'You say she's not there?'
'She's bin away for a week in Spain. Sent me a topless photo of 'erself from Torremolinos, didn't she? Only this momin'.'
'A week, you say?'
'Yeah. Went las' Sa'dy---back this Sa'dy.'
'Does she have a... a client in North Oxford?'
'An' if she does?'
'You know his name T'
'What about her name?'
'She in some sort of trouble?' Suddenly the voice sounded anxious, softer now--with a final 't' voiced upon that 'sort.'
'I could get all this information from Kidlington Police HQ--you know that, surely? I just thought it would save a bit of time and trouble if you answered me over the phone. Then when we've finished I can thank you for your kind cooperation with the police in their enquiries.' Hesitation now at the other end of the line.
Then an answer: 'Kay Blaxendale. That's 'Kay,' K-A-Y. She jus' signs herself 'K'--the letter 'K.''
'Is that her real name? It sounds a bit posh T'
'It's her professional name. Her real name's Ellie 'What about your name?'
'Do you have to know?'
'Yes.'
'Friday Banks--that's me.'
'Have you got another name?'
'No.'
'You've got another accent though, haven't you?'
'Pardon?'
'When you want to, you can speak very nicely. You've got a pleasant voice. I just wonder why you try to sound so cheap and common, that's all.'
'Heh! Come off it. I may be common, mista, but I ain't cheap---I can tell yer tha'.'
'All right.'
'Tha' all?'
'Er, do you like bluebells, Miss Banks?'
'Bluebells, you say? Bloody bluebells?' She snorted her derision. 'She does, though--Kay does. But me, I'm a red-rose girl, Inspector--if you're thinkin' of sendin' me a bunch of flowers.'
'You never know,' said Morse, as he winked across at Lewis..
'Tha' all?' she repeated.
'Just your address, please.'
'Do you have to know?' (An aspirated 'have.') 'Yes.'
'It's 35 Princess Street.'
And now it was Lewis's mm, as he winked across at Morse.
Chapter Ten
A long time passed--minutes or years--while the two of us sat there in silence. Then I said something, asked some-thing, but he didn't respond. I looked up and I saw the moisture running down his face (EDLr^RDO GAL pounds NO, The Book of Embraces)
Morse's face, after he had cradled the phone, betrayed a suggestion of satisfaction; but after a short while a stronger suggestion of d/ssatisfaction.
'Ever heard of a girl called Friday, Lewis.9'
'I've heard of that story--The Man Who Was Thursday.'
'It's a diminutive of Frideswide.'
'Right. Yes. We learnt about her at school--St. Frides-wide. Patron saint of Oxford. She cured somebody who was blind, I think.'
'Somebody, Lewis, she'd already herself struck blind in the first place.'
'Not a very nice girl, then.'
'Just like our girl.'
'Anyway, you can cross her off the list of suspects.'
'How do you make that out, Lewis?'
