Maddie Hatter and the Deadly Diamond by Jayne Barnard

wrinkle arose in the mysterious case of the missing baron, when American Windsor Jones leveled a public accusation at Professor Polonius Plumb of Cambridge for the theft of his research into the fabled Eye of Africa mask.
     
    Interviewed at the Royal Air Arms Club in London, where he has visiting-veteran privileges, Jones stated, “We both attended the same conference in New York City. We came to England on the same airship. He was in my stateroom for drinks. I showed him the map I’d worked out from years of studying tribal legends. I put it into my book trunk right in front of him, and next day the whole trunk had vanished. As soon as I heard that baron guy was on the trail of the Eye of Africa, I knew the prof had shanghai’d my research for him. When I catch up to Plumb, I’ll fix him good. And if that baron makes it back alive, I’ll punch him right in the schnoz!”
     
    Professor Plumb, not unexpectedly, had proclaimed his innocence.
     
    The Goggles Grapevine
     
    EVIL EYE DIAMOND GLOWS RED SAYS PROF
     
    Scotland Yard today confirmed there is no case against Professor Polonius Plumb for the theft of Windy Jones’ trunk. “Our only possible witness to any sale has gone missing,” said Chief Inspector Snidely Bellows. “You know, that chap whose airship was just found floating off the South Coast. Without him or the trunk, we’ve got nothing.”
     
    Plumb proclaimed his innocence and demonstrated his expert knowledge with a long, technical explication of the geological processes by which other rare minerals are compressed into the midst of a diamond to form a so-called ‘bloodshot diamond’ such as that rumoured to be part of the Eye of Africa mask.
     
    “As for it glowing red when touched by an evil man’s blood, that’s likely a trick of refracted light when the mask is held at the proper angle.”
     
    When the American academic’s threat was quoted to him, Plumb said, “Jones yearns to discredit me because I held out for his expulsion from Oxford after that disgraceful incident. If he dares lay a violent hand on me, I’ll have him up on charges. Immediately after a sharp lesson in British pugilism.”
     
    The professor is departing today for Bodmin Manor in Cornwall. While awaiting news of his friend’s fate, he intends to catalogue the baron’s papers for his university.
     
    If anything of Jones’ was found with Baron Bodmin’s papers, Plumb’s reputation would be sunk. Maybe that’s why Plumb was on his way to Cornwall: to destroy any evidence connecting him with the theft. He was at least temporarily out of Maddie’s reach. Jones was who knew where, and Colonel Muster likely dead in some lonely wood, or wherever old soldiers went to die. If Mrs. Midas-White didn’t give an interview, there was no avenue in London to avail Maddie’s journalistic aspirations. She could only hope Madame had a lead for her about the imposter, or she had thrown away her entire newspaper career and risked her father’s wrath for nothing at all.
    The lovely pale teal gown Serephene sent in for her to wear to dinner did little to cheer her despite its modish tulle neckline and the intricate leaf-work swooping around the skirt.
    Forty hours later, Maddie was in London, saying goodbye to the excited nieces and to Serephene. In addition to the evening gown, the latter had unearthed last Season’s conservative blue walking suit from her older sister’s wardrobe on board, and insisted on Maddie taking it to match the blue hat “with the bird on it.” Thus Maddie was modishly prepared for England, and could walk into a professional women’s hostelry in London with her head high.
    But not Claridge’s Hotel. Both outfits looked a smidge too much like her old self for that. Conveyed to Paddington Station in an Aquatiempe steam coupe that wove through traffic faster than any horse-drawn coach could manage, she checked her luggage for the day and walked the few blocks to Brooks Mews at the rear of the hotel.