'I thought perhaps you were merely feeling embarrassed at the prospect of bringing up the topic of my relationship with Dick Elgood,' she said.
'Oh dear,' said Pascoe. 'He's been in touch then?'
'It was the gentlemanly thing to do.'
'As opposed to the policemanly, which is to plot to discuss a wife's infidelity upstairs while her husband sits innocently below? At least you gave me credit for embarrassment.'
'Wrongly, so it seems.'
Perhaps rightly,' corrected Pascoe. 'But we won't know as, in fact, I didn't have to bring it up, did I? You saved me the bother. But, truly, I didn't intend to bring it up anyway. Why should I? As Mr Elgood was quick to point out, what business is it of mine?'
'None, I hope. But there have been several misunderstandings, I think, and if complete frankness is necessary to clear them up, then I'm willing to be completely frank.'
She sat on the edge of the bed, knees demurely together, hands clasped on her lap, cheeks gently flushed, long fair hair falling over her shoulders.
'Yes,' murmured Pascoe, mostly to himself, but she caught the word.
'Yes, what?'
He smiled and said, 'I was just remembering something Ellie said about you.'
'Ellie?' she said alertly.
'Yes. I'm sorry, I shouldn't pass things on, should I? But I've gone too far now. She said you were . . . sexy. I see what she meant.'
Daphne rose abruptly, ran her hand through her hair and left it there.
'Clearly she didn't tell me enough about you,' she said.
'No? What's enough, I wonder?' said Pascoe. 'It strikes me, Ellie's rather pig-in-the-middle in all this.'
'Poor Ellie.'
'You mentioned the open view from our house. I didn't know you'd been there.'
'Once,' said Daphne, still holding her pose which unselfconsciously echoed a position favoured by Hollywood starlet publicity photographers. 'I went to have a row with her.'
'And you can still walk. She must be slipping,' said Pascoe.
'Yes. I didn't really get going. I suppose basically I like her too much.'
'Me too,' said Pascoe ruefully. 'It can be a disadvantage, can't it?'
'Look,' said Daphne. 'There's something I want to put right. In a way I started all this silly business by . . . well, let’s just say I misinterpreted certain things. I know better now. I was going to tell Ellie all about it, and tell her to tell you, but it makes more sense to do it the other way round now you're here.'
Rapidly she told Pascoe most of what had passed between her and Patrick that morning. His cool, appraising gaze half convinced her he guessed the rest and she found herself blushing at the thought.
When she had finished, he said, 'So he is no longer a candidate for this place on the board?'
'He's going to contact Dick Elgood and withdraw.'
'I see. Well, to be honest, it never seemed a particularly good motive for murder!' said Pascoe. 'And Mr Aldermann hasn't struck me as a particularly ambitious man either.'
'Nor, I hope, as a potential killer,' she said sternly.
He gave her a smile which she took as assent but which saved him from the honest answer that in his time he'd seen far more unlikely candidates than Aldermann admit to committing the vilest acts.
'Let's go down,' he said. 'I'm pleased. I really am. Ellie will be too.'
'Yes she will,' said Daphne thoughtfully. 'It's rare to find a radical so
Ellie knows how to pick 'em, thought Pascoe smugly as they descended. This is no stupid woman.
He felt genuinely pleased for Aldermann. During the past few days he'd been doing some gentle probing into the man's financial position and discovered that it was to say the least delicate. The pseudo water-official could have claimed to be representing the gas, electricity or telephone companies with equal authenticity. There were large outstanding bills in each case.
At the lounge door he paused.
'Does your husband know you were going to tell me about his success?' he enquired.
'Oh yes. I'm sure he does,' smiled Daphne.
They went in.
Aldermann and Wield had obviously passed the official stage and were now standing at the window talking gardens.
'Well, Mr Pascoe,' said Aldermann. 'You'll have seen that we've really got very little worth stealing.'
