Read Online Coroner's Pidgin by Margery Allingham - Free Book Online

heartily busy with the glasses.
    Onyer advanced purposefully. He was unhappy but determined, and he took the drink which Dolly thrust into his hand without looking at it.
    â€œI say,” he said. “Just a moment, everybody. There’s something I think you’d all better know.”
    Johnny brought his music to a sudden end.
    â€œThe Moppet was murdered,” he said, “don’t tell us again, old boy. She was murdered and my dear mother can’t quite remember exactly where she found the corp’. Don’t repeat it, we’ve got that far.”
    He began to play again, more vigorously this time, and over in his corner Ricky laid a cerise ribbon across a piece of rust-red satin and paused, his eyes half closed, to admire the swear. Onyer shrugged his shoulders and drank his sherry.
    â€œAs long as you know,” he said. “We’re waiting for the police, I suppose, or have they been?”
    â€œWe imagine they’re on their way, Peter.” Gwenda spoke quietly from the couch. She had a restrained, semi-tragic note in her voice which made Campion look at her sharply, wondering if she could possibly be enjoying the situation.
    â€œGwenda was at Number Twenty when Lady Carados came back with the Inspector,” said Dolly, briefly making everything clear. “She found out a little of what had happened, and came back to tell us. It seems Lady Carados has altered her story a little since that A.R.P. man disappeared.”
    â€œShe means well,” said Captain Gold, revealing anunexpectedly deep voice for so small a man, “but then she always does.”
    â€œI say, Johnny, you must get some sense into her. It’s serious, you know.” Onyer’s appeal was urgent and once again Carados took his hands from the piano.
    â€œDon’t be a mug, Pete,” he said, lazily, “when did I ever have any control over mother? She’s decided how to save us and save us she will, no doubt. By the way, we’ve had other excitements. The wedding is postponed, the Admiral says so, he’s full of good ideas. He’s going to get everything shipshape, he and I are going to clear up the trouble, uncover the mystery, and get the whole thing straightened out. ‘Pronto’, I think he said, Gwenda, didn’t he?”
    He turned as he spoke, and catching sight of Campion smiled with genuine welcome. “Hullo. Nice to see you, just the man we want. Got any ideas?”
    â€œI collected him from Police Headquarters,” Onyer remarked warningly.
    â€œThey picked you up, did they, Campion?” Johnny was not waiting for replies. “My poor chap, what trying friends you’ve got.”
    â€œJohnny dear.” Gwenda’s yellow eyes peered at him over the back of the couch. “Johnny, do be sensible, we don’t know what to do, darling.”
    â€œIf the Admiral is in this as well as your mother, we’re in for hell’s delight, leaving the police out of it,” said Onyer seriously. “What line is he taking?”
    â€œAction.” Johnny’s mouth curled, but his eyes remained gloomy. “Straight from the shoulder, go-in-and-win action. He’s in the house now, you know.”
    â€œâ€™Strewth,” said Major Onyer, “where?”
    â€œDownstairs ’phoning ‘someone with authority’—at the Admiralty, I suppose. He doesn’t know it’s murder yet. He came in just after Gwenda broke it to us and no one had the nerve to tell him. The suicide had got him down. He rushed over, postponed the marriage, leaving me here in Aunt Carados’s wedding token, and is now getting his big guns on to the job. I think he’ll get us all hanged, what do you think, Campion?”
    The thin man in the horn-rimmed spectacles sat down. He had bullied Onyer into letting him call in at his Club and was now comparatively neat and clean, but he was still weary. He looked at his host with