A Question of Trust

1. The Bibliophile Locksmith

Horace Danby is fifty years old, unmarried, and lives with a housekeeper who worries constantly about his health. In his public life, he is a respectable citizen who runs a successful lock business and employs two assistants. However, Horace possesses a secret criminal habit that makes him unique in criminal history:

• The Motive: He is not driven by greed, luxury, or gambling. He robs purely to buy rare and expensive books through an agent, acquiring collector's volumes that he treasures.
• The Methodology: He robs exactly one safe a year, stealing just enough money to buy his beloved books and live comfortably for twelve months.
• Meticulous Planning: He studies his target for weeks in advance -- analyzing wiring, floor plans, room layout, family movements, and servant schedules.
• The Physical Achilles' Heel: Every summer, Horace suffers from acute attacks of hay fever, triggered by pollen and fragrant flowers, causing him to sneeze uncontrollably.

2. The Execution and the Fatal Allergy

Horace enters Shotover Grange with professional ease. He pacifies the household dog, a small terrier named Sherry, by calling him affectionately by his name (a classic burglar's trick: dogs remain quiet if greeted kindly by name). He cuts the wires of the clumsily installed burglar alarm in the hall and enters the drawing room where the safe is hidden behind an ugly painting.

However, an unexpected domestic detail disrupts his concentration: a large bowl of fragrant flowers sits on the table:

"He felt his nose tickle. He put down his tools, laid down his gloves, and gave a little sneeze, and then another.
A voice spoke from the doorway, quiet and kindly: 'What is it? A cold or hay fever?'"

Without thinking, Horace answers instinctively: 'Hay fever', and sneezes again. The voice continues calmly: 'You can cure it with a special treatment, you know, if you find out just what plant gives you the disease. I think you'd better see a doctor, if you're serious about your work. I heard you from the top of the house!'

3. Anatomy of Deception

Horace turns in shock. Standing in the doorway is a young, charming, pretty woman dressed in a stylish red dress. She displays consummate theatrical poise:

• Domestic Authority: She walks gracefully to the fireplace, straightens the ornaments, and pets the dog Sherry, who rubs against her affectionately.
• The Psychological Upper Hand: She addresses Horace with cool disdain: 'Down, Sherry. Anyone would think I'd been away for a month!' She speaks with the absolute confidence of a wealthy mistress returning unexpectedly to her country estate.
• The Threat of the Police: When Horace nervously suggests leaving, she counter-attacks: 'If I let you go, you'll just rob someone else. Society must be protected from men like you! I shall telephone the police immediately.'

4. The Trap Springs Shut

Horace, desperate to avoid prison, offers his expert services: 'I'll get them out for you, but you'll have to let me break your safe. My husband will be back in a month, and I'll have the safe mended by that time,' she laughs cheerfully.

Horace sets to work. But in his haste and relief, he makes the catastrophic, amateur blunder that destroys his entire career:

"Horace took off his gloves. He opened his cigarette case, took out a cigarette, and gave her a lighter. He had taken off his gloves and not put them back on! Within an hour Horace had opened the safe, given her the jewels, and gone happily away, believing he had made a friend."

For two days, Horace keeps his promise: he does not commit any robbery. But by the third morning, his passion for rare books returns. He realizes he must find another safe to rob. However, he never gets the chance.

5. The Climax and the Myth of 'Honour Among Thieves'

By noon on the third day, a police detective arrives at Horace's door and arrests him for the jewel robbery at Shotover Grange!

• The Indisputable Evidence: Horace had opened the safe without his gloves. His fingerprints were all over the room, the furniture, and the safe itself.
• The Shocking Revelation: Horace desperately tells the police that the owner's wife asked him to open the safe. At this, the real mistress of Shotover Grange steps forward: a sharp-tongued, grey-haired woman of sixty, who laughs dismissively, calling Horace's story of a charming young lady in red a ridiculous fabrication!