A MATTER OF HABIT

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 43, 21 February 1939, Page 17

A MATTER OF HABIT

SHORT STORY

jyjß. JEREMY JONES, sitting at his ease, sipping a cocktail, regarded the patrons of the little Cafe Verde, at Auteil, through an eyeglass which, if not rose-coloured, was certainly optimistic. He smiled as he observed the portly figure of Aristide Dubonnet, butler to Monsieur Etienne Garehe, whose chateau " was in the neighbourhood, threading its way through the maze of little tables towards him.

Dubonnet sat down and consented to drink a cup of coffee. His plump face was serioue, and he regarded the smiling countenance of Mr. Jones with a

certain anxiety,

"Now let me get this right, sir," he said. "I saw your man this morning, and he told me all about jt and said that if I met you here you would confirm it. The idea ie this: You want to take a photograph for your paper of the Garehe diamond. You know that Moneic-.ir Garehe will not allow the diamond to be photographed, and so you are prepared to pay me five thousand francs if I will admit you to the house and allow you to take a picture."

Dubonnet took a gulp at his coffee.

"Well," he continued, "I'd like to earn five thousand francs, and it doesn't seem to me that takng a picture of the diamond would do anyone any harm, but you see. sir, it isn't quite as easy as that. First of all, I don't know any-

thing much about you. For all I know you might want to steal the diamond. The other thing is that I don't eee how you can possibly get a picture of the diamond in the time available. You see. there are two detectives from Scotland Yard coming over here first thing in the morning to escort Monsieur Garehe and. the diamond 'back to London.

"I have been told by Monsieur Garehe that he and the two police officers will breakfast to-morrow morning at seven o'clock, and that immediately after breakfast I am to take the carved Chinese box containing the diamond to Monsieur Garehe. They will leave by car for the boat immediately after breakfast, so there isn't much time to take pictures, is there?"

Jejemy Jones nodded.

"Listen, Dubonnet," he said. "I quite agree with you and I understand your position. You have just mentioned two obstacles to my getting the photographs 1 require for my paper. Very well, here* i* my suggestion:

"To-morrow morning at seven o'clock when Monsieur Garche and the two detectives are .breakfasting you will admit me fcy the side door and take me into the library where the safe is. Before you admit me to the house you may search me to assure yourself that I have no weapon concealed a'bout me. You will have, in your pocket, a pistol which, if you agree, I will hand to you now. So you will be armed and you will know that I am unarmed, and this fact should set your mind at rer»t about my wanting to steal the diamond.

,r You will open the safe, get out the diamond in its box, lock me in the library from which there is no exit but the door, and proceed to serve breakfast .to your master and his gneste. "Dnring^this" , time, I -shall- take myj photographs. You will then return, open the library door, put tie diamond back into the safe and show 1 me off the premises iby the same way a» 1 entered. Well?"

Dubonnet's little eyvs "learned. "That's fair enouj/u, sir," he said "I accept."

"Splendid," said Jonei He handed the 'butler ft email package. "You see," he continued, "I was prepared for your objection*. In that package you -will find a thousand franc notes to seal our 'bargain, and also the loaded automatic pistol. To-morrow I will hand you the balance of the money."

Dubonnet got up. "It'e a deal, eir," he said. "And here's my hand on it. You won't foe disturbed when you are in the library, because Monsieur Garche will allow no one but myself to enter the room whilst the diamond i» there. I shall expect you at the side entrance at seven o'clock exactly."

He made hie way out of the cafe. Jeremy Jones watched him go with a little smile, and when the portly form of the ibutler had disappeared, he arose and-went te the telephone box at the far end of the cafe. He rang a Paris number and waa epon connected.

"Listen, Gavroehe." he said quietly into the telephone. "It's all fixed. Take the duplicate of the Garche diamond box immediately to my flat'and wait for me there."

Exactly twenty-four hours later Mr. Jeremy Jones handed his card to an officer in the . Information Department at Scotland Yard and asked to see Detective-Inspector Fergus Latimer. Five minutes afterwards Jeremy, his eyeglass screwed firmly into his left eye, his usual smile illuminating his countenance, entered the room of his arch enemy. Latimer, seated at hie deek, regarded Jcnei with raised eyebrows. "Good morning, Mr. Jones," he said grimly. "I'm very glad to set eyes on you, and I must cay that I admire your nerve coming here!" Jones brushed an invisible speck of dust from hie immaculate coat lapel.

"My dear inspector," he said, "I don't understand you at all. First of all I am always ready to support law and order, and secondly I should certainly not come here if I thought it danger-

ous. I quite' realise that you suspect me of all sorts of things, tout," his smile increased, "there is a great difference between suspicion and proof, ie there not:'" 5 Latiiner got up. "All right, Jones,'" he growled, 'Til get you one day, and when I do you'll stay put for quite a number of years. Incidentally, may I ask the reason for this visit? ,, Jones looked serious. "Inspector," he said. "I have pome to warn you that an attempt will be — or has been—made to steal the (larche diamond." He looked at his watch. "As a matter of fact," he continued, "it has been stolon by now. I thought that possi'bly Monsieur Garehe or the insurance company might lie prepared to offer a little reward to anyone who could give any information leading to its recovery." Latimer smiled. "This time you're wrong, Jones." be said. "I sent two men over yesterday to bring Monsieur Garehe and the diamond over here. They arrived yesterday evening and the diamond was safe in its box. Jones shook his bead sorrowfully. "I am afraid it is you who are wrong," he said sadly. "Let me give you a little information free, gratis and for nothing. If you ask Monsieur Garche he will remember that, when he was walking up the gang plank of the e.s. La France at Dieppe, a lady, wlio was in front of him. slipped and fell. Monsieur Oarehe tripped over her, ft ml was assisted to his feet 'by a gentleman, who ran down the gang plnnk, and the two detectives who were following. During that time I am afraid the gentleman who was so ready with bis assistance substituted for the box which Monsieur Garehe was carrying another one —an imitation—exactly identical in appearance. And that box contains an imitation of the Oarche diamond!"

Latiiner looked at Jones in amaze ment.

"Personally," he said, "I think you aro mad. But I'll prove it to my own satisfaction."

He picked up the telephone and called a number. He waited patiently, watching Jones as that worthy selected a cigarette from a thin platinum case, and then spoke.

"Monsieur Garche," eaid Latimer. '"Would you mind looking in the Chinese box and seeing that your diamond is there. I just want to satisfy a foolish whim. Yes, I'll hold on."

Two minutes later he clapped the receiver to his car and a look of consternation appeared oh his face. He looked round at Jones in amazement.

"What," he bellowed, "an imitation! A fake! I'll come round at once!"

Jones shrugged his shoulders,

"I hate to say it, inspector," he said, pleasantly, "In fact I loathe to say it. but—l told you so!"

What Detective-Inspector Fergus Latimer said is, I am afraid, unprintable.

In an apartment at the Eitz, Latimer, Garche and Jones regarded the opened Chinese 'box. The box was of beautiful carved ivory, and at the bottom, esconseed on a black velvet -pad, twinkled the imitation diamond eo beautifully made that close scrutiny was necessary to establish the fact that it was a fake.

Latimer looked at Jones,

"You know so much about this business," he said grimly, "that you might care to give ns a little more information. Otherwise. . . ."

"Don't be rude, inspector." said -Tones, "or else I shall leave. I should like to point out one thing to you and Monsieur Garche and that is thie: Yesterday,, before leaving the chateau at Auteuil, I presume Mr. Garche satisfied himself that the real diamond was in the box?"

"But certainly." said Garche. "When my butler brought the box into the dining room where I was .breakfasting with the detectives I showed it to them. I pointed out its amazing brilliance and value. I know that was the real diamond."

"Excellent," said Jones, "and as I did not leave France until after you had actually arrived in this country— I came over by air—lnspector Latiiner must admit that I could not possibly have had anything to do with this theft. In other words. I have a watertight alibi, and therefore am not inclined to stand for any nonsense from the inspector.

"However," he continued, "I will tell you what I believe to be the true story:

down

By PETER CHEYNEY

'"Years ago, Monsieur Garche, you made an enemy, you will remember his name—Galette. Everyone believes that Palette is dead, but he is very much alive and he was responsible for the theft. Jt was Galette's lady friend who fell in front of you on the gang plank and it was Galette himself who changed the boxes whilst you were picking yourself up. "Well, here is my suggestion. I once did Galette a good turn, and 1 am certain that he will do business with me. It Monsieur Garche is prepared to make it worth my while I will see Galette — whom 1 have good reason to believe is now in London, and I can probably do a <lca-l. Let me put it this way. Put the box back in your safe here, Monsieur (iarche. pay me £.~>oo, and I give you my word that by eleven o'clock to-morrow morning the real diamond will be back in the box. Of course I am relying on Inepector Latimer here to play the game and not keep this hotel under observation.

Well, gentlemen, do we do a deal?"

At ten o'clock next morning Mr. Jeremy Jones called upon DetectiveInspector Latimer at Scotland Yard. He was shown in to that worthy's room with a speed which betokened that he was not entirely unexpected. Latimer, standing by the window, turned as Jones, entered and regarded him with a cynical smile. "Well. Mr. Jones," he said more grimly than ever, "have you earned that live hundred pounds that Monsieur Garehe was foolish enough to give you ?" Jones smiled pleasantly. "I'm afraid you haven't played the frame, inspector," he eaid. "Surely ]>art of the bargain was that you should not put the hotel under observation? Whereas I know perfectly well that you've had half a dozen of your best men scattered about the place* trt. . . ."

''Catch your associate when he goes in to take ,baek the real diamond." snapped Latimer. "Look here. Jones. I've had enough of you—you've made a fool of me before, but this time vou're for it!"

"But if the diamond is 'returned in time. . . ." Jeremy began.

Latiiner grinned. "Even so I'm going to get you on a charge of obtaining that £">OO from (iarche under fake pretences—you didn't think of that, did von?"

Jones smiled again. Then he looked at his watch.

''Don't you think that it would be a good idea if you telephoned to Garche. Possibly the real diamond is back in the box bv now."

Latimer looked at him. He saw something in Jones' smile that made him pause. Then he grabbed the telephone. "But yes, Monsieur Latimer," said Garehe when he came on the line. "The diamond —the real diamond —is back in the box. I obeyed the instructions of tlie clever Monsieur Jones implicitly. I allowed no one to enter the room here where tlie eafe was, and no one to keep the door under observation. I am most grateful to Mr. Jones."

Latiiner replaced the receiver. He looked at Jones, and. in spite of himself, a grin began to appear on his face.

"It looks as if you've pulled it off again," he muttered. "I know you're responsible for the original theft. I know that story you told Garche about Galette and the business on the gang ■plank was all rubbish. But mark my words. Jones, one of these days I'm going to get you and when I do. . . ."

"Then pigs will fly," interjected Jeremy glibly. "Well, inspector, thanks for all your trouble. I think I'll try a little flutter with this £500 at the tables in Monte Carlo. I need a rest. Good day, inspector. Good day!"

Smiling as pleasantly as ever he made a graceful exit.

At half-past seven that evening a District Messenger boy, [brought a letter, addressed to Latimer to Scotland Yard. Next morning the inspector read it. It was from Jones and said:

"My dear inspector,

"I've been thinking about that Garche diamond business and I've thought of a possible solution. Here it is:

"Supposing some individual posing as a press photographer had .bribed a servant of Garchia's to allow him to take a photograph of the Garche diamond whilst Garche and your two men were at breakfast. This would ensure that he would be alone with the diamond in the library.

"But he doesn't photograph the diamond. Instead he steals the original box and replaces it with an exact replica. The replica has a beautifully made (false ■bottom worked on a twenty-four-hour mechanism. On one side of the velvet pad an imitation of the Garche diamond is placed and on the other the real diamond. Tlie clockwork mechanism in the replica ensures that twewty-ifour hours after the box is closed the pad turns over, revealing the false diamond and hiding the real one. Twenty-four hours after that the -pad turns again and the real diamond is revealed. This would account for the change having taken place although you had six men watching the hotel!

"But you can soon prove if I am right. Get Monsieur Garche to examine the bottom of the 'box. If he finds it is a false one and that on the other side of the pad the imitation diamond is still fixed you'll know all about it. And tell Gnrehe to get the box fixed, otherwise the pad will go on turning every twentyfour hours until' the mechanism runs

My salutations, dear inspector. % Sincerely,

Jeremy Jones."