Name To a Face by Robert Goddard

going off. We finally discovered the lock on the cabinet containing the ring had been forced, but the doors had been wedged together with a matchstick so it wasn’t immediately obvious. The ring, along with the starburst box, was missing. But nothing else.”
    “Nothing at all?”
    “We checked exhaustively. It was just the ring he came for.”
    “Via the unlatched window.”
    “I think that’s how he left, certainly. I’m not sure it’s how he arrived, though. He may have unlatched the window while mingling with the crowds earlier in the day. But he couldn’t have been sure we wouldn’t spot that while locking up. So, another possibility is that he sized up the alarm system, hid somewhere-in the airing cupboard, maybe, or a wardrobe, or even under one of the beds-and waited till it was dark and everything was quiet before helping himself to the ring and leaving through the dining-room window. Going downstairs set off the alarm, of course, but by then it didn’t matter. He had what he wanted.”
    “Is that what the police think?”
    “They favour the first theory: unlatch the window and come back later. I have the impression they also think it’s possible the ring was stolen during viewing hours and the thief returned during the evening for some more goodies, only to leg it when he set off the alarm. They obviously have a poor opinion of our powers of observation. I can tell you
that
didn’t happen.”
    “Do they have any suspects?”
    “I don’t know. Frankly, I doubt they’re entertaining high hopes of finding the culprit. Half of Penzance left their fingerprints around Heartsease over the weekend. Nobody actually saw the burglar. Miss Winter very wisely lay low. A tough case to crack, I’d say.”
    “Do
you
have any suspects?”
    “No. You don’t want to confess, do you?”
    “Me?”
    “Just joking, Mr. Harding. You could have bought the ring tomorrow, for a price Barney can readily afford, I’m sure. On the face of it, you’re the last person who’d steal it.”
    “Who’s the first person, then?”
    “Someone who badly wanted it, but didn’t have the money to pay for it.”
    “And who might that be?”
    “Your guess is as good as mine. Better, I hope, for your sake, if Barney’s still in the mood he was in when I spoke to him this morning. He doesn’t like to have arrangements he makes interfered with. He doesn’t like it at all.”
     
    ***
     
    Isbister was, if anything, understating Barney’s anger at being cheated of the ring, as Harding soon realized when he phoned him.
    “What the bloody hell’s going on, Tim?”
    “I don’t know. The ring’s been stolen. That’s all I can tell you.”
    “Well, it’s not enough. You promised to make sure everything went smoothly.”
    Harding was tempted to contradict Barney on that point, but opted for something less inflammatory. “I wasn’t to know this was going to happen.”
    “Who took the bloody thing?”
    “I haven’t a clue.”
    “Well, find out. Get it back. I’m not going to let some sneak thief put one over on me.”
    “I don’t really see what I can do.”
    “Talk to this housekeeper Clive’s told me about. See if she knows anything.”
    “All right.” That at least presented Harding with no difficulty. As it happened, he had rather a lot to discuss with the housekeeper already.
    “And try to calm Humph down. He tells me he’s seen neither hide nor hair of you since Friday.”
    “I didn’t know he needed to.”
    “Well, you know
now.
For God’s sake, Tim, this was supposed to be a piece of cake.”
    “It’s not my fault it isn’t, Barney. There’s obviously more going on here than you gave me to understand.”
    “What do you mean by that?”
    “The ring was targeted. That’s obvious. I’ve no idea who by or why. Have you?”
    “No, I bloody haven’t.”
    “Are you sure?”
    “Of course I’m sure. Maybe Humph knows of someone. You’d better check that. And buy yourself a phone so I can keep in