A Donation of Murder by Felicity Young Read Free Book Online Page B

that’s what’s worrying you. Just doing my job, as you must now do yours.’
    Without further explanation he picked up Dody’s medical bag and escorted her across the street to a foreboding leviathan of a building about five storeys high.
    â€˜The Disraeli building,’ Pike explained, ‘home to about four hundred souls. Not long ago most of them were in the street. We’ve let them return home now — all, that is, except the occupants of the fifth floor, where the villains were holed up for most of the time.’
    â€˜I think you should start at the beginning, Matthew.’
    â€˜Right you are,’ Pike said, pushing the scarred front door open for her.
    Dody was immediately assailed by the stench of dirty baby nappies and greasy mutton. She turned to Pike. ‘I’d like some background information, please, Matthew. All you’ve said so far is that you have some bodies you want me to examine in situ.’
    â€˜Certainly, Doctor,’ Pike said as they climbed the stairs side by side. ‘Upon arriving early for work this morning, Mr Sachs, a jeweller, and his young assistant, Miss Ursula Levi, discovered their shop in the process of being robbed.’
    He sounds as if he’s addressing a courtroom, Dody thought. What is he hiding?
    â€˜The thieves had dug a tunnel from the premises next door and surfaced in the safe room. They forced the jeweller to open the safe and then commenced to brutally pistol whip him. The shop girl escaped up some stairs and into the street where she ran screaming. One of the thieves shot her dead in front of witnesses. Then the thieves, carrying the contents of the safe in a small leather bag, tumbled into an idling motorcar and sped away. A vigilant bobby spotted them and hastened after them onhis bicycle. Once he’d managed to flag down some colleagues in a police van, a pursuit ensued.’
    At the fourth floor landing they paused for breath. Pike rubbed his knee.
    â€˜Your knee, Matthew —’
    â€˜My ears, my knee, stop fussing,’ he said with the flicker of a smile. Behind one of the closed doors, a baby began to wail. ‘The bobbies followed the men to this building and immediately laid siege. I arrived not long after that. The tenants were evacuated, but in the process . . .’ Pike paused to clear his throat. ‘In the process there were casualties, a child and two policemen were wounded, one of them being Sergeant Singh.’
    So that’s what the courtroom tones were hiding. ‘Oh my goodness, are they all right?’
    â€˜Both men’s wounds were minor. But the child . . .’ Pike was unable to continue.
    Dody squeezed his arm. ‘Perhaps we should be getting on?’
    He nodded and they carried on up to the fifth floor.
    A policeman guarding a smoke-blackened door straightened to attention when he saw Pike. Nearby, a pair of heavy boots protruded from the end of a white sheet.
    Pike pointed to the body. ‘They set fire to the place to cause a diversion, but I believe they underestimated the power of the smoke and were overcome by it. This one made it out of the room before he collapsed. There are two other bodies inside.’
    â€˜Were the police shooting at them?’ Dody asked.
    â€˜Some gunfire was exchanged.’ He turned to the policeman. ‘Has the photographer been and done his business, Constable?’
    â€˜Yes, sir, left about ’arf an hour ago.’
    â€˜And he didn’t touch the bodies?’
    â€˜Just photographed them where they lay. I didn’t take me eyes off ’im. This one,’ the constable nudged the protruding boots with his own steel-capped toe, ‘I covered with a sheet after he left. I hope that’s acceptable, sir, I couldn’t bear to ’ave to look at ’im.’
    â€˜That’s quite acceptable,’ Pike said. ‘Good man.’
    Pike introduced Dody as the Home Office Pathologist and led her