Toronto, Fall 1926
Autumn leaves crunched under James Pendrick's boots as he crossed in front of the grandstand to greet Phryne Fisher. Although they had only previously corresponded, she knew the dapper elderly gentleman in the flight jacket at once. A coy smile teased the corners of her mouth as she took his hand. The older inventor brushed his lips over the top her her hand, "Miss Fisher! So wonderful to finally meet you face to face."
The air was crisp and Phryne was wearing a long crimson jacket draped over a cream blouse and matching loose trousers paired with a stunning crimson cap. A glamourous gold scarf highlighted her long neck. "Mr. Pendrick, a pleasure." She met his gaze, her charm and poise easily a match for his. "What a lovely day for an aviation exhibition. I'm quite looking forward to testing your new plane."
Pendrick arched his eyebrow with what one could almost call it a wicked look. "Indeed. It should be quite the adventure."
Phryne turned to introduce the young, modestly dressed woman beside her, "This is Miss Dorothy Williams, my good friend and companion." It was hard for Pendrick to imagine these two very different women as close friends. Compared to the peregrine falcon that was MIss Fisher, Miss Williams appeared a sparrow.
Dot Williams shook his hand politely, "Pleased to meet you Mr. Pendrick." Her voice was as soft as her face.
"The pleasure is all mine. Do you fly as well Miss Williams?" Pendrick asked, although he highly doubted it.
"Oh no, Sir." The dowdy woman answered bashfully, "I don't even know how to drive an automobile."
Phryne winked at her, "Not yet."
Several raucous boys raced past them to claim seats in the wooden stands overlooking the airfield. Nearly a hundred spectators were already seated. Bags of popcorn and candy apples were being passed back and forth and wool blankets were tucked over laps.
Phryne returned her attention to Pendrick, "I am eager to see how your new metal-skinned fuselage affect the drag. I've never been above five thousand feet." Her eyes sparkled with anticipation.
Pendrick answered, matching her enthusiasm, "Certainly. That's the beauty of the new design with the Pendrick Hawk. I've provided a steady platform, featured folding wings, and used slots and ailerons for stability. After you've a chance to fly in her first hand, you'll be smitten. You'll have to buy at least one."
From around the stands, an older couple approached arm in arm, their affection for each other as clear as the cloudless autumn sky. The man was well-built for his age, perhaps in his early 60's, and dressed conservatively in black suit. Compared to him, the handsome woman at his side stood out. With her elaborate hair, plumed hat, and sleek green dress, she looked nearly as confident and stylish as Phryne. The middle-aged woman teased in greeting, "James, it looks like your enthusiasm for aircraft innovation is contagious."
Phryne answered, "If I'm satisfied with how the Pendrick Hawk performs today, my recommendation will spread as easily as syphilis." The woman in the impressive hat nearly choked on a laugh but the man at her side frowned uncomfortably.
Pendrick made the introductions. "Miss Fisher, Miss Williams, may I present Mr. William Murdoch and his wife, Dr Julia Ogden." They all shook hands. "Murdoch is a kindred spirit, a fellow inventor."
Murdoch looked sheepishly at his old friend, "Inventing is really more of a hobby for me. Pendrick is the one who makes a great success at it."
Behind them, a loud engine sputtered to life and a monoplane painted in bright yellows and reds, rolled out from a nearby hanger onto the airfield. Pendrick raised his voice to be heard above the noise to Miss Fisher, "I'm afraid we won't have much time to chat now. Will you join me for luncheon tomorrow at my home?" He turned to include the others, "Julia, William, you'll come too?"
Phryne accepted readily, "Of course."
Murdoch was about to decline when his wife said loudly, "We'd be delighted. Thank you."
The crowded started to applaud in anticipation. Pendrick shouted to be heard by the older couple, "Please excuse us. Miss Fisher and I should get ready for the demonstration."
The group waved to make their goodbyes. Pendrick and Miss Fisher strode over to the hanger to don their flight gear while the others found their seats in the stands. The sun was bright overhead, but the air was cool and dry. A faint breeze occasionally stirred small piles of autumn leaves on the ground. With the wave of a checkered flag, the barnstorming exhibition began. The first stunt plane accelerated and dramatically took to the sky. The faces of crowd turned in unison, as if invisible strings were pulling their faces together, up and down, back and forth. The spectators followed the flash of the red and yellow plane against the bright blue sky. A chorus of "Oohs," and "Aahs," punctuated the performance as the stunt pilot flew a loop-the-loop followed by a series of death defying rolls and dives. He ended with a daring fly by that made the crowd duck and blew several hats to the ground.
Next, the Pendrick Hawk was announced, "The honorable Miss Fisher of Melbourne Australia, the airspeed record holder for trans-Tasman flight, will attempt to climb more than five thousand feet into the atmosphere. She will be piloting the brand new Pendrick Hawk, and accompanied by the designer of the aircraft, Mr Pendrick." The crowd applauded and tittered in anticipation.
Miss Fisher blew kisses to the crowd before take off. The monoplane, painted with wings and a beak to resemble a bird, made a few laps above the airfield before charging up to a higher elevation. They climbed high and higher, thousands of feet in the air, until the crowd lost track of the aircraft. Her flight was devised to impress people with her piloting skill, but more, to put the sturdiness of the new plane to the test.
While the crowd waited for Miss Fisher and the Pendrick Hawk to returned from their record breaking climb, a team of black and white biplanes performed an aerial routine. They gracefully dipped and rolled in formation. Their performance finished with bursts of color, as showers of brightly colored confetti drifted down over the crowd.
Presently, a child stood in the stands and pointed to the horizon. "Something's coming!" Minutes later, the Pendrick Hawk touched down, the wheels screeching and sending smoke billowing down the runway. The crowd applauded and Phryne and Pendrick took a minute to wave in acknowledgment. Phryne loved the thrill of flying like nothing else. Driving her Hispano-Suiza came close, but the freedom of movement combined with the sheer speed of flying made her feel so much more alive and invincible. She savored the glow and triumph of the flight before guiding the airplane back to the hanger.
Phryne drew down her goggles and pulled off her flight cap. Her short dark hair fell along her cheekbones to elegantly frame her flushed face. It was dark inside, relative to the bright afternoon sunshine outside. As Phryne's eyes adjusted she could make out a form, lying still on the concrete floor beneath one of the other planes. "Mr. Pendrick! Someone is hurt down there!"
Braking the aircraft to an abrupt stop, Phryne wasted no time. She jumped out of the cockpit and leaped to the floor as agile as a cat. As she rushed to the man lying on the floor she called out, "Get a doctor!" She had to bend down beneath a large propellor to reach the man. She didn't hesitate and rolled him over. However, it became clear from the bloody gashes across his chest that this man would not benefit from a doctor. The man under the plane was dead.
Phryne carefully laid the man back the way she'd found him, but did not back away. She stayed kneeling, studying the dead man and the scene.
A moment later, Mr. Murdoch and Dr. Ogden rushed into the hanger, followed closely by Pendrick. The three were breathing heavily, their aging bodies not as quick as they used to be. Pendrick pointed to where Phryne stood beside the stunt plane and the man lying on the floor. "Over there Julia!"
Rushing, Dr. Ogden bent down to turn the man over, just as Miss Fisher had done not a moment before. The group saw the fatal gashes and Dr. Ogden stated the obvious, "William, he's dead." Then a moment later the doctor added, "Time of death was within the hour."
Murdoch caught his breath, made the sign of the cross, and knelt down next to his wife to examine the body. The airplane hangar was cool and quiet, the sound of the crowd drifting in from the large bay doors. There was a faint smelled of oil and leather. The space had a similar feel as a garage for automobiles, only larger.
Unphased, Phryne finally stood back and commented, "There is quite a bit of blood on the propellers of this plane. Perhaps the man got caught in them somehow?"
Dr. Ogden said, "There appears to be deep gashes in his chest, but there isn't as much blood as I would expect if that's what had killed him." She tilted the dead man's head, "However there is a deep impact in right the side of the skull here behind the ear, possibly from a hammer or a pipe?" Dr. Ogden carefully let go of the body and stood up. "We'd know more after examination in the morgue."
Phryne turned her attention to the doctor for a moment, reassessing the handsome woman. The doctor's powers of observation and keen medical assessment were like her hat, confident and smart.
Murdoch looked around, "James, please call the constabulary and keep people away from the scene." He asked his old friend.
Pendrick nodded, "Right," and quickly exited the building.
Not budging from her spot next to the body, Phryne asked, "I wonder what he was doing in here when everyone was outside watching the show." Her curiosity was obvious and she clearly didn't consider herself to be 'people' who should be kept away from the dead body.
Dr. Odgen wondered aloud, "Perhaps the man worked here? A pilot or a mechanic?"
"No, his hands are too clean." both Murdoch and Phryne replied at the same time. Their heads shot up and they looked at each other, appraisingly.
Then, as she realized that these people had considerable experience processing dead bodies, she resolved not to be shut out. She quickly bent down and began sorting through the victim's pockets. Murdoch protested, "Stop! You can't go rifling through the victim's clothes. You'll disturb the evidence." He reached around to pull her back, but she was too quick.
Phryne held up the man's wallet in her gloved hands and winked, "I'll put it back and, luckily, I'm wearing gloves." She opened the wallet, "Still has money and some cards ... 'Ernstein and Young, esquires'. I wonder what…"
Murdoch grabbed her wrist and warned, "Put it back now Miss Fisher, or you'll be arrested for tampering with the evidence." He locked his eyes on her, calm and commanding.
Phryne met his gaze, unflinching but nodded politely, replaced the contents of the man's wallet and put it back where she'd plucked it from. "Of course," and smiled as if she was threatened with arrest all the time. She turned her attention back to the body, taking her time to study it and then the surroundings.
Murdoch frowned at her persistence as she failed to withdraw, "Will you please wait outside Miss Fisher? I'm sure someone from the constabulary will be by soon to take your and Mr. Pendrick's statements. Then you'll be free to go." He didn't like her interest in the dead man or her defiant attitude.
Miss Fisher answered confidently, "Certainly, I'm always happy to assist the police." She pivoted, her long crimson coat twirling around her ankles. She strode slowly out of the hanger, her head held high, her hands held behind her back, her gaze carefully sliding over the large space before leaving the scene of the crime. Murdoch suspected he wouldn't like what she meant by 'helping the police' and she'd made it clear her curiosity would not be easily damped.
