2 The Stolen Jewel

Chapter 2 The Stolen Jewel "The goose, Mr. Holmes!" gasped Peterson. "The goose!" "What about the goose?" demanded Holmes. "Did it come back to life? Did it speak to you?" "No, sir, look! See what my wife discovered in the goose's throat." The doorman held out his hand for us to look. In the middle of his palm lay a glittering blue jewel. It was about the size of a bean and twinkled with an almost electric glow.

For a moment, Holmes and I could only stare at the object, mesmerized by its beauty. "By Jove, Peterson!" Holmes exclaimed once he'd rediscovered his voice. "This is extraordinary! Do you have any idea what you have there?" "It's a diamond, sir. A precious stone." "Not just any old precious stone," said Holmes. "It's the precious stone." "You don't mean...?" I began, before continuing in a shocked murmur: "Is this the Countess of Morcar's blue carbuncle? The one that was stolen?" "Indeed it is," said Holmes. "I read the description in The Times newspaper last week, so I know its size, shape, and hue. The gem is unique and its value can only be guessed. The countess has offered a reward of a thousand pounds for its recovery, but that must be less than a twentieth of what it's worth."

"A thousand pounds!" gulped the doorman. He sat down heavily in a chair and stared at us, stunned. "Yes, that is the official reward," said Holmes. "However, I believe the countess would pay a lot more if she could only recover the gem. It has great sentimental value for her, so I understand." "If I remember correctly, it was lost at the Hotel Cosmopolitan," I remarked. "Precisely so," said Holmes. "The theft took place on December 22nd, just five days ago. John Horner, a plumber, was accused of having stolen it from the lady's jewel case. He was immediately arrested and sent before a judge. It seems the evidence against him was very strong."

Holmes began rummaging through a stack of newspapers on his desk. "I have the report here, somewhere," he muttered. "Ah, here it is." He smoothed out one of the papers and read us the following story: Jewel Robbery at the Hotel Cosmopolitan John Horner, 26, a plumber, was arrested on a charge of having stolen from the jewel case of the Countess of Morcar the valuable gem known as the blue carbuncle. James Ryder, assistant manager of the hotel, said he showed Horner into the countess's room on the afternoon of December 22nd and asked

him to fix a blocked sink in her bathroom. Ryder was then called away on some hotel business. When he returned, he found that Horner had disappeared. A locked drawer in the desk had been forced open and the countess's jewel case, where she kept her blue carbuncle, was standing open and empty on the desk surface. Catherine Cusack, the countess's maid, said she heard Ryder give a cry of dismay and she came rushing into the room. She found the scene exactly as Ryder had described.

Holmes tossed aside the newspaper. "The rest of the story can be summarized fairly simply. Ryder called the police, and John Horner was arrested that evening. According to Inspector Bradstreet, the officer in charge, Horner was very surprised when the police arrived at his home. He struggled with the arresting officers, insisting on his innocence. The police searched him and his rooms quite thoroughly, but they couldn't find the gem anywhere. "Yet everything pointed to Horner's guilt. The man has had a troubled past and has previously been found guilty of robbery. Having heard the evidence, the judge declared that Horner would have to stay in prison until his trial. Horner was pretty angry and upset by all accounts. When the judge made his decision, the plumber fainted and had to be carried back to his cell."