Raisins and almonds - Poisoned Pen Press (UK)

Raisins and Almonds 1
‘So what happened then?’ asked Bert. He was revolted. He
had no difficulty with or moral objection to most crime—some
of his best friends were criminals, and property was theft after
all—but he hated liars, and Black Jack Alderton wasn’t even a
very good liar. Didn’t see any harm in it, indeed. Bert wondered
if his dive into the bottle had anything to do with the murderous
implications of this simple little joke.
‘Why didn’t he just take your dispatch book, then?’
‘Dunno.’ Mr. Alderton’s face creased. Cec wondered how
many brain cells he had left. He was reaching a working estimate—about
six—when Bert asked, ‘What did this bloke who
liked expensive jokes look like?’
‘Didn’t see him clear,’ replied Alderton. ‘He had to be about
the same size as me, I reckon, or me coat wouldn’t have fitted
him. I thought he talked sort of funny. I’d had a few,’ he admitted.
‘That’s why the boss threw me out. They’re always out to
do down the honest man.’
‘Yair,’ said Bert. Cec was impressed with how much scorn Bert
could pack into one syllable. ‘Here’s your quid,’ he added, dropping
it into Mr. Alderton’s spattered lap. ‘Don’t drink it all at once.’
999
Phryne dropped Miss Lee at her own house. Dot, possessed of
fellow feeling, insisted on the bath being the best available, and
the best bath in Melbourne was certainly Miss Fisher’s. The
ex-prisoner’s reserve was showing signs of cracking under Dot’s
practical sympathy—had she not herself been on the edge of
murder when Phryne Fisher had swanned into her life? Dot
knew how hard it was to be rescued.
Phryne told Dot not to spare the bath salts and to give
Miss Lee some clothes if she needed them, and turned the car
to Hawthorn, where Jack Robinson’s chemist lived. She had
expressed her need for absolute confidentiality to that admirable
officer, and he had instantly come up with the name. Dr.
Alexander Treasure, analytical chemist, was her man he said.
Robinson had said that Treasure had no curiosity at all and