Black As He’s Painted. Ngaio Marsh

      

      NGAIO MARSH

       Black As He’s Painted

       Dedication

       For Roses and Mike with love

       Contents

       Cover

       Title Page

Dedication

Cast of Characters

Map

1 Mr Whipplestone

2 Lucy Lockett

       3 Catastrophe

       4 Aftermath

       5 Small Hours

       6 Afternoon in the Capricorns

       7 Mr Sheridan’s Past

       8 Keeping Obbo

       9 Climax

       10 Epilogue

       Coda

       Keep Reading

       Acknowledgement

       Also by the Author

       Copyright

       About the Publisher

       Cast of Characters

Mr Samuel Whipplestone		Foreign Office (retired)
Lucy Lockett		A cat
The Ambassador in London for Ng’ombwana
A Lady
A Young Gentleman	Of Messrs Able & Virtue
A Youth	Land & Estate Agents
Chubb		House Servant
Mrs Chubb		His wife
A Veterinary Surgeon
Mr Sheridan		No.1a Capricorn Walk (basement flat)
His Excellency		The Boomer, President of Ng’ombwana
Bartholomew Opala, CBE
An ADC
Mr and Mrs Pirelli		Of the Napoli, shop-keepers
Colonel Cockburn-Montfort		Late of the Ng’ombwanan Army (retired)
Mrs Cockburn-Montfort		His wife
Kenneth Sanskrit		Late of Ng’ombwana. Merchant
Xenoclea Sanskrit		His sister. Of the Piggie Pottery, Capricorn Mews, SW3
A mlinzi		Spear Carrier to The Boomer
Sir George Alleyn, KCMG, etc. etc.
Superintendent Roderick Alleyn		CID
Troy Alleyn		Painter. His wife
Inspector Fox		CID
Superintendent Gibson		Special Branch, CID
Jacks		A talented sergeant
Detective-Sergeant Bailey		A finger-print expert
Detective-Sergeant Thompson		A photographer
Sundry police, Ng’ombwanan servants and frequenters of the Capricorns, SW3

       Map