Raisins and almonds - Poisoned Pen Press (UK)

108 Kerry Greenwood
Johnson said admiringly. ‘He wasn’t a bit scared. Told them right
to their faces that Miss Lee couldn’t do a thing like that. And I
told them too. But they arrested her anyway. Is there anything
she needs, Miss Williams? And is she all right?’
‘She’s got books and comforts and things like that,’ said Dot.
‘She’s brave. She’s bearing up. But I’ll tell her that you were
asking after her; that’ll cheer her up. Now, I’m trying to find the
customers for that morning. Did you notice anyone?’
‘Oh, dear, well, I saw a woman in the most absurd hat. And I
think Mr. Doherty’s young men came in for a cup of coffee, they
had a book. Something about horse-racing, I think it was.’
Dot took out her notebook. ‘Who’s Mr. Doherty?’ she asked.
‘He runs a garage and a livery stable—not much livery now but
he shoes the dray horses; we still have some drays. He has an interest
in the grain and feed shop two doors up. Nice young men.’
‘Do you know their names?’ asked Dot.
‘The tall one’s called Smith—they call him Smithy. And the
other one must be called Miller, because they call him Dusty.
Does that help, Miss Williams?’
‘Yes,’ said Dot, hoping that it did. ‘You didn’t see anyone else?’
‘I was busy that day,’ said Mrs. Johnson. ‘That silly girl of
mine got herself married, and now she’s in the family way, and
she’s sick. I was run off my feet. I didn’t poke my nose out of my
own door until Miss Lee came in and said that the young man
was dead. White as a sheet, she was, poor girl. I really must go,
tell her I was asking after her, will you?’
Dot continued her walk to the grain and feed shop. It had a
number of sacks outside. Each one had its cat, couchant. Dot
wondered if the hay cat always sat on hay, or whether it swapped
with the corn cat, the wheat cat and the chicken food cat. They
were well fed and sleepy, and moved obligingly when the merchant
came to measure out his produce with a tin scoop. Dot,
fascinated, noticed that as soon as the man was finished, the cat
leapt back and settled down again. Clearly everyone in this shop
was well adjusted to their roles.
‘Yes, Miss?’ asked a burly man. Dot explained her mission.