Read Online The Crocodile's Last Embrace by Suzanne Arruda - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Suzanne Arruda
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bowed to Emily, nodded to Jade, and left. Emily hesitated only a second before accompanying him to his automobile.
“Well, I seem to have lost some of my audience,” said Holly. “I trust you won’t desert me, Jade.”
“If you have any news for me, Inspector, you can find me after you’re finished talking to Mr. Holly. Come on, Biscuit, let’s find Bev.”
“I say,” said Holly as Jade hurried off.
She found Beverly directing the two oldest girls, Helen and Mary, to set up their archery target on the lawn, away from the party.
“Is Uncle Steven talking about his gold mine again?” asked Mary.
Jade nodded. “Yes, he’s very excited about it.” She looked over her shoulder to see him accost yet another victim. This time it was Dr. Mathews, who’d just arrived, apparently looking for Finch. He wore a belted tweed jacket and motoring gloves, a golf-style cap on his head. Mathews was listening politely as Holly expounded on his good fortune, his voice gaining in volume until Jade could overhear snippets of the monologue. Words like “collateral” and “nugget” reached her. The volume increased as Holly, Finch, and Mathews all joined her.
“You didn’t hear this part, Jade. I was just telling the doctor here and Finch what a stroke of luck when a chap named Waters came into my bank. Wanted a loan for equipment. Naturally I was intrigued. Interesting fellow. A bit taciturn at first. Actually travels with a parrot. Tragic about that other fellow, Stockton, but I should think my shares will be larger now.”
“Uncle Steven!” scolded Mary. She put her hands on her hips and shook her head. “This is my birthday party and I do not want to hear any more about your silly mine. Will you please help us bring out our archery target? It is in the garden hut.” She turned to Jade and Beverly, her eyes wide with anticipation. “Oh, wait until you see it. Helen and I made it ourselves. It’s really splendid.” She scampered off with her uncle and Helen to fetch it. Finch moved on to speak to someone else.
“Mr. Holly is quite enthusiastic, isn’t he?” commented Mathews with a chuckle.
“That’s the polite way of putting it,” said Jade. Biscuit wound himself around her legs, impatient after having sat so long in one place. Jade reached down and stroked his head after extricating him from his leash.
“Such a beautiful cat,” said Mathews. “May I pet him?”
“Let me introduce you to him first.” She showed Mathews how to hold out his gloved hand in a relaxed fist, palm down, for Biscuit to sniff. “Biscuit, friend.” Biscuit looked at the glove and at Dr. Mathews before gently butting his head on the knuckles. “That should do it, Dr. Mathews.”
He extended his fingers and reached for the broad head, his fingertips barely skimming the top of Biscuit’s fur. “He’s very soft.”
“I’m not sure you’re actually making contact, Doctor. You don’t need to be afraid. He won’t bite a friend.”
“Ah, yes, of course,” said Mathews, and he slowly lowered his hand until it rested on Biscuit’s head before lightly stroking it. “Very nice.”
“There was someone here at the party earlier who thought he knew you, Dr. Mathews,” said Beverly. “You can’t have missed him by more than a quarter of an hour. He’s a new medical doctor come to treat the Indian population.”
“Oh?” asked Mathews.
“Yes, his name is Dr. Dymant. Landrake Dymant,” said Beverly. “Do you recall him?”
Mathews’ brows furrowed as he puzzled over the name. “Cannot say that I do. He said he knew me?”
“He said he was a year behind you in medical school,” said Jade.
“Ah, well, that would explain why I don’t recollect him. One tended to stay within one’s own ranks, you know. Still . . .” He closed his eyes as he tried to recall a name or face. “Yes, I think I do remember someone by that name. Cornish, as you’d expect with a surname like Dymant. Tall fellow, slender, dark.
“Well, I seem to have lost some of my audience,” said Holly. “I trust you won’t desert me, Jade.”
“If you have any news for me, Inspector, you can find me after you’re finished talking to Mr. Holly. Come on, Biscuit, let’s find Bev.”
“I say,” said Holly as Jade hurried off.
She found Beverly directing the two oldest girls, Helen and Mary, to set up their archery target on the lawn, away from the party.
“Is Uncle Steven talking about his gold mine again?” asked Mary.
Jade nodded. “Yes, he’s very excited about it.” She looked over her shoulder to see him accost yet another victim. This time it was Dr. Mathews, who’d just arrived, apparently looking for Finch. He wore a belted tweed jacket and motoring gloves, a golf-style cap on his head. Mathews was listening politely as Holly expounded on his good fortune, his voice gaining in volume until Jade could overhear snippets of the monologue. Words like “collateral” and “nugget” reached her. The volume increased as Holly, Finch, and Mathews all joined her.
“You didn’t hear this part, Jade. I was just telling the doctor here and Finch what a stroke of luck when a chap named Waters came into my bank. Wanted a loan for equipment. Naturally I was intrigued. Interesting fellow. A bit taciturn at first. Actually travels with a parrot. Tragic about that other fellow, Stockton, but I should think my shares will be larger now.”
“Uncle Steven!” scolded Mary. She put her hands on her hips and shook her head. “This is my birthday party and I do not want to hear any more about your silly mine. Will you please help us bring out our archery target? It is in the garden hut.” She turned to Jade and Beverly, her eyes wide with anticipation. “Oh, wait until you see it. Helen and I made it ourselves. It’s really splendid.” She scampered off with her uncle and Helen to fetch it. Finch moved on to speak to someone else.
“Mr. Holly is quite enthusiastic, isn’t he?” commented Mathews with a chuckle.
“That’s the polite way of putting it,” said Jade. Biscuit wound himself around her legs, impatient after having sat so long in one place. Jade reached down and stroked his head after extricating him from his leash.
“Such a beautiful cat,” said Mathews. “May I pet him?”
“Let me introduce you to him first.” She showed Mathews how to hold out his gloved hand in a relaxed fist, palm down, for Biscuit to sniff. “Biscuit, friend.” Biscuit looked at the glove and at Dr. Mathews before gently butting his head on the knuckles. “That should do it, Dr. Mathews.”
He extended his fingers and reached for the broad head, his fingertips barely skimming the top of Biscuit’s fur. “He’s very soft.”
“I’m not sure you’re actually making contact, Doctor. You don’t need to be afraid. He won’t bite a friend.”
“Ah, yes, of course,” said Mathews, and he slowly lowered his hand until it rested on Biscuit’s head before lightly stroking it. “Very nice.”
“There was someone here at the party earlier who thought he knew you, Dr. Mathews,” said Beverly. “You can’t have missed him by more than a quarter of an hour. He’s a new medical doctor come to treat the Indian population.”
“Oh?” asked Mathews.
“Yes, his name is Dr. Dymant. Landrake Dymant,” said Beverly. “Do you recall him?”
Mathews’ brows furrowed as he puzzled over the name. “Cannot say that I do. He said he knew me?”
“He said he was a year behind you in medical school,” said Jade.
“Ah, well, that would explain why I don’t recollect him. One tended to stay within one’s own ranks, you know. Still . . .” He closed his eyes as he tried to recall a name or face. “Yes, I think I do remember someone by that name. Cornish, as you’d expect with a surname like Dymant. Tall fellow, slender, dark.
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