Worksheet

Answer Key
Level 4

High Life, Low Life Alan Battersby

Summary The next day, Charlie Whittaker summons Marley.
Martha has disappeared with Mrs Whittaker’s money
Private eye, Nat Marley, meets old acquaintance, the
and has trashed the apartment. Marley is sure that
homeless Annie Clayton, at Grand Central station,
Mrs Whittaker was murdered, and the police
New York. She suffers a cardiac arrest. Marley
are called. Charlie hires Marley to find Martha.
administers emergency resuscitation. Annie is taken to
Meanwhile, Marley finds a home address for Jackie.
Bellevue Hospital and later tells Marley she
Marley and Joe finally corner him and take him to the
wishes to make a will. The next day, Marley is
hospital to be reunited with his mother. At Century
summoned to Mrs Joanna Whittaker, an elderly
Apartments, Marley finds clues indicating Martha
widow, at the opulent Century Apartments on Central
could be gambling with Mrs Whittaker’s money in
Park. Having read the story of Marley saving Annie’s
Atlantic City.
life, she wants to make him sole beneficiary in her
will, which incurs the displeasure of her spooky maid, The autopsy results on Mrs Whittaker are
Martha. Marley wants no part in this. inconclusive; verdict – natural death. Marley needs
a confession from Martha. She is found in a casino,
Annie asks her friend Leona to take Marley to collect
where she confesses to murder under pressure from
a box from her underground home. At the hospital,
Marley. Later that night, Annie finally dies. Oldenberg
Annie shows Marley a photo of her lost son Jackie as
asks Marley to approach Jackie – the deal is a clean
a teenager, asking Marley to find him before she dies.
record for Jackie if he testifies against Wiseman.
Later, Marley learns more about the Whittaker family.
Martha is not charged with the murder for lack of hard
Marley is the spitting image of the late Tom Whittaker.
evidence, but is charged with theft.
Mrs Whittaker leads a reclusive life and has alienated
her son and daughter. Marley’s colleague, Joe Blaney, At the reading of Annie’s will, it transpires that Tom
discovers the old lady is besotted with Marley. Whittaker is actually Jackie’s father. Thus Jackie
Clayton, Charlie Whittaker and his sister, Betty
The search for Jackie takes Marley to the East Village,
Osborne, are related. Annie has kept a gift of stock
where he learns that Jackie used to work for a taxi
certificates from Tom Whittaker, which prove valuable.
business run by Mr Wiseman, which Joe Blaney
The story ends a year later with the opening of the
discovers to be a cover for a stolen goods operation.
Annie Clayton Center in Harlem, a safe refuge for
Jackie is in hiding from his old boss. Journalist Ed
homeless women, jointly funded by Charlie Whittaker,
Winchester shows Marley an old story about Ernst
Betty Osborne and Jackie Clayton, in memory of their
Weissmann (a.k.a. Wiseman) and Jackie Clayton
mothers.
being acquitted of handling stolen goods. Marley tips
off Captain Oldenberg at police headquarters about
Wiseman Cabs. Before reading
Marley is called to the Whittaker apartment – 4. a Chapter 4
Mrs Whittaker has died. Marley is struck by Martha’s b Chapter 1
indifferent attitude to her dead employer. Marley is c Chapter 2
suspicious but cannot prove anything. Marley meets d Chapter 5
the son, Charlie Whittaker and explains that he does e Chapter 3
not wish to be the beneficiary of his mother’s will.
Meanwhile, Stella, Marley’s PA, has located Jackie’s
workplace in Chelsea, but an attempt to make contact
proves abortive. Annie Clayton continues to keep a
slender hold on life.

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 Worksheet
Answer Key
Level 4

High Life, Low Life Alan Battersby

Check your reading
much worse. At McFadden’s Bar, Ed Winchester
Chapter 1 showed Marley a newspaper story. Five years
ago, Ernst Weissmann and Jackie Clayton had
1. a Nat Marley
been found not guilty of buying stolen property.
b Annie Clayton
Marley compared the newspaper photo with
c Nat Marley
Joe’s photo, realised that Ernst Weissmann and
d Stella Delgado
Mr Wiseman were the same person and called
e Dr Fischer
Captain Oldenberg at police headquarters.
f Annie Clayton
Finally, Stella Delgado persuaded Marley to buy
air conditioning for the office.
Chapter 2
1. a Mrs. Whittaker Chapter 8
b Nat Marley and Stella Delgado
1. 1 d, 2 f, 3 b, 4 a, 5 c, 6 e
c Mrs Whittaker
2. Student’s own answer.
d Martha Bianchi
e Stella Delgado
Chapter 9
f Nat Marley
1. a Nat Marley
Chapter 3 b Martha Bianchi
c Mr Wiseman
1. 1 b, 2 f, 3 e, 4 a, 5 d, 6 c
d Joe Blaney
e Jackie Clayton
Chapter 4
f Nat Marley
1. f, a, b, e, c, d
Chapter 10
Chapter 5
1. a F, b P, c F, d P, e F, f P
1. a T, b F, c F, d F, e T, f T
Chapter 11
Chapter 6
1. Jackie had been hiding from Wiseman for the
1. a Lieutenant Brandstein last twelve months because he wanted a normal
b bartender life. Martha had taken out tens of thousands of
c bartender dollars from Mrs Whittaker’s bank account. Joe
d Mr Wiseman noticed that Martha had underlined sentences in
e Joe Blaney a book called The Perfect Murder; Marley thought
f Joe Blaney Martha’s message ‘Gone to play ball’ probably
g Wilma Patterson meant that she was interested in gambling.
Marley and Joe went to look for Martha in
Chapter 7 Atlantic City, which was several hours away
1. Joe Blaney had been taking photos of Wiseman from New York.
Cabs all afternoon. Dr Fischer phoned from the
hospital to say that Annie Clayton was getting

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 Worksheet
Answer Key
Level 4

High Life, Low Life Alan Battersby

Chapter 12 Chapter 14
1. a Jackie Clayton 1. a all, b Jackie Clayton, c all,
b Joe Blaney and Nat Marley d Jackie Clayton, e all,
c Martha Bianchi f Jackie Clayton, g Charlie and Betty
d Martha Bianchi Osborne, h all
e Dr Fischer
f Annie Clayton
g Nat Marley

Chapter 13
1. b ¸, c ¸, e ¸, g ¸
2. a Father and son
b Brother and sister
c Half brothers

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