A Murder Shall Commence.

Chapter 2

Ring, ring.

"Izzy!" I yelled. It was a couple of hours later, and I was still lying on the sofa, finishing the complex crossword my dear sister had discarded a long time ago.

"Izzy, it's the TELEPHONE!" I hollered, rolling off the sofa and scrambling into the hall to answer it.

"Hello?" I sighed, taking a deep breath. At the same time, Isabel finally decided to talk to me.

"You can answer the telephone yourself, Allie, for God's sake!" she hollered, from what I thought might have been the upstairs window-seat but couldn't be sure.

"Allie?" came the voice down the telephone.

"Robert!" I gasped. "Have you found anything?"

"And while we're on the subject, Alianna Winter..." Isabel carried on, just as loudly.

"You bet" Newham replied excitedly, but his words were lost under Isabel's bellowing.

"Sorry" I apologised, telephone to one ear and my finger stuffed in the other. "I can't hear you. Can you give me a minute?"

I moved the phone away from my mouth.

"IZZY!" I screeched. "SHUT UP! This is important!"

"There was no need to shout" Isabel's voice  floated stroppily down the stairs. I sighed again, shaking my head, and put the telephone back to my ear.

"Sorry" I apologised again to Newham. "You were saying?"

"I'm saying we've found another message" Newham announced excitedly down the phone.

"We'll be right there" I smiled, cutting off everything he was about to say. He laughed.

"Alright. If you're sure. I'll see you soon."

"Not too soon, I'd imagine" I sighed. "I've still got to get Izzy out the house."

We both laughed, and hung up. I walked purposefully to the foot of the stairs.

"IZZY! We're going out!"

"No we are blinking well not, Alianna Winter!" Isabel hollered back.

"Alright! I'm going out!" I yelled up the stairs, turning away to put my coat and hat on.

"No you are blinking well not, Alianna Winter!" Isabel snapped, appearing at the top of the stairs and hurrying down them.

"Not without me, anyhow" my sister added, grabbing her coat, hat and scarf and contradicting everything she had said a moment previously. I smiled a little, knowingly. Isabel was contrary at the best of times.

We arrived fifteen minutes later at the gates of Scotland Yard. Newham was standing, waiting for us.

"Come on!" he said excitedly, ushering  us in and up into a maze of corridors. I had actually only been to Scotland Yard once before, and it was only vaguely like I remembered.

"Why are we all so excitable today?" Isabel commented cynically, as the three of us finally reached what I assumed was Fisher's new office.

"Isabel!" Newham scolded. "What's not exciting about a secret message?"

"Maybe one that involves everyone getting into trouble over it, and dragging me with you?" my sister grumbled, as Fisher jumped practically over the desk, an envelope in his hand.

"Look at this!" he exclaimed, shoving the paper under my nose. I moved it firmly away to a distance where I could actually read what was written, and frowned.