Amy Lavigne’s Reviews > The Affair of the Pink Pearl: A Short Story > Status Update

To Tuppence he has ruined her plan. But Tommy has one of his own. He goes to Lady Laura’s bedroom and grabs the bar of soap. Inspector Marriot has already taken the “old hen” away. The pearl Tommy insists is in the bar of soap. Inspector Marriot seems to have seen this all before and explains just how it is done. They have solved the case! Though it is not Lady Laura as we suspect, it is Elise!

The girl turns grey practically at the thought and assures Tuppence she will not leave. Tuppence is all but convinced now that the girl has taken the pearl. She even begins to tell her that she suspected her from the start. She was interrupted by Tommy. She hadn’t hear the doorbell, but Tommy had returned with Inspector Marriot. This freaks the girl out and she runs down the stairs, just as Mr Rennie joins them.

It is at this lunch that Tuppence finally gets introduced to Lady Laura. The Lady doesn’t seem all that impressed with Tuppence and is watching her closely. After lunch, Lady Laura approaches Tuppence and wishes for an update. Tuppence indulges her with theories about the parlour maid as Tommy had wished, though she is quite certain Lady Laura isn’t involved in the disappearance of the pearl.

Mr. Rennie believes that Miss Kingston Bruce was acting odd when she visited him. He was concerned that she may want to confide in him but she hadn’t. This whole revelation is interrupted by Colonel Kingston Bruce inviting Tuppence for lunch. Though he stops short when he sees Mr. Rennie. It is clear the two have some tension. Mr. Rennie leaves though Tuppence begs him to return later.

Mr. Rennie seems at an impass. He states to her, I wonder how much you know. And then oddly enough asks if Sir Vincent is actually engaged to be married. Tuppence tells him it is quite true, she knows for a fact. Suddenly Mr. Rennie seems to open up more. He begins to speak of politics before Tuppence brings him back to the pearl. She wants to know why he believes Miss Kingston Bruce has taken it.

Mr. Rennie is slightly unsure of why this woman is answering the door and when she ushers him into an empty room he is quite annoyed. He again tells her he is there to see Miss Kingston Bruce. When Tuppence denies him, he gets quite angry and demands to know who she is. Tuppence assures him and takes a guess that Miss Kingston Bruce went to see him that morning before going to see her and Tommy.

Tommy’s conviction worries Tuppence. He is quite sure he knows something, but she is not. Tuppence hasn’t pieced everything together yet and she worries her husband may be jumping the gun. She is still watching out the window when a man approaches the door. Tuppence races to the door to get it. The man is there to see Miss Kingston Bruce. Though Tuppence recognizes him.

The door continues to draw Tommy’s attention. He even inspects it and doesn’t see what could have caused the issue they saw. Once he dismisses Elise he talks to Tuppence and gives her instructions to help set his plan in motion. Tuppence warns him however that the daughter of the Kingston Bruces is also suspicious, it took her two hours to get to their office that morning, which is ridiculous.

As they talk the door slams shut. Tuppence thinks it could have been the wind, however when Elise goes to open the door, it will not open. She believes someone may have slammed it shut. Elise then grabs a towel and tries again and suddenly the door opens to reveal no one in the bedroom at all. It is curious, but Tommy goes about ordering the ladies around to get the photographs he wants.

Lady Laura’s room is across the hall from the room Tommy and Tuppence are in at the moment and they slip across to look around. The door was ajar and it was a beautiful little room with its own bathroom. A “slim dark girl” named Elise, Lady Laura’s maid was in there and she seemed shocked to see the couple. She is busy cleaning the bath. Tommy goes to talk to her and ask her for her assistance with taking photos.