| Mystery and Crime Fiction posted June 7, 2020 | Chapters: |
1 -2- 3... 
|
  |
The Case of the missing Tiara
A chapter in the book The Adventures of Justin Thyme
The Adventures of Justin Thyme 2
by lancellot
Part 1 of 2
The author has placed a warning on this post for language.
The author has placed a warning on this post for sexual content.
Justin ‘Twenty’ Thyme had never been inside a noble’s home, much less that of the Duke of Sussex. He and Sheriff Thyme were escorted into the Duke’s private library and told to wait there; that was thirty minutes ago.
Sheriff Thyme sat in an ornate chair that was way too comfortable for waiting; he had to stand and stretch several times to keep himself from falling asleep. He currently sat watching his grandson perusing the Duke’s books at his leisure. Finally, sheriff Thyme pulled out his silver pocket watch for the third time. “Well, lad, it’s official, whatever this ‘incident’ of the Duke’s is, it will not be solved in twenty minutes, but don’t worry, I won’t be holding this one against you. I guess they don’t want us to get started.”
Twenty smiled and continued his walk around the expansive library. He noted the books were divided into sections: music, arts, politics, alchemy, history, and an unlabeled section. When he pulled one of those books, his face turned bright pink, and he started to sweat. He quickly finished the book with his speed reading skill, then chose a few more for… research purposes. He was careful not to open them where his grandpa could see inside. Justin wasn’t quite sixteen yet, a fact his grandpa constantly reminded him of.
Twenty shook his head and put the last book back. He walked to a full-length mirror at the far end of the room and stood in front of it. First, he checked his hair; it was messy but passible, then his teeth. Twice a day, brushing does its job, he thought. And, because of that last section, he checked his pants to make sure he had recovered, for modesty’s sake.
By all accounts, Justin looked like any other, almost 16-year-old boy or adult. He was about 75 centimeters tall and had a slim build. Justin wasn’t angelic, but his mother always said he was a handsome boy who resembled his father, whoever that was. He took a step back and let his eyes take in the entire mirror and the brick wall it was mounted to. He turned his back to the mirror and noted that the room was almost a perfect rectangle that tapered towards the mirror end of the room. The room had all the chairs facing the entrance at the narrow end. There wasn’t a single window in the room. Modern electric candles provided all the light from a crystal chandelier suspended from the ceiling, but no switch was in sight. He had noticed similar chandeliers in the foyer and hallways with light switches on the walls. Justin slipped a finger into his mouth, then casually let his hand trace the seams of the mirror. Instantly a huge grin appeared on his face.
“Someone could at least come and tell us what the bloody hell is going on.” His grandpa pulled out his watch yet again. The Sheriff was normally a patient man, and that trait was especially required when dealing with nobility, but he had his limits.
Twenty walked back to his grandpa, picked up a chair, and turned it so he would face the agitated man and away from the mirror. “It’s fine, Grandpa; they will be along shortly. They are merely checking to see if we can be trusted.”
Sheriff Thyme rolled his eyes. “How will they figure that out when no one has bothered to come and see us?”
Justin leaned toward his grandpa. “Someone has been here all along.” He pointed to the other end of the room with his thumb. “They’ve been watching us through that two-way mirror, and I would wager, based on how this room is constructed, they can hear me whispering.”
Twenty sat up straight and projected his voice. “Have we passed inspection, my Lord, or do you wish your problem to grow colder while we wait.”
Ten seconds later, the library door opened, and the same butler who showed them in stood there.
“My Lord will see you now. Please follow me.” The man turned, then walked away as if he had no doubt they would follow.
The Sheriff and Justin indeed followed the butler without question and with haste.
Sheriff Thyme buttoned and brushed his vest. His coat had been taken downstairs. “I hope I am presentable to be in the Duke’s presence,” he said to Twenty.
The butler stopped in front of what appeared to be a bedroom door.
Twenty looked up at his grandpa. “It’ll be alright, Gramps. We’re not meeting the Duke today.”
“What?” asked the Sheriff.
The butler opened the door and led the men inside. It was indeed a small bedroom with a king-sized bed. The floor was covered with plush red velvet carpeting—a single large white desk with a matching chair. There were no windows, and like the library and the foyer, a large ornate crystal chandelier hung in the center of the ceiling. The light fixture was not over the bed because another full-length mirror took that position.
The Butler cleared his throat and motioned to the young man of perhaps nineteen, dressed in a business suit with silver trim. “May I present his lordship, Earl Richard Von Whitman, 3rd son of his Grace, Duke Fredrick Von Whitman.”
The Sheriff and Justin both bowed deeply to the Duke’s son.
“My Lord, Sheriff Jacob Thyme of Scotland Yard and his grandson, Justin Thyme,” the butler said eloquently.
The Earl slightly bowed his head to the two and then turned his eyes to the butler. “Thank you, Geoffrey. You may leave us.”
The man hesitated just a fraction, then bowed. “Yes, my Lord.” As he opened the door to leave, he gave Justin and the sheriff a half-second glare before closing the door behind him.
The Sheriff and Twenty waited silently. It was customary for commoners to speak only when spoken to by nobility. It was an old custom but standing in the Duke’s estate before the Duke’s son, it was respectful and wise.
“Gentlemen.” The Earl stood with his hand on the chair before the desk. His face was slightly flush. “Thank you for coming on such short notice. But, before we begin, I have a request. First, I must ask for your discretion in this matter. Next, there will be no official reports filed, understood.”
Grandfather and grandson looked at each other. The request was not a request. It was an order, and they both well understood the Earl’s unspoken words. The days of nobles having commoners hung on a whim may be over, but more than a few families have experienced the mysterious disappearance of a loud-mouthed loved one.
Jacob and Justin bowed again and spoke at the same time. “You have my word, my Lord.”
“My Lord,” Twenty raised his eyes to the young man. “May I inquire as to the reason for our summons?”
Sheriff Thyme raised his head and briefly glanced at his grandson but did not say anything. Protocol demanded they wait for the Earl to broach the subject, but the Sheriff also knew that Twenty had started the clock when they entered the room.
The Earl paused, and the knuckles on the hand that held the chair turned white. He briefly closed his eyes and then slowly exhaled. “I have lost something of great importance. Rather, I believe it to be stolen. Either way, this… item must be recovered with all haste.”
Sheriff Thyme looked at his grandson and then at the Earl. “My lord, we will need to know what this item is and when you… noticed it to be missing.”
“And we will need to know all the details surrounding the missing item.” Twenty took a step towards the Earl. His eyes were glued on the young noble. “Nothing must be withheld if your important item is to be recovered.”
The Earl turned his head away; his eyes lingered on the bed. He sighed and focused his gaze on Twenty. “There is some… I was...” He shook his head as if to clear it of unwanted thoughts. “The item is the tiara belonging to my stepmother, the Duchess of Sussex. She is away with my father at the moment, but they are due back tomorrow.”
Sheriff Thyme looked at his grandson. His mouth opened, then closed. Finally, he turned back to the Earl. “The actual diamond tiara she wears for official functions?”
Richard lowered his head and nodded. The young man seemed unable to meet either man’s eyes briefly.
For several seconds silence hung in the room like a weight upon their shoulders.
“Hmm,” said Twenty as he began walking around the room. “And, this is the room where you last saw the tiara, yes?”
Richard did not raise his eyes. “It is the very room, Sir, and I have not left it since.”
Twenty noticed a slight quiver in the young man’s voice. He was understandably afraid, but there was more. Why would he wear his stepmother’s tiara? Twenty recalled an image of the Duchess. She is young, only slightly older than Richard. She is a regal woman of impeccable beauty and grace. Some say she resembles a storybook princess. She has long flaming red hair, framing an angelic face, and a figure that could shame an hourglass. Could Richard want to imitate her? Twenty looked closely at Richard, his posture, face, dress, and grooming. He knew some men preferred women’s attire and even claimed to be one. Richard, being a noble, would conceal such proclivities from his family and the public, but Twenty did not get that vibe from him. That meant... Twenty looked again at the windowless room and the sparse furniture.
“Ah, a room of assured privacy,” he said. “My lord, would you bring in the young woman with you when the tiara went missing? I shall like to interview her as well.”
Richard released his grip on the chair and stared at Twenty. His face turned scarlet, and his lips trembled.
(Continues in Part 2 of 2)
Justin ‘Twenty’ Thyme had never been inside a noble’s home, much less that of the Duke of Sussex. He and Sheriff Thyme were escorted into the Duke’s private library and told to wait there; that was thirty minutes ago.
Sheriff Thyme sat in an ornate chair that was way too comfortable for waiting; he had to stand and stretch several times to keep himself from falling asleep. He currently sat watching his grandson perusing the Duke’s books at his leisure. Finally, sheriff Thyme pulled out his silver pocket watch for the third time. “Well, lad, it’s official, whatever this ‘incident’ of the Duke’s is, it will not be solved in twenty minutes, but don’t worry, I won’t be holding this one against you. I guess they don’t want us to get started.”
Twenty smiled and continued his walk around the expansive library. He noted the books were divided into sections: music, arts, politics, alchemy, history, and an unlabeled section. When he pulled one of those books, his face turned bright pink, and he started to sweat. He quickly finished the book with his speed reading skill, then chose a few more for… research purposes. He was careful not to open them where his grandpa could see inside. Justin wasn’t quite sixteen yet, a fact his grandpa constantly reminded him of.
Twenty shook his head and put the last book back. He walked to a full-length mirror at the far end of the room and stood in front of it. First, he checked his hair; it was messy but passible, then his teeth. Twice a day, brushing does its job, he thought. And, because of that last section, he checked his pants to make sure he had recovered, for modesty’s sake.
By all accounts, Justin looked like any other, almost 16-year-old boy or adult. He was about 75 centimeters tall and had a slim build. Justin wasn’t angelic, but his mother always said he was a handsome boy who resembled his father, whoever that was. He took a step back and let his eyes take in the entire mirror and the brick wall it was mounted to. He turned his back to the mirror and noted that the room was almost a perfect rectangle that tapered towards the mirror end of the room. The room had all the chairs facing the entrance at the narrow end. There wasn’t a single window in the room. Modern electric candles provided all the light from a crystal chandelier suspended from the ceiling, but no switch was in sight. He had noticed similar chandeliers in the foyer and hallways with light switches on the walls. Justin slipped a finger into his mouth, then casually let his hand trace the seams of the mirror. Instantly a huge grin appeared on his face.
“Someone could at least come and tell us what the bloody hell is going on.” His grandpa pulled out his watch yet again. The Sheriff was normally a patient man, and that trait was especially required when dealing with nobility, but he had his limits.
Twenty walked back to his grandpa, picked up a chair, and turned it so he would face the agitated man and away from the mirror. “It’s fine, Grandpa; they will be along shortly. They are merely checking to see if we can be trusted.”
Sheriff Thyme rolled his eyes. “How will they figure that out when no one has bothered to come and see us?”
Justin leaned toward his grandpa. “Someone has been here all along.” He pointed to the other end of the room with his thumb. “They’ve been watching us through that two-way mirror, and I would wager, based on how this room is constructed, they can hear me whispering.”
Twenty sat up straight and projected his voice. “Have we passed inspection, my Lord, or do you wish your problem to grow colder while we wait.”
Ten seconds later, the library door opened, and the same butler who showed them in stood there.
“My Lord will see you now. Please follow me.” The man turned, then walked away as if he had no doubt they would follow.
The Sheriff and Justin indeed followed the butler without question and with haste.
Sheriff Thyme buttoned and brushed his vest. His coat had been taken downstairs. “I hope I am presentable to be in the Duke’s presence,” he said to Twenty.
The butler stopped in front of what appeared to be a bedroom door.
Twenty looked up at his grandpa. “It’ll be alright, Gramps. We’re not meeting the Duke today.”
“What?” asked the Sheriff.
The butler opened the door and led the men inside. It was indeed a small bedroom with a king-sized bed. The floor was covered with plush red velvet carpeting—a single large white desk with a matching chair. There were no windows, and like the library and the foyer, a large ornate crystal chandelier hung in the center of the ceiling. The light fixture was not over the bed because another full-length mirror took that position.
The Butler cleared his throat and motioned to the young man of perhaps nineteen, dressed in a business suit with silver trim. “May I present his lordship, Earl Richard Von Whitman, 3rd son of his Grace, Duke Fredrick Von Whitman.”
The Sheriff and Justin both bowed deeply to the Duke’s son.
“My Lord, Sheriff Jacob Thyme of Scotland Yard and his grandson, Justin Thyme,” the butler said eloquently.
The Earl slightly bowed his head to the two and then turned his eyes to the butler. “Thank you, Geoffrey. You may leave us.”
The man hesitated just a fraction, then bowed. “Yes, my Lord.” As he opened the door to leave, he gave Justin and the sheriff a half-second glare before closing the door behind him.
The Sheriff and Twenty waited silently. It was customary for commoners to speak only when spoken to by nobility. It was an old custom but standing in the Duke’s estate before the Duke’s son, it was respectful and wise.
“Gentlemen.” The Earl stood with his hand on the chair before the desk. His face was slightly flush. “Thank you for coming on such short notice. But, before we begin, I have a request. First, I must ask for your discretion in this matter. Next, there will be no official reports filed, understood.”
Grandfather and grandson looked at each other. The request was not a request. It was an order, and they both well understood the Earl’s unspoken words. The days of nobles having commoners hung on a whim may be over, but more than a few families have experienced the mysterious disappearance of a loud-mouthed loved one.
Jacob and Justin bowed again and spoke at the same time. “You have my word, my Lord.”
“My Lord,” Twenty raised his eyes to the young man. “May I inquire as to the reason for our summons?”
Sheriff Thyme raised his head and briefly glanced at his grandson but did not say anything. Protocol demanded they wait for the Earl to broach the subject, but the Sheriff also knew that Twenty had started the clock when they entered the room.
The Earl paused, and the knuckles on the hand that held the chair turned white. He briefly closed his eyes and then slowly exhaled. “I have lost something of great importance. Rather, I believe it to be stolen. Either way, this… item must be recovered with all haste.”
Sheriff Thyme looked at his grandson and then at the Earl. “My lord, we will need to know what this item is and when you… noticed it to be missing.”
“And we will need to know all the details surrounding the missing item.” Twenty took a step towards the Earl. His eyes were glued on the young noble. “Nothing must be withheld if your important item is to be recovered.”
The Earl turned his head away; his eyes lingered on the bed. He sighed and focused his gaze on Twenty. “There is some… I was...” He shook his head as if to clear it of unwanted thoughts. “The item is the tiara belonging to my stepmother, the Duchess of Sussex. She is away with my father at the moment, but they are due back tomorrow.”
Sheriff Thyme looked at his grandson. His mouth opened, then closed. Finally, he turned back to the Earl. “The actual diamond tiara she wears for official functions?”
Richard lowered his head and nodded. The young man seemed unable to meet either man’s eyes briefly.
For several seconds silence hung in the room like a weight upon their shoulders.
“Hmm,” said Twenty as he began walking around the room. “And, this is the room where you last saw the tiara, yes?”
Richard did not raise his eyes. “It is the very room, Sir, and I have not left it since.”
Twenty noticed a slight quiver in the young man’s voice. He was understandably afraid, but there was more. Why would he wear his stepmother’s tiara? Twenty recalled an image of the Duchess. She is young, only slightly older than Richard. She is a regal woman of impeccable beauty and grace. Some say she resembles a storybook princess. She has long flaming red hair, framing an angelic face, and a figure that could shame an hourglass. Could Richard want to imitate her? Twenty looked closely at Richard, his posture, face, dress, and grooming. He knew some men preferred women’s attire and even claimed to be one. Richard, being a noble, would conceal such proclivities from his family and the public, but Twenty did not get that vibe from him. That meant... Twenty looked again at the windowless room and the sparse furniture.
“Ah, a room of assured privacy,” he said. “My lord, would you bring in the young woman with you when the tiara went missing? I shall like to interview her as well.”
Richard released his grip on the chair and stared at Twenty. His face turned scarlet, and his lips trembled.
(Continues in Part 2 of 2)
Sheriff Thyme sat in an ornate chair that was way too comfortable for waiting; he had to stand and stretch several times to keep himself from falling asleep. He currently sat watching his grandson perusing the Duke’s books at his leisure. Finally, sheriff Thyme pulled out his silver pocket watch for the third time. “Well, lad, it’s official, whatever this ‘incident’ of the Duke’s is, it will not be solved in twenty minutes, but don’t worry, I won’t be holding this one against you. I guess they don’t want us to get started.”
Twenty smiled and continued his walk around the expansive library. He noted the books were divided into sections: music, arts, politics, alchemy, history, and an unlabeled section. When he pulled one of those books, his face turned bright pink, and he started to sweat. He quickly finished the book with his speed reading skill, then chose a few more for… research purposes. He was careful not to open them where his grandpa could see inside. Justin wasn’t quite sixteen yet, a fact his grandpa constantly reminded him of.
Twenty shook his head and put the last book back. He walked to a full-length mirror at the far end of the room and stood in front of it. First, he checked his hair; it was messy but passible, then his teeth. Twice a day, brushing does its job, he thought. And, because of that last section, he checked his pants to make sure he had recovered, for modesty’s sake.
By all accounts, Justin looked like any other, almost 16-year-old boy or adult. He was about 75 centimeters tall and had a slim build. Justin wasn’t angelic, but his mother always said he was a handsome boy who resembled his father, whoever that was. He took a step back and let his eyes take in the entire mirror and the brick wall it was mounted to. He turned his back to the mirror and noted that the room was almost a perfect rectangle that tapered towards the mirror end of the room. The room had all the chairs facing the entrance at the narrow end. There wasn’t a single window in the room. Modern electric candles provided all the light from a crystal chandelier suspended from the ceiling, but no switch was in sight. He had noticed similar chandeliers in the foyer and hallways with light switches on the walls. Justin slipped a finger into his mouth, then casually let his hand trace the seams of the mirror. Instantly a huge grin appeared on his face.
“Someone could at least come and tell us what the bloody hell is going on.” His grandpa pulled out his watch yet again. The Sheriff was normally a patient man, and that trait was especially required when dealing with nobility, but he had his limits.
Twenty walked back to his grandpa, picked up a chair, and turned it so he would face the agitated man and away from the mirror. “It’s fine, Grandpa; they will be along shortly. They are merely checking to see if we can be trusted.”
Sheriff Thyme rolled his eyes. “How will they figure that out when no one has bothered to come and see us?”
Justin leaned toward his grandpa. “Someone has been here all along.” He pointed to the other end of the room with his thumb. “They’ve been watching us through that two-way mirror, and I would wager, based on how this room is constructed, they can hear me whispering.”
Twenty sat up straight and projected his voice. “Have we passed inspection, my Lord, or do you wish your problem to grow colder while we wait.”
Ten seconds later, the library door opened, and the same butler who showed them in stood there.
“My Lord will see you now. Please follow me.” The man turned, then walked away as if he had no doubt they would follow.
The Sheriff and Justin indeed followed the butler without question and with haste.
Sheriff Thyme buttoned and brushed his vest. His coat had been taken downstairs. “I hope I am presentable to be in the Duke’s presence,” he said to Twenty.
The butler stopped in front of what appeared to be a bedroom door.
Twenty looked up at his grandpa. “It’ll be alright, Gramps. We’re not meeting the Duke today.”
“What?” asked the Sheriff.
The butler opened the door and led the men inside. It was indeed a small bedroom with a king-sized bed. The floor was covered with plush red velvet carpeting—a single large white desk with a matching chair. There were no windows, and like the library and the foyer, a large ornate crystal chandelier hung in the center of the ceiling. The light fixture was not over the bed because another full-length mirror took that position.
The Butler cleared his throat and motioned to the young man of perhaps nineteen, dressed in a business suit with silver trim. “May I present his lordship, Earl Richard Von Whitman, 3rd son of his Grace, Duke Fredrick Von Whitman.”
The Sheriff and Justin both bowed deeply to the Duke’s son.
“My Lord, Sheriff Jacob Thyme of Scotland Yard and his grandson, Justin Thyme,” the butler said eloquently.
The Earl slightly bowed his head to the two and then turned his eyes to the butler. “Thank you, Geoffrey. You may leave us.”
The man hesitated just a fraction, then bowed. “Yes, my Lord.” As he opened the door to leave, he gave Justin and the sheriff a half-second glare before closing the door behind him.
The Sheriff and Twenty waited silently. It was customary for commoners to speak only when spoken to by nobility. It was an old custom but standing in the Duke’s estate before the Duke’s son, it was respectful and wise.
“Gentlemen.” The Earl stood with his hand on the chair before the desk. His face was slightly flush. “Thank you for coming on such short notice. But, before we begin, I have a request. First, I must ask for your discretion in this matter. Next, there will be no official reports filed, understood.”
Grandfather and grandson looked at each other. The request was not a request. It was an order, and they both well understood the Earl’s unspoken words. The days of nobles having commoners hung on a whim may be over, but more than a few families have experienced the mysterious disappearance of a loud-mouthed loved one.
Jacob and Justin bowed again and spoke at the same time. “You have my word, my Lord.”
“My Lord,” Twenty raised his eyes to the young man. “May I inquire as to the reason for our summons?”
Sheriff Thyme raised his head and briefly glanced at his grandson but did not say anything. Protocol demanded they wait for the Earl to broach the subject, but the Sheriff also knew that Twenty had started the clock when they entered the room.
The Earl paused, and the knuckles on the hand that held the chair turned white. He briefly closed his eyes and then slowly exhaled. “I have lost something of great importance. Rather, I believe it to be stolen. Either way, this… item must be recovered with all haste.”
Sheriff Thyme looked at his grandson and then at the Earl. “My lord, we will need to know what this item is and when you… noticed it to be missing.”
“And we will need to know all the details surrounding the missing item.” Twenty took a step towards the Earl. His eyes were glued on the young noble. “Nothing must be withheld if your important item is to be recovered.”
The Earl turned his head away; his eyes lingered on the bed. He sighed and focused his gaze on Twenty. “There is some… I was...” He shook his head as if to clear it of unwanted thoughts. “The item is the tiara belonging to my stepmother, the Duchess of Sussex. She is away with my father at the moment, but they are due back tomorrow.”
Sheriff Thyme looked at his grandson. His mouth opened, then closed. Finally, he turned back to the Earl. “The actual diamond tiara she wears for official functions?”
Richard lowered his head and nodded. The young man seemed unable to meet either man’s eyes briefly.
For several seconds silence hung in the room like a weight upon their shoulders.
“Hmm,” said Twenty as he began walking around the room. “And, this is the room where you last saw the tiara, yes?”
Richard did not raise his eyes. “It is the very room, Sir, and I have not left it since.”
Twenty noticed a slight quiver in the young man’s voice. He was understandably afraid, but there was more. Why would he wear his stepmother’s tiara? Twenty recalled an image of the Duchess. She is young, only slightly older than Richard. She is a regal woman of impeccable beauty and grace. Some say she resembles a storybook princess. She has long flaming red hair, framing an angelic face, and a figure that could shame an hourglass. Could Richard want to imitate her? Twenty looked closely at Richard, his posture, face, dress, and grooming. He knew some men preferred women’s attire and even claimed to be one. Richard, being a noble, would conceal such proclivities from his family and the public, but Twenty did not get that vibe from him. That meant... Twenty looked again at the windowless room and the sparse furniture.
“Ah, a room of assured privacy,” he said. “My lord, would you bring in the young woman with you when the tiara went missing? I shall like to interview her as well.”
Richard released his grip on the chair and stared at Twenty. His face turned scarlet, and his lips trembled.
(Continues in Part 2 of 2)
A continuation of a story I wrote for the Twenty contest. I liked the character, so I decided to keep him living. Lets see how long it lasts
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. 
You need to login or register to write reviews. It's quick! We only ask four questions to new members.
© Copyright 2024. lancellot All rights reserved.
lancellot has granted FanStory.com, its affiliates and its syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.
