threatened the thing the man most loved. A restaurant, perhaps? A bar?
Suddenly a better idea occurred.
'No. I'm just leaving,' he said. 'I'll be down at my cottage tomorrow, though. There's a few people coming round for drinks and a snack on the shore at lunch-time. Why don't you join them? Bring the wife and your little girl. They'll enjoy it. Oh, you might like to bring a letter too, withdrawing your candidacy for the board. Twelve to half past. Right?'
'I shall look forward to it,' said Aldermann courteously. 'Could you give me directions?'
'Oh, ask Daphne. She'll know where it is,' said Elgood.
He regretted what he'd said even as he replaced the phone. It had been silly and unnecessary. Still, it could be taken in all kinds of ways, most of them innocent, he assured himself. He put it out of his mind. Carefully he placed the will and the rest of Easey's papers in a large envelope which he put in his briefcase. Then, after a moment's thought, he took out the will once more and went next door into Miss Dominic's office, where he ran off a copy on the Xerox machine. It had struck him that permanent retention of the original might be no bad thing. Putting it in a plain envelope, he opened the wall safe in his room and placed it inside. Returning to his desk, he took out his diary and examined the list of telephone numbers which filled a couple of pages at the back. Then he began to ring.
It was late notice and after forty-five minutes he had only gathered half a dozen adults and three children for his lunch-time picnic.
It'd have been a bloody sight easier and probably cheaper to hire two coppers and a hungry Alsatian, he told himself. Then something in the thought made him smile and finally laugh out loud. He picked up the phone and dialled once more.
4
SUMMER SUNSHINE
'There's one thing you've got to give these jumped-up South Yorkshire miners,' declared Andy Dalziel. 'They never forget how to push the boat out.'
In proof of his assertion, he brandished a half-pint tumbler in one hand and in the other a bottle of malt whisky over which he had clearly established proprietorial rights. Not that there were any serious challengers. The sun was high and hot and it was the beer, soft drinks and chilled white wine that were attracting the greatest trade. Everyone was dressed for the weather. The children were naked; a few of the ladies, including Ellie and Daphne, might just as well have been, for all the protection their skimpy bikinis afforded; those who weren't in swimming gear were in summer dresses, or slacks and sport shirts; and even Dalziel had made the double concession of removing the jacket of his shiny grey suit and covering his head with a huge khaki handkerchief, knotted at the corners.
'He looks grotesque,' murmured Ellie to Pascoe. 'And that nose! I bet what really happened was that Patrick's mother punched him! You don't really believe he had it away with her, do you?'
'I hope you don't use such phrases in the Chantry Coffee House,' answered Pascoe primly. 'And yes, that's what I believe. Erotic bragadoccio is not among Andy's many vices, but certain nods and winks and a general impression of remembered pleasure whenever the lady is mentioned convince me I'm right.'
'Yes, I know what you mean,' admitted Ellie. 'I've noticed it with Daphne. I don't know what Patrick's doing to her but a kind of blissful glaze comes over her eyes every time I mention him. Get me another glass of wine, love. I'm too hot to move. Isn't this glorious! I bet you wish you'd brought your swimming trunks.'
She arched her back with cat-like complacency at her own forethought. Pascoe looked down at her and shuddered and was glad that he wasn't wearing his tight-fitting trunks. Not that Ellie would have been anything but amused and flattered to see the evidence of his desire, but she might not have been so happy to observe the reaction maintained when he turned his attention to Daphne.
She came out of the sea now and flopped down alongside Ellie, water still trickling down the curves and promontories of her body.
'Isn't this lovely?' she said. 'Diana, you are taking care of Rose, aren't you?'
The little girl had elected herself guardian of the baby at first sight and was now digging a protective moat in the sand around her. Rose clearly regarded this as a first step towards the castle which was her proper due.
'She's fine,' said Ellie. 'It's role-stereotyping, of course, and in principle I object. But I'll hire her by the hour if you like! Daphne, I'm so glad everything's turned out so well.'
'Yes. I like a happy ending too.'
'You didn't tell Patrick about your little adventure, did you?' asked Ellie casually.
'Oh no. I got a bit too close for comfort, but I steered myself safely away. I suppose you think I should have done the perfect frankness bit, do you?'
'Not I,' said Ellie. 'Confession may be good for the soul but it's pretty lousy for marriages. Ah, here comes our genial host now.'
She had found Dandy Dick's charm at their introduction a little too carpet-salesmannish for her taste and the sight of him now stepping swiftly through the shallows didn't change her impression.
'He's not exactly Johnny Weissmuller, is he?' she said, looking at the small body whose well-developed muscles and heavy tan couldn't conceal its age.
'Go on. Make me feel good,' said Daphne drily. 'I hope one day you get seduced by that fat cop with the swollen nose.'
'Please, no!' said Ellie. 'I take back everything I've said!'
Elgood walked along the beach, enquiring after everyone's well-being but not stopping till he reached Patrick Aldermann who was talking to a couple by the huge food-hamper which a catering firm had supplied. He put his arm round Aldermann's shoulders and said, 'Patrick, there you are. I wanted to ask you; I've been trying to establish a few plants round the cottage, but nowt seems to take properly. All I'm doing is providing salad suppers for a swarm of bloody insects. It struck me, if anyone knows how to sort this lot out, it'll be our Patrick. Would you take a look? Come up with me now. I've got to pop up to make myself decent. It's all right for the ladies to flash the flesh, but when you get to my age, you don't want to put folk off their food!'
