Andy walked down to the harbour and headed towards the fish shop. He noted the size of the harbour and the fishing boats tied to the wharf and picked out the Penny Jane. Being Sunday, there was little activity on the vessels. Andy went into the shop and joined a queue of three customers ordering fresh seafood and fried fish and chips. Jamie’s friend, Yvonne, was behind the counter and taking the orders. Another lady was busy making up the orders for fresh fish. As he waited his turn to order, Andy looked out of the window and saw Bill Enderby walk past, heading for the main street of the village. Andy wondered where he was headed. “Well, this is a surprise!” The remark broke into his thoughts and he turned to the counter to see Yvonne smiling at him and waiting to take his order.
“Sorry,” Andy said, “I was busy looking out of the window.”
“Obviously,” Yvonne retorted. “That’s Bill Enderby. He’ll be off to his skipper’s house for lunch with the family.”
“Was I that obvious?” Andy asked.
“M-hm,” Yvonne nodded, “What would you like to order?”
“Oh! A piece of fish and some chips, plus a cup of coffee.”
“What fish would you like?” asked Yvonne.
“Plaice, if you have it,” Andy replied.
“To eat here or take away?” he was asked.
“I’ll eat in here.”
“Fine,” said Yvonne, “we’ll serve it on a plate. That’ll be two and sixpence, please.” Andy paid her and went and sat at a table near the window. He had a good view of the harbour and noted that it was quiet except for sightseers, some taking photos of the fishing vessels and others walking fairly briskly against the cool wind. The shop was busy and it was obvious to Andy that this little place had a good reputation for seafood, rather like Craster and Seahouses near his home. Observing Yvonne, he noted her efficient movements in the way she worked. After nearly ten minutes, the other lady brought a tray out to his table. It had his fish and chips, coffee and also a side-plate of bread and butter. The lady quickly laid them out on the table, including the cutlery. There was sliced tomato and a segment of lemon also on the plate with the fish and chips. He was liberal with the salt but refrained from the vinegar. Andy set to with relish. He found the batter nice and crisp without being burnt. People were eating at other tables and there was the clatter of cutlery and a low, intermittent hum of conversation. Today, people preferred to eat inside instead of by the harbour due to the cool wind. Andy finished his meal but still felt hungry. He noticed apple slices for sale among the cakes and got up and ordered a slice and another cup of coffee. Andy paid Yvonne and returned to his table. A few minutes later she came out with his order. “I’ve got time for a coffee now. Mind if I join you?” she asked Andy.
“Not at all,” he replied.
Yvonne sat opposite Andy and gave him a smile that told him questions were to be asked. He deliberately relaxed externally but inside he was wary. It was clear that Yvonne was keen on Jamie and would want to find out as much as possible about him. It must also mean that Yvonne hadn’t been satisfied with what Jamie had told her about himself, which of necessity wouldn’t have been much. Andy decided to take the lead in the conversation. “You’ve got a busy little shop here for a cold autumn day, Yvonne. It must have a good reputation. Where do most of your customers come from?”
“Mainly Louth and Mablethorpe,” she replied, “but we seem to draw from a wide area. People can be sure that all the seafood is fresh when they buy here and that is what they like.” Yvonne drank coffee, sighed and leaned back in her chair. Looking directly at Andy, she asked, “How long have you known Jamie?”
Andy thought to himself, “This is it — be careful,” and then replied, “About three years. We are members of the same mountaineering club and meet occasionally on mountaineering trips.” So far he was telling the truth and hoped he could keep it that way.
Yvonne went on, “Where is Jamie from in Scotland? He said he lives near Dundee but his accent isn’t very strong.”
Andy replied, “I can’t give you the answer because I don’t know but I would place him somewhere on the east coast. Education can also soften the accent so it becomes hard to tell.”
Yvonne persisted with, “Where did you first meet him?”
“That’s easy,” said Andy, “it was in the Cairngorms. The club had a refresher training course and we camped by Loch Morlich. I remember because it was early spring and there was still a lot of snow around.”
“Your voice has that same catch in it when Jamie talks about mountains,” said Yvonne. “Well, I had better get back to work. No doubt I’ll see you again,” she said.
“You’re sure to,” replied Andy. Inwardly, he breathed a sigh of relief and rose from the table and headed out of the shop.
Andy decided to explore the village and after looking around the harbour area he walked down the street towards the village hall and the school. The pub was not far from the harbour and the village shop-cum-post office was next door to it. Andy thought of going into the pub but decided against it at this time. It would be better to visit it in company of others. The wind was cold and smoke from the chimneys of houses was blown almost horizontally. People
