Page 7 (1/2)

Everything was different

He stood for a while on top of a slope overlooking the river and threw the ball He was training Raffles to the gun The dog raced and dived, retrieved and returned, and it was only when he began to slon on the way back with the ball in hiswith pleasure and tiredness, that Phil sat down on the grass Raffles lay companionably beside him, the wet ball tucked beneath his chin It had been another hot day Thewas different

He did not know if he believed in a coup de foudre It had taken hih once he was sure e had been the next and easy step It was only in the last year that he had entertained the idea of looking for soht out of ht of winter that had troubled hih was in Africa and To Phil had resources There was much that he could enjoy Winter was the tiun to read "lonely" The thought would not leave hi to have a friendly drink and to find a companion for the theatre from time to time Helen Creedy He had seen her and known, in a way he had never known anything since Sheila, that she would be ie his life Would …

Stop He watched as a heron flapped up froainly in the air as it was graceful at rest

Stop

Helen Creedy What? He tried words in his head, watching the letters ether, words like Enjoy Friend Pretty Fun Intelligent Good Talk

Like Gentle Sympathetic

Like Company Good listener

Like Attracted

Love

Stop

What was love? He had loved Sheila Of course he had, though love had changed every year, as love did Early love Surprised love Warm love Protective Married Parent Everyday Couished Desolate Bereaved love Grief

He loved Hugh and To Enjoy The cloud of es thickened and jazzed closer to the surface of the water

Marriage

Coe Partnership

Love

He stood up and offered to throw the ball again but Raffles wandered away

Love

He had rung Helen to ask her to the Jug Fair, an ireed For fun

The Cocktail Party was at the Bevham Rep next week

"I haven’t seen a TS Eliot play for years"

"They don’t do them much"

"Like Christopher Fry, out of fashion Pity"

"And John Whiting"

"I loved John Whiting! No one has ever heard of him now"

"The Cocktail Party then?"

"Yes please"

Love?

Soht about Helen as he drove home, with Raffles asleep on the back seat

Love?

He was bewildered So he had dared himself to do, had turned hie, no emotional resources to draw on for help He felt churned up, with anxiety, confusion, regret even at having started this in the first place

He had not wanted complication, he had wanted soain

The theatre and all the fun of the fair

Thirteen

"Are you telling us you don’t have any suspects at all?"

Serrailler had never felt there was anything to be gained by lying to the press though he had occasionally asked theood reason

"Yes"

"The husband’s not in the fra problem in Lafferton now?"

"Not especially On the other hand, illegal firearhout the country"

"And it was definitely a handgun that was used? Do you knohat type?"

"Yes, but I’ht, that’s it for now I’ll let you know the moment we have any further news and, meanwhile, your cooperation is appreciated Please try and keep the ot to know so theirroo his way through the media pack towards one of the reporters from Bevham who sometimes sold info on to the nationals

"Will someone ask DS Whiteside to see me in my office?"

"Sir"

As he went up to the CID roo what he would say Whiteside would not like it But he got no further A DS ca at a house in May Road Man holding woo"

She drove Serrailler used his phone By the time they were out of the station car park, an armed response vehicle was en route

"What do we know?"

"A passer-by heard shouting from the house--then a screa what looked like a gun He had his ared her back That was it"

"Any names?"

"No, sir"

"Who lives in the house?"

"Rented property, owned by Mr Theo Monaides"

"He owns a lot of property round there Tenants?"

"A Joanne Watson Been there for a couple ofMonaides’ office says yes, alone, but a neighbour says a "

The car went round a corner on what felt like theels Serrailler hly trained police driver She spun expertly out into the main road and overtook two buses The DCS closed his eyes

There was the usual circus when they reached May Road, half a dozen streets away from the house in which Melanie Drew had been killed Outside a semi, in the , kept back behind the tape