The Montgomery Murder Read Online Free

for in Bedford Square. The inspector thinks an Indian did it –
one of those lascars from the East India Dock.’ He stopped. He didn’t know whether he should say any more, but both Mutsy and Sammy had their faces turned towards him so he continued.
‘I saw an Indian just before I came in. He was across the road and looking at me. I’d say that he noticed the inspector letting me out of the police station.’
    And now it was known. Alfie gave a hasty look towards Tom and then muttered in Sammy’s ear, ‘Not sure it’s a good idea to be mixed up with murder.’

 
    CHAPTER 6
A LFIE’S P LAN

    Alfie counted the rent money and then paced restlessly up and down the cellar. He wished that Jack would come back with the beer. It was poor stuff, this small beer that they
bought – no alcohol left in it really, but it had a sharp, clean flavour and it would go well with the sausages. He felt that he needed to clear his mouth of the taste of that police station
and of the room where the dead bodies lay. He could still see the purple, swollen face of Mr Montgomery. Was it Betty who twisted that wire around his throat? Or did the Indian kill him? He gave
Mutsy another hug and sat down beside his brother again.
    ‘Likely the Indian meant you no harm,’ said Sammy after a minute. ‘Likely he wondered what you were doing in the police station. You’d be the same if you was
him.’
    ‘True enough.’ A great weight was suddenly lifted off Alfie. He had not thought of the matter like that. ‘There might be a reward,’ he said. ‘I got a shilling
already.’
    ‘Worth thinking about, ain’t it?’ Sammy’s voice conveyed something to Mutsy, who gave a quick, sharp bark and then wagged his tail.
    ‘Worth thinking about,’ echoed Alfie. He looked at Sammy carefully. Although he was two years older, it was sometimes hard for Alfie to persuade Sammy to follow some of his plans.
Sammy had to think it was a good idea. So when Alfie spoke, he was careful to keep his voice casual.
    ‘I was thinking that if only Sarah could get me into the house, then I might find out something about them. Find out what’s going on. She told me that they are looking for a knife
boy for a week or so – seems their knife boy got badly burned when a pot of boiling fat tipped over on him. He landed himself in hospital. All I’d have to do is sit and clean knives all
day, but I might pick up something.’
    Sammy grinned. The smile lit up his face and almost sent a sparkle to his blind eyes.
    ‘You needn’t try to fool me,’ he said. ‘You were thinking that I might do it.’
    Alfie chuckled. He couldn’t help being proud of his brother. He was a sparky fellow.
    ‘That’s right,’ he admitted. ‘I thought you might. Yo u’d get on well with Sarah’s missus, too. Remember the time that she had you sing for her? We got a
shilling out of that. And you’d get a good dinner in the middle of every day.’ He stopped, but this was such an essential part of his plan that he forced himself to say the words that
he would not normally have said. ‘And you’re a pretty spry fellow. You’ve got brains. You’ll pick up all sorts of things. You’ll hear what they sound like.
You’ll know if one of them sounds a bit uneasy.’
    ‘And they won’t be worried about what they say in front of me,’ mused Sammy. ‘People don’t when you’re blind. They think it means that you’re daft, as
well.’ He stretched out his hand. Mutsy came over to him and Sammy brushed the dog’s fringe from the soft brown eyes.
    Alfie watched. Sometimes he felt very bad about Sammy.
    ‘Tom, them sausages are done,’ he said decisively, looking away from Sammy and Mutsy and at the crisp brown sausages. ‘Put the pan to one side. That’s Jack coming
now.’
    And then Mutsy gave a quick, short bark and stood up, his furry tail very straight and one large paw lifted, every fibre in his body stiff and aggressive.
    The door opened and in came Jack,