Museum.
Chapter Forty-one
His failing powers disconcerted him, for what he would do with women he was unsure to perform, and he could rarely accept the appearance of females who thought of topics other than coitus (PETER CHAMPKIN, The Sleeping Life of Aspern Williams)
Now Julia Stevens was very fair to behold, for there was a gentle beauty in the pallor of the skin beneath that Titian hair, and the softest invitation in the redness of her lips.
And as he sat opposite her that evening, Morse was imme diately made aware of an animal magnetism.
'Care for a drink, Inspector?'
'No--er, no thank you.'
'Does that mean 'yes'?'
'Yes.'
'Scotch T'
'Why not?'
'Say when.'
'When.'
'Cheers?
'Mind if I smoke T'
'Yes, I do.'
She left the room, and re-appeared with an ashtray. Per-haps they were beginning to understand each other.
'Mrs. Brooks stayed the night here?' began Morse. 'Yes.'
'You see, her husband's gone missing--he failed to keep an appointment at the hospital this morning.'
'I know. Brenda rang me.'
'You'd both been to Stratford, I understand.'
'Yes.'
'Enjoy the play?'
'No.'
'Why T'
'My life will not be significantly impoverished if I never see another Shakespearian comedy.'
'Mrs. Brooks enjoyed it though, I believe?'
Julia nodded, with a slow reminiscence. 'Bless her! Yes.
She's not had much to smile about recently.'
'Have you?'
'Not much, really, no. Why do you ask that?'
But Morse made no direct answer. 'Isn't it just a bit odd, perhaps, that Mrs. Brooks didn't call in to see if her hus-band was all right?'
'Odd? It's the most natural thing in the world.'
'Is it?'
'She hates him.'
'And why's that?'
'He treats her in such a creel way--at's why.'
'How do you know that.9'
'Brenda's told me.'
'You've no first-hand evidence?'
'I've always tried to avoid him.'
'Aren't you being a bit unfair, then?'
'I don't think so.'
'Have you any idea where he might he?'
'No. But I hope somebody's stuck a knife into him somewhere.'
As he looked across at the school-mistress, Morse found himself wondering whether her pale complexion was due not so much to that inherited colouration so common with the auburn type, as to some illness, possibly; for he had served, in a face almost completely devoid of any other cosmetic device, some skin-tinted application to the dark-ened rings beneath her eyes.
