Free Death Among Rubies by R. J. Koreto

be stubborn. But he was too intelligent to turn away such a good solution. “I was tutored as a girl, studied in college, and have been to France multiple times.”
    She could see him thinking it over, trying to find a reason to reject her.
    “There is a problem. You’re technically a suspect.”
    Frances rolled her eyes. “Really, inspector? That’s ludicrous.”
    “Sir,” said Constable Smith. “According to the interview notes, Miss Kestrel and Miss Calvin were just with each other for most of the evening. But Lady Frances was in the estate office with a pair of chartered accountants during the relevant period. They were absolutely sure Lady Frances never left.”
    “We just have their word for it, I suppose?”
    “They are from a well-known and reputable firm, sir. Inspector Bedlow said he saw no reason to question their statements.”
    Eastley gave him a sour look, then turned back to Frances. “You’re really fluent?”
    “I can almost pass for French.”
    “And you don’t know the Auberts? I have to make sure there are no conflicts of interest.”
    She assured him she knew none of the guests; the inspector sighed again. “Very well. I’m not happy about it but I see no other solution. Smith, make a note that Lady Frances Ffolkes is being engaged as an official police interpreter. And you, constable . . .”
    “Dill, sir, Arthur Dill.”
    “Dill, we’ll start with Madame Aubert’s maid.”
    “Leonie, sir. I’ll send her up.”
    Frances was thrilled. Not only would she possibly learn something, but this would be a new experience, and new experiences tended to be both educational and entertaining. Of course, it would be a challenge, too. It was one thing to know a foreign language, and quite another to translate rapidly from one to the other.
    Inspector Eastley sat her down and gave her some strict instructions. She was only a translator. She was not to add questions or comments, or decide what was or was not relevant. And everything she heard was a secret; nothing left the room.
    “My family has been in public service for generations,” she said, feeling a little patronized. “And I’m sure you will find me satisfactory.”
    Leonie was darkly pretty, and even the rather shapeless black dress she wore, standard for a lady’s maid, didn’t completely obscure a lithe figure, much like a dancer’s. She didn’t seem nervous or excited. She took a chair when invited, and Eastley began asking questions while Smith took notes. If she thought it odd that a lady of quality was acting as translator, she said nothing.
    Frances was able to jump right in, and found the simple questions and answers easy to handle: Her name was Leonie, and she had been with Madame for four years. Madame had told her to answer all the questions of the English inspector of police. This was her third trip to Kestrel’s Eyrie. She knew nothing about Sir Calleford, had only seen him in passing. She had heard him speak French to Madame—pleasantries, nothing more.
    No, she had not heard anyone arguing at any time. Everyone seemed to be having a good visit. Madame never said anything about Sir Calleford, one way or another. Frances heard Leonie shut down at that. If Inspector Eastley thought he could get Leonie to pass along any confidences she held with her mistress, he was very much mistaken.
    Leonie knew nothing about the murder until she heard it from her ladyship. Had she been in her room, all evening? Here, there was just a moment’s hesitation, and Eastley seized on that.
    “Ask her where she was, and what she saw. Tell her if she wasn’t supposed to leave her room but did so anyway, we will not give her secret away to her mistress.”
    Frances emphasized that the English inspector would be discreet, but Leonie wasn’t impressed or rattled. “It was stuffy in my room. I was outside for a few minutes for some fresh air. But I got cold and came back. I don’t know how long I was outside. I didn’t look at the