Raisins and almonds - Poisoned Pen Press (UK)

Raisins and Almonds 1
‘Mate,’ said Bert, ‘I reckon we need some water. I reckon he’s
taken strychnine and I reckon that Miss Phryne’s going to want
to know all about this.’
‘Too right,’ said Cec. The stricken man was panting with effort,
but the tremors which ran through all his muscles would not allow
him rest. Cec removed his coat and wrapped it around him.
‘You’ll be all right, mate,’ he soothed. ‘Try and sit up a little,
now. That’s the ticket. Boy’s gone for the doctor.’
Mr. Rosenbloom’s teeth gnashed together as he tried to speak.
‘Pain,’ he grunted.
Bert, who knew no harm of the tubby foreman, said, ‘Where’s
that bloody doctor?’
A youngish man with a permanently worried face came
through the Eastern Market escorted by a proud boy, and
dropped unaffectedly to his knees on the pavement.
‘We need to get him inside—can you carry him?’ he asked
Bert and Cec, who lifted Mr. Rosenbloom with some effort.
They hauled him into the printer’s shop and deposited him in
the room’s only chair.
‘Sit him down here, good, now, I am going to give you something
to drink, and then an injection for the convulsions, and
soon you will sleep,’ said the doctor. Such was the conviction
in his quiet voice that Bert instantly believed him, and so did
the stricken Mr. Rosenbloom.
‘Come next door,’ he nodded to Cec.
The birdshop was loud with denunciations. Bert drew the
policeman aside by one sleeve.
‘I reckon you’d better call Detective Inspector Robinson,’ he
informed the blue serge land mass which was Constable Clarke.
‘Oh, do you? And who’re you?’ asked the constable, unimpressed.
‘Just call him. He’s been looking for the poison what done
in that bloke in the bookshop. Strychnine, it was. This is the
same stuff.’
The constable glared at Bert and Bert glared back. There was a
long interval when neither man lowered his gaze. After a minute,