Chapter Fourteen #2
“To be sure, though you yourself admit you have been lucky. The Russians are a different kettle of fish.” Sakari looked pleased with her venture into idiom.
“For a start, their experiences with the police of their own country have made them apprehensive. ‘Jumpy’ is the word. An attempt to find out about their relations with Teddy Devenish might well be dangerous.”
“I wasn’t going to go and ask if they had anything to do with his death.”
“You couldn’t if you wanted to, Daisy. You don’t speak Russian.”
“They must speak some English, surely. Not that it matters, since I haven’t the foggiest how to find them. Aren’t you acquainted with any Russians?”
“Only in the way of business. The jeweller who set my rubies was Russian.”
“Darling, I adore you! I’d quite forgotten, Lucy said something about the father selling off jewels.
Your jeweller probably knows him, being in the business.
All I have to do is visit him and ask about resetting something—I know, Great-Aunt Gertrude’s aquamarines!
The setting is hideous, too frightfully Victorian.
I hardly ever wear jewelry so I’ve never got round to having them redone.
And there’s one missing, so I can enquire about replacing it and get the name of the prince—would-be or actual—who’s selling stuff. ”
“Ingenious.”
“What was your jeweller’s name?”
“I remember that the name of the business begins with a Z, is quite short, and has two Vs in unlikely places. Let me think.”
“Lots of Russian names end in V,” Daisy said helpfully.
“Hush! I am trying to picture it. Zzzzz … Zvvv…”
“ZV? Surely not!”
“Zv … Zvirov, that’s it. Or Zverev.”
“Zzz-verov. As Lucy said, unpronounceable. It shouldn’t be difficult to find in the directory. Um … The other thing Alec said was that I wasn’t to go and talk to people on my own. I don’t suppose you’d come with me, darling? After all, you have already met the man.”
“As a matter of fact, I never met him. His daughter does the designing, so it was with her I consulted.”
“Zverev has a daughter? I bet he’s the one I’m after, then, and she’s the one Teddy made promises to.”
“It is possible. She is very pretty. Handsome, rather, if I correctly understand the distinction.”
“That makes it practically certain, given the rumour of a breach of promise suit. When would it be convenient for you to go with me? Soon, or the police will get there first.”
“Shall you tell them about the Zverevs?”
“Good question. I wonder whether Lucy mentioned the jewelry business. If so, they’ll have found him by now.”
“And if not?”
“I don’t know for certain that the Zverevs are involved. Alec would say it’s pure speculation. I suspect the Russian aspect isn’t a high priority for the police, since it turned out there’s no record of a breach of promise suit. And it’s not as if I don’t have a perfectly good excuse for going.”
“Great-Aunt Gertrude’s aquamarines? If I were Alec, I should wonder why resetting them has suddenly become an urgent concern.”
“Let him wonder.” Inspiration struck. “My interest was sparked by seeing all the beautiful jewelry at the Kit-Cat. So when shall we go?”
Sakari sighed. “I hope Alec will not blame me for leading you astray.”
“Not a chance. I’m the one he’ll blame for leading you astray. He’ll be grateful to you for coming with me.”
“You are very determined. Yet you did not like Teddy Devenish. Why are you so keen to find his killer?”
Daisy hadn’t really considered the question, let alone put her reasons into words. “Not just because I found him, though that did arouse my curiosity. Partly for his sister’s sake. Mostly because of Mrs. Gilpin. I wish her memory would return!”
“Do you think she would recognise the murderer?”
“Who knows? She was closest to her—or him. He might believe she could.”
“So she is in danger?”
“It’s possible, though I can’t imagine how he’d find out who she is or where she lives.
The other concern is whether the police suspect her of being somehow involved, other than being a witness, that is.
Not Alec—I hope!—but Mr. Mackinnon. He can’t avoid it.
She was pretty much the only suspect available to him.
It’s not as if he had a houseful of people on hand ready to be investigated.
And there’s only the children’s evidence that the third nanny ever existed. ”
“You don’t doubt her existence, though.”
“No, but I know the children. Charlie has a wild imagination, admittedly. The other two are as reliable as any adult, and more reliable than most. I’m certain there was a third person in nurse’s uniform. I’ll be happier once Nurse Gilpin’s gone to stay with her sister.”
“And in the meantime, suspects must be sought, and you are hot on the trail. Tomorrow morning we shall tackle the Russians. This afternoon, I shall put up my feet. I am quite exhausted.”
“Darling, I’m sorry! Here I am dragging you all over town—”
“Nonsense, Daisy. You are very well aware that I would not miss the fun for anything. I shall pick you up at half past ten tomorrow morning.”