title: Speaker of Mandarin: An Inspector Wexford Mystery
author:  Ruth Rendell 
description: tor Wexford is in China, visiting ancient tombs and palaces with a group of British tourists. After their return to England, one of his fellow tourists is found murdered. As he questions other members of the group, Wexford finds secrets of greed, treachery, theft, and adultery, leading the distressed inspector to ask not who is innocent, but who is least guilty . . .
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  # The Montezuma Emerald
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Rodrigues Ottolengui
  
  
  This page copyright © 2001 Munsey's.
  
  
  http://www.munseys.com
  
  
  "Is the Inspector in?"
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Mr. Barnes immediately recognised the voice, and turned to greet the speaker.
  The man was Mr. Leroy Mitchel's English valet. Contrary to all precedent and
  tradition, he did not speak in cockney dialect, not even stumbling over the
  proper distribution of the letter W throughout his vocabulary. That he was
  English, however, was apparent to the ear, because of a certain rather
  attractive accent, peculiar to his native island, and to the eye because of a
  deferential politeness of manner, too seldom observed in American servants. He
  also always called Mr. Barnes "Inspector", oblivious of the fact that he was
  not a member of the regular police, and mindful only of the English
  application of the word to detectives.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  "Step right in, Williams," said Mr. Barnes. "What is the trouble