Inspector Morse 12 Death is Now My Neighbour

'Not this morning, sir - or this afternoon. I'm seeing his lordship, Sir Clixby Bream, at a quarter to twelve; then I'm going to find out who's got access to the photocopier and whatever at the Harvey Clinic.'

'Waste o' time,' mumbled Morse.

'I dunno, sir. I've got a feeling it may all tie in together somehow.'

'What with?'

'I'll know more after I've been to Lonsdale. You see, I've already learned one or two things about the situation there. The present Master's going to retire soon, as you know, and the new man's going to be taking up the reins at the start of the summer term -'

' Trinity term.'

' - and they've narrowed it down to two candidates: Julian Storrs and a fellow called Cornford, Denis Corn-ford - he's a Lonsdale man himself, too. And diey say die odds are fairly even.'

'Who's this 'they' you keep talking about?'

'One of the porters there. We used to play cricket together.'

'Ridiculous game!'

'What's your programme today, sir?'

But Morse appeared not to hear his sergeant's question.

'Cup o' tea, Lewis?'

'Wouldn't say no.'

Morse returned a couple of minutes later, with a cup of tea for Lewis and a pint glass of iced water for himself. He sat down and looked at his wristwatch: twenty-five past ten.

'What's your programme today?' repeated Lewis.

'I've got a meeting at eleven-thirty diis morning. Nothing else much. Perhaps I'll do a bit of thinking - it's high time I caught up with you.'

As Lewis drank his tea, talking of this and that, he was aware that Morse seemed distanced - seemed almost in a world of his own. Was he listening at all?

'Am I boring you, sir?'

'What? No, no! Keep talking! That's always the secret, you know, if you want to start anything - start thinking, say. All you've got to do is listen to somebody talking a load of nonsense, and somehow, suddenly, something emerges.'

'I wasn't talking nonsense, sir. And if I was, you wouldn't have known. You weren't listening.'

Nor did it appear that Morse was listening even now - as he continued: 'I wonder what time the postman comes to Polstead Road. Storrs usually caught the ten-fifteen

train from Oxford, you say ... So he'd leave the house about a quarter to ten - bit earlier, perhaps? He's got to get to the station, park his car, buy a ticket - buy two tickets ... So if the postman called about then ... perhaps Storrs met him as he left the house and took his letters with him, and read them as he waited for Rachel, then stuffed 'em in his jacket-pocket'

'So?'

'So if... What do most couples do after they've had sex together?'

'Depends, I suppose.' Lewis looked uneasily at his superior. 'Go to sleep?'

Morse smiled waywardly. 'It's as tiring as that, is it?'

'Well, if they did it more than once.'

'Then she - she, Lewis - stays awake and goes quiedy through his pockets and finds the blackmail letter. By the way, did you ask him when he received it?'

'No, sir.'

'Well, find out! She sees the letter and she knows she 1 can blackmail him. Not about die affair diey're having,

perhaps - diey're bodi in dial togedier - but about somediing else she discovered from die letter ... You know, I suspect dial our Ms James was getting a bit of a handful for our Mr Storrs. What do you dunk?' (But Lewis was given no time at all to think.) 'What were die last couple of dates they went to London togedier?'

'That's somediing else I shall have to check, sir.'

'Well, check it! You see, we've been coming round to die idea diat somebody was trying to murder Owens, K haven't we? And murdered Rachel by mistake. But

perhaps we're wrong, Lewis. Perhaps we're wrong.'

Morse looked flushed and excited as he drained his iced water and got to his feet

'I'd better have a quick shave.'

'What else have you got on your programme-?'

'As I say, you see what happens when you start talking nonsense! You're indispensable, old friend. Absolutely indispensabld'