The Baby Jane Murders Read Online Free Page B

badly.
    "We’ re done. Thank you, Miss Whiteford. You don't know how much
you helped me. Thank you, senior constable Milton." As he left,
Kroupa wondered if Miss Whiteford was telling truth.
    -------
    Kroupa was in deep thought when he returned to the Hydro. "Mr Kroupa,
Mr Hendrych would like to talk to you. He said that it was urgent,"
the Concierge informed him.
    "Where can I find Mr Hendrych?"
    " I
believe he is in his room. Should I announce you?"
    "No need . You said he was expecting me, didn't you?"
    "Yes, I did,
Sir."
    Hendrych greeted Kroupa with open arms. "You won’t believe my
news. You’ll think I’m making it up.”
    " Let’s hear it then. I'm all ears."
    "I was
attacked by two highway men. Do you believe me?"
    " Whatever you say."
    "And you’ re not surprised?"
    "No. What did
the highway men want?"
    "Money, what
else."
    "Did you give
them any?"
    "I gave the m a couple of Ashi Barai and Kin Geri. They’re probably
still recovering. Kin Geri is an especially painful kick if you aim
accurately."
    "Did you get a
good look at them?"
    "I didn't get the chance. Besides, they were wearing stockings over
their heads. I reckon they were quite young, teenagers… no more,
and it must have been their first attempted robbery. They were
amateurs. That's all I can say. You don't seem to be impressed.
Why?"
    "What is there
to impress me?"
    "You are
awful, Rowan. You really are."
    "Alright, I’ m awful, but you are stupid. How could you fail to look at
the faces of two incapacitated highwaymen. Who ever heard of such
silly thing?"
    " Okay - I am stupid and you are ungrateful. Let’s quit and
have a drink."
    The y
did, grinning at each other like two young boys who’d made
themselves look silly and didn't want to admit it.
    ---------
    The local Gazette provided
a charming story about the dog Nugget, which had been found by his
happy owner. The parrot, Shakespeare, was entertaining his mistress
with his talking once again, but the main report was about the two
missing boys, Greg Sharp and Mark Cotton. Police confirmed that
both boys were known to the police in relationship to the previous
theft of groceries at an Aldi store on the nineteenth of
January . The theft was a minor felony , but a s a
precaution the police had taken their
photographs, vital statistics and fingerprints, without their
consent. The boys claimed in their defense that they did not want
to return to school or home, and needed a small supply of food and drink. The police reprimanded
them and took into consideration that it was their first offence
and released them without giving them a record. It was all good for the police, but the boys' parents were
increasingly worried and requested that the police release the
photographs and the boys' descriptions in the Gazette. The police
dutifully complied and the distressed parents issued a statement
that they wanted their sons back and assured them that any fear of
punishment was baseless. The pictures were clear enough for the
faces to be recognised and with the description and statistics
there was every chance they would be found.
    Kroupa was looking at the photographs when constable Milton
phoned. "Did you see the Gazette. Sorry I didn't ring you
immediately, but you know the deadlines in the papers. But better
late than never. The fingerprints on the cans are an exact match to
those of the Sharp and Cotton boys. How's that for a
coincidence!"
    "Congratulation s, Senior Constable, I should have thought of it
before. When did you have the boys down at police
station?"
    "I ’ll have to check… wait a moment. I’ll get the
files.”
    There was a
pause and Kroupa waited.
    “Here we
are, January nineteenth, at fourteen hundred hours. They were held
for two hours and thirty minutes, roughly."
    “But
where are the boys now? Thank you very much, constable
Milton."
    "Senior
constable, Sir."
    "What's up?"
Hendrych was feeling cosy, sitting in a comfortable armchair,
sipping his beloved