“Upstairs in the wing the family used. Fiona’s room.”

Drummond grunted and led the way. Clarence came to greet them, stretching and yawning broadly. Drummond ignored the cat and stopped on the threshold of Fiona’s bedroom.

“I’m waiting.”

Rutledge said, “The tall bureau. Go to it and open the second drawer from the top. Go on, man, this is no time to be fussy about such things.”

Drummond reluctantly crossed the room to the chest and then pulled open the second drawer from the top. “I won’t touch her things!”

“No. You shouldn’t have to. There’s a small sandalwood box there. Do you see it? Probably the color of honey now. Perhaps a little darker. Just a small wooden box.”

Drummond grunted. “I don’t see it.”

“Look, man!”

With a rough forefinger, Drummond pushed at the contents of the drawer. “It’s here.”

“Then take it out. Take it over to the bed.”

Drummond did as he was told. The box was no more than six inches long, four wide, and perhaps not quite four deep. The color of the wood was a dark amber.

“All right. Open it. I don’t want to see the contents. But tell me, if you will, what is inside.”

He could hear the little silvery sound of things falling onto the coverlet of the bed. “Trinkets,” Drummond said.

“Name them.” Rutledge could feel his heart beating and hear the clamor from Hamish as Drummond pawed among Fiona’s jewelry.

“There’s a bracelet. Here are studs, onyx, from the look of them. A small teething hoop, silver, at a guess—it’s tarnished. A ring or two. Here’s a brooch. And that’s the lot.”

Rutledge could feel his heart stop.

“Describe it. The brooch.”

“I’m not one to describe a woman’s gewgaws—”

“Damn it, tell me what it looks like!”

“It’s gold, three strands twisted into three circles. Like loops. There’s a small stone in the center. A pearl. I’ve seen Ealasaid wear that of a Sunday.”

“And that’s all?” He was breathing again.

“That’s the lot. I told you.”

“Then put it all back into the box and close the lid.”

“What’s this in aid of?”

“I can’t tell you. If you’d found what I had hoped was there, it could have saved Fiona from the hangman. Now—” He put the box that Drummond gave him into his pocket and went to shut the drawer in the chest.

Drummond said, “I won’t have you taking her belongings!”

“I’m taking them to her. I’ll bring them back shortly. She wants to know if her mother’s brooch is still there.”

“But that’s Ealasaid’s brooch—”

“Yes,” Rutledge said as he led the way down the stairs. “And it isn’t enough!”