The Poisoning in the Pub Read Online Free Page A

words.’
    ‘And when you asked him about having any enemies, did he mention any names?’
    ‘No. All he said was that his “bloody ex-wife” had come back into his life.’
    ‘Oh, really?’ said Carole Seddon.
    Stuck on the main doors of the Crown and Anchor was an A4 sheet on which had been printed in a large font: CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. Under this someone had scrawled in red
felt pen: ‘Dew to customers being poissoned’. Jude felt pretty sure Ted Crisp hadn’t yet seen the addition; he wouldn’t have let it stay there for long. So when, at about
twelve o’clock, Zosia opened the locked door to her, Jude pointed it out. The girl immediately tore down the notice and said she’d print up a new one.
    Jude had met Zosia when she had come over from Warsaw following the murder of her brother Tadeusz, and the two had bonded immediately, in spite of their age difference. The girl’s full
name was Zofia Jankowska, but everyone called her Zosia. When she had first arrived in England her English had been limited, but she had applied herself and now spoke with only a trace of an
accent. She had enrolled in a journalism course at the University of Clincham, and managed to fit her commitments at the Crown and Anchor around her studies. She always wore her blonded hair in
pigtails, and her hazel eyes sparkled with energy.
    ‘Ted will not be pleased with that,’ she said, indicating the graffiti on the notice.
    ‘I got the impression he wasn’t very pleased with much at the moment. He came round for a drink to my place last night. Seemed to be in a bad way. That’s really why I dropped
round this morning – just to see that he’s OK.’
    ‘When the pub’s closed, he is like a . . . what do you say – “bear with a headache”?’
    ‘“Bear with a sore head”.’
    ‘Yes, that is right. Though he doesn’t look like one, he is a real workaholic. He cannot be doing nothing.’
    They were now inside the empty bar. ‘Ted’s out the back,’ Zosia went on. ‘I’ll take you to—’
    ‘Just a minute.’ Jude held the girl back with a touch on her arm. ‘Before I see him, I just wondered if you had any ideas about what might have happened yesterday.’
    ‘With the scallops? I’m sorry, Jude, I’d forgotten. You were one of the people who ate them, weren’t you?’
    ‘Yes, but I’m fine now, don’t worry.’
    ‘And Carole?’
    ‘Not so good, I’m afraid. But I’m sure she’ll soon be better. Incidentally, have you heard anything from the hospital? About the woman who was taken there? Bettina
Smiley?’
    Zosia’s pigtails swayed as she firmly shook her head. ‘We have heard nothing. Ted is worrying about that too. Mind you, there’s no reason why the hospital should tell us, is
there?’
    ‘Probably not. Maybe I could make an enquiry . . .’
    Zosia made as if to lead her friend through to the kitchen, but Jude again resisted. ‘Just a quick word before I see Ted. Have you any idea what went wrong with the scallops
yesterday?’
    Another decided shake of the head. ‘I suppose it must have been the suppliers.’
    ‘Ted said they were normally very reliable.’
    ‘They are. And they don’t like what is being said about them. Ted had a furious managing director on the phone for a good half hour this morning.’
    ‘You haven’t had your Health and Safety inspection yet?’
    ‘No. They rang first thing, and said they’d try to fit it in this afternoon. But they didn’t sound optimistic. Ted’ll go mad if he has to keep closed for another
day.’
    ‘Last night he said . . . well, he was rambling a bit, but he said he thought someone might have tampered with the scallops, that it might have been sabotage.’
    ‘That is the obvious thing to think, when there is no other explanation. Except I don’t see how it could have been done. Either Ed or I was in the kitchen all the time.’
    ‘Did you see Ed take the delivery?’
    ‘Yes, I did. I was in and out to the bar all the time,