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Chapter 6
Harriet screamed at seeing the corpse of a man half out of the sarcophagus, and then gagged from the decaying smell. With a hand over her mouth, Harriet was about to turn him over, when Agatha cried out.
“Leave it Harriet! You’ll disturb any vital evidence!”
Agatha went over to the body and bent down. "Hmm!"
"What do you mean 'Hmm!'" asked Harriet.
Agatha stood up. "Notice anything unusual?"
"Apart from being dead. No." replied Harriet.
"His pockets: on his trousers, and jacket. There are all turned inside out. Don't you find that a bit odd?"
"Maybe he was looking for something before he died?" answered Harriet.
Agatha was about to say something, when the two double doors they had just come through, burst wide open and the light from four lamps swept Room 61 as if they were searchlights.
“Halt! In the name of the law!” boomed a voice that Harriet recognised.
“Over here sir!” cried out a young police constable, as he shone his lamp into the faces of the two women.
“Thank you, Constable Higgins, I’ll take it from here.”
Agatha and Harriet were now joined by another three men who bathed the two women in the yellow light from their lamps.
“Miss Wells! I might have guessed.” said one of the silhouettes.
“Inspector Cosgrove.” Harriet acknowledged.
“Miss Wells, when the museum granted you a key, it was in recognition of your help in bringing to trial the Ming vase thieves. Not to come in here at some unearthly hour to conduct your wild scientific experiments and scaring the night watchman, Mr Bailey here half to death!”
“I knew there was something fishy going on when I saw the light of your lamps disappear up the stairs!” said Mr Bailey pointing at Harriet and Agatha.
“Thank you, Mr Bailey.” said Cosgrove. “Right, young lady. What have you and your friend here got to say for yourselves?”
Inspector Cosgrove waited for Harriet to reply. “Well, I’ve not got all night?”
Harriet remained stony face, just giving the faintest of nods to the body on the floor. Cosgrove moved his lamp in the direction indicated by Harriet.
“Good Heavens!” exclaimed the Inspector.
All three men jumped back at seeing the open casket and the body of a man faced down on the floor.
“When did you find him?” Cosgrove asked the two women.
“When the room started to shake, and that sarcophagus fell to the floor.” Harriet answered.
Mr Bailey was adamant that the mini earthquake was created by Harriet and that she should pay for all the damages. Inspector Cosgrove had forgot that the night watchman was still in the room. “Constable Higgins, please escort Mr Bailey back down to his lodge and go and inform the Yard that I require the Meat Wagon here at the British Museum.”
The constable saluted the Inspector and led a protesting Mr Bailey out of the room.
“I would say Inspector, judging from the smell and the decay, that you are looking at a body that has been dead for some amount of time.”said Agatha, kneeing down beside the body, inspecting the victims left-hand.
“Yes, thank you…” Cosgrove looked at the second woman, realising that they had not been introduced.
Agatha, stood back up hearing a hesitation in the inspector’s voice. Holding out her hand, she introduced herself. “Christie, Agatha Christie. Writer. I’m helping Miss Wells with some of her research.”
Cosgrove shook Agatha’s hand, “I hope Miss Christie…”
“Mrs.” Agatha corrected the Inspector.
“I hope Mrs Christie, that this research does not include medalling in police matters?”
“I wouldn’t dream of it, Inspector.” Agatha confirmed.
Giving her a sideways look, the Inspector called upon the other remaining constable.
“Jones! Give me a hand here, lets see who we have.”
Both Harriet and Agatha stood back to allow the Inspector and the constable turn over the body. On seeing the victims face, Harriet gave out a gasp before covering her mouth with her hand.
“Well,” said the Inspector. “I guess that’s one part of the mystery solved. At least we now know the whereabouts of the missing archaeologist, Thomas Carter!”
© Alice White
“Leave it Harriet! You’ll disturb any vital evidence!”
Agatha went over to the body and bent down. "Hmm!"
"What do you mean 'Hmm!'" asked Harriet.
Agatha stood up. "Notice anything unusual?"
"Apart from being dead. No." replied Harriet.
"His pockets: on his trousers, and jacket. There are all turned inside out. Don't you find that a bit odd?"
"Maybe he was looking for something before he died?" answered Harriet.
Agatha was about to say something, when the two double doors they had just come through, burst wide open and the light from four lamps swept Room 61 as if they were searchlights.
“Halt! In the name of the law!” boomed a voice that Harriet recognised.
“Over here sir!” cried out a young police constable, as he shone his lamp into the faces of the two women.
“Thank you, Constable Higgins, I’ll take it from here.”
Agatha and Harriet were now joined by another three men who bathed the two women in the yellow light from their lamps.
“Miss Wells! I might have guessed.” said one of the silhouettes.
“Inspector Cosgrove.” Harriet acknowledged.
“Miss Wells, when the museum granted you a key, it was in recognition of your help in bringing to trial the Ming vase thieves. Not to come in here at some unearthly hour to conduct your wild scientific experiments and scaring the night watchman, Mr Bailey here half to death!”
“I knew there was something fishy going on when I saw the light of your lamps disappear up the stairs!” said Mr Bailey pointing at Harriet and Agatha.
“Thank you, Mr Bailey.” said Cosgrove. “Right, young lady. What have you and your friend here got to say for yourselves?”
Inspector Cosgrove waited for Harriet to reply. “Well, I’ve not got all night?”
Harriet remained stony face, just giving the faintest of nods to the body on the floor. Cosgrove moved his lamp in the direction indicated by Harriet.
“Good Heavens!” exclaimed the Inspector.
All three men jumped back at seeing the open casket and the body of a man faced down on the floor.
“When did you find him?” Cosgrove asked the two women.
“When the room started to shake, and that sarcophagus fell to the floor.” Harriet answered.
Mr Bailey was adamant that the mini earthquake was created by Harriet and that she should pay for all the damages. Inspector Cosgrove had forgot that the night watchman was still in the room. “Constable Higgins, please escort Mr Bailey back down to his lodge and go and inform the Yard that I require the Meat Wagon here at the British Museum.”
The constable saluted the Inspector and led a protesting Mr Bailey out of the room.
“I would say Inspector, judging from the smell and the decay, that you are looking at a body that has been dead for some amount of time.”said Agatha, kneeing down beside the body, inspecting the victims left-hand.
“Yes, thank you…” Cosgrove looked at the second woman, realising that they had not been introduced.
Agatha, stood back up hearing a hesitation in the inspector’s voice. Holding out her hand, she introduced herself. “Christie, Agatha Christie. Writer. I’m helping Miss Wells with some of her research.”
Cosgrove shook Agatha’s hand, “I hope Miss Christie…”
“Mrs.” Agatha corrected the Inspector.
“I hope Mrs Christie, that this research does not include medalling in police matters?”
“I wouldn’t dream of it, Inspector.” Agatha confirmed.
Giving her a sideways look, the Inspector called upon the other remaining constable.
“Jones! Give me a hand here, lets see who we have.”
Both Harriet and Agatha stood back to allow the Inspector and the constable turn over the body. On seeing the victims face, Harriet gave out a gasp before covering her mouth with her hand.
“Well,” said the Inspector. “I guess that’s one part of the mystery solved. At least we now know the whereabouts of the missing archaeologist, Thomas Carter!”
© Alice White
