Inspector Morse 12 Death is Now My Neighbour

His expenses were generous: needed to be.

Sometimes he enjoyed his job.

'Don't you ever feel bad about that sort of diing?'

'What d'you mean?'

'He'll never get his change, will he?'

'Like I said, why don't you just fuck off!'

'Gloria used to feel bad sometimes - quite a civilized streak in that woman somewhere. You'd have liked her ... Anyway, if you do come across her, just say you met me, Geoff Owens, will you? She'll remember me - certain to. Just tell her I've got a litde proposition for her. She may be a bit down on her luck. You never know these days, and I wouldn't want to think she was on her uppers ... or her daughter was, for that matter.'

39

COLIN DEXTER

'What's her daughter got to do with it?' The voice was sharp.

Owens smiled, confidently now, lightly rubbing the back of his right wrist lightiy across her blouse.

'Quite a lot, perhaps. You may have quite a lot to do with it, sweetheart!'

She made no attempt to contradict him. 'In the pub' (she pointed across the street) 'half an hour, OK?'

She watched him go, the man with a five o'clock shadow who said his name was Owens. She'd never seen him before; but she'd recognize him again immediately, the dark hair drawn back above his ears, and tied in a pony-tail about eight or nine inches long.

Apart from the midnight 'milk-float', which gave passengers the impression that it called at almost every hamlet along the line the 11.20 p.m. was the last train from Paddington. And a panting Owens jumped into its rear coach as the Turbo Express suddenly juddered and began to move forward. The train was only half-full, and he found a seat immediately.

He felt pleased with himself. The assignation in the pub had proved to be even more interesting than he'd dared to expect; and he leaned back and closed his eyes contentedly as he pondered the possible implications of what he had just learned...

He jolted awake at Didcot, wondering where he was -realizing that he had missed the Reading stop completely. Determined to stay awake for the last twelve minutes of the journey, he picked up an Evening Standard

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DEATH IS NOW MY NEIGHBOUR

someone had left on flic seat opposite, and was reading the sports page when over the top of the newspaper he saw a man walking back down the carriage - almost to where he himself was sitting - before taking his place next to a woman. And Owens recognized him.

Recognized Mr Julian Storrs of Lonsdale.

Well! Well! Well!

At Oxford, his head still stuck behind the Evening Standard, Owens waited until everyone else had left the rear carriage. Then, himself alighting, he observed Storrs arm-in-arm with his companion as they climbed the steps of the footbridge which led over the tracks to Platform One. And suddenly, for the second time that evening, Owens felt a shiver of excitement - for he immediately recognized the woman, too.

How could he fail to recognize her?

She was his next-door neighbour.

CHAPTER Six

Monday, 19 February

Many is the gracious form that is covered with a veil; but on withdrawing this thou discoverest a grandmother

(Musharrif-Uddin, Gulistan)

PAINSTAKINGLY, in block capitals, the Chief Inspector wrote his name, E. MORSE; and was beginning to write his address when Lewis came into the office at 8.35 a.m. on Monday, 19 February.

'What's that, sir?'

Morse looked down at a full page torn from one of the previous day's colour supplements.

'Special offer: two free CDs when you apply to join the Music Club Library.'

Lewis looked dubious. 'Don't forget you have to buy a book every month with that sort of thing. Life's not all freebies, you know.'

'Well, it is in this case. You've just got to have a look at the first thing they send you, that's all - then Send it back if you don't like it I think they even refund the postage.'

Lewis watched as Morse completed and snipped out the application form.

DEATH IS NOW MY NEIGHBOUR

'Wouldn't it be fairer if you agreed to have some of the books?'

'You think so?'