DEATH BEFORE WICKET - Poisoned Pen Press (UK)

Kerry Greenwood
to tell you the truth, Miss Fisher. I’ll have to find something to
do with myself.’
‘Why did you agree to take money from Mr. Hart?’ asked
Phryne.
‘Well, dear, I’m not as young as I was,’ said Dolly. ‘I want my
son back, and I can’t have him while I’m a working girl. Not that
I mightn’t take a private client, just the one,’ she said, as Professor
Bretherton saw them and waved. ‘Not for money. For…’
‘Love,’ said Phryne gently. ‘Why not see if you can help
someone?’ she asked. ‘There are plenty of charities. Churches.
Lots of people who could do with a listener, a cup of tea, maybe
a salutary clip over the ear.’
‘Since your friend prayed my son back, I been thinking about
that,’ said Mrs. Hart. ‘I heard her, all night, the click of the beads
and the murmur of the prayers. I’ll see,’ said Dolly.
She paused near Joss Hart and his father, who was saying,
‘I’m impressed, boy. That was a good innings, an innings for
your team. I noticed you giving away the strike to Harcourt and
Oberon, and farming it to try and protect the tail. I’m proud of
you, Joss. Maybe this university lark isn’t so useless after all.’
Joss Hart smiled. Phryne strolled on. Joan was taking her sister
Dot to a hairdresser. Phryne wondered if Dot would reappear
shingled, and thought it unlikely. Professor Brazell was mopping
his brow, looking like an Ancient Roman playing cricket. The
white flannels suited his dark hair. Though the strange closeness
which had come with the dark underground had not returned,
he was a definite find as a lover and Phryne was trying to decide
whether she would stay on in Sydney for awhile. The University
Senate had cleansed itself of the Dean, accepting his resignation
and packing him off. They had funded both Ayers’ Egyptian
journey and Brazell’s outback trip. No mining lease had been
registered for a copper mine in the Northern Territory. Mr. Hart
had apologised and endowed rather a large scholarship for the
faculty of Arts. Joss Hart and Adam Harcourt had recovered.
Nothing had been seen of Madame and Marrin in any of their
usual haunts, though a landlady was pursuing them for unpaid