Amateur Executioner , livre ebook
150
pages
English
Ebooks
2016
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150
pages
English
Ebooks
2016
Obtenez un accès à la bibliothèque pour le consulter en ligne En savoir plus
Publié par
Date de parution
07 décembre 2016
Nombre de lectures
0
EAN13
9781780924038
Langue
English
London, 1920: Boston-bred Enoch Hale, working as a reporter for the Central News Syndicate, arrives on the scene shortly after a music hall escape artist is found hanging from the ceiling in his dressing room. What at first appears to be a suicide turns out to be murder . . . the first of several using the same modus operandi. What s the connecting factor among all the victims? Or isn't there one? That's what the dogged journalist Hale aims to find out. Covering the Hangman Murders brings him into contact with a diverse cast of witnesses and interview subjects that include Winston Churchill, William Butler Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Alfred Hitchcock, and Ezra Pound. Hale, whose best friend in London is the chain-smoking poet and banker T.S. (Tom) Eliot even makes a pilgrimage to the Sussex Downs to get an opinion on the case from the great detective Sherlock Holmes. The trip is in vain, but he eventually does meet Holmes in a most surprising encounter. Through it all there is another mystery, which perhaps goes to the mystery of the human heart. What is the lovely music hall singer Sadie Briggs concealing from Hale just her past or also her present?
Voir
Contents
Front Matter ......................................................î Tîte Page ......................................................î Pubîser ïnormatîon ...................................îî Dedîcatîons .................................................îîî
he Amateur Executîoner.................................. 1 One ............................................................. 1 Two ............................................................. 6 hree.......................................................... 11 Four........................................................... 15 Fîve ........................................................... 22 Sîx ............................................................. 27 Seven ......................................................... 31 Eîgt.......................................................... 36 Nîne .......................................................... 43 Ten ............................................................ 48 Eeven ........................................................ 54 Tweve ....................................................... 60 hîrteen ..................................................... 64 Fourteen..................................................... 70 Fîteen ....................................................... 75 Sîxteen ....................................................... 80 Seventeen ................................................... 83 Eîgteen ..................................................... 86 Nîneteen .................................................... 89 Twenty ....................................................... 95 Twenty-One ............................................. 102 Twenty-Two ............................................. 107
Twenty-hree............................................ 114 Twenty-Four............................................. 117 Twenty-Fîve ............................................. 123 Twenty-Sîx ............................................... 130 Twenty-Seven ........................................... 133
Back Matter .................................................. 136 About te Autors ..................................... 136 Notes or te Curîous ................................ 137 A Word o hanks ..................................... 141 Aso Avaîabe........................................... 142
THE AMATEUR EXECUTIONER
Enoc Hale Meets Serlock Holmes
Dan Andrîacco and Kîeran McMuen
Publiser Information
Fîrst edîtîon pubîsed în 2013 by MX Pubîsîng 335 Prîncess Park Manor, Roya Drîve, ondon, N11 3GX www.mxpubîsîng.co.uk
Dîgîta edîtîon converted and dîstrîbuted în 2013 by Andrews UK îmîted www.andrewsuk.com
© Copyrîgt 2013 Dan Andrîacco
he rîgt o Dan Andrîacco to be îdentîIed as te autor o tîs work as been asserted by îm în accordance wît te Copyrîgt, Desîgns and Patents Act 1998.
A rîgts reserved. No reproductîon, copy or transmîssîon o tîs pubîcatîon may be made wîtout express prîor wrîtten permîssîon. No paragrap o tîs pubîcatîon may be reproduced, copîed or transmîtted except wît express prîor wrîtten permîssîon or în accordance wît te provîsîons o te Copyrîgt Act 1956 (as amended). Any person wo commîts any unautorîsed act în reatîon to tîs pubîcatîon may be îabe to crîmîna prosecutîon and cîvî caîms or damage.
Dan Andrîacco dedîcates tîs book to CAROLYN AND JOEL SENTER
Kîeran McMuen dedîcates tîs book to EïLEEN C. McMULLEN
One
No Escape rom Deat
“he Press, Watson, îs a most vauabe înstîtutîon, î ony you know ow to use ît.” - Serock Homes, “he Adventure o te Sîx Napoeons”
Enoc Hae ad seen deat beore, not ong ago în te Great War, but tîs was dîferent. he body o te man wo ad been Wîîam Powers swayed above îm, angîng rom a noose. he ace was bue, te eyes bugîng. A kîcked-over caîr ay beneat te dangîng corpse. he Amerîcan journaîst was îgtîng a panatea to steady îs nerves wen e eard a voîce beînd îm. “He was supposed to be an escape artîst. ï guess tere’s no escape rom deat.” Hae ooked around. Cîe ïnspector Henry Wîggîns, a wîry, mîdde-aged man wît sandy aîr, was a ard-boîed egg or sure. he word among Hae’s reporter rîends on Feet Street was tat e’d once been a street Arab, practîcay raîsed îmse rom a young age. “Wat brîngs te Yard’s brîgtest out on a suîcîde, Wîggîns?” Wîggîns was known as a master organîzer, wo mîgt ave rîsen even îger at te Yard î not or îs îndependent streak. “Just my uck. ï was ere or te second sow.” We, we,Hae mused, ît seems tat even Wîggîns needs a îtte entertaînment now and ten. he Aambra Varîety Ha ad been oferîng ondoners an unendîng stream o sîngers, juggers, magîcîans, acrobats, dancers, comedîans, and te îke sînce 1854. ïn îts tîme te a ad întroduced Jues eotard, te “darîng young man on te Lyîng trapeze,” and te rîsqué “can-can” dancers (wîc cost te Aambra îts dancîng îcense în 1870). he Moorîs-stye buîdîng, named or a paace în Granada, brougt a touc o te exotîc to eîcester Square wît îts two towers and a uge dome.
Wen Hae ad eard rom one o Wîggîns’s subordînates tat a dead body ad been ound at te Aambra, e’d ad vîsîons o a major scoop. he reaîty, suîcîde o a mînor perormer, was ardy a story at a. Stî, e was ere now, and wo coud te wat e mîgt be abe to make o ît. “So e anged îmse between perormances?” Hae asked. hey were standîng în te dead man’s dressîng room, a sma camber wît amost no persona touces save or a teatrîca poster rater oowy boastîng o “he Power o Powers, te Brîtîs Houdînî.” Wîggîns sîged. “Doesn’t sound quîte rîgt, does ît? Suîcîdes do strange tîngs, toug. Maybe te sîze o te audîence at te Irst sow pused îm over te edge. he rea Houdînî îs puîng tem în over at te Hîppodrome, you know.” he cîe înspector expaîned tat twenty years ago, în 1900, te bras Amerîcan Harry Houdînî ad appeared ere at te Aambra. he a’s manager at te tîme, C. Dundas Sater, ad arranged wît Superîntendent Wîîam Mevîe or Houdînî to be put în andcufs at Scotand Yard as a pubîcîty stunt. he escape artîst ad te darbîes of beore Sater and Mevîe coud eave te room. he newy crowned “Handcuf Kîng” ad wound up beîng booked at te Aambra or sîx monts. hîs tîme around, now word amous, e was perormîng îs escapes at a competîng a. Hae stuck te panatea în tîs mout and pued out a Moeskîne notebook. “Wo ound te body?” “Sînger named Sadîe Brîggs.” “Can ï tak to er?” Wîggîns regarded Hae wît îs best attempt to ook stern. “Ceeky journaîst! How dîd you get în ere, anyway?” “ït’s my natura carm, Wîggîns.” Standîng amost sîx eet and ookîng taer because o îs ramrod straîgt posture, Hae ad penty o tat. Wît îs îgt brown aîr combed straîgt back, bue eyes, pencî-tîn mustace, and devî-may-care aîr, severa women wo knew îm woud ave preerred
îs companîonsîp to tat o Dougas Faîrbanks îmse. But men îked îm, too. “You’re a scoundre, and no mîstake,” Wîggîns saîd. “ï you can Ind er, you can tak to er. Se doesn’t appear to know muc. Our boys are Inîsed wît er. Just oow te sobbîng.” Wîggîns’s partîng sot was ony a sîgt exaggeratîon. Hae ound Sadîe Brîggs în an even smaer dressîng room dryîng er eyes. He paused or a moment to apprecîate te skîmpy costume and te curves ît barey conceaed beore knockîng on te open door. Wît a start, Sadîe Brîggs ooked up wît te wîdest green eyes Hae ad ever seen. Se was a pretty gîr, severa years younger tan Hae’s tîrty, wît sort bond aîr and aîr skîn. Her eîgt, about Ive-sîx, was boosted consîderaby by îg ees. “Excuse me. Mîss Brîggs? ït îs Mîss, îsn’t ît?” “Yes, but wo - ” “Sorry to întrude at a tîme îke tîs, ma’am. My name îs Enoc Hae and ï work or te Centra Press Syndîcate. May ï speak to you or a mînute?” “You’re an Amerîcan!” Hae smîed. “ï ope you won’t od tat agaînst me.” “O, no, not at a! ït’s just tat ï don’t meet many Amerîcans.” “hat’s odd. Were ï come rom, tey’re a over te pace.” “Were’s tat?” “Boston.” Someow tîs conversatîon, enjoyabe toug ît was to Hae, was gettîng way of te track. Hae tore îs eyes away rom Mîss Brîggs and ooked at te neary bank pages o îs notebook. “ï understand rom Cîe ïnspector Wîggîns tat you’re te one wo ound Mr. Powers’s body.” “O, yes, tat poor man!” “hat must ave been awu or you. How dîd you appen to be în îs dressîng room?” Mîss Brîggs ooked ofended. “ï wasn’tînîs dressîng room, sîr. He was ate or îs curtaîn ca. he manager, Mr. Pye, asked me to ook or îm. Hîs door was barey cosed, so ï nudged ît open. hat’s wen ï saw - ”
Notîng tat er tîssue was a sodden mess, Hae anded er îs andkercîe. Se tanked îm wît er eyes as e se bew er nose. “Wy dîd te manager send you?” Hae asked. “You’re a sînger, aren’t you?” How tîs mîgt It înto a story, î e wrote one, Hae ad no îdea. But askîng questîons was wat e dîd or a îvîng. Sadîe Brîggs coored sîgty. “Yes, and a very good one. My name îsn’t on te bî yet, but some day ît wî be. ï wasn’t to go on untî ater, so ï dîdn’t mînd.” Se suddered. “ï ony ï’d known.” “Wy do you tînk e kîed îmse?” Se srugged. “ï aven’t te oggîest. ï dîdn’t know îm very we. ï don’t tînk any o us dîd. He kînd o kept to îmse, not te sort o sow-of you mîgt expect or te kînd o act e ad.” “How od are you?” “Wat an împertînent questîon, Mr. Hae! Wy do you ask?” Hae trîed to ook contrîte. “Sorry. ït’s not my îdea. We’re supposed to put everybody’s ages în our storîes.” hîs was true, but mîseadîng. Hae woud ave asked te questîon anyway, atoug peraps not so soon. Her eîstîness made îm înterested în earnîng more about te attractîve sînger tan was strîcty necessary or journaîstîc purposes. “A ady doesn’t gîve out er age.” “hen ï’ say twenty-Ive.” Se gave îm a murderous ook. “Say twenty-tree.” Hae dîdn’t ave te nerve to ask er weter tat was actuay er age. He reay tougt se was coser to twenty-one. He cosed îs notebook. “Just one more questîon. Wî you ave a ate dînner wît me? ï’m meetîng a rîend în about an our at Murray’s Nîgt Cub on Beak Street. You’ îke îm. He’s an Amerîcan, too.” Mîss Brîggs regarded Hae. “But we’ve ony just met. You’re a ceeky one, aren’t you?” “Beîeve ît or not, ï was tod tat just recenty. ï’ Ie my story and be back or you în a an our.”
