Sick of Shadows by M. C. Beaton Read Free Book Online

day.” Daisy took out a bunch of keys and began to unlock their cases. “I’ll get out our swimming costumes first.”

    The water in the river was so cold that they both plunged in and then scrambled out again and ran back into the house. Large coarse towels had been laid out on the bed. They scrubbed themselves down, Rose too cold to be ashamed of standing naked in front of Daisy.
    They put on plain wool dresses and had just finished dressing when they heard Sally call, “Dinner!”
    The Shufflebottom family were all seated around the table. The girls stared wide-eyed at Rose and Daisy.
    “Sit down on those two chairs next to Bert,” said Sally.
    Dinner started, after Bert had said grace, with mutton broth followed by lamb stew and then apple crumble. Rose realized she was very hungry and had to admit the food was delicious.
    Lizzie found courage to speak first. “Ma says you went swimming.” She stared in awe at the elegant beauty that was Rose.
    “One gets very dirty on a train,” said Rose. “Your mother said bath day wasn’t until Friday.”
    “You could have waited until then,” said Lizzie. “Ma would have given you first water.”
    Maisie piped up. “By the time I get it, it’s awful dirty.”
    Rose repressed a shudder and hoped the river would warm up soon.
    “I’m sure you wouldn’t mind us arranging our own baths,” said Daisy, “if we find the wood and fire up the copper.”
    “If you’re prepared to do that, lass,” said Sally, “then I’ve no objections.”
    I must phone Captain Cathcart, thought Rose, and beg him to let us come back to London. “May I use the telephone in the police station?” she asked Bert.
    “I’m sorry,” he said. “Superintendent Kerridge said there were to be no further calls from here regarding yourself in case some girl on the exchange listens in.”
    When dinner was over and the children had left again for school, Sally told Rose and Daisy to go and lie down and take a rest.
    “It’s not too bad,” said Daisy as she lay in the double bed next to Rose. “They’re nice people.”
    “I shall go mad here,” said Rose curtly. “Peasants do not amuse me.”
    “You rotten snob!”
    Rose hunched over on her side. “I am going to sleep. I hope this will all turn out to be a bad dream.”

    “How do you think Lady Rose is doing?” Kerridge was asking Harry.
    “Probably suffering and blaming me for everything. Lady Rose likes to be radical and think she’s at one with the common people, just so long as she doesn’t have to meet any of them.”
    “Then this visit will do her good. We’re no further forward except for one little thing. Well, may not be a little thing.”
    “What’s that?”
    “The Honourable Cyril Banks proposed to Dolly and was turned down.”
    “Let me see, that one has a bad reputation from drinking and gambling. I feel sure Dolly’s parents told her to turn him down. No money there.”
    “Anyway, I’m going to interview him.”
    “Mind if I come along?” asked Harry.
    “Very well. But I’ll get a lecture from Judd over allowing amateurs into a Scotland Yard investigation.”
    “What about the gun?”
    “We got the bullet. It was embedded in some stupid hat covered in dead birds. Our expert thinks it came from a lady’s purse revolver, maybe a 0.2500 French-Belgian one.”
    “Any gun of that type registered to anyone?”
    “We’re working on it. Let’s go and see what the Honourable Cyril has to say for himself.”

    They tracked Cyril down to The Club in St. James’s. His manservant had told them that was where he had gone. The gloomy Inspector Judd had at last to realize that there was some benefit in bringing Harry along, for The Club would not have allowed policemen, however high-ranking, past the entrance. Since Harry was a member, he was sent it to winkle Cyril out.
    Kerridge waited outside until Cyril, protesting volubly that he would have Harry blackballed, emerged at last from The Club and was helped