Inspector Morse 12 Death is Now My Neighbour

him come back safely. Oh, God, put an end to this, my overwhelming misery!

His words before he'd slammed the door had pierced their way into her heart 'You hadn't even got the guts to lie to me ... You didn't even want to spare me all this pain.'

Yet how wrong he'd been, with both his accusations!

Her mother had never ceased recalling that Junior High School report: 'She's such a gutsy litde girl.' And the simple, desperately simple, truth was that she loved her husband far more than anydiing or anyone she'd ever loved before. And yet... and yet she remembered so painfully clearly her assertion earlier that same evening: dial more dran anything in die world she wanted Denis to be Master.

And now? The centre of her life had fallen apart Her heart was broken. There was no one to whom she could turn.

Except, perhaps...

And again and again she recalled that terrible conversation:

'Clixby?'

'Shelly!'

'Are you alone?'

Tes. What a lovely surprise. Come over!'

'Denis knows all about us!'

'What''

'Denis knows all about us!'

''All' about us? What d'ycm mean? There's nothing for him to know - not really.'

Wooing-? Was it nothing to you?'

'You sound like the book of Proverbs - or is it Ecclesiastes?'

'It didn't mean anything to you, did it?'

'It was only the once, properly, my dear. For heaven's

sake!' ijjj 1 'You just don't understand, do you?'

'How did he find out?'

'He didn't'

'I don't follow you.'

'He just guessed. He was talking to you tonight-'

'After Hall, you mean? Of course he was. You were there.'

'Did you say anything? Please, tell me!'

'What? Have you taken leave of your senses?'

'Why did he say he knew, dien?'

'He was just guessing - you just said so yourself.'

'He must have had some reason.'

'Didn't you deny it?'

'But it was true!'

'What the hell's that got to do with it? Don't you see? All you'd got to do was to deny it.'

'That's exactly what Denis said.'

'Bloody intelligent man, Denis. I just hope you appreciate him. He was right, wasn't he? All you'd got to do was to deny it'

'And that's what you wanted me to do?'

' You 're not really being very intelligent, are you?'

'I just can't believe what you're saying.'

'It would have been far kinder.'

'Kinder to you, you mean?'

To me, to you, to Denis - to everybody.'

'God! You're a shit, aren't you?'

'Just hold your horses, girl!'

'What are you going to do about it?'

'What do you mean - 'do' about it? What d'you expect me to do?'

'I don't know. I've no one to talk to. That's why I rang you.'