A Mystery of Cross Women by Malcolm Noble

Author:Malcolm Noble [NOBLE, MALCOLM]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781848760929
Publisher: Troubador Publishing Ltd
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

In Harold Street, Elsie’s judgement was prompt and straight to the point. “How obvious! Annie’s such a clever girl when she puts her mind to it.”

I was sitting on the top step of the staircase, watching as she dusted her trinkets on ledges. “Rosie and Mrs Ritchers. Michael, Soapy and poor Shaky. They are all accounted for. So, there must have been someone else in the room.”

Then she put her cloth down and said disappointedly, “John Ritchers, of course. The landlord of the Palfreyman.”

But Annie had already prepared me for that. “No, you see, he was drinking with Josh Ankers and your captain.”

“Oh, was he now?”

“Annie says so.”

“She says so, does she? So there must have been someone else in the house and that person is the murderer. Yes, as plain as the nose on my face.” She stood up straight, put her hands on her hips and declared: “Talking of nosiness and what’s on show I’d be grateful if you would stop making out the shape of my underwear whenever I lean forward. You’ve been doing it for days and, ‘though ten years ago I might have been flattered, I’m afraid it’s rather distasteful when the admirer is a good deal younger than the trophy desired.”

“I’m sorry. I…”

“You didn’t realise you were doing it? Poppycock. You’ve had the look of a rather grubby little boy who makes rude drawings in class.”

I went red. “I’m rather ashamed, Elsie”

“Yes, well.” She went to the back bedroom and carried on cleaning. I wanted to apologise properly, so I pulled myself to my feet and followed her, knocking politely on the door.

‘You need to visit the Palfreyman again,” she said without looking at me. With a great display, she stripped the bed and began to reverse the sheets. When I offered to help, she acquiesced without speaking.

“Elsie, I really am very sorry. I didn’t think you’d notice.”

As we ‘shook the bugs from the blankets’, I looked at the sun scorched walnut surface of her bedside table. The faded patches and dusty rims said that things had been re-arranged; perhaps there had once been a picture of a sea captain here, but he was gone now

“You need to check that landing and work out where everybody was standing. Someone must have seen that man running down the stairs but no-one is telling.”

“Elsie, can we talk?”

“Not about you,” she said as she worked. “No we can’t.”

“No, about the other women?”

She sighed, almost angry rather than cross. “Do you know, you really need to cool down.”

“No, Elsie. I don’t mean like that. I mean about the murder. You told me that Rosie could kill someone if it was the right thing to do.”

“For the sake of justice, I said, and I said that I was a bully.”

“And that Annie would own up afterwards.”

She puffed up a pillow “I think we were playing, weren’t we? I was saying silly things.”

“I like puffed up pillows,” I said.

“Yes, well. We’ve had enough talk like that. You’ll be late for work.

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