Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. Vol. 48, No. 1, January 2003

Raffles laughed. “And why should they, when everyone had seen the crooks make off through the french windows? For all that, Bunny, I am happy that it was not our old friend Inspector Mackenzie whom Scotland Yard sent. He would have insisted on searching us, I fancy! And that would have been the end. Still, all’s well that ends well, Bunny.”

Not for the first time during our short stay I slept badly, and Inspector Mackenzie, our old adversary, found his flatfooted way into my dreams. I was pleased when the hour of our departure came. The other guests had left a little before, but Raffles seemed in no great hurry. In vain I urged haste, but he merely smiled and said “All in good time.”

And then, just as we were about to leave the house, Morgan came in, that damned little revolver pointed at us again!

“Oh, really!” said Raffles with a sigh.

“If you would?” Morgan gestured with the barrel, and we moved into the billiard room to be greeted by none other than Mackenzie himself and a couple of his associates!

“You’re not leaving without being searched,” Morgan told us.

“I have no objection to Inspector Mackenzie searching me,” said Raffles in a bored tone, “but I refuse to have you present.”

Morgan blustered, but Mackenzie backed Raffles, somewhat to my surprise, and our erstwhile host had to leave.

I confess I was trembling, though Raffles, as always, was serene and untroubled. How could he be so calm, I asked myself, with the diamonds and emeralds concealed about him? Mackenzie did search us, and downright thoroughly, but without success. It was the turn of our luggage next, and I trembled anew, and with increased vigour. The stones must be found now! Still, at least the personal search was over, and I had been able to put my trousers back on before we were arrested!

But Mackenzie found nothing. He emptied our bags, searched our meagre belongings, examined the linings of the bags, even emptied Raffles’s tobacco pouch, all to no avail.

“Well,” said Mackenzie, obviously as baffled as I was myself, “I’m very sorry, gentlemen, but Mr. — ” he emphasized the word “—Mr. Morgan insisted, and my superiors listen to him.”

“For the moment?” suggested Raffles quietly.

“Ah, we have our eye on him, I’ll not deny it. There are stories, you know. Just a little bit of proof, that would be enough for me. But getting that bit of proof, that’s another matter.”

Mackenzie and his merry men escorted us to the station — “Just for the look of it,” as Mackenzie said — and we all travelled back to London together, Mackenzie growing philosophical as he smoked some of Raffles’s tobacco, and telling us that it was very likely the same gang that had committed the other robberies in the neighbourhood.

“I daresay you’re right,” said Raffles. “Look here, Mr. Mackenzie, you and I have had our differences, I’ll not deny it, but if you had a Bible about you, I’d swear here and now that I have nothing to do with those burglars. No one in that room was more startled than I when they appeared.”

“I’ll testify to that!” I said without thinking.

Mackenzie laughed. “I don’t dispute it,” said he, and we parted the best of friends.

I returned to the Albany with Raffles in no very happy mood, despite our having evaded Mackenzie’s grasp. “I don’t know how you knew we’d be searched, though!” I said, when we were alone.

“Oh, I told you that I mistrusted Morgan. I did not expect Mackenzie, though, I’ll grant you that. However, I did fully expect Morgan to hold us up and search us, for I knew that he thought the burglary a put-up job, and so I got rid of the stones.”

“A pity, Raffles! It will be a miserable Christmas now! Still, we had a decent dinner, though the company wasn’t very congenial. Better than porridge in a police cell! And it was a good breakfast.”

“Yes, I noticed you stoking up on the kippers, Bunny. Perhaps just a light lunch?”

“It’ll be all light lunches, and dinners too, unless any of my editors are feeling generous!”

“My treat,” said Raffles. “But nothing to drink, mind.”

“Oh?”

“We need clear heads for tonight, and our return to Oxfordshire.”

I stared at him.

“Bunny, Bunny! I know you are not the quickest of men, but you are inordinately slow just now. I mean to burgle Morgan’s safe, of course.”

“But — oh! That’s where you hid the jewels?”

“Last night, when all the little rabbits — and snakes — were asleep. As I say, I did not trust Morgan an inch.”

“But suppose he checks the safe?”