'We'd best notify the Air Ministry,' Bert said. 'Mortimer, my cousin helped them trawl up an American Mustang off Clacton. They have a little museum. The old Martello tower, Point Clear.'
Bert stalled to silence. Ake took it up. 'They found a German Junkers Eighty-eight the RAF shot down, too.'
'This looks like a Spitfire, Mortimer.' Bert gestured to the sea's expanse. 'Guessing roughly, it looks like your dad was right.'
'Thank you, Bert.'
It was odd, seeing them all address this lad as if he were boss.
Ake grinned, clearing the air. 'Want to join, Lovejoy? Our club's diving the Goodwin Sands soon.'
'Ta, Bert, but I'm busy.' Old mariners still call it the Goodwin Graveyard, where hundreds of ships have sunk to doom in the drear black waters.
Bert guffawed. 'You'm white, booy.'
'That will do,' Mortimer said quietly. 'Lovejoy's been poorly.'
'Sorry, Mortimer,' the diver said quickly, the women tutting indignantly.
'Morning, everyone,' Colette said brightly. 'Everything going well?'
'Yes, m'm.' Bert was thrilled to be back on muddy technicalities. 'Found the aircraft for sure. Half a dozen tides, we'll start lifting. Spread about, o'course, because of its trajectory—'
'Great.' I moved away.
Colette looked like a million quid, decades younger now, dressed to kill. I saw Dang standing nearby. He grinned, nodded. Dang? No sign of Billia. I went to nosh the last ergs from the women's basket. They told me to take no notice of That Bert and his silly remarks, and not to go diving in the North Sea if I didn't want. I said ta.
'Lovejoy?' Colette came and the women tactfully faded. 'I think it's better if we don't take up again.'
'Great,' I said.
'Dang and I got talking after Bermondsey. He's never really been happy with Billia. And the poor lamb's in trouble with some East End gamblers. Only an older woman like me can extricate him. You do understand, Lovejoy?'
'Great.' Lots of poor lambs about.
'Naturally, I'd assumed you and me could make a go of it. But Dang's such a sweetie.'
'Great,' I said.
She patted my arm. 'I knew you'd understand. Do call in. Did I tell you I'm going to concentrate on Rockingham porcelain?'
She bussed me in a waft of costly perfume, waved to everyone, gave Mortimer a quick peck, and clipped off on Dang's arm. No need to worry about Dang's debts with any Cockney fight-fixers. He'd found his niche, no pun intended.
'You'll be at your cottage, Lovejoy?' Mortimer asked.
'Maybe I'll call at the vineyard.' I didn't want to admit I was broke, now had nowhere else to go for grub, female solace, a groat to start my next enterprise.
'Er, well, actually…' He petered out.
Mr Hartson tactfully helped. 'Bottie Kelvedon is getting married, Lovejoy. But I'm sure you'll be invited.'
'Great.'
Wendlesham came walking over the fields with two people from the direction of the old canal. I turned aside. He came right up to me.
'Morning, Lovejoy. Bigging up more antiques, eh?'
'No. Mortimer's ancestor crashed his fighter here.'
'You know Mr Herald, I think.'
It was Bowler Hat, today in a mac and every inch a plod. I went red from shame. I'd broadcast my cowardice to the whole of Bermondsey, something else I'd never live down. He was the one who'd arranged it. A pal.
'Didn't recognize you without a microphone.'
'Don't take umbrage, Lovejoy,' Mr Herald said pleasantly. 'We couldn't have told you the barrels weren't loaded, or Saintly would have tumbled.'
And I'd not have been terrified into begging for my life for all London to laugh at, ta very much.
'Look on the bright side,' Wendlesham went on. Happy ploddites are poison. 'Your activities go into your record as cooperation with the police, to protect young Mortimer there, not as planned preliminaries to murder, burglary, extortion, and grievous bodily harm.'
'How?' I was truly morose. So far I hadn't even glanced at Lydia. She was the other person with them. 'I never told you what I was doing.'
'You haven't forgotten, Lovejoy?' Lydia put in quickly. 'Didn't you suggest that I tell my Uncle Thomas your plans just in case?' That made me look from Herald to Lydia. Uncle?
But that meant she'd had plod in her family tree all this while and I hadn't known.
Wendlesham smiled. 'Your apprentice made a full and frank statement beforehand, Lovejoy. On your
