The Blue Rhinestone Dress

Driving the long road to the mansion on the hill, Mankell looked out at the dark clouds forecasting a mighty storm on its way. For the family he was going to visit, the storm had already come and crashed their carefully laid plans all about, leaving a dead girl, and a missing dress. It was Mankell’s job to make sense of what happened. He had most of it put together after the last couple days on the case, just one thread still dangling. It isn't going to be what the Dame wants to hear, but it will be straightened up, one way or the other and he will earn his paycheck. 

He met the Chief Inspector LaGrosse, and a police deputy, Paulson, in the driveway. He opened his glove box and looked at his revolver, and then shut it again. It’s not going to be that kind of party. Together, they went in the open front door, and through upstairs to a bedroom, where everyone was waiting. Mankell walked in and saw the family and staff all there on the hard backed chairs, brought up from the dining room. 

 Madame Worthlott, who hired him, then John, her son, sitting next to her. John’s daughter Tina, sat nonchalantly as if she was in a room by herself. The grandchildren from her deceased daughter, twins Kirsten and Kenny, just turned 20 years old, gripped each other's hands nervously. The staff was there as well, Ms. Divers, the maid, and George the gardener. 

John jumps up when Mankell walks in, “What is the meaning of this!” His bloodshot eyes and thin red face stretched out of a perfectly tailored suit, though unkempt and wrinkled as if he had slept in it. 

“Can it, and sit down!” Mankell says eyes blazing , and John pursed his thin gray lips and meekly sat down.

“Thank you all for meeting up tonight. The room is small, but it is important we get together here, as I will make clear shortly.” Mankell's nondescript brown suit hangs off his lean frame. He would blend into the wall of any other room, though today, each person is hanging on his every word. 

“The murderer of Miss Penny Worthlott is in this room. Chief Inspector LaGrosse and his man are ready to make an arrest.” Mankell nods to the tall, thick waisted man in the police uniform. His width blocks the entire doorway, Paulson has to lean into the wall for space to stand. 

“Along with the murder, there are missing jewels and a dress. Tonite, we will see if we can resolve all three-”

“-Don’t worry about that ice, they were nothing.“ Tina interrupts. An athletic young woman, she is relaxed in her chair, her arms behind her head. 

“Why do you say that?” Mankell says.

“Those jewels were glass, you could tell a mile away. I tried to get Penny to wear nicer things, but she loved the costume jewelry.” Tina says.

Mankell, nods. “You have a good eye, kid. Let us begin at the party. You all gathered here this past weekend for Madame Worthlott’s 80th birthday. The formal dinner was just to begin, and then just before 7 PM, Miss Penny Worthlott, Madame Worthlott’s adopted daughter, was killed in this very room, found by Ms. Divers, the maid. Penny’s rhinestone blue dress, her diamond necklace and earrings missing. And then-”

“-We all know it had to be her- no one else went to Aunt Penny’s room! shouted a distraught young woman.” No one but her went up the stairs, We all saw- she should be in jail!” Kristen bursts into dramatic sobs. Hugged closely by Kenny, he calms her down.  

“The dame is correct, this is tricky.” Mankell says. “Ms. Divers is the only one who, it appears, could have gotten to Penny’s room. But, she has no motive, she did not take the dress, and her actions seem to be that of an innocent woman, what could be going on?”

“That is why I called you,” Madame Worthlott said. The Grand Dame was erect in her chair, like a statue all in black. Her perfectly coiffed hair framed her stern and lined face. A lifetime of wealth and privilege had not prepared her for this violence in her home.

“You're a famous investigator, you have to do something. Ms. Divers wouldn’t hurt a fly.”  

Everyone looked over at the small gray haired maid. She looked older than her 70 years, her spindly neck and thin shoulders were too feeble to hang a murder rap on.   

“Yes, Madame. It was fortunate I was nearby in London on another investigation. That case, of a notorious jewel thief, has no new leads, so I came to see what I could do here. “ Mankell moves to stand next to Ms. Divers.  

“Now, Ma’am, tell us all again what did you see that night?”

“Thank you Mr. Mankell. That night, Madame’s birthday, I went up to check on Miss Worthlott, as she was missing from dinner, and Madame asked me to bring her down. Well, I went up to her room, this room, and oh it is too ghastly!” She turns away and closes her eyes. 

“It is Ok, Ms. Divers, please continue.”

“I knocked on the door, and when there was no answer, I opened it to see Miss Worthlott, on the bed, nak, nak- not wearing clothes, and covered in blood!” Ms. Divers stares at the bed with an expression of pure fear as if seeing the sight again. “ I screamed! And then everyone came to the room. I did not do anything else!” 

“Of course Ms. Divers, of course. Thank you.” Mankell walks over to a back wall, and looks closely at it. “Yet, how do we explain the impossibility? I have examined this room, and have the answer. Let me show you.” He turns to address the gardener, George. 

“Mr. George, can I ask you to do me a favor and push on that panel, there.” Mankell points to a discolored small square section of the woodwork. 

George reluctantly stands up. A young man with long dark hair tied back loosely, he is fit and lean from a life working outdoors. “Ok, just push?” He pushes softly and nothing happens.  

“A little effort! “

 He pushes again, harder, and a soft click, and the entire panel swings open, revealing a passageway. The entire room erupts. 

“And of course, someone else knew of this passageway!” Mankell exclaims. 

There is stirring and glances around by all the family and staff. Chief Inspector and Paulson enter and examine the passageway.  

“This passage goes to the kitchen.” Paulson says. “I don't see any clues, or much of anything”  

“I did not think you would find anything, thank you Paulson.” Mankell turns to the room.

”During the dinner, as we have discussed, everyone left at some point and could have come up through the secret passageway to this room, everyone. Ms. Divers is innocent! “

Ms. Divers collapses in tears. Several people begin talking excitedly at once. 

“Quiet!” Mankell says, “Ms. Divers, you can go back to your room. Now where was I? Let us address the next suspicious incident, George, you were seen by Kenny near Miss Worthlott’s room in the small hours, the night before.”

“Sorry George, old boy,” Kenny said. “But it is suspicious, what were you doing outside the door of Aunt Penny, what else could it be?”

“George, has refused to give a reason why he was inside the house that night.“ Mankell says. “So, I took it on myself, to ask around, and found some men who were willing to talk. George, I know your reason to be inside that day had nothing to do with Miss Worthlott!” 

“That is what I have been saying, but no one believed me!” George said.

“What are you getting at Mr. Mankell?” John asks, “there is no need for making up stories.”

Mankell turns to John. “Well, John, what if he was going to your room, and did not want to out you, even if he incriminated himself?” 

“What are you talking about?” John looks around. “There might be some lovely young ladies looking for my rooms but…”

“Stop, give it to us straight! No young ladies come to visit, do they John? You talk about your dates, but I think this is a smoke screen- you prefer young men, and are having an affair with George here.”

George puts his face in his hands, while John looks around to Tina, “Well it is not true, why, how can he say that…”

“I have always known, Dad.” Tina says, nodding her head.

“-You deny me now?” George asks. “ I love you, and it is Ok, you can admit it too…”

 John looks from Tina, and then across to George. “Yes it is true, George was with me that night.” 

 Mankell nods slowly, then turns quickly to stare at Tina. 

“However someone was with Miss Worthlott, that night before her death, isn't that right, Tina?”

 Tina sits up straight and looks directly at Mankell, "What basis do you have for this accusation?"

Mankell looks over at George, who stands up and says, “I saw you climb up the back window, young Miss, when I was in the hall, and then from the room next door, heard, hmm…” He looks down at the floor and then sits down.

Tina looks around at her family, and then smiles, "Well then I have been caught out, yes, Penny and I had a fling-”

“But she is your Aunt, and 15 years older than you!”  Kristen says. 

“Adopted Aunt, and beautiful, too,” Tina said, with a smile.

“But,” Mankell says, “the important clue is you had to climb up from outside the house, an amazing feat of athleticism, however you evidently did not know there was an easier way into the room, so it shows that though you might have had motive, you did not have opportunity.” Mankell pauses theatrically.

“That leaves us to the grandchildren who grew up in this house, the twins, Kristen and Kenny. Raised by a string of Governesses from such a young age when your poor parents died, and Madame Worthlott has told us how difficult it was for you too -”

“We understand GrandMama!” Kenny turns to Madame Worthlott. “You had no other option, but we always loved you, didn't we, and now we are all together-” 

“-Except! and Herr Mankell holds up a letter, ”You did not love Penny Worthlott. And this letter from Madame’s lawyer proves you knew the will was re-written, your adopted Aunt Penny would inherit Madame Worthlott’s estate. You took matters into your own hands!”  

Several people gasp audibly. 

Mankell continued. “Growing up in this house, you two knew the peculiarities of this passageway and hatched a plot to become the heirs of this grand estate!“

At that moment the storm breaks, the sound of rain hitting the window fills the room, and bright light flashes from outside, followed a few seconds later by a thunder clap.  

Kenny’s face twists into an evil grin, and says “I am going to kill you like we killed that conniving fiend Penny!”

Kenny’s hand goes under his coat, and he brings out a small black pistol, and fires at Mankell. Too angry for accuracy, his first shot was wide left, and with the recoil the next shot hits the ceiling. George jumped up and knocked the gun away, sending it spinning across the hardwood floor. Paulson and Inspector LaGrosse then were on him, pinning him to the floor. 

“She discovered us, and was going to tell GrandMama at her party- so we had to stop her!” Kristen says, crying. Her delicate chin was tilted up, her hard eyes glinted like coals at Mankell, her lips bared around sharp white teeth.

“And what about the dress?” Tina asked.

“We had to get rid of it, as it had some of Kenny's blood on it- I threw it in the bag of trash by the back door of the kitchen.” Kristen said. 

“Inspector LaGrosse- take them away!” Mankell shouts.  

He walks over to Madame Worthlott.  

“I’m sorry you had to hear it this way. I told you before it wasn’t going to be pretty.”

The storm continues in, and outside of the room.

   ____________

Later that night, Tina is in the yard outside the kitchen, looking through various bags of trash in the pouring rain.

“It is not here! “ She cries.

“What is not there Tina? Or should I call you the Black Cat, the infamous jewel thief?” 

Tina stops and turns around slowly, she is holding Kenny’s gun, aiming at Mankell’s stomach. 

“How do you end up with the gun?” Mankell asks. 

“I am quick with my hands, it helps in my line of work. How did you know about me?” Tina asks. 

“Hearing you were able to climb to a second story room without a sound made me think you had some practice at it, and then, your expert eye at recognizing worthless glass for real diamonds shows you know something." Suddenly understanding, Mankell says, “You needed to hide the jewels.”

“I knew no one would look for diamonds on a rhinestone dress.“ Tina said. ”But it is gone! The dress is gone! And…” Tina begins to smile, “with the dress, any connection to the stolen jewels. You have nothing on me Mankell!”

“It is time for you to grow up, Tina.” Mankell says. “Now that I know who you are, you need to find a new profession.” He walks over slowly and takes the gun from Tina’s hand. 

Leaving from the yard, Mankell walked through the rain back to his Coupe, got in and started it up. 

He looked at the closed glove box. “I guess it was that kind of party.”

___________________

A few miles down the road, Ms. Divers dropped several boxes of used clothing off at the Home for UnWed mothers. 

Speaking softly to herself, “These dresses are cursed, hopefully someone here can get a better use out of them.”  A diamond speckled sleeve of a blue dress hung limply out of the box, slowly getting soaked through by the rain.