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“What if the floor collapse wasn’t the objective?” I murmured, still uncertain of exactly what I was trying to say but hoping it would become clearer. “What if it was the diversion?”

I looked up to find the others staring at me with varying degrees of puzzlement.

Trevor lowered his feet, sitting more upright. “You mean, what if their real aim wasn’t to cause injury by damaging that joist?”

I nodded slowly. “Maybe they didn’t even intend to cause an actual collapse.

Maybe they purely wanted to compromise the structure enough that it would tremble or groan or what have you.

Enough to cause the building to be evacuated.

” Maybe they’d thought it would be safer than starting a fire or any of the other methods they might have chosen.

“In order to do what?” Gage replied.

“I don’t know,” I admitted, tapping my chin. I suggested the first thing that came to mind. “Perhaps to take something.”

“But Winstanley’s employees checked the collection’s inventory, and so did you.”

“Yes, but much of it was packed up, making it difficult for me to say for certain,” I argued.

“Even so, nothing has been reported missing.”

“What of the rest of the house?” Alana had propped her elbow on the back of the sofa, cradling her head in her hand. “Did they check to be sure nothing had been taken that wasn’t part of the auction?”

“Or what of the guests?” Trevor proposed. “Maybe something was stolen from one or more of them. They might not have even noticed it in the tumult.”

I turned to meet Gage’s gaze, having to admit that either was a possibility.

“Then perhaps theft is your answer.” Philip drummed his fingers together where they rested in his lap. “A successful diversion, indeed.”

“But that also means they’ve had more than a week to cover their tracks.” Gage heaved an exasperated sigh. “We’ll have to pay another visit to Picardy Place tomorrow.”

But I wondered if Mr. Winstanley or his staff had paid enough attention to the other contents of Lord Eldin’s town house to recognize if something was missing.

Perhaps Mr. Clerk was more familiar with his brother’s possessions—particularly the items in the study he’d insisted remain locked—but even that seemed doubtful.

Though presumably, if an item had been taken, it must be valuable.

Or else why go to so much trouble to steal it?

That was the question, indeed.

· · ·

The following day when we returned to Picardy Place, it turned out we weren’t the only ones with questions. We caught sight of Sergeant Maclean striding down the pavement from the opposite direction.

Having reached the door seconds before us, he waited to enter. “Winstanley summoned ye, too?” he asked.

Gage and I exchanged a bewildered look.

“No,” Gage replied. “Mrs. Gage had a possible epiphany. But before we tell you, why did Mr. Winstanley summon you?”

Maclean held the door open for us. “He didna say except that it was urgent.”

Stepping inside, we were immediately assailed by the sound of raised voices. The auctioneer was clearly furious and venting that fury on at least one of his employees. And one of those employees was yelling back.

Gage pressed his hand to mine where it rested on his arm, perhaps wondering, as I did, if Mr. Winstanley had learned Mr. Rimmer had lied to him about sending me the auction catalog.

Hurrying across the entry hall, we were momentarily forestalled by the appearance of two men carrying a large canvas between them.

They were transferring it from the morning room to the dining room, all the while casting skittish glances toward the stairs from which the shouting was coming.

Catching sight of us, they stumbled to a stop, but Maclean shooed them on.

Once they’d passed, we could see the constable guarding the entry off the corridor to the collapsed study.

The corners of his eyes were creased in consternation, but he merely shook his head to our questioning looks.

“You should have checked everything yourselves,” Winstanley was shouting. “That’s what I pay you for.”

“There wasna time!” a voice yelled back. “ You were the one who insisted we hurry. That the collection be preserved lest the entire benighted floor collapse.”

I deduced it must be Mr. Fletcher arguing with the auctioneer, not Mr. Rimmer. Though his accent sounded slightly different. Indeed, when we rounded the landing in the middle of the stairs, we could see the older assistant nearly standing nose to nose with his employer while Mr. Rimmer hung back.

“There was a great deal of uncertainty as to how stable the house was,” Mr. Rimmer offered more tentatively. “It made sense to secure the items first and then check them more thoroughly later.”

“But I asked you to inspect and secure them,” Winstanley retorted, his face red and his spectacles nearly sliding from his nose. “Then leave the carrying and lifting to the lumpers.”

This was rather a derogatory way to speak of his other employees, particularly within their hearing, showing just how riled he was. Though the answer as to why he was so riled still wasn’t clear.

Mr. Rimmer caught sight of us first, his eyes widening even as Mr. Fletcher snapped back. “There was no time for inspection. And I was injured.”

Mr. Winstanley whirled to face us, taking in my and Gage’s presence before focusing on Maclean. “Finally! It took you long enough to get here.”

The sergeant’s only reaction to this unjustified criticism was his dry response. “Ye said ’twas urgent.”

Mr. Fletcher’s lips quirked, clearly appreciating this bit of wit, though the hard glint in his eyes never faded. I remembered how Bonnie Brock had warned me that he was the one to watch.

The auctioneer sniffed. “You need to arrest Mr. Sullivan.”

“I see,” Maclean replied calmly, resting his meaty hands on the belt to which his baton was strapped. “And why should I do that?”

“Because he’s stolen something. Or rather, several somethings.” He seemed reluctant to share this, and I had an unsettling feeling why.

My eyes met Gage’s in silent apprehension.

Unaware of our suspicions, Maclean was growing impatient. “And what are these somethings ?”

Mr. Winstanley’s already thin lips nearly disappeared as he struggled to make the revelation. “Several rare coins.”