Under the Dragon's Tail by Maureen Jennings

Author:Maureen Jennings
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, pdf
ISBN: 9781551992815
Publisher: McClelland & Stewart
Published: 2008-07-17T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Annie’s dressing room was even smaller than Murdoch’s own cubicle at the station. There was room for a shabby dresser, an extra cane chair, and a sagging pouf. Across one corner was strung a peacock blue chenille curtain. The tiny space was bare of clutter but from the rather lumpy hang of the curtain, Murdoch had the sense that things had been hastily stuffed away for his benefit. Annie hadn’t changed out of her stage costume but she’d covered her bosom with a grey, honeycomb shawl which she might have borrowed from her granny. She’d also removed the makeup from her face. Except for the spangled scarlet skirt that showed beneath the shawl, she looked neat and proper. She did not want to give offence.

“Please sit down. That chair isn’t as fragile as it looks.”

He took the cane chair, which swayed and creaked alarmingly.

“What can I do for you, Mr., er, I’m sorry but I’ve forgotten your name already.”

“It isn’t Charlie.”

She shrugged. “There’s too many of them to remember. Charlie suits.”

“My name’s Murdoch. William Murdoch.”

“And you’re a police officer?”

She wrinkled her forehead prettily as if the idea of police officers was bewildering.

“That’s right. Acting detective, number-four station.”

She turned to face the dresser mirror and absent-mindedly smoothed her hair back into one of her combs. She continued to look at his reflection and he was forced to address her the same way.

“I’m conducting an investigation and I thought you might be able to help.”

“If I can, of course. I like to be of help.”

Somehow she managed to make it sound lascivious.

“Did you by any chance know a Mrs. Shaw? Dolly Shaw? She lived on River Street.”

Annie’s eyes narrowed and she became still. “Never heard of her. Why d’you ask?”

“She’s dead.”

She swivelled around and met his gaze properly.

“What! When’d that happen?”

“She was found stone cold dead in her own parlour last Friday morning.”

Annie stared at him and gave a little laugh.

“Come on, Mr. Murdoch, spit it out. What happened, for God’s sake?”

“The coroner says she was suffocated.”

“Suffocated how?”

“I’m not at liberty to disclose the method of death, ma’am. But I can tell you it was not from natural causes.”

She picked up the ostrich feather fan from the dresser and began to fan herself. She did it more gracefully than Miss Louise Kenny but for similar reasons.

“If it wasn’t natural then it was unnatural. In my book, that means somebody done her in. Is that right?”

“It is.”

“Why’ve you come here? What’s it to do with me?”

“One of the neighbours was looking out his window late on Thursday night. Fellow couldn’t sleep. He says he saw a young woman enter Mrs. Shaw’s house. At about a quarter past midnight. He says that woman was you, Miss Brogan.”

“That’s a load of horse plop. I told you I’ve never heard of the woman. He’s got the wrong person. How can you believe some old gasper who’s sitting there pulling on his dick ’til he goes blind?”

“Stow the language. Mr. Golding says he recognized you because you’d had a little encounter the week previous.

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