Read Online Death by Water by Kerry Greenwood - Free Book Online
Authors: Kerry Greenwood
Tags: A Phyrne Fisher Mystery
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apologies from the company, and all this brouhaha results in—no necklace.’
‘Right,’ agreed Dot, tying off a thread.
‘Next one was two voyages later,’ said Phryne. ‘Famous opera singer, La Paloma di Napoli, real name Caterina Marinara. Light coloratura, very good at baroque music. Most famous for ‘‘The Jewel Song’’ from ‘‘Faust’’. By Gounod.’
‘Never heard of him,’ said Dot flatly. ‘Should I put another brown thread through this edging, Miss, or would gold be better?’
‘What is it going to be when it’s finished?’ asked Phryne.
‘Afternoon tea cloth,’ said Dot, shaking out the folds.
‘Not gold. Not for afternoon tea. Why not weave in a strand of that burnt sienna I see there? More dramatic but not vulgar.’
‘Good idea,’ said Dot, who always took Phryne’s advice on aesthetics. Phryne might not be able to mend even so small a thing as a rent in a stocking without pricking her fingers, making ladders, and finally throwing the stocking away and buying another, but she had excellent taste. ‘What does La Paloma mean?’
‘The dove,’ responded Phryne, lighting a gasper. ‘They call her ‘‘the dove of Naples’’. Though if any dove unwisely alighted in the part of Naples that Caterina comes from, the inhabitants would have eaten it instantly. Like many from poor hungry 49
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beginnings, she has considerable embonpoint and the temperament almost expected of opera singers. Tears. Complaints.
She was travelling with a frayed accompanist and a very stout hearted maid, once her nurse. The only person reckoned able to deal with one of Miss Marinara’s tantrums was this nurse, Signora Capadimento.’
‘Stands to reason,’ said Dot. ‘It’s hard to fool someone who’s wiped your bottom—and smacked it—when you were a baby. It’s like trying to impress your mother with how sick you are when you don’t want to go to school. Very hard to do.’
‘Indeed.’ Phryne stubbed out her cigarette and ruffled the notes. ‘But even the signora couldn’t calm the dove of Naples until P&O offered her a large sum, which she accepted, drying her tears with the hand not holding the money.’
‘What was stolen?’ asked Dot.
‘A big ruby,’ said Phryne. ‘While La Paloma was busy at the salon, having her hair washed. The stone should have been in the captain’s strong box, but the singer liked having it close; it reminded her of the giver, the Maharajah of Gopal. Apparently he was quite smitten. While she was out, the stone vanished from her cabin. This cabin, in fact. Everyone was questioned.
The stewardess didn’t notice a thing. I rather gather that La Paloma had made her work for her wages, poor girl. It was Caroline, your Maori friend. You might ask her about it. In fact, the stewardess was Caroline in all these cases, which need not surprise us, because she looks after both Imperial suites. Anyway, fits having been thrown, as we might say in Latin, P&O stumped up and La Paloma forgave them, unbending so far as to give a recital of light classical pieces for the adoring multitude.’
‘That was nice of her,’ said Dot, admiring the contrast of light beige and burnt sienna. Phryne had, of course, been right about gold. Gold during the day was vulgar.
50
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‘More so because she went and sang for Second and Third Class as well. Perhaps sopranos can be forgiven a little uneasi-ness of temperament. All those high notes must rob the brain of oxygen, I expect. At the time of the theft, most of our suspects were blamelessly occupied elsewhere, the only one unaccounted for being Jack Mason, who was supposed to have been in the Turkish bath. He may have been there but the attendant doesn’t remember seeing him. He pointed out that the steam was so thick that he might have missed even so fast moving a target as Mr Mason.’
‘And the third theft?’ prompted Dot.
‘Was of
‘Right,’ agreed Dot, tying off a thread.
‘Next one was two voyages later,’ said Phryne. ‘Famous opera singer, La Paloma di Napoli, real name Caterina Marinara. Light coloratura, very good at baroque music. Most famous for ‘‘The Jewel Song’’ from ‘‘Faust’’. By Gounod.’
‘Never heard of him,’ said Dot flatly. ‘Should I put another brown thread through this edging, Miss, or would gold be better?’
‘What is it going to be when it’s finished?’ asked Phryne.
‘Afternoon tea cloth,’ said Dot, shaking out the folds.
‘Not gold. Not for afternoon tea. Why not weave in a strand of that burnt sienna I see there? More dramatic but not vulgar.’
‘Good idea,’ said Dot, who always took Phryne’s advice on aesthetics. Phryne might not be able to mend even so small a thing as a rent in a stocking without pricking her fingers, making ladders, and finally throwing the stocking away and buying another, but she had excellent taste. ‘What does La Paloma mean?’
‘The dove,’ responded Phryne, lighting a gasper. ‘They call her ‘‘the dove of Naples’’. Though if any dove unwisely alighted in the part of Naples that Caterina comes from, the inhabitants would have eaten it instantly. Like many from poor hungry 49
Death by Water-PAGES 21/4/05 2:21 PM Page 50
beginnings, she has considerable embonpoint and the temperament almost expected of opera singers. Tears. Complaints.
She was travelling with a frayed accompanist and a very stout hearted maid, once her nurse. The only person reckoned able to deal with one of Miss Marinara’s tantrums was this nurse, Signora Capadimento.’
‘Stands to reason,’ said Dot. ‘It’s hard to fool someone who’s wiped your bottom—and smacked it—when you were a baby. It’s like trying to impress your mother with how sick you are when you don’t want to go to school. Very hard to do.’
‘Indeed.’ Phryne stubbed out her cigarette and ruffled the notes. ‘But even the signora couldn’t calm the dove of Naples until P&O offered her a large sum, which she accepted, drying her tears with the hand not holding the money.’
‘What was stolen?’ asked Dot.
‘A big ruby,’ said Phryne. ‘While La Paloma was busy at the salon, having her hair washed. The stone should have been in the captain’s strong box, but the singer liked having it close; it reminded her of the giver, the Maharajah of Gopal. Apparently he was quite smitten. While she was out, the stone vanished from her cabin. This cabin, in fact. Everyone was questioned.
The stewardess didn’t notice a thing. I rather gather that La Paloma had made her work for her wages, poor girl. It was Caroline, your Maori friend. You might ask her about it. In fact, the stewardess was Caroline in all these cases, which need not surprise us, because she looks after both Imperial suites. Anyway, fits having been thrown, as we might say in Latin, P&O stumped up and La Paloma forgave them, unbending so far as to give a recital of light classical pieces for the adoring multitude.’
‘That was nice of her,’ said Dot, admiring the contrast of light beige and burnt sienna. Phryne had, of course, been right about gold. Gold during the day was vulgar.
50
Death by Water-PAGES 21/4/05 2:21 PM Page 51
‘More so because she went and sang for Second and Third Class as well. Perhaps sopranos can be forgiven a little uneasi-ness of temperament. All those high notes must rob the brain of oxygen, I expect. At the time of the theft, most of our suspects were blamelessly occupied elsewhere, the only one unaccounted for being Jack Mason, who was supposed to have been in the Turkish bath. He may have been there but the attendant doesn’t remember seeing him. He pointed out that the steam was so thick that he might have missed even so fast moving a target as Mr Mason.’
‘And the third theft?’ prompted Dot.
‘Was of
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