Read Online Avery & Blake 02 - The Infidel Stain by M. J. Carter - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: M. J. Carter
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emphasized how frail and small she was. I released the basket.
‘No, Miss Horner. It is not that at all. We have been asked to look into the matter because the new police have done so little. I was a soldier in India, as was my friend Mr Blake. He is an inquiry agent—’
‘India?’ she said, her curiosity for a moment outpacing her mistrustfulness. ‘Never met anyone from India. Where’s your friend then?’
I pointed Blake out. He was leaning against a wall, his hand on his chest, watching us. She looked back and forth at us. Not for the first time I was reminded of what a strange couple we must make – me in my country gentleman’s smart clothes, he looking as if he had recently been discharged from a paupers’ hospital.
‘Look, I’ll talk to you,’ she said in a low voice, ‘but you’ll have to pay.’
I nodded disapprovingly.
She laughed wearily. ‘Nah. I’m not pricey. I want a cup and two thin from the coffee stand. And maybe a shilling. That’ll do to start. I’ll meet you at Abraham’s. He’ll let me sit in the back.’
‘So, you again,’ said the old clothes dealer, scowling from beneath his shaggy eyebrows. ‘Not here, I think, to buy a few garments. But poking into the Wedderburn business.’
‘Keep it down, Abe, and let him in,’ said Matty Horner.
‘You sure, Matty girl? You all right?’ He spoke to her fondly, in a tone quite different from his addresses to us.
‘Nothing a cup and two thin won’t sort. They come to ask me about when I found him. They say they’re going to find who done it to him.’
‘What you doing nosing round here? You’re no blue bastards.’
‘I am Captain Avery and this is Mr Blake,’ I said patiently. ‘We have been asked to look into the matter by Viscount Allington. He does a great deal of work in places like this to help the needy, and is most concerned at the lack of progress made by the new police.’
Abraham Kravitz was unimpressed. ‘What you want with her, then?’
‘We need to ask Miss Horner about what she saw.’
‘She shouldn’t have to speak of it again. No one else does.’
‘Abe,’ said Matty, her exasperation transforming the word into two syllables, Ay-abe, ‘come on. Let them sit in and I can have my coffee. They’re buying. It carn hurt and if they can do something about it …’
‘There are things it doesn’t do to remember,’ he said.
‘But they are already in here,’ she said, tapping her head. ‘And not thinking about them doan help. I’ve tried.’
‘You just be careful.’ With a great show of reluctance, the old man stood aside to let us in. ‘All right, Matty girl, take them into the back and rest your legs. I hope they’re paying you good.’
We followed the girl into the rear of the shop past mounds of old clothes, piled high and giving off a musty scent. In the back, wedged between two such piles, were a small table and some odd chairs. I gave Matty her cup of hot coffee and the bread and butter, and pulled out a chair for her. With exaggerated ceremony she sat down upon it, placing her basket carefully on the floor, setting her prizes upon the table and removing her bonnet. Then she set to eating with great bites, chewing each mouthful thoroughly as if to wringfrom it as much nourishment and satisfaction as possible. I had also purchased a ham sandwich. It turned out to be a slab of grey flannel set between two slices of something not far off cardboard. The enthusiasm with which she then tucked into this made me wish I had bought her something better.
‘You know who I am, Matty?’ Blake said.
‘The Captain here says you was – you were,’ she corrected herself, ‘a soldier in India.’
‘I was that,’ said Blake. ‘Now I’m a private inquiry agent. I’m not a copper, but I sometimes work on matters that the police don’t have time for. I have a piece of paper says I can look into such things. The Captain, he’s helping me. If I ask you some questions, will you
‘No, Miss Horner. It is not that at all. We have been asked to look into the matter because the new police have done so little. I was a soldier in India, as was my friend Mr Blake. He is an inquiry agent—’
‘India?’ she said, her curiosity for a moment outpacing her mistrustfulness. ‘Never met anyone from India. Where’s your friend then?’
I pointed Blake out. He was leaning against a wall, his hand on his chest, watching us. She looked back and forth at us. Not for the first time I was reminded of what a strange couple we must make – me in my country gentleman’s smart clothes, he looking as if he had recently been discharged from a paupers’ hospital.
‘Look, I’ll talk to you,’ she said in a low voice, ‘but you’ll have to pay.’
I nodded disapprovingly.
She laughed wearily. ‘Nah. I’m not pricey. I want a cup and two thin from the coffee stand. And maybe a shilling. That’ll do to start. I’ll meet you at Abraham’s. He’ll let me sit in the back.’
‘So, you again,’ said the old clothes dealer, scowling from beneath his shaggy eyebrows. ‘Not here, I think, to buy a few garments. But poking into the Wedderburn business.’
‘Keep it down, Abe, and let him in,’ said Matty Horner.
‘You sure, Matty girl? You all right?’ He spoke to her fondly, in a tone quite different from his addresses to us.
‘Nothing a cup and two thin won’t sort. They come to ask me about when I found him. They say they’re going to find who done it to him.’
‘What you doing nosing round here? You’re no blue bastards.’
‘I am Captain Avery and this is Mr Blake,’ I said patiently. ‘We have been asked to look into the matter by Viscount Allington. He does a great deal of work in places like this to help the needy, and is most concerned at the lack of progress made by the new police.’
Abraham Kravitz was unimpressed. ‘What you want with her, then?’
‘We need to ask Miss Horner about what she saw.’
‘She shouldn’t have to speak of it again. No one else does.’
‘Abe,’ said Matty, her exasperation transforming the word into two syllables, Ay-abe, ‘come on. Let them sit in and I can have my coffee. They’re buying. It carn hurt and if they can do something about it …’
‘There are things it doesn’t do to remember,’ he said.
‘But they are already in here,’ she said, tapping her head. ‘And not thinking about them doan help. I’ve tried.’
‘You just be careful.’ With a great show of reluctance, the old man stood aside to let us in. ‘All right, Matty girl, take them into the back and rest your legs. I hope they’re paying you good.’
We followed the girl into the rear of the shop past mounds of old clothes, piled high and giving off a musty scent. In the back, wedged between two such piles, were a small table and some odd chairs. I gave Matty her cup of hot coffee and the bread and butter, and pulled out a chair for her. With exaggerated ceremony she sat down upon it, placing her basket carefully on the floor, setting her prizes upon the table and removing her bonnet. Then she set to eating with great bites, chewing each mouthful thoroughly as if to wringfrom it as much nourishment and satisfaction as possible. I had also purchased a ham sandwich. It turned out to be a slab of grey flannel set between two slices of something not far off cardboard. The enthusiasm with which she then tucked into this made me wish I had bought her something better.
‘You know who I am, Matty?’ Blake said.
‘The Captain here says you was – you were,’ she corrected herself, ‘a soldier in India.’
‘I was that,’ said Blake. ‘Now I’m a private inquiry agent. I’m not a copper, but I sometimes work on matters that the police don’t have time for. I have a piece of paper says I can look into such things. The Captain, he’s helping me. If I ask you some questions, will you
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