Inspector Morse 12 Death is Now My Neighbour

suspicion of foul play.

A note on yellow paper was Sellotaped to the desk:

Lewis!

-Just off to the Diab. Centre (3.45)

- Yr notes on Bath most helpful, but try to get Sarah Siddons right - two d's, please.

- Good job we're getting a few facts straight before jumping too far ahead. Reculer pour mieux sauter!

- We'll be jumping tomorrow a.m. tho' - to Bath. Royal Crescent informs me the Storrs - Herr und Frau - are staying there again!

-1 need yr notes on Julian Storrs.

- Ring me at home - after the Archers.

M

And on the side of the desk, a letter from the Thame and District Diabetic Association addressed to Det Chief Inspector Morse:

Dear sir,

Welcome to the Club! Sony to be so quick off the mark but news travels fast in diabetic circles.

We meet on the first Thursday of each month 7.30-9 p.m. in the Town Hall in Thame and we shall be delighted if you can come to speak to us. We can

offer no fee but we can offer a warm-hearted and grateful audience.

During this last year we have been fortunate to welcome several very well-known people. For example our last six speakers have been Dr David Matthews, Lesley Hallett, Professor Harry Keane, Angela Storrs, Dr Robert Turner, and Willie Rushton.

Please try to support us if you can. For our 1996/7 programme we are still looking for speakers for October '96 and February '97. Any hope of you filling one of these slots?

I enclose SAE and thank you for your kind consideration...

But Lewis read only the first few lines, for never, except in the course of a criminal investigation, had he wittingly read a letter meant for the eyes of another person...

From the passenger seat Morse had still said nothing until Lewis, after turning off the M4 at Junction 18 on to the A46, was within a few miles of Bath.

'Lewis! If you had a mistress -'

'Not the milk-lady, sir. She's far too fat for me.'

' - and, say, you were having a weekend away together and you told your missus that you were catching the train but in fact this woman was going to pick you up in her car somewhere - The Randolph, say...'

*Yes, sir?' (Was Morse getting lost?)

'Would you still go to the railway station? Would you

make sure she picked you up at the railway station - not The Randolph?'

'Dunno, sir. I've never-'

'I know you haven' t,' snapped Morse. 'Just think, man!'

So Lewis thought. And thought he saw what Morse was getting at.

'You mean it might make you feel a bit better in your own mind - feel a bit less guilty, like - if you did what you said you'd be doing - before you went?' (Was Lewis getting lost?)

'Something like that,' said Morse unenthusiastically as a sign welcomed the two detectives to the Roman City of Bath.

As soon as Lewis had stopped outside the Royal Crescent Hotel, Morse rang through on the mobile phone to the Deputy Manager, as had been agreed. No problem, it appeared. The Storrs had gone off somewhere an hour or so earlier in the BMW. The coast was clear; and Morse got out of the car and walked round to the driver's window.

'Good luck in Bristol!'

Lewis raised two crossed fingers of his right hand, like the logo of the National Lottery, as Morse continued:

'If you find what I hope you're going to find, the battle's half won. And it's mostly thanks to you.'

'No! It was you who figured it all out'

'Wouldn't have done, though, without all those visits of yours to Soho.'

'Pardon, sir?'

'To see the chorus line, Lewis! The chorus line at the Windmill.'

'But I've never-'

''Legs right up to her armpits,' you said, right? And that was the second time you'd used those words, Lewis. Remember?'