Roz gave a hollow laugh.
“She makes clay figures in her room and then sticks pins into them. She did one of me when she was angry with me. I had a migraine for a week.”
“When was that? Yes,” he said into the phone, “STC Security, Southampton, please.”
“A couple of weeks ago.”
“Someone beat you up a couple of weeks ago,” he pointed out.
“That’s why you had a migraine.” He wrote a number on his pad and hung up.
“My ex-husband,” she agreed.
“I told Olive I wanted to kill him and he turned up out of the blue. I could have killed him, too, if I’d had a knife, or been better prepared. I was angry enough.” She shrugged.
“And then there’s you and Crew and the Poacher, and Wyatt taking your wife, and her father dying. All people she blames for what’s happened to her.” He looked surprised.
“You don’t really believe that, do you?”
She laughed.
“No, of course I don’t.” But she did. Only she knew how much her head had hurt when Olive turned the pin.
“STC Security,” said a woman’s bright voice at the other end of the wire.
Hal looked at Roz as he spoke.
“Good morning. I’d like to discuss security arrangements for my restaurant with Mr. Stewart Hayes.”
“I’m not sure he’s available to talk at the moment, sir.”
“He will be for me. Try his number and tell him that Hal Hawksley of the Poacher is on the line.”
“One moment, please.”
Several moments passed before she came back to him.
“Mr. Hayes will talk to you now, Mr. Hawksley.”
A bluff, friendly voice swelled down the wire.
“Good morning, Mr. Hawksley. How may I help you?”
“You can’t, Mr. Hayes, but I can help you. You have a window of opportunity which will stay open for the length of time it takes me to reach your office. Roughly half an hour.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I’m prepared to sell the Poacher, but at my price, and today.
That’s the only offer you’ll ever get.”
There was a short silence.
“I’m not in the market for buying restaurants, Mr. Hawksley.”
“But Mr. Crew is, so I suggest you consult with him before you allow the window to close.”
There was another silence.
“I don’t know any Mr. Crew.” Hal ignored this.
“Tell him the Olive Martin case is about to blow wide open.” He gave Roz a broad wink.
“She is already taking legal advice from another solicitor and is expected to lodge an appeal against the terms of her father’s will within seven days on the grounds that she is innocent. Crew buys the Poacher today, at my price, or he doesn’t buy it at all. You have half an hour, Mr. Hayes.” He hung up.
Geof was waiting on the pavement when they arrived.
“You didn’t mention you were bringing company,” he said suspiciously, bending down to look through the open passenger window.
Hal introduced them.
“Sergeant Wyatt, Miss Rosalind Leigh.”
“Jesus, Hal,” he said in disgust.
“What on earth do you want to bring her for?”
“I fancy her.”
Geof shook his head in exasperation.
“You’re mad.” Hal opened the door and got out.
“I trust you’re referring to my motives in bringing her here. If I thought you were impugning my choice, I’d bop you on the nose.” He looked across the roof at Roz who had got out on the other side and was locking her door.
“I think you should stay in the car.”
