Alternative Chapter Five – "Of Cabbages and Kings"
Phryne's knees collapsed under her, and she went to grasp Jack's shoulders, to try to shake him into responding. As she did so, though, there was the sound of running feet behind her.
"Phryne, what is it?"
Sprinting towards her as best they could in their smartest shoes were Pious Savant and Dancing Penguin.
"Savant, Penguin, good God, I almost didn't recognise you out of your white coats. What are you doing here?"
Dancing Penguin grinned wryly. "The same as you, old thing – trying to have a day off work. It was going pretty well up until now."
The constable, in the meantime, was blowing his whistle to summon his colleagues, and the work of sealing the crime scene commenced around them.
Pious Savant dropped to her knees next to Phryne. "What's happened?"
Phryne turned back to the prostrate policeman. "I don't know. I just found him like this – and him, too" she gestured distractedly at the gruesome sight on the dung heap. Dancing Penguin wandered over for a quick look, but a glance sufficed to confirm that no doctor could help the man with the pitchfork through his back.
Phryne went to drag at Jack's shoulder again, but Pious Savant held out a hand.
"Careful. You don't know how he's injured yet. Jack? Jack, can you hear me?" As she called his name, her fingers sought the pulse at his throat – the signs of life she found were echoed in the fluttering of his eyelids as he recovered consciousness.
Phryne exhaled a deep breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding, and she surreptitiously wiped a tear of relief from each eye.
Jack started struggling to turn over, and lifted his head.
"Steady on, Jack," cautioned Pious Savant, cradling his head as he rolled onto his back. As he did so, the side of his head was revealed, and the bruise starting to form there was clearly revealed. Penguin caught sight of it, and met Savant's eyes.
"Almost bound to be concussion. Didn't I see Sarah Axl earlier on? We could really do with a nurse here."
"Good idea," replied Savant. "Find her, would you, Phryne?"
Trusting to the expertise of her friends, Phryne hurried away, returning soon with Sarah, who took one look at the scene on the ground and immediately started casting around for equipment.
"Here," she said a few minutes later. She'd found a couple of horse blankets, and folded one to form a pillow to go under Jack's head; the other, they spread over him.
Even as they did so, the police were starting to assemble. The Clerk of the Course had reluctantly agreed to cancel the rest of the race meeting, and owners, jockeys and trainers were beginning to mill around the area. Leaving Sarah and Phryne to monitor the patient, Savant and Penguin went to offer their services to the police.
Through the confusion of humanity, a uniformed figure fought his way.
"Phryne!"
"Alastair, thank goodness!" exclaimed Phryne. Swiftly, she introduced the medical team to Chief Inspector Warren.
As she did so, another two smartly-dressed woman edged through the crowd. Looking up from her position next to Jack, who was now sitting up with his back against a bale of hay, eyes closed, Sarah spotted them.
"Phryne? Here's Racy Pharoah. Have you met? Works in the psychiatric unit attached to the hospital. And this Dancing Penguin's flatmate, Toodles Galore. Interning as a forensic scientist."
Distractedly, Phryne shook their hands, but was focussed on the policeman who was taking Jack's fingerprints.
"I think you'd better take mine too, officer," she said briskly. "After all, I'm just as likely to be a suspect as Inspector Robinson."
Toodles had wandered over to the group of policemen surrounding the body, saying nothing but observing the scene carefully.
A few minutes later, Warren was pulled away for a conversation with one of his men, before returning, grim-faced, to speak to Jack.
"I'm sorry, Jack – there was only one set of prints on the murder weapon. They're very clear, and they're yours. We're going to have to take you in."
Racy Pharoah inserted herself between Warren and Jack.
"I'm not sure you've thought this through, Inspector."
Warren looked at her askance. "What on earth do you mean?"
The psychiatric expert smiled gently. "Your desire to obtain a speedy resolution to the murder is understandable, but I have to ask you to consider, before arresting Inspector Robinson, whether you are not in fact simply taking the safest, rather than the right route? The wrong decision, in this case, could have international implications, Chief Inspector."
Toodles, who'd been listening to the exchange, chipped in.
"What's more, Chief Inspector, you're almost certainly wrong."
All attention shifted to her; she gulped, but stood her ground. Phryne's heart leaped, and she smiled a little. What friends to have she thought.
"You said that there was only one set of prints on the pitchfork?" asked Toodles.
"I did."
"What are the chances of that pitchfork having only a single set of prints on it at all – and especially at this stage in a race day?" Toodles enquired.
The Chief Inspector said nothing, but his furrowing brow showed that the shot had hit home.
Confidence growing now, Toodles continued. "Also, didn't I hear your men say that the left hand prints were the ones at the top of the shaft, and the right hand towards the bottom?"
"You did," confirmed the Inspector, interest growing.
"I can't help noticing that Jack Robinson wears his wristwatch on his left hand. Phryne, is Jack right handed?"
"He is," confirmed Phryne, looking not at Toodles but at Alastair Warren.
"That would rather suggest that Jack Robinson, being right handed, is unlikely to have committed this murder," Toodles finished.
Warren was silent for a moment, but the row of intelligent eyes upon him were too great a force to be ignored.
"Agreed," he sighed at last. "Phryne, don't you dare leave the country – either of you – but by all means take Jack home."
Phryne clapped her hands delightedly, and marshalled her friends into two vehicles – Sarah and Penguin took Jack in the back of the Rolls, while Savant sat in the front beside Phryne; Toodles and Racy Pharaoh followed in Pharaoh's runabout. In cheerful motorcade, they made a remarkably steady (for Phryne) journey back to London, where the patient was tenderly put to bed. They started a rota to keep an eye on him, with Sarah taking the first shift, while everyone else descended to the hallway.
Phryne looked around her assembled company with real warmth.
"Ladies, I can't thank you enough – but as a gesture, please will you join me for dinner at a little place I know round the corner from here?"
They decamped to a cosy restaurant within a stone's throw of the house. As Phryne led the way through the open front door, a white-jacketed figure appeared through the pass-door to the kitchen.
"Phryne!"
"Jj!" Phryne exclaimed, and flung her arms wide. The chef walked into a warm hug, and the pair grinned at each other delightedly.
"Ladies," Phryne turned to her guests. "This is Jj, fabulous chef who can occasionally be persuaded to act as sommelier. She supplied my entire cellar. Jj – we are celebrating, do your worst!" she laughed.
Rubbing her hands with glee, Jj produced a bottle of the Widow for them all, before disappearing back to the kitchen to rustle up a Feast for a Fandom.
UPDATE:
Jj did indeed excel herself, and if you can bear to read it, here is what she provided for the fandom to feast upon - grateful thanks for this extraordinary menu:
Arugula, pear, asiago cheese salad served in a martini glasses with a thin pear slice on the rim and a small bread stick(swizzle stick) simple olive oil dressing
Wine: Grüner Veltliner
Chilled sugar snap pea soup served with Parmesan crisp
Lemon sorbet, classic palate cleanser
Main entrée: choice of: 1) Beef tenderloin stuffed with mushrooms and
Flavorful shallot dressing served on tomato petal
Flower garnish for beautiful presentation
Wine: Pinotage ( known locally as Hermitage, South Africa-1925 Pinot noir
And Cinsaut)
2) Chicken breast filled with Boursin cheese rolled and baked
Served in a bed of gratin dauphinois and asparagus spears
Garnished with tomato rosette.
Wine: Red Bordeaux
3) Baked salmon roulade on potato galette with tomato beurre
blanc sauce served with asparagus and carrot julienne.
Wine: Sancerre
Dessert: Rasperry Charlotte: Decadent raspberry mousse with lightly sweetened lady fingers.
topped with fresh raspberries.
Wine: La Tourre Blanche - Sauternes
We have to use imported wines (says Jj) because of the time period...not grown in Australia until later years.
Bon Appétit! Santé!