The Montgomery Murder Read Online Free Page B

The Montgomery Murder
Book: The Montgomery Murder Read Online Free
Author: Cora Harrison
Pages:
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demanded?’ he asked eventually. ‘Help him find me?’
    ‘Dunno.’ Alfie leaned forward and tried staring at the visitor. This sort of stare usually worked well with local tough boys and it hid his nervousness.
    ‘What’s all this about?’ asked Jack, always the peacemaker. He took down the pewter mugs from the shelf and put the frying pan on the floor by the fire. He skewered one of the
sausages on the tip of a knife and handed it to Sammy, then took another one himself.
    ‘Have one.’ He pushed the pan a little towards Mallesh. ‘And some bread.’
    Mallesh shook his head again at the sausages, but readily cut a chunk from the loaf of bread, muttering ‘ Shukriya ’.
    That must mean thanks , thought Alfie, listening with interest to the strange sound of this new language.
    Mallesh thrust his knife into the crust and held it to the fire, moving it around so that it browned evenly. Jack’s friendliness seemed to make him more relaxed.
    ‘The inspector at Bow Street wants me to help him solve the killing of that Mr Montgomery from Bedford Square,’ said Alfie casually, biting into his own sausage. He ignored Mallesh
and addressed his remark to Jack.
    ‘You!’ Tom took a sausage.
    Alfie carefully shared the beer out between the four mugs, leaving some in the jug, which he offered to the visitor.
    ‘He knows that your father was hanged by Mr Montgomery, ’ he said eventually, looking directly at Mallesh, who now seemed nervous and unsure. Quietly Alfie took the knife from
Mallesh and placed another chunk of bread on it, and then put another sausage on Sammy’s knife. He didn’t go back to his own cushion, but sat on the floor, just beside his brother, with
his knee touching Sammy’s.
    ‘He thinks that I murdered that man.’ Mallesh’s voice was calm and flat – just stating a fact.
    Alfie took a deep breath. ‘Did you murder Mr Montgomery?’ he asked in an offhand tone.
    Mallesh shook his head. ‘ Nahin ,’ he said emphatically. ‘I did not know that he was dead – not until I listened at the window. I just wanted the . . .’ He
paused for a moment, hunting for the word, and then said, ‘diamond’.
    ‘From his ring? He had a diamond ring.’
    ‘That’s right – it was not his diamond.’ Mallesh suddenly stopped. ‘What’s that?’
    Footsteps were coming rapidly down the stairs, footsteps of someone running. Instantly, Mallesh was on his feet, his knife gleaming in his hand.

 
    CHAPTER 8
A F OUL AND W ICKED M AN

    There was a moment’s uneasy silence and then Sammy laughed. ‘That’s just Sarah,’ he said. ‘She needs to get her shoe mended. You can hear that one
shoe is worn at the heel.’
    Mutsy hadn’t waited for Sammy’s explanation. He was already by the door; there wasn’t much light over there, but Alfie could hear the thumping of the tail on the old
floorboards.
    ‘Sarah’s a friend,’ he said reassuringly to Mallesh. He didn’t think that he would mention that she was the scullery maid at Mr Montgomery’s house.
    Tom was already lifting the latch. Sarah came in, and stopped. Alfie could not see her face, but he guessed that she’d had a shock. It was not like Sarah to hang around near the door;
normally she would come straight over to them. From where she stood, she would be able to see Mallesh very clearly by the light of the fire.
    ‘Shut the door, Tom,’ he said in what he hoped was a cheerful, reassuring tone. ‘Come on in, Sarah. Have a sausage.’
    Sarah didn’t look very alarming, thought Alfie, though he kept an eye on Mallesh. She was small for twelve, wearing a cloak too big for her and a battered old bonnet that covered her brown
hair. Her green eyes were huge in her thin face. The food was reasonable at the Montgomery house so Alfie guessed that she was just worked too hard. She had courage, though. Now, she ignored
Mallesh and was shaking Mutsy by the paw and chatting cheerfully to him.
    ‘How many rats today, old boy?’ she asked.
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