gratifying.
“Ah, yes, that’s him,” said Mrs Wells. “I’m positive.”
“Doesn’t get us much further, ma’am,” said the inspector, “except that with the hair he looks rather different class from what he did without it. The bureau of missing persons doesn’t help, either. We’ve had two additions since we looked at it the other day, but one of them is a schoolgirl thought to have run off with her boyfriend and the other is an infant aged two believed to have been kidnapped from his mother by his father, who had already made two attempts to get him out of the country.”
The next tedious task which confronted the police was to find out, if they could, where the body had been put into the water. They thought it more than likely that the secretary of the yacht club was right and that the youth had been thrown overboard from a boat. On the other hand, as Dame Beatrice insisted, there were the other possibilities. It was true that the road to the ferry was a busy one by day and well-lighted by night, but it was also true that after the places of entertainment closed down and the pubs and hotel bars emptied, there was very little traffic either going or coming. Anybody who was prepared to take a chance could have brought the body in a car, pulled up on the rough grass which separated the road from the strand and carried the corpse far enough out to sea for the high tide to eliminate any footprints.
Matters were in this unsatisfactory state when a new problem presented itself. Emma Lynn came round to see Deborah. She brought news of two kinds, joyous for her on the one hand, worrying on the other. Deborah listened sympathetically to both stories, expressed delight at the first and then offered comfort and reassurance respecting the second.
“I wanted you to be the first to know after I’d told Marcus,” said Emma, at first glowing with pride and joy. “Oh, Deborah, after all this time to know I’m going to have a baby! Yes, it’s been checked and there’s no doubt about it and it’s all due to you.”
“Perhaps Marcus had something to do with it,” said Deborah, laughing and giving Emma a kiss.
“Well, we’ve tried hard enough, goodness knows! But, you know, I believe
“It’s lovely news, Emma. Does Jasper know? What is he going to think about having a baby in the house?”
“He won’t have much to do with it for the next four years because he will be at University. Anyway, Marcus has made up his mind that the baby, even if it’s a boy, will make no difference to Jasper’s prospects. Jasper has been brought up to be self-supporting, anyway. All Marcus’s money will come to me. It’s only proper that it should, he says, because he would never have got his start but for the money my father left me. All the same, Deborah, I’m rather worried about Jasper, although Marcus says it’s very silly of me because boys are very thoughtless and forgetful and never bother to let you know what they’re doing. Still, I can’t help feeling worried and a little hurt.”
“Why, what has happened?”
“Nothing, really, I suppose. That’s what Marcus says. Only, you see, Jasper hasn’t been in touch with us since he finished his A-levels and went on holiday with his friends while we flew to Italy for a little break after the play.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t worry, Emma. I’ve got two boys and they are exactly the same. I expect Jasper is enjoying himself and letting time pass. If he is anything like our two, you will probably find you get a solitary picture postcard after he arrives home. He is abroad, I suppose?”
“Yes. There are four of them. They were to cross to France and will be touring, so I can’t get in touch with Jasper even if Marcus would let me, which he wouldn’t. He says I’m just making a fuss about nothing.”
“I’m sure he is right. Besides, if there is one thing more than another which young men resent, it’s somebody worrying about their safety.”
“Oh, I know, but I can’t help it.”
“Well, look, do you know the parents of the other boys?”
“Not really, but I’ve got the address and telephone number of one who came and stayed with us last year. Quite a nice boy, I thought.”
“Why don’t you ring his people up and ask if they’ve heard from their son, and whether they know how the boys are getting on?”
“I can’t do that. Jasper would never forgive me.”
“If I were worried about one of my boys I would chance that. Besides, ten to one he would never know you had made the enquiry. Wouldn’t it be worth it just to set your mind at rest?”
Nobody came forward to identify the body and the inquest on the dead youth was adjourned while further enquiries were made. Meanwhile Marcus and Emma Lynn received an unpleasant surprise. In response to his wife’s entreaties Marcus, who at first had dismissed Emma’s anxieties as ‘hen with one chick stuff, my dear, so for goodness’ sake snap out of it and leave the lad a bit of freedom from petticoat government’, yielded at last and rang up the family of the youth who had been last year’s guest at the Lynns’ house.
His consternation was immense when in response to his call, the youth’s mother informed him that her son certainly had gone on holiday and with two friends whom she named. Jasper Lynn was not one of them.
“Richard did invite him,” she said, “and all the arrangements were made, we thought, but at the last minute Jasper ducked out on the excuse that he could not afford the trip.”
At this Marcus could scarcely contain himself, but he retained sufficient self-control to thank her and apologise for troubling her.
“I do hope nothing’s wrong,” she said.
“No, no. Jasper did mention a possible change of plan, but we heard no more about it, so concluded that he had gone with Richard and the others after all,” Marcus assured her.
