Back Artists in Crime
Chapters (25)
  1. Cover Page
  2. Dedication
  3. The Characters in the Tale
  4. CHAPTER 1Prologue at Sea
  5. CHAPTER 2Five Letters
  6. CHAPTER 3Class Assembles
  7. CHAPTER 4Case for Mr Alleyn
  8. CHAPTER 5Routine
  9. CHAPTER 6Sidelight on Sonia
  10. CHAPTER 7Alibi for Troy
  11. CHAPTER 8Sidelights on Garcia
  12. CHAPTER 9Phillida Lee and Watt Hatchett
  13. CHAPTER 10Weekend of an Engaged Couple
  14. CHAPTER 11Ormerin’s Nerves and Sonia’s Correspondence
  15. CHAPTER 12Malmsley on Pleasure
  16. CHAPTER 13Upstairs
  17. CHAPTER 14Evidence from a Twig
  18. CHAPTER 15Lady of the Ensemble
  19. CHAPTER 16Back to the Yard
  20. CHAPTER 17The Man at the Table
  21. CHAPTER 18One of Five
  22. CHAPTER 19Alleyn Makes a Pilgrimage
  23. CHAPTER 20Arrest
  24. CHAPTER 21Epilogue in a Garden
  25. About the Publisher

‘At ten-thirty the class, with the exception of Garcia, who, as we have seen, had left, was ready to begin work. Miss Troy had given instructions that they were to start without her. This is her usual practice, except on the occasions when a new pose is to be set. The model lay down to resume the pose which she had been taking since September 10th. It was a recumbent position on her back. She lay half on a piece of silk material and half on the bare boards of the dais known as the model’s “throne”. The model was undraped. She lay first of all on her right side. One of the students, Miss Valmai Seacliff, of No. 8, Partington Mews, WC4, approached the model, placed her hands on Gluck’s shoulders and thrust the left shoulder firmly over and down. This was the usual procedure. Gluck cried out “Don’t!” as if in pain, but as she habitually objected to the pose, Miss Seacliff paid no attention, shifted her hands to the model’s chest, and pressed down. Gluck made another sound, described by Miss Seacliff as a moan, and seemed to jerk and then relax. Miss Seacliff then said: “Oh, don’t be such a fool, Sonia,” and was about to rise from her stooping posture when she noticed that Gluck was in an abnormal condition. She called for the others to come. Miss Katti Bostock followed by two students, Mr Watt Hatchett, an Australian, and Mr Francis Ormerin, a Frenchman, approached the throne. Hatchett said: “She’s taken a fit.” Miss Bostock said: “Get out of the way.” She examined the body. She states that the eyelids fluttered and the limbs jerked slightly. Miss Bostock attempted to raise Gluck. She placed her hand behind the shoulders and pulled. There was a certain amount of resistance, but after a few seconds the body came up suddenly. Miss Seacliff cried out loudly that there was blood on the blue silk drape. Mr Ormerin said: “Mong dew, the knife!”’

Mr Blackman cleared his throat and turned a page.