'Make it short. He'll need a lot of rest.'
Agatha made to follow Bill. The surgeon barred her way. 'Who are you?'
'His boss.'
'Then I cannot allow you to go in. I have to allow the police, but after that only family will be allowed in to see him.'
Deaf to Agatha's protests, he led Bill away.
'Oh, God,' prayed Agatha. 'Let him be all right.'
'Didn't think you believed in God,' said Charles.
'It's just an expression,' said Agatha. 'I think I'm an atheist.'
'Do you know the definition of an atheist?'
'No.'
'An atheist,' said Charles, 'is someone without any invisible means of support.'
'Oh, ha bloody ha.'
Bill was gone only ten minutes. 'He's very weak,' he said. 'But he told me that according to Doris Crampton, everyone seemed to know that Fred often nicked a bottle of wine. I'm going back to pull her in for impeding the police in their inquiries. Agatha, pull your staff off the case for at least a week because we will now be doing door- to-door inquiries in that hellhole of a village.'
'Are you going to obey him?' asked Charles as Agatha drove them back to her cottage.
'I do think I'll leave it all alone for a few days. Alison had nothing of any interest to tell me. Besides, the place is crawling with press.'
'I might trot along there tomorrow and blend with the locals.'
'You!'
'I'll go in disguise.'
'Remember the Crampton sisters have had a look at you. And that posh accent of yours will give you away.'
'I'll have you know I can talk mangelwurzel with the best of them.'
'Charles, look what happened to Phil. I don't want anything like that happening to you.'
'Dear me. Our Aggie actually has a heart!'
Charles, wearing some of his undergardener's clothes and a flat cap, and with his face and hands stained brown and a straggly moustache pasted to his upper lip, arrived in Lower Tapor at lunchtime the following day.
The pub was quite full when he entered. Silence fell as everyone turned to survey the newcomer.
Charles made his way to the bar. 'Pint o' Hook Norton,' he ordered. There was no sign of Paul Chambers. His pint was pulled for him by the gypsy-looking Elsie.
Charles turned round and saw a small table with one chair over by the window. He took his pint over and sat down. He took out a packet of tobacco and rolled himself a cigarette. And waited.
He guessed that curiosity would soon get the better of the locals.
Sure enough, after five minutes a thickset man came up and loomed over him.
'You're a stranger here.'
Charles nodded.
'What you doin' here?'
'Mind yer own bizzness,' said Charles.
This seemed to be a satisfactory reply. Charles had guessed that any sign of friendliness would be treated with suspicion.
The man pulled up a chair and joined him. 'Had an accident, then?' he asked, nodding in the direction of Charles's hands. Charles had bandaged his hands to disguise the fact that they had never done any hard work at all.
'Yus.'
'Terrible goin's-on in this village,' said the man. Charles looked indifferent. 'Yes, murders, that's what we're having. And it was them up at the manor that did it.'
'Why you say that, then?' asked Charles.
'Cos they did. Wanted the old woman's money. Then Fred, he was the gardener, he got wise to them so they killed him as well.'
Charles decided it was time to show some animation. 'Reckon you must all be scared.'
'Naw, they won't touch one o' us provided we keep our mouths shut. We got ways to protect ourselves.'
'Like what?' asked Charles.
'Keith!' shouted Elsie from behind the bar. 'You get right over here.'
Charles's companion got reluctantly to his feet. Elsie leaned over the bar and hissed something at him. He left the pub quickly.
Deciding there wouldn't be much more to be found, Charles left. But he wondered about those ways of protection. Witchcraft?
Toni felt excited as she dressed in dark clothes on Saturday evening and then waited for George. She was sure they wouldn't find anything, but the outing would make her feel like a real detective, stalking and hiding in the bushes. George arrived on time. 'This is my new flat,' said Toni proudly.
'Where did you get the furniture?' asked George.
'Agatha bought it from the owner.'
George looked at the battered sofa and scuffed chairs. 'You could do better. I've got some bits and pieces in the attic. You could come over one day and have a look.'
'That's very kind of you.'
'So let's go on the witch hunt. I've been there already and I've found a good place where we can hide out and see what goes on at the top of that hill--if anything.'
There was a glade at the top of the hill surrounded by trees. They hid in the bushes at the side. A full moon rose overhead.
Toni wanted to pass the time chatting but he whispered to her to be quiet because sounds in the countryside at night could carry very far.
By eleven-thirty, Toni was beginning to feel cramped and bored. Then they heard voices. Soon they heard people approaching up the hill.
Toni peered through the bushes and stifled a gasp. Paul Chambers was leading a small group of villagers into the grove. Elsie, the barmaid, was beside him.
At first it looked as if they had all come up for a picnic. Sandwiches and bottles were passed around. Then, just before midnight, Paul said, 'It's time.'
They all began to undress until they were stark naked. A CD of some oriental music began to play. They all joined hands in a circle and began to dance. Paul had a good figure but the rest had sagging rolls of white fat. Flaccid breasts jiggled, sagging buttocks rolled. Toni could feel laughter bubbling up inside her. She pressed a hand to her mouth. At last she could not contain herself any longer and let out a burst of laughter.
'That's torn it,' said George. He grabbed her hand. 'Crouch down and run.'
Doubled up, they raced through the undergrowth until George pulled up short. 'Wrong way,' he said. They were standing on the lip of a disused quarry. 'Back into those bushes over there and hope they don't find us,' said George.
They lay down flat under the bushes. Toni felt the beating of her heart was so loud that the pursuers must surely hear it.
Then they heard Chambers's voice: 'I'll swear they came this way,' and Elsie's reply, 'Probably kids.'
In the clear moonlight, George could see Paul and Elsie standing on the lip of the quarry. Both were still naked.
'Forget about them, darlin',' said Elsie. 'Let's have some fun.'
'Leave me alone, you silly tart. This is serious.'
