Raisins and almonds - Poisoned Pen Press (UK)

1 Kerry Greenwood
‘Too right,’ agreed Cec.
They ran lightly down the stairs to the street. The cry of
‘Murder!’ had been repeated and was even then attracting the
attention of a beat cop. He was a mountain of a man in blue
serge and helmet, and Bert doused a small flame of alarm when
he saw this bastion of the law approaching. Constable Clarke,
the biggest policeman in Melbourne. Bert reminded himself
that he and Cec were now firmly on the side of law and order,
not to mention goodness and righteousness.
The crier was a middle-aged man who had evidently just
arisen from a haystack. He was kneeling over a man in an apron,
who was not struggling, probably because the smaller man had
his foot poised over a very delicate area. But he was spluttering
denials. The crowd was enjoying this after-lunch floor show.
The person who wasn’t enjoying it was Mr. Rosenbloom,
who was on his hands and knees, vomiting into the gutter. Bert
noticed that every now and then he would give a twitch, convulsively
rising up and then sinking down again.
‘Now, then,’ said the policeman. Bert held his breath. Was
he going to actually say it? Was he going to say ‘What’s all this
then?’ and preserve the dramatic unities?
‘What’s going on here?’ asked the policeman, and Bert was
disappointed.
‘Murder!’ screamed Mr. Gunn. ‘He poisoned Mr. Rosenbloom!’
‘That coot’s crazy!’ yelled Mr. Lane. ‘I didn’t poison nobody.
Lemme up and I’ll knock your block off!’ he added to Mr. Gunn,
who did not move.
‘You let him up,’ ordered Constable Clarke. ‘You two come
into the shop. You and you,’ he pointed to Bert and Cec, ‘see
what you can do for the victim. You,’ he pointed to a boy, ‘run
for Dr. Stein, tell him we need him quick. All the rest of you,
on your way, please. Nothing more to see here.’
The crowd, which was anticipating lots of distractions to come,
stayed put. The constable blew his whistle for assistance.