Death in Zanzibar Read Online Free PDF

were technically dry and Tyson was over on some lend-lease college course. Well, well! It is, if I may coin a phrase, a small world. Yep, I’m off to Zanzibar.’
    â€˜On your honeymoon,’ said Dany.
    Mr Holden winced. ‘Who told you that?’
    â€˜Lorraine. My mother. She said ____ ’
    â€˜The wedding,’ said Mr Holden, ‘is off. Let’s not discuss it, if you don’t mind.’
    â€˜Oh,’ said Dany confused. ‘I’m sorry.’
    â€˜I’m not. Merciful escape. T’hell with women! Say ____ ’ He paused and frowned. ‘Haven’t we wandered off the point some place? You were telling me something. Yeah; I remember now. That gun. Someone stowed it away among your nylons. Now why would anyone do that?’
    â€˜Because of Mr Honeywood,’ said Dany.
    â€˜Mr Who?’
    â€˜Honeywood. I don’t suppose you’ve seen the papers this morning, but he was murdered yesterday, and it says that the police want to — to interview a young woman who was seen leaving his house not very long before it happened. And that was me.’
    â€˜ You? Now listen, kid — let’s get this straight. Are you trying to tell me that you shot this guy?’
    â€˜No!’ said Dany furiously. ‘Oh, what’s the good of telling you anything? Of course I didn’t shoot him!’
    â€˜O.K., O.K.,’ said Lash pacifically. ‘I just wanted to clear that point up before we went any further. What were you doing in this Honeywood’s comb, I mean house?’
    â€˜He’s Mr Frost’s solicitor — the Frosts live near there. Tyson wanted me to bring a letter out with me, and Lorraine, my mother, asked me to call in and fetch it; and I did. I fetched it yesterday morning at eleven o’clock — no, it must have been nearly twenty past, because the train was late; there was some fog about.’
    â€˜Well, go on. What happened?’
    â€˜Nothing happened. We talked for a bit, and I left.’
    â€˜Meet anyone coming away?’
    â€˜No. I passed a few people, of course, but I didn’t pay much attention. There was a woman with a walking-stick and one with a puppy on a lead, and an African — or an Indian — anyway an Oriental of sorts, in a white — no, that was the dream. In a raincoat: one of those students. I can’t remember any more. But it was rather misty, and I wasn’t bothering.’
    â€˜And why are you bothering now?’
    â€˜Because the papers say that the police think Mr Honeywood was — was murdered some time between eleven-thirty and twelve. And I was there until just after half-past eleven, and it seems that someone saw me leave.’
    â€˜The murderer, you mean?’
    â€˜No, of course not! He wouldn’t have told the police. But someone told them; and — now someone else is trying to make it look as though I did it.’
    â€˜Baloney!’ said Lash impatiently.
    â€˜It isn’t baloney! It isn’t! It was that kind of gun. It said so in the papers. A — a little gun. An automatic. And that horrid thing there isn’t mine. I’ve never even seen one before! But it was wrapped up in my scarf, and it wasn’t there yesterday because I wore that scarf yesterday ____ ’
    â€˜O.K., sister!’ said Lash. ‘I get you. Yes, it’s quite a point. You think someone planted this on you, so that when the police came around asking questions it would be found right here in your room? Well you don’t have to worry. It won’t have your fingerprints on it, and ____ Yes, by God, it will! Mine, too. Hmm. That’s a fast one.’
    He brooded for a few minutes, and then said abruptly: ‘Know what I’d do if I were you? I’d drop that damned thing down the elevator shaft and think no more about it. The cops aren’t likely to locate you before you get aboard the plane tomorrow, and once you’re out