The Light Of Araby

by John M. Joyce (April 2009)

Upon that thought he left his desk and walked out into the warm sunshine of an English summer day. He strolled gently down the High Street to the large and elegant antiques emporium which was owned by one of his good friends, Mrs. Samantha Fox-Talbot. She, as he had cause to know from his own experience of purchasing items from her and with her, had a well-nigh encyclopaedic knowledge of all things antique and collectable.

Mark stood up and walked with shoulders hunched across to the kettle and flicked the switch.

Mark went off in search of Mrs. Fox-Talbot and returned within seconds. He grabbed his jacket from the Victorian oak coat stand.

Lushkins scanned the sheets and let out a long whistle of surprise.

They were over halfway to the Manor when Mark broke the silence in the car.

There was another prolonged period of silence broken only when Lushkins asked,

Just then Lushkins swung the car through the gateway and onto the carriageway leading to the Manor. There were still a few vehicles parked outside but it was obvious that the various specialist teams were beginning to pack up and leave as he drew the car up to the front door.

Lushkins turned to the D.C. who had accompanied them.

The D.C. produced a pair of latex gloves from his pocket and carefully lifted the biscuit box and its contents.

They went back upstairs and found the dining room guarded by one uniformed Constable who obligingly opened the door for them. The three candelabra stood upon the sideboard covered in finger printing dust. Mark took a pair of white cotton gloves from his pocket and picked up the nearest one by the topmost branch. He gave it a gentle shake which elicited a clear bell-like note from the piece.

He replaced it and lifted the next one and performed the same action. Again there was a different but equally pleasing note.

He repeated his actions on the third candelabrum and once again a sonorous note rang out.

***

Lushkins nodded his affirmative.

Lushkins hung up and looked a Mark.

Lushkins turned to his computer and after a minute or two he turned he turned back to Mark.

***

It emerged during the court case that the thieves had merely been lucky. Had it not been for the delivery of the Monteith Ted Gregory would have closed the vault before leaving. As it was, Jonathan Soames had said that he would close it in just a few minutes after he had put the Monteith inside. The pair had taken some other items from the vault but it had taken them some time to find it after they were disturbed by Soames as they broke in through the French doors in the dining room. Both men had fired their flintlocks and Soames had died instantly. They had used the flintlocks because they thought that the shot from such old guns could never be traced.

When Jonathan Soames will was read it was found that he had indeed left the Chiming Stars of Persia to the Vatican. He had also left his entire silver collection, Salby Manor and one hundred million pounds in cash and securities to Mark Simmons.

So Lushkins was very surprised to find him still working with Samantha Fox-Talbot when he called in to see her after the sentencing hearing.

Mark took the two pieces of silver and examined them carefully for a few moments.

With that he sped off in search of Mrs. Samantha Fox-Talbot.

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