Darcy was gone all the next day, busy with the sheriff. Ronnie came to visit us, the usual worried frown on his face. It seemed the remaining wild animals had been rounded up and sent to the Los Angeles Zoo. After an extensive manhunt for Juan, his charred body was finally found, pinned against the fence at the top of the property where he had been trying to get out. So he had been trapped by his own fire. Served him right. He might have had a grudge against Mr. Goldman, but he could easily have killed us all. And those poor animals too. Ronnie said that a date for the funeral had been set and Mrs. Goldman was going to stay on for a while, determined that the studio and all of Cy’s hard work would survive. She seemed utterly devastated by his death.

On our third day back at the Beverly Hills Hotel a small package was delivered to me.

“This came for you, Lady Georgiana,” the bellboy said. “By hand.”

I opened it. Inside was a small velvet pouch and inside that was a huge and gorgeous ruby pendant. I ran after the bellboy who had brought it to me. “Wait. Who delivered this by hand?” I asked.

“I couldn’t tell you,” he said. “It was left at the front desk with the words ‘For Lady Georgiana. By hand.’ That’s all I know.”

I handed it over to Darcy when he showed up that evening. He whistled as he looked at the ruby, sparkling red fire in his hand.

“So your friend Bella really must have decided to go straight,” he said. “I’ll have to deliver this back to Princess Promila. She will be pleased. And at least I’ll have something positive to show for my journey here.”

“You aren’t going to stay and hunt down Bella?”

“If this came by hand then she’s still in the area and it’s quite possible she’s staying with her sister,” he said. “I’ll certainly follow up on that.”

“I think it’s unlikely,” I said. “She took the first opportunity to slip away from us at the estate. Her sister may know where she is, but I bet she won’t tell, not after Bella saved her life.”

Darcy shrugged. “It doesn’t really matter, I suppose. I have no warrant for her arrest and no official jurisdiction anyway. And as far as we know she has committed no crime in America, apart from the diamond ring we presume she stole on the ship.”

I laughed. “I forgot to tell you about that. Bella says she didn’t take it and she suspected the woman said it had been stolen in order to claim on the insurance. She said people do it all the time.”