Raisins and almonds - Poisoned Pen Press (UK)

1 4 Kerry Greenwood
Clarke stepped to the door and called one of the others who had
come in answer to his whistle. Three officers were occupied in
keeping the crowd back.
‘Call Detective Inspector Robinson, Cadet Richards,’ he
ordered. ‘I think that this has a bearing on his murder case.’
Bert grinned at him. The recriminations in the shop rose
again.
‘Shut up!’ roared the constable. The walls shook and bird seed
fell like brightness from the air. Sheer surprise produced silence.
The constable took out his notebook and his pencil.
‘Now, I want your names,’ he began.
Bert and Cec listened as the two men identified themselves.
‘Now what’s all this about murder?’
‘He poisoned his chooks and my finches, and then he tried
to poison Mr. Rosenbloom!’ declared Mr. Gunn.
‘He’s cuckoo,’ said Mr. Lane pityingly. ‘All I did was offer
Mr. Rosenbloom a handful of sunflower seeds—he’s foreign, he
likes eating them.’
‘And Mr. Rosenbloom then became ill?’
‘Keeled right over,’ said Mr. Lane. ‘But I didn’t poison him.’
‘Show us these sunflower seeds,’ said the policeman. Mr. Lane
led the way into the back of his shop. A small sack of seeds stood
on top of a table, next to a couple of penned chickens. A boy
looked up from a huge ham sandwich and allowed his mouth
to fall open. Bert tipped it shut with a careful forefinger.
‘We’ll have to wait until Dr. Stein tells us what came over
Mr. Rosenbloom,’ said the policeman. ‘Where did you get these
sunflower seeds, Mr. Lane?’
‘I…er…bought them.’
‘Yes,’ said the constable, pencil poised. ‘Who from?’
‘My usual supplier is Doherty’s,’ said Mr. Lane.
‘Did these come from Doherty’s, then?’ The constable knew
an evasion when he heard it.
‘Well, in a manner of speaking, yes.’ Mr. Lane wiped his
upper lip. ‘These were a special sale, just the once.’
‘Who sold them to you?’