The room smelt of cigar smoke and the scent he used-it was specially made for him, that scent, and none of his ladies-not even Janet Emerald-had ever been given a flask of it. Wreaths of cigar smoke rose above his pink head. His face was turned away from Surbonadier. His grey and white check jacket revealed the muscles of his back. A cubistic lamp lit up the tight rolls of fat at the back of his neck.
Jacob Saint was sitting at his ultra-modern desk in his ultra-modern chair. He would, if necessary, use that final weapon-the weapon that Saint knew nothing about. He tried to stiffen himself for the encounter. He was, he told himself, a damn' good actor. If you're a bad actor you won't get the parts-that's business.Īs Arthur Surbonadier ( Surbonadier had been suggested by Stephanie Vaughan) walked after the footman towards his uncle's library, he remembered this conversation.
I'll start you off at the Unicorn and I'll leave you the cash-or most of it. Call yourself what you like, Arthur, but keep off my grass. Only one Saint in the profession, he roared out. He made bad jokes about it- I'm no Saint-and wouldn't allow his nephew to adopt it when he in turn took to the boards. Jacob was an actor before he went into management and had chosen Saint as his stage name, and stuck to it for the rest of his life.
ON MAY 25TH Arthur Surbonadier, whose real name was Arthur Simes, went to visit his uncle, Jacob Saint, whose real name was Jacob Simes. In that case, he said, I congratulate you. Nowadays the identity of the criminal is always revealed in the early chapters." It's a perfectly good account of the Unicorn case, but isn't it usual in detective stories to conceal the identity of the criminal? And Alleyn learns - not for the last time - that while he may be able to leave his badge back in Blighty, hes still a policeman, even on the other side of the world.WHEN I SHOWED this manuscript to my friend, Chief Detective-Inspector Alleyn, of the Criminal Investigation Department, he said: The actors operatic intrigues offer an amusing diversion until, unexpectedly, they turn deadly. Traveling with Alleyn are the members of the Carolyn Dacres English Comedy Company. Book Synopsis Inspector Roderick Alleyn has to date confined his investigations to England, but Vintage Murder finds him journeying to New Zealand (Ngaio Marshs homeland). And Alleyn learns - not for the last time - that while he may be able to leave his badge back in Blighty, hes still a policeman, even on the other side of the world. About the Book Inspector Roderick Alleyn has to date confined his investigations to England, but Vintage Murder finds him journeying to New Zealand (Ngaio Marshs homeland).
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