","modified_gmt":"2021-10-11T15:40:11","slug":"the-lost-diamond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beseit.net\/?p=9928","title":{"rendered":"THE LOST DIAMOND"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-size: 1pt;\">1<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">1<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Policeman Robert Taft was standing in Main Street outside Wilson&#8217;s shop. He was watching the cars on the road. A big black car stopped near him, and a small man got out.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> Inside the shop old Tom Wilson was looking at some gold ear-rings, but he looked up and took off his glasses when he saw the car. He watched the man who got out; he was wearing a good suit and he looked rich. He came into the shop, and Wilson went to meet him.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> \u00abWhat can I do for you, sir?\u00bb he asked.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> \u00abYou have a rather beautiful ring in the window,\u00bb said the man in a quiet voice. \u00abI mean the ring with a blue diamond in it. I saw it in the window yesterday. May I look at it, please?\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> \u00abCertainly, sir. It&#8217;s a fine diamond, isn&#8217;t it?<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> \u00abYes. How much is the ring?\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> \u00abA thousand pounds,\u00bb said Wilson. He turned his head. \u00abGoole,\u00bb he said, \u00abget that blue diamond ring out of the window for this gentleman&#8217;.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> A young man with black hair went to the window. He was wearing a suit which was too big for him.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> \u00abYes, a thousand pounds,\u00bb said Wilson again. \u00abIt&#8217;s a lot of money, but there aren&#8217;t many rings like that.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> Goole brought the ring and put it into the rich man&#8217;s hands. The rich man looked at it for a short time, and then he walked to the door of the shop and looked at the ring in the daylight.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> \u00abThis isn&#8217;t a diamond, is it?\u00bb he asked.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> \u00abWhat do you mean?\u00bb said Wilson.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> \u00abWell, look at it,\u00bb said the rich man. \u00abIt&#8217;s a piece of glass.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> Wilson took the ring from him and looked at it closely. His face was white when he spoke again.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> \u00abYou&#8217;re quite right, sir,\u00bb he said quietly. \u00abThis isn&#8217;t the diamond. Someone has stolen the diamond ring, and put this in its place. A thousand pounds! A thousand pounds!\u00bb The old man sat down.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> \u00abI&#8217;m very sorry,\u00bb said the rich man, \u00abbut I can&#8217;t help you, can I?\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> \u00abNo, sir, no.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> \u00abThen I must go,\u00bb he said. \u00abI wanted to buy that ring for my wife, but of course she doesn&#8217;t want a piece of glass.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> \u00abOf course she doesn&#8217;t, sir.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> \u00abWell, good morning,\u00bb said the rich man.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> He went out of the shop, got into the car, and was driven away at once.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> Taft was still standing outside the shop, and Wilson made a sign to him through the window. The policeman came in.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> \u00abWhat&#8217;s the matter, Mr. Wilson?\u00bb he asked.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> Wilson told him. \u00abSomeone has changed the ring,\u00bb he said. \u00abThis ring has a piece of glass in it, not a diamond.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> \u00abWho was that man who came in just now?\u00bb said Taft.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> \u00abI don&#8217;t know, but he seemed to be rich.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> \u00abDid he look at the ring?\u00bb asked Taft.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> \u00abOh, yes,\u00bb said Wilson.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> \u00abDid you watch the ring all the time, sir?\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> \u00abWell, no, I didn&#8217;t. The man walked to the door and looked at the ring in the daylight.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> \u00abSo his back was turned to you for a short time.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> \u00abYes,\u00bb said Wilson.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> \u00abWhere&#8217;s your telephone, sir?\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> Wilson took him to a small office at the back of the shop, and Taft telephoned to Cowley at police-station. He told the story in a few words.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> \u00abWe ought to stop that car, sir,\u00bb said Taft.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> \u00abYou&#8217;re quite right,\u00bb said Cowley. \u00abDid you see its number?\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> \u00abYes, sir. I was standing outside the shop at this time, and I noticed the number because it was rather unusual. It was ZZZ9999.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"> \u00abGood man,\u00bb said Cowley. \u00abStay there and don&#8217;t let anyone leave the shop. I&#8217;ll come in a few minutes. I&#8217;ll just tell someone here to telephone about that car. We&#8217;ll find it in an hour or two. Wait for me.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\">2<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> In about twenty minutes Cowley reached Wilson&#8217;s shop in a polis car.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abGood morning, Mr. Wilson,\u00bb he said. \u00abI&#8217;m sorry to hear your bad news. But We&#8217;ll catch that man; you may be sure of that. We&#8217;ve telephoned to all the police-station near here, and the police are watching the roads now. He won&#8217;t be able to go very far; they&#8217;ll find him and bring him back to my office. Now where can we talk?\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> Wilson took Cowley and Taft into the little room at the back of the shop. They sat down, and a woman brought a cup of tea into the room.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abWill you have some tea?\u00bb asked Wilson.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> Taft looked up hopefully, but Cowley said:<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\">\u00abNo, thank you, Mr. Wilson. We can work better without it.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abWell, I&#8217;ll have some,\u00bb said Wilson. \u00abWe always have some tea at eleven o&#8217;clock. Miss Hunter likes her tea, and I need some this morning more than usual.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> The woman left the cup in front of him and went out.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abIs that Miss Hunter?\u00bb asked Cowley.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abYes,\u00bb said Wilson. \u00abShe helps me in the shop.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abI see. Now let us talk about this man who came here. Taft says that he turned his back to you for a minute.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abYes, he did. But he was a rich man, and rich man don&#8217;t need to steal.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abA lot of thieves are rich,\u00bb said Cowley. \u00abBut perhaps he isn&#8217;t rich. Perhaps he put on some good clothes just to come here.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abBut he had a big car,\u00bb said Wilson.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abAnyone can get a car for one day for about a bound.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> Wilson put his head into his hands. \u00bb This kind of thing has never happened to me before,\u00bb he said sadly.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abOh, we&#8217;ll find that man very soon,\u00bb said Cowley.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abWe know the number of his car. It all seems quite clear. Why did he take the ring to the door and turned his back to you? To change it! How long has the ring been in your window?\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abAbout three weeks.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abWhere did you get the diamond?\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abIn London. I bought it there a month ago. Then I bought it here and we set it in the ring. When it was finished, I put it in the window. It was the best thing in my shop.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abSo anyone could see it,\u00bb said Cowley. \u00abSomeone could easily look at it and then go away and make the ring like it with a piece of glass instead of a diamond.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abYes, that,s true.\u00bb said the old man.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abThis man,\u00bb said Cowley, \u00abmade a ring like came here this morning, changed the two rings when he was standing by your door, and then gave you the wrong ring.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abWe&#8217;re not sure,\u00bb said Wilson.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abNo, we&#8217;re not sure. Did anyone else come into the shop this morning?\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abNobody at all.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abWhen did you see the diamond for the last time?\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abYesterday evening,\u00bb said Wilson. \u00abI showed it to a woman in a green dress. She looked at it, but she didn&#8217;t buy it, and I put it away for the night.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abWas it the diamond? Are you sure?\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abOh, yes. I&#8217;m quite certain about that.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abThen the ring was changed during the night or the morning.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abIt wasn&#8217;t changed during the night. Nobody can steal any of my things during the night. They&#8217;re quite safe. No. It was stolen to-day.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abWell, nobody came into the shop to-day except that man; so he stole it, or someone in your shop stole it. Who are the people that help you in the shop?\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abMiss Hunter and that young man, Goole.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abWhat do you know about them?\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abMiss Hunter has been with me for twenty years. She&#8217;s a good worker. She has small fingers, and she can use them well. Goole came to work here for the first time about three months ago. He&#8217;s also a good worker, but his clothes aren&#8217;t very nice. He helps his old father, I believe. He hasn&#8217;t got a lot of money.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abPerhaps one of them changed the ring,\u00bb said Cowley.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\">\u00abOh, I don&#8217;t think so. I can&#8217;t believe that.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abTell me their addresses,\u00bb said Cowley.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abGoole lives at 522 Baker Street; Miss Hunter lives at 714 Vine Street.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> Cowley wrote the addresses in his book. \u00abCould they make a ring like that?\u00bb he asked.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abOh, yes. They helped me to make the diamond ring, and they could easily make another with a piece of glass.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abDid Miss Hunter or Goole go out of the shop to-day before Taft came in?\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abNo.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abWell, then, they didn&#8217;t take the ring out. So it&#8217;s in the shop, or that man took it.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abYes.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abWe must look for it in the shop, Mr. Wilson. Taft and I will look everywhere, and we&#8217;ll just ask a few questions. Will you ask Miss Hunter to come in here? Don&#8217;t let Goole leave the shop for any reason.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\">3<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> Miss Hunter looked tired when she came in. She was a small woman with fair hair. She was not very pretty, and she was no longer young.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abCan you tell me anything about this, Miss Hunter?\u00bb Cowley asked. \u00abDo you know the name of the man who came here this morning?\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abNo,\u00bb she answered. \u00abI&#8217;ve never seen him before in my life.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abWho put that ring in the window this morning?\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abMr. Goole and I put everything there. We worked together.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abDid you both touch the ring?\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abYes, I think so.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abDid you notice it, Miss Hunter? Was it the diamond or was it the piece of glass?\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abI didn&#8217;t notice it,\u00bb she said. \u00abWe always put everything in the window in the morning, and we don&#8217;t always look carefully at the things. We haven&#8217;t much time.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abDid you watch this visitor when he was here?\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abNo. I was working in that room at the side there.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abWell, we&#8217;re going to look everywhere in the shop for the ring. We shall look in Mr. Goole&#8217;s clothes, but we don&#8217;t need to look in yours.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abOh, but you must,\u00bb she said. \u00abIf you don&#8217;t find the ring, and if you don&#8217;t look in my clothes and my bag, what will you think?\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abVery well,\u00bb said Cowley. He telephoned to the police-station and asked Miss Ablegood to come to the shop at once. Miss Ablegood was a policewoman.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> Cowley then talked to Goole, but the man could tell him nothing more. Cowley looked at him thought-fully: he was clearly rather a poor man, and perhaps he needed money.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abWe&#8217;re going to look for the ring here,\u00bb said Cowley.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abEverywhere in the shop! What about your clothes?\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> Goole began to take his coat off. Taft shut the door, and the two men looked in every part of Goole&#8217;s clothes, but there was no diamond in them.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> When Miss Ablegood came, she went into the room with Miss Hunter; but she came out without the diamond.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abNothing!\u00bb said Miss Ablegood, and went away.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> Miss Hunter and Goole then waited in the office. Cowley and Taft looked everywhere in the shop, but they did not find the ring anywhere. At the end of an hour they were rather tired.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abIt&#8217;s not here,\u00bb said Cowley, \u00abIf it isn&#8217;t in the shop, it has left the shop. Who took it away? Miss Hunter and Goole never went out this morning, and so they didn&#8217;t take it. Only that rich man could take it, and we&#8217;ll soon catch him. Just wait, Mr. Wilson. We&#8217;ll find it for you.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> Just then they heard the telephone. A man at the police-station wanted to speak to Cowley.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abCan you come here at once, sir?\u00bb he said. \u00abWe&#8217;ve got a man here, and he&#8217;s not at all pleased with us. He&#8217;s the man in the car, sir, and he wants to go to London at once.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abGood!\u00bb said Cowley. \u00abKeep him there. Don&#8217;t let him go. I&#8217;ll be with you in ten minutes.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> He put the telephone down and turned to Wilson.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abWe&#8217;ve caught the man,\u00bb he said. \u00abI&#8217;ll come back here with the diamond very soon.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\">4.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> Cowley walked into the police-station and went to his office. A policeman put his head round the door.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abThey&#8217;ve found the man in the car, sir,\u00bb he said.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abHe&#8217;s here.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abYes, I know. Where was he found?\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abThe car was going to London, sir. The police stopped it at Langley. One of the policemen got in and made it come back here. The owner&#8217;s not very pleased, sir.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abI&#8217;m not surprised,\u00bb said Cowley. \u00abBring the gentleman in.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> When the door opened again, Cowley saw a rather small man who was wearing a very good suit.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abWhy have you brought me back here?\u00bb said the man angrily. \u00abAll the way from Langley! I&#8217;m a busy man. What&#8217;s the matter?\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abSit down, sir,\u00bb said Cowley gently. \u00abI just want to ask you a few questions about a ring.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abDo you know my name?\u00bb said the man very quietly.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abNo, sir; but I want to know it. What is your name?\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abI&#8217;m Henry Finlay. I&#8217;m the Governor of the Bank of England!\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abOh, yes,\u00bb Cowley answered without surprise. \u00abIf you&#8217;re the Governor of the Bank of England, my name&#8217;s Napoleon.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abBut I am the Governor of the Bank of England! You must let me go at once.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abYes, yes,\u00bb said Cowley. \u00abI&#8217;ve heard that kind of story before. Anybody can say that.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abIf you don&#8217;t believe me, ask the driver of my car. He&#8217;s waiting in that room out there.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abYour driver is, perhaps, a friend who will say anything to help you.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abThen telephone to the Bank in London,\u00bb said the man.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abI&#8217;m quite ready to do that,\u00bb said Cowley quietly.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> But he was beginning to wonder. Was this man Henry Finlay? Was it possible?<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> He put the telephone to his mouth, but his eyes were fixed on the man in front of him.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abI want to speak to the Bank of England,\u00bb he said, and put the telephone down.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> The two men waited. Cowley began to play with a pencil on his table, and he looked at the wall above the man&#8217;s head. The sound of the telephone made them both jump.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abIs that the Bank of England?\u00bb asked Cowley.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abYes,\u00bb said a voice far away.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abI want to speak to the Governor. This is the police\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abYou can&#8217;t speak to him. He&#8217;s not here.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abWhere is he?\u00bb asked Cowley.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abI can&#8217;t tell you that,\u00bb said the voice.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abListen,\u00bb said Cowley. \u00abThis is the Lifton police. I&#8217;ve got a man here who calls himself the Governor of the Bank of England. I don&#8217;t believe him. Am I right or is he right?\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> There was no answer for a short time, and then the voice said, \u00abThe Governor has a long red mark on the little finger of his left hand. He cut it badly last week. If your man has that mark on his finger, he&#8217;s the Governor.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abThank you,\u00bb said Cowley, and put the telephone down.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> He turned to the man in the chair. \u00abMay I look at your left hand, sir?\u00bb he asked.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> The man showed it to him. On the side of the little finger there was a long red mark.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\">5.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> In later days Cowley never liked to hear the name of the Bank of England. It made him remember that day in his office.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> After Finlay went away, Cowley sat back in his chair. \u00abVery, very bad!\u00bb he thought. \u00abI stopped the Governor of the Bank on the roads! I must be more careful; much more careful!\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> He telephoned to Wilson and told him the news.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abThe Governor didn&#8217;t take the diamond,\u00bb said Cowley, \u00aband so it never left your shop.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abWell,\u00bb said Wilson, \u00abit certainly wasn&#8217;t in the shop, was it? You looked everywhere. Where is it?\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abWe&#8217;ll find it for you some day, Mr. Wilson. Don&#8217;t lose hope.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> Cowley called Taft into the office. The policeman was looking very pleased with life, when he came in.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abWhat are you laughing at?\u00bb said Cowley.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abWell, sir, not many people have stopped the Governor of the Bank of England in his big car!\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abThat&#8217;s quite enough of that,\u00bb said Cowley. \u00abHe didn&#8217;t steal anything. Where&#8217;s that ring?\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abGoole has it, or Miss Hunter.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abThen where was it this morning when we looked for it in the shop? It wasn&#8217;t in their clothes, and it wasn&#8217;t anywhere in the shop. Did the ring walk out of the shop itself?\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abI don&#8217;t know, sir. It&#8217;s very strange.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abWe must watch those two,\u00bb said Cowley. \u00abPerhaps one of them has it, but I can&#8217;t understand it at all. How did it leave the shop? That&#8217;s the question. When you&#8217;re in the town during the next few days, spend a lot of time near that shop. You may see something.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> A short time after Taft left the office, Wilson again spoke to Cowley on the telephone.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abI&#8217;ve got a little news for you,\u00bb he said. \u00abGoole wants to go away for a few days. His father&#8217;s ill, and he wants to visit him.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abThat&#8217;s interesting,\u00bb said Cowley. \u00abWhere does his father live?\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abI don&#8217;t know.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abWell, don&#8217;t ask him. I&#8217;m interested in his journey, but I don&#8217;t want him to know it. Perhaps he isn&#8217;t going to see his father at all. Perhaps he has the diamond and he&#8217;s going to take it somewhere and sell it. \u041d\u0435 can&#8217;t sell it in a shop, because it&#8217;s too big and everyone will notice it. So he&#8217;ll cut it into smaller pieces or sell it to another thief. I&#8217;ll send a man to follow him when he goes away. We may learn something useful, but don&#8217;t say a word to him about this. Just let him go.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> Cowley called Harrison into his office.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abGoole&#8217;s going away,\u00bb he said. \u00abHe has never seen your face, has he, Harrison? I want you to follow him. He lives at 522 Baker Street, and he may go by train. He may have that stolen diamond with him. Follow him and watch him.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abYes, sir,\u00bb said Harrison.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abGo and watch his house now. He may leave at any time. And change your clothes. Put a suit on.\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abYes, sir,\u00bb said Harrison and went out.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> Cowley looked at the door when it closed behind the policeman.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\"> \u00abGoole may have that ring,\u00bb he thought, \u00abbut how did he get it out of the shop?\u00bb<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16pt;\">6<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>1 1 Policeman Robert Taft was standing in Main Street outside Wilson&#8217;s shop. He was watching the cars on the road. A big black car stopped near him, and a small man got out. Inside the shop old Tom Wilson &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beseit.net\/?p=9928\">Continua llegint <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8179,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9928","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-llibres"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beseit.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9928","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beseit.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beseit.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beseit.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beseit.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9928"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.beseit.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9928\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9932,"href":"https:\/\/www.beseit.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9928\/revisions\/9932"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beseit.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8179"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beseit.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9928"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beseit.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9928"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beseit.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9928"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}