Diamond in the Blue: D.I. Simpers Investigates (14 page)

'If you don't mind I need to get back to the cabin. I've a couple of things I need to get done,' said Simpers.

Amelia and Jonathan headed off to one of the poolside bars leaving Simpers to make his way back to his cabin. Once again he was surprised at how deserted and quiet the public spaces inside the vessel and the corridors were, given the number of passengers on board. Since he didn't like crowds, or noise for that matter, the ambience suited him.

He reached into his pocket to retrieve the key card for his cabin as he approached the door. As he started to insert the card he noticed the door wasn't properly shut. He thought for a moment that his replacement cabin steward might be in the room. For sure he knew that he had closed the door properly; he checked it three times. Now his police instincts cut in. Why would the door have been left like that? He knew from the few days he'd been on the vessel that if a steward was inside they always pinned the door back wide open.

He pushed the door gently trying hard not to make a sound. He didn't know whether he'd find anybody inside waiting for him. One thing he knew, after the beating he'd taken in the bowels of the ship, he wasn't about to take a chance.

As he got the door about halfway open he could see the frame of a woman leaning over the end of his bed with her back to him. She was looking intently at something on the bed with such concentration that she hadn't noticed the door being opened.

A few seconds later he had the door fully open. He could see from his position that one of the wardrobe doors was ajar, and that the safe had also been opened. He realised to his horror that the diamond was gone. He turned his attention back to the woman as his eyes burned into her back.

He stood inside the cabin door and allowed it to swing shut on its spring. The noise of the door clicking into its lock startled the woman. She turned to face him. In her right hand nestled the shimmering stone.

'Pippa, what the hell are you doing…'

Pippa lowered her eyes and focussed on her cupped hands, which were still cradling the precious diamond. It bounced the light streaming through the balcony doors into a thousand shards as they struck the walls and ceiling of Simpers' cabin.

Simpers looked at the woman with an intensity that shocked him as he tried to come to terms with his discovery.

'I… I can explain, Mr Simpers. You see…'

'I certainly see someone I trusted and took into my confidence in a place, and holding something, they've no right to. Does that make sense to you?' interrupted Simpers.

Had anybody come across them at that moment, they'd have thought the man and woman had never met before. A frosty intolerance permeated the air. The silence of their encounter was broken by the muffled sound of the Commodore's voice from the loudspeaker in the corridor outside Simpers' cabin. He informed passengers they were about to leave Gibraltar, heading east into the Mediterranean for their next port of call, Port Said in Egypt.

Neither Simpers nor Pippa acknowledged the Commodore's announcement. Instead their eyes remained fixed on one another.

'Perhaps you might like to return the diamond to me. Then I have a number of questions for you, to which I expect an answer, do we understand one another? said Simpers. His voice was devoid of familiarity or any acknowledgement he'd ever met Pippa before. Instead it was a cold, assertive tone that had 'policeman' stamped all over it.

The fabric of the cabin reverberated as the ship's engines powered into life. Through the balcony window, Simpers could see the landscape changing as the liner slipped its moorings and start its transit from the Straits of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean.

Pippa crossed the few yards from where she had been standing towards Simpers without taking her eyes off him. She stretched out her still cupped hands as if making an offering to appease the gods. But there was no appeasing Simpers.

The detective lifted the diamond from Pippa's hands with a finger and thumb, as if moving an egg. He turned and wrapped the precious object in the silk handkerchief it had been in when the Commodore gave it to him, and which was now lazing untidily half in and half out of the open safe. Simpers closed the door and punched in the security code. A few seconds later he heard the reassuring sound of the lock engaging. He pulled the door three times to convince himself it was shut before stepping back from the wardrobe in which it was located and snapping the door shut.

Simpers instructed Pippa to sit on the small sofa next to the balcony doors. He didn't need to speak; a wave of his hand in the direction of the seat was enough to ensure she complied.

'Before we get to the 'why' question, Pippa. How did you get in to my cabin. More to the point, gain access to the safe?' said Simpers.

Pippa began to relax. It was if she was relieved at being discovered, and pleased to be given the opportunity to explain. The first signs of a smile crept across her face and at the same time, Pippa's eyes displayed a semblance of their former sparkle.

'Mr Simpers, you'll have seen just how many young male cabin stewards service these cabins. While poor old Joki is holed up in the medical centre, how hard do you think it was for me to charm one of the others into opening the cabin?' replied Pippa.

'Is it any wonder that men think women are all the same? You know, a smile, puppy dog eyes, a touch of a manicured finger on an arm,' Simpers responded. His tone was clipped. There was a hint of bitterness beneath the words.

'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to insinuate…' she said.

'…I'm not bothered whether you meant to insinuate anything or not. I'm just saying it all sounds too familiar and if I'm truthful, I get fed up of it. Is it not possible for you… for women to use their intellect instead of falling back on the feminine nonsense?' replied Simpers.

'And that's the condescending crap I expect from a man. It's you lot that are all the same. I don't know what relationships you've had with other women. I don't know how you treat any young nieces you might have. And I certainly don't know about your relationship with your mother and father. But I'll tell you this, I'll bet you expected any women you've been close to wash your socks. And then there'll be the waiting for you to come home, no matter what time she cooked the tea you assumed would be waiting on the table. I imagine you treat any young female relatives like little princesses. And I'll bet you a king's ransom you show more outward respect for your father than for your mother. You think we're all the same… Take a look in the mirror, Mr Simpers.' Pippa replied.

As she spoke, her voice shook with controlled rage. Pippa's body tensed in the chair, her fingertips digging themselves into the upholstered chair arms. Gone was the easy-going, confident woman he'd met just a few days ago. It was a passionate, angry woman that now sat just feet away from the detective.

His interrogation had morphed into an angry exchange reminiscent of those TV shows that pitted one partner against another, usually to expose some sexual or family misdemeanour one had exposed the other to. Simpers had lost control of the situation. He glared at Pippa, but deep down he knew she wasn't using another of her girly tactics to get out of an awkward situation. He realised she meant every word. Perhaps, he concluded, everyone had dark shadows that stalked them, no matter how bright the sun shines.

A fractious calm now fell across the room; two sets of eyes disengaged and looked at the hands, carpet, anything but at each other. As they did so shoulders began to lose some of the tenseness as they reflected on the sharp words they had thrown at one another. Neither were prepared to back down or acknowledge the merit of the other's argument. Minutes that felt like hours passed before Simpers broke the tension.

'If I have offended you then I'm sorry,' said the detective.

This was an uncomfortable first for Simpers. It wasn't in his temperament to easily offer an apology, and certainly not when interviewing a suspect. But this woman was different. There was something about her that he couldn't put his finger on. The problem was, the more he had found out about her background, the more intriguing, if not intoxicating, she became. At the same time it was her background that, in his mind, built the logic of his case against her.

'Pippa, in the end it doesn't matter whether you feel offended or not. I have a job to do and I will do it,' continued Simpers, his voice once more calm and in control. 'Getting into my cabin is one thing but opening the safe is another. How did you get the combination?'

Eye contact re-established, Pippa responded; 'to be truthful, Inspector, there are about twenty-four combinations used time and time again by people. It could be 1234, 1111, or, say 7777. 9999 is also a popular combination. Since you are a policeman, I thought it a fair chance your subconscious would select the emergency response number as the basis for the combination you would choose. It seems I was right, wasn't I, Mr Simpers?'

Simpers felt intimidated by Pippa's intellect. He also felt stupid. But knew she was right. He had set the combination of the safe when he first embarked in seconds, he hadn't given the numbers he'd used a second thought. Then again, he didn't think that within a few days, he'd ever have a priceless gem nestled within it. He knew that if the boss found out what he done, the outcome would be more serious than him feeling stupid.

The thought process Pippa had applied to the safe combination also sparked a memory concerning one aspect of her background. He'd found out she'd been to university. In fact she had a PhD in psychology. He concluded she knew how to use it for best effect.

'It seems there is a lot more to you than meets the eye, Pippa.'

Pippa got up from the chair and walked over to a small dressing table opposite which had a large mirror on the wall above it. She turned slightly towards Simpers so that she could see him in the mirror's reflection. Pippa noticed the detective's eyes never moved from her. She poured herself a glass of water and returned to her seat, taking the short lull in their exchanges as an excuse to sip the liquid.

'I've spent some time looking into your background, Pippa, and…'

'Checking my background, Detective. Are you telling me all the time we've been getting to know each other you've been checking up on me?' replied Pippa, a tone of indignation evident in her voice.

'What did you expect, Pippa. Someone tried to kill you as we were leaving Westbay. Then I saw you taking notes in the library after we spoke… and then of course, you just happened to be in the right place at the right time to call the Commodore. I say again, what do you expect, I'm a policeman,' said Simpers.

'I expect you to treat me with some respect, not as a villain. Perhaps you spend that much time with villains, you've forgotten that ordinary decent people exist… Or how they behave,' replied Pippa, her confidence growing. 'It may have escaped your notice, but I saved your life the other night… And as for Westbay, if someone was indeed out to cause harm, it's likely you are the one they were trying to bump off, not me,' she added.

The pace of their verbal exchanges increased as each began to defend their position and sought to dominate the other.

'Well, that's your version of events. From my perspective whenever something has happened, whenever I’m engaged in my work I look around and see Pippa Wright-Morton on the periphery. What do you expect me to think, Pippa?'

'I expect you to grow up and stop playing at being a playground policeman,' replied Pippa.

Her comments stung Simpers. He took his police career more seriously than anything else. Who was this woman to accuse him of being an amateur he thought. Simpers recalled her background in psychology. Was she trying to manipulate him, he wondered. He was determined to regain control.

'Tell me about your family's involvement in the gold and gems trade, Pippa,' said Simpers, his tone now lower, firm and assertive.

Pippa's eyes flashed at him. She tensed a little and played for time by taking a sip of water from a glass tumbler she held in her lap. The question had caught her by surprise. She wasn't quite sure how she should answer.

'You see,' said Simpers, before continuing, 'I know all about Morton Manor in Norfolk. It's quite a place, isn't it?'

'You've no right…' replied Pippa.

'I've every right, Pippa. I say again. Explain to me your family's connections with the gold and gems business. It's a simple enough question, isn't it?' said Simpers.

Pippa got up from the chair before placing the now empty glass tumbler on the dressing table and walking a few steps to the closed balcony doors. She folded her arms and gazed at the passing ocean as the ship raced to its next port of call. Her attention now focussed on a small pod of striped dolphins, as they leapt out of the water in perfect synchronisation.

Pippa turned to face Simpers.

'You may have dug around a little as far as my family and I are concerned, but you've got the wrong end of the stick,' said Pippa.

Simpers' eyes brightened as Pippa spoke. At last, he thought, he was getting somewhere.

'You're correct in saying my family does have an interest in gold and precious stones. It's just that it's not the type of interest you think it is.'

'And what type of interest do I think you have?' replied Simpers.

'Well, that we either steal or fence the stuff. Neither of those things is true,' she replied.

'Then perhaps we could save a lot of time by you telling me the truth,' said Simpers, his voice now calm and less hard edged.

'For almost three hundred years, my family have been involved in helping some of the richest families in Europe to stop precious items being stolen. More commonly we get involved in retrieving gold and jewellery after they've been taken.

Simpers couldn't quite take in what he was hearing. He tilted his head to one side slightly and moved forwards to sit on the edge of the bed. Simpers now sat less than four feet away from where Pippa was standing, her silhouette back-lit by the sunlight streaming through the full height glass doors that led to the balcony.

'If you are telling the truth, there is nothing remotely common about what your family and you get up to. You say your lot have been doing this for over three hundred years. Are you really expecting me to believe that?' said Simpers.

'Mr Simpers, you mentioned Morton Manor. Well, if you did your research properly, you know it's quite a big place. Where do you think the money came to build and maintain the place and no, let's not start that stealing and fencing nonsense again. Looking after wealthy families paid, and continues to pay very well indeed.'

Simpers frowned, his mind racing as he tried to make sense of what she was telling him. An unpleasant fact then dawned on him.

'Are you telling me that your presence on this ship has a connection to the gems exhibition?'

Pippa unfolded her arms and walked the few steps she needed to cover to sit on the bed next to the detective. They were now just inches apart sitting at a slight angle to face one another. Pippa placed her clasped hands into her lap and crossed her ankles just as she had been taught a finishing school.

'You did your best to hide the true reason why you're on the ship. Well, I had to do that also. It's true, I knew who you were. And yes, I made it my business to introduce myself to you. But I just want you to know…' Pippa's voice trailed off as she struggled to find the words she was looking for.