Who Killed Charmian Karslake? Read Online Free PDF

refused all such invitations since coming to England, and Lady Moreton made every effort to do her honour and put her in one of the big rooms in front of the house.”
    â€œI see!” The inspector tapped his fingers reflectively on his notebook for a minute; then he glanced up sharply. “Why did Miss Karslake accept Lady Moreton’s invitation, Sir Arthur, when, as you say, she had refused all others since coming to England?”
    Sir Arthur shrugged his shoulders. “Ask me another. Why does any woman ever do anything? They made one another’s acquaintance somehow, I really don’t know how, and apparently took a fancy to one another. Miss Karslake was enormously interested in antiquities of all kinds, and the Abbey is distinctly unique, you know. Lady Moreton talked about it, and when the idea of this ball was mooted she asked Miss Karslake to come down for it and take the opportunity of seeing the Abbey. She was gratified, and I may say almost surprised at Miss Karslake’s acceptance.”
    â€œWas she interested in the Abbey when she arrived?”
    â€œOh, yes. I think so –” Sir Arthur hesitated again. “As a matter of fact she had not much opportunity of expressing her interest in anything. The house was – well, in the state a house generally is when a big entertainment is about to take place in it. I promised to show her over it next morning, when it was, alas, too late!”
    The inspector’s penetrating glance was still fixed upon Sir Arthur.
    â€œYou have no clue to this apparently inexplicable mystery?”
    Sir Arthur shook his head. “Not the faintest. Miss Karslake was an absolute stranger to me and, as far as I know, to every one in the house. I can only suggest that the motive may have been robbery, since the great sapphire ball she always wore, and which is generally spoken of as her mascot, is missing.”
    â€œAny other jewels?”
    â€œHer maid seems to think not. She wore a quaint old necklace of pearls at the dance and apparently threw it, and a magnificent marquise ring she generally wore, on her dressing-table. All are quite safe.”
    â€œWith regard to the blue ball,” the inspector questioned again, “it is, of course, of great value.”
    Sir Arthur looked doubtful. “I really don’t know. I am no judge of such things, but I should imagine a great part of its value came from its historic association, and that of course would not exist from a burglar’s point of view. At the same time it has brought bad luck to most of its possessors as far as I can ascertain. When first one hears of it, it was the property of the ill-fated Paul of Russia. Later it passed to the hapless Princess de Lamballe and the murdered Queen Draga of Serbia, to name just a few of the unfortunate possessors. How it came into the possession of Miss Karslake I have no idea. But I have heard that, though she had been warned that misfortune always followed in its train, Charmian Karslake laughed at the very notion and said that it was going to be her mascot, and would bring her nothing but good. Since her coming to England, the fact that she invariably wore it has often been commented upon in the papers and may have attracted the cupidity of some of the criminal classes.”
    â€œQuite!” The inspector stroked his chin. “Of course it would be obvious that the chance of getting hold of it would be far better here than in town, but there must have been more valuable jewels worn here than that ball.”
    Sir Arthur smiled. “Decidedly there were. To go no further, Lady Moreton’s pearls must have been worth ten times the amount, to say nothing of Mrs. Richard’s diamonds. But these were put into the safe. I offered to take care of the sapphire, but Miss Karslake laughingly told me she wore it day and night.”
    The inspector nodded. “Any money missing, Sir Arthur? Any valuables from anyone else in the