‘Diamonds, sir? I never saw any diamonds.’
‘Mr Lee kept a quantity of uncut stones there. You must have seen him handling them.’
‘Those funny little pebbles, sir? Yes, I did see him with them once or twice. But I didn’t know they were diamonds. He was showing them to the foreign young lady only yesterday—or was it the day before?’
Colonel Johnson said abruptly:
‘These stones have been stolen.’
Horbury cried out:
‘I hope you don’t think, sir, that I had anything to do with it!’
‘I’m not making any accusations,’ said Johnson. ‘Now then, is there anything you can tell us that has any bearing on this matter?’
‘The diamonds, sir? Or the murder?’
‘Both.’
‘Horbury considered. He passed his tongue over his pale lips. At last he looked up with eyes that were a shade furtive.
‘I don’t think there’s anything, sir.’
Poirot said softly:
‘Nothing you’ve overheard, say, in the course of your duties, which might be helpful?’
The valet’s eyelids flickered a little.
‘No, sir, I don’t think so, sir. There was a little awkwardness between Mr Lee and—and some members of his family.’
‘Which members?’
‘I gathered there was a little trouble over Mr Harry Lee’s return. Mr Alfred Lee resented it. I understand he and his father had a few words about it—but that was all there was to it. Mr Lee didn’t accuse him for a minute of having taken any diamonds. And I’m sure Mr Alfred wouldn’t do such a thing.’
Poirot said quickly:
‘His interview with Mr Alfred was after he had discovered the loss of the diamonds, was it not, though?’
‘Yes, sir.’
Poirot leaned forward.
‘I thought, Horbury,’ he said softly, ‘that you did not know of the theft of the diamonds until we informed you of it just now. How, then, do you know that Mr Lee had discovered his loss before he had this conversation with his son?’
Horbury turned brick red.
‘No use lying. Out with it,’ said Sugden. ‘When did you know?’
Horbury said sullenly:
‘I heard him telephoning to someone about it.’
‘You weren’t in the room?’
‘No, outside the door. Couldn’t hear much—only a word or two.’
‘What did you hear exactly?’ asked Poirot sweetly.