'But . . .'
'Do you want me to call security?'
Dan went back to the hotel, only to be told that he had booked the room himself. He had stopped off on the way to have several drinks. He was told firmly that the room had been booked under his name and they could not tell him anything further. They would pay his deposit back.
Dan hated Agatha Raisin as he had never hated anyone before.
_______
Charles regretted having offered Tuppy free shooting. After all, he depended on the pheasant season to raise money for his estate. Also, he had paid Tuppy for the hotel room and the malt whisky.
He interrupted Agatha's thanks by saying, 'I'm afraid it cost a lot of money--bribes and things.'
'How much?'
'Five thousand pounds.'
'Good heavens! Oh, well.' Agatha fished out her cheque-book, wrote him out a cheque for the amount and handed it over. 'Are you staying at my place?'
'No, got things to do, people to see.' Charles felt a bit grubby, but money was money and estates like his just seemed to drink it up. 'Tell you what, I'll take you to lunch to celebrate.'
'Can't,' said Agatha. 'Got an important date.'
'You look shifty. Who with?'
'Mind your own business.'
Agatha's lunch date was in Evesham with Simon Black. Because of the recession, Evesham looked more depressed than ever. They met in a Thai restaurant in the High Street.
When they had ordered, Agatha asked, 'How are you getting on?'
'Slowly. You see,' said Simon, 'in a village like Odley Cruesis, unless you were born there, you'll always be an outsider. They're a secretive lot. The vicar loves his church more than God or his wife. I admire the perpendicular north doorway for the umpteenth time, not to mention the Norman pulpit.'
'How are you getting on with May Dinwoody?'
'Pretty well. But she won't talk about John Sunday and neither will any of the other villagers. They're nice to me because I'm the vicar's pet. They talk about the weather and the crops mostly. I was in the store and I raised the subject of Sunday's murder. There was a little silence and then they began to talk about something else. Sometimes I think they could all have been in on it.
'I've been encouraging May to have some wine with her supper to see if that loosens her tongue.'
'What about Penelope Timson?' asked Agatha. 'Anything there?'
'She is one nervous and flustered lady. She keeps hugging me, although it feels like groping, and says I am the sort of son she would like to have.'
'Be careful,' warned Agatha. 'Give it another week and then clear out.'
That evening, Simon urged May to take a third glass of wine but she shook her head. 'I've had enough. I don't want to turn into a drunk. Oh, I quite forgot. The vicar wants you to report to the vicarage at nine in the morning. He thinks it's time you started helping with the parish duties.'
'But it's not as if I'm employed by the parish,' protested Simon.
'Oh, but it's not healthy for a young man of your age to do nothing. And you have shown such an interest in the church--so rare these days. You will notice that we do not have many young people in the village. We have children but not teenagers.'
Probably got out of the damn place as soon as they could, thought Simon. Aloud, he asked, 'What am I supposed to be doing?'
'I think driving someone somewhere.'
When Simon rang the bell at the vicarage the next morning, the vicar hailed him cheerily. 'Just the fellow! Mr. and Mrs. Summers and Mr. and Mrs. Beagle will be here shortly. They want to take a shopping trip to Cheltenham.'
'I don't think for a minute they'll all fit into my car,' said Simon.
'You can drive my people carrier. It's big enough for all of you. Ah, here they come. You might like to take them for a modest meal and I will refund you.'
The vicar tenderly helped the couples into the vehicle. The day was sunny and warm but they all seemed to be well wrapped up.
'Lovely day,' said Simon.
Silence.
'Why don't we all sing?' suggested Simon, unnerved by the brooding atmosphere.
'Shut up and drive,' growled Fred Summer, 'and keep your eyes on the road.'
It seemed to take ages to reach Cheltenham. Elderly bladders meant frequent stops.
Cheltenham was the site of a monastery as early as 803. Alfred the Great admired the peace of the place, but the town's sudden rise began in the eighteenth century with the discovery of the famous spa waters. People like Handel and Samuel Johnson flocked to the town to take the restorative cure.
Simon drove into the Evesham Road car park. He had to let his elderly cargo out before he parked because the parking places there are so small that every vehicle seemed to have just squeezed its way in.
He caught up with the two couples as they shuffled their way out of the car park. 'Here, you,' said Fred. 'You ain't coming with us. Meet us back here at five o' clock.'
'But I'm supposed to take you to lunch,' said Simon.
'Us'll get our own lunch and charge the vicar. Shove off.'
Simon glanced at his watch. It was only half past ten in the morning. Perhaps Toni could join him. He phoned her mobile.
'Toni,' he began eagerly. 'Simon here.'
'Oh, hullo, Lucy,' said Toni brightly. 'I'm in the office.'
'I'm stuck in Cheltenham. If you can get away for lunch, I'll meet you at that pasta place on the Parade at one.'
'I'll try. Got to go.'
After he had rung off, Simon realised he wasn't much of a detective. Anyone from the village was surely a suspect. He should have followed his passengers and seen what they were up to. They walked so slowly, they couldn't possibly have got far. But as he raced down the slope into the centre of the town, he could not see them.
He stopped his search when he realised how idiotic he was being. His four passengers had been inside the vicarage drawing room when the murder had been committed.
He passed a pleasant time looking around the shops and then made his way to the restaurant on the Parade where he hoped to meet Toni. He managed to secure a table outside, ordered a glass of lager and said he would order the meal when his friend arrived.
Fifteen minutes later, he had just decided she would not be able to come when he saw her bright golden hair and slim figure heading towards him through the crowd.
'Hi!' said Toni. 'What are you doing in Cheltenham? I thought you were stuck in that village looking for suspects.'
'I got stuck with running four of the crinklies here for the day.'
'Which four?'
'The Summers and the Beagles.'
Toni leapt to her feet, nearly colliding with the hovering waiter. 'You idiot!' she said. 'They know what I look like. Your cover'll be blown if they see you here with me.' And she was off and running.
Simon watched miserably as her fair head bobbed up and down as she ran through the crowd and then disappeared from view. Simon gloomily ordered a toasted cheese baguette. He felt every bit the idiot Toni had called him. He found her very attractive, but if he was going to make any success of this job, he'd better keep his
