The Osiris Ritual by George Mann Read Free Book Online

call on Sir Charles?”

    Veronica frowned. “Not yet. Not until I know that the man is definitely involved. It wouldn’t do to set Scotland Yard on him unnecessarily.”
    Newbury placed his teacup down on its saucer with a clatter. “I’m not convinced that is the wisest course of action, my dear Miss Hobbes. We can’t have you putting yourself in any danger.
    This is a police matter. Besides, how do you intend to go about proving this magician fellow is actually involved?”
    Veronica smiled. “That’s easy. He’s here in London. It’s my intention to attend his performance this evening.”
    Newbury looked thoughtful for a moment. Then his face cracked into a wide grin. “Well, Miss Hobbes, you find me at your disposal. I fear I am without a dinner date for this evening, And I’ve always enjoyed the theatre. Would you mind terribly if I escorted you to the show?”
    Veronica laughed. “Indeed not. I have two tickets.” Her eyes glittered. “If you can bear to tear yourself away from your Ancient Egyptian mystery, it would be a pleasure to be escorted to the event.”
    “Then we shal take it in together. A most satisfactory resolution.” He glanced at his pocket watch. “But now, I suspect old Peterson wil have found his way to his desk, and I rather think it would be opportune to catch him before he al ows himself to wander off again.”
    Veronica laughed. “I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist!”
    Newbury shrugged. “Well, we can’t just leave that young Mr. Purefoy to sensationalise the whole affair in the national press, can we? Someone is going to have to set the record straight. I doubt very much it wil be Winthrop.” He got to his feet. “Until this evening, then?”
    Veronica nodded. “Until this evening.”
    Smiling, Newbury set off to find Claude Peterson, one of the British Museum’s foremost experts on Ancient Egyptian ritual. He had a notion to question the man on the strange carvings he had seen on some of the ushabti statues the previous evening, and to see if Peterson found any significance in the red markings on the outer casket of the mummy.
    Then, later, he would return to his Chelsea lodgings to prepare for an early evening trip to the theatre. He wondered what bizarre treats The Mysterious Alfonso would have up his sleeves, and whether he would prove to be forthcoming in his interview. The case of the missing girls was certainly disturbing and had entirely consumed Veronica these last few weeks. He hoped for the sake of all involved that she had finally found her man, and that soon they would be able to bring the episode to a tidy conclusion. Most of al , he hoped that whatever it was that had caused Veronica to become so emotional y embroiled in the case would be resolved at the same time. He missed her companionship. And her support.

Chapter Four
    The Archibald Theatre in Soho transpired to be rather more bohemian than Newbury had been expecting. In fact, it was so far removed from the austere splendour of Drury Lane that he could hardly bring himself to consider it a theatre at all. Nevertheless, there was a stage — which, considering the condition of the rest of the building, he assumed had been erected specifical y to accommodate the new show — and an auditorium, of sorts, to seat the raucous crowd. The rest of the facilities were a little basic, to say the least, and it was clear the interior decor had seen better days. The floor was sticky, the seats uncomfortable and the smell almost as unpalatable as the stench he had encountered at the train station earlier that day. The space was dimly lit by a series of gas lamps mounted in a row along the rear wal , and whilst the venue was sizeable enough, the conditions still felt cramped and uninviting.
    With a sigh, Newbury surveyed the audience around him. The crowd was comprised of a mix of both men and women, workers who had spil ed out of the factories and cookhouses just an hour or so before and were now engaged in