Clutch of Constables

Clutch of Constables
Ngaio Marsh

A classic Ngaio Marsh novel which features blood-curdling murders in the confines of a riverboat, the Zodiac, cruising through Constable country.’He looks upon the murders that he did in fact perform as tiresome and regrettable necessities,’ reflected Chief Superintendent Roderick Alleyn on the international crook known as ‘the Jampot’.But it was Alleyn’s wife Troy who knew ‘the Jampot’ best: she had shared close quarters with him on the tiny pleasure steamer Zodiac on a cruise along the peaceful rivers of ‘Constable country’. And it was she who knew something was badly wrong even before Alleyn was called in to solve the two murders on board…

Ngaio Marsh

Clutch of Constables

Copyright (#ulink_f4060686-eb15-51cb-8ae2-525189067f6e)

HARPER

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Published by HarperCollinsPublishers 2009

Clutch of Constables first published in Great Britain by Collins 1968

Ngaio Marsh asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of these works

Copyright © Ngaio Marsh Ltd 1968

A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

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Source ISBN: 9780006512592

Ebook Edition © JANUARY 2010 ISBN: 9780007344819

Version: 2018-11-21

Dedication (#ulink_914ef549-ab94-5945-8aa0-5562477fdaab)

For Audrey and Guy with love

Contents

Cover (#u0048917a-a463-5296-8431-a35beeda2863)

Title Page (#u0948f514-cf5b-5fa7-9e1f-cfbf9105cc85)

Copyright (#u175879e3-1986-547c-aa2d-5b3bfaa52ae6)

Dedication (#u0d2f7f5c-d7d6-5ef4-8f70-b10aff2b97d2)

Map (#u395ffe66-abed-5eae-9cf5-558cee168b31)

Cast of Characters (#uf214f6b3-d4e7-5f9b-8053-048c71cbdb59)

1 Apply Within (#uabd9e47c-3d0d-5531-bb64-c58e1fcec242)

2 The Wapentake (#u050b98ac-3381-5f9b-887d-15e578e6df27)

3 Tollardwark (#u1308f5d7-70c9-54d2-a1ad-b334398aaf76)

4 Crossdyke (#litres_trial_promo)

5 Longminster (#litres_trial_promo)

6 Ramsdyke (#litres_trial_promo)

7 Routine (#litres_trial_promo)

8 Routine Continued (#litres_trial_promo)

9 The Creeper (#litres_trial_promo)

10 Closed File (#litres_trial_promo)

Keep Reading (#litres_trial_promo)

Also by the Author (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)

Map (#ulink_25a412ab-142f-5408-97ce-602470bfff32)

Cast of Characters (#ulink_83b9e827-8080-5782-8620-3859e3e2d1c9)

CHAPTER 1 (#ulink_9422e03b-46a7-55a8-834b-f9f55d2ff089)

Apply Within (#ulink_9422e03b-46a7-55a8-834b-f9f55d2ff089)

‘There was nothing fancy about the Jampot,’ Alleyn said. ‘The word “Jobs” is entirely appropriate to his activities. He planned carefully, left as little as possible to chance, took a satisfaction in his work and accepted, without dwelling upon them, the occupational hazards which it involved. Retention or abolishment of capital punishment made no difference at all to his professional behaviour: I daresay he looks upon the murders that he did in fact perform, as tiresome and regrettable necessities.

‘His talents were appropriate to his employment. They included manual dexterity, a passion for accuracy, a really exceptional intelligence of mathematical precision and a useful imagination offset by a complete blank where nervous anxiety might be expected. Above all he was a superb mimic. Mimics are born not made. From his childhood the Jampot showed an uncanny talent in reflecting not only the mannerisms, speech habits and social behaviour of an extraordinary diversity of persons but of knowing, apparently by instinct, how they would react to given circumstances. Small wonder,’ Alleyn said, ‘that he led us up the garden path for so long. He was a masterpiece.’

He looked round his audience. Six rows of sharp-cropped heads. Were the dumb-looking ones as dumb as their wrinkled foreheads, lacklustre eyes and slackish mouths seemed to suggest? Was the forward-leaning one in the second row, who had come up from the uniformed branch with an outstanding report, as good as his promise? Protectors of the people, Alleyn thought. If only the people would recognize them as such. He went on.