The Red Shoes - Scenes 2-3

See part I here
II. Not much later a door stole open and someone tip-toed across the corridor. Lord Sören Snowflake, the retired Chief Inspector from St Mary Neat looked up and down the corridor before he bent down and reached out for the seductive red shoes. Oh dear, a price tag was still stuck to the bottom of one of them! The pristine sight made his mouth water.

“My goodness, Lord Sören! Are you also here?” The tipsy woman asking one of the stupidest question in the world lifted up her cheek and waited for the obligatory peck, before she continued her stream of unconsciousness.

“Sssh, I am afraid we´ll wake up someone, my dear. Let´s go down the bar, shall we?” He managed to control himself and Selina Crazy´s torrent of words, and taking her arm, he almost dragged her downstairs to an unobtrusive table in the bar she must have left quite recently.


III. Next morning.
The faithful little chambermaid, Miss Porridge, knocked on the door, opened it quietly and put the breakfast tray on the bedside table before she drew the heavy curtains. Remembering her low class, she let out an imbecile scream and a couple of sobs for good measure, before she collected herself and summoned the manager, Mr Humpfries.

“I am sure she´s been poisoninged, Mr ´umpfries. She looks like the woman who ate that tainted ´erring last week,” she informed him, as pleased as punch. “Puke all over the place.”

“Will you shut up, you twerp. Besides it was a kipper.” He glared at her and raised his hand as if he wanted to strike her but changed his mind at the last moment and patted her ruddy cheek instead. “Oh, doctor Emlock, already here? But that … that´s excellent. The patient is in here so if you will just follow me, please.” Mr Humpfries let the doctor into the classy but malodorous room and shot the door in the long faces of three curious attendants of the annual CPA convention.

Miss Maple and Mrs Rushwick looked at each other. “What on earth is going on in Elvira´s room?” they wondered.

Ms Crazy wanted to chirp in but feared that if she opened her mouth, she would be sick. What a disagreeable smell! Perhaps she should have turned down that last sherry in the bar. She opened her purse and while she was rummaging for something stimulating, she caught sight of the footwear on the floor. “How odd! Who has left those old clodhoppers outside Elvira´s room?”

To be continued tomorrow.