Inspector Morse 12 Death is Now My Neighbour

'I'm not sure about that, sir. Just up an' down, like I said. An' she's got the same pair now. I took their breakfast again this morning. Same room - thirty-six.' Marilyn gave a nervous little giggle. 'Perhaps it's time she changed them.'

'She may have got two pairs,' interposed Lewis - not particularly helpfully, judging from the scowl on Morse's face.

'Do you think it could have been anybody else - except Mrs Storrs?'

'No, sir. Like I say, she was there in the bed. But...'

'But what?'

'Well, I saw /z«rall right. But I didn't really see him. He was in the bathroom having a shave - electric razor it was - and the door was open a bit and I saw he was still in his pyjamas and he said thank you but...'

'Would you have recognized him if he'd turned his head?'

For the first time Marilyn Hudson seemed unsure of herself.

'Well, I'd seen them earlier in the hotel, but I didn't notice him as much as her really. She was, you know, ever so dressy and smart - dark glasses she wore - and a white trouser-suit. Same thing as she's got on today.'

Morse turned to Lewis. 'Do you think she's got two white trouser-suits, Sergeant?'

'Always a possibility, sir.'

'So' (if Morse was experiencing some disappointment, he gave no indication of it) 'what you're telling us is that you're pretty sure it was her, but not quite so sure it was him}'

Marilyn considered the question a while before replying:

'No. I'm pretty sure it was both of them, sir.'

'Good girl, our Marilyn,' confided Sara, 'even if her vocabulary's a bit limited.'

Morse looked across at her quizzically:

'Vertical and horizontal, you mean? I shouldn't worry about that I've always had trouble with east and west myself.'

'Lots of people have trouble with right and left,' began Lewis - but Morse was already making a further request

You've still got die details of who was staying here last Saturday?'

'Of course. Just a minute.'

She returned shortly with a sheaf of registration cards; and Morse was looking dirough, flicking them over one at a time - when suddenly he stopped, the familiar tingling of excitement across his shoulders.

He handed the card to Lewis.

And Lewis whistled softly, incredulously, as he read the name.

Morse turned again to Sara. 'Can you let us have a copy of the bill - account, whatever you call it - for Room fifteen?'

You were right then, sir!' whispered Lewis excitedly. You always said it was 'DC'!'

Sarah came back and laid the account in front of Morse.

'Single room - number fifteen. Just the one night Paid by credit card.'

Morse looked through the items.

'No evening meal?'

'No.'

'No breakfast either?'

'No.'

'Look! Can we use your phone from here?'

'Of course you can. Shall I leave you?'

*Yes, I think so,' said Morse, 'if you don't mind.

Morse and Lewis emerged from the office some twenty minutes later; and were walking behind reception when one of the guests came through from the entrance hall and asked for the key to Room 36.

Then he saw Morse.

'Good God! What are you doing here?' asked Julian Storrs.

'I was just going to ask you exactly the same question,' replied Morse, with a curiously confident smile.

CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE

Why did you murder those workmen in 1893?' It wasn't in 1893. It was in '92.'

(Quoted by H. H. Asquith)

'Do vou WANT my wife to be here as well? I dropped her in the city centre to do a bit of shopping. But she