future, Doloresâs mood remained so sunny that lunch must surely be another feast.
He looked at his watch and was surprised to discover how long heâd been in the club. He paid the bill and walked across the square, then down the road to the post. He had been seated at his desk for less than a minute, contemplating the confusion of papers, files, unopened letters, memoranda, and notes to himself which didnât make sense, when the phone rang. The plum-voiced secretary told him that the superior chief wished to speak to him. No day could be perfect, he thought philosophically.
âHave you received the report in the Lewis case from the Laboratory of Forensic Sciences?â Salas demanded.
âThe preliminary one, yes, señor.â
âThen youâll know that it makes clear that neither the whisky in the bottle, nor the dregs in the second bottle or the glasses contained any form of narcotic?â
âThat is so, señor.â
âThus there is now no logical reason to doubt that the missing manâs disappearance was the result of a drunken accident?â
âWhen there are circumstances which seem to be ambiguousâ¦â
âIt is you, Alvarez, who delights in adding ambiguity to every circumstance. If confusion is not already present, you rush to introduce it.â
âYet in this caseâ¦â
âThere can now be no confusion.â
âIâm still perplexed byâ¦â
âBy virtually everything. The head of the laboratory has informed me of the total bill he will be presenting to the department. Have you any idea how large it is?â
âIâm afraid not, señor.â
âWell over two hundred and fifty thousand pesetas.â
âThat seems rather a lotâ¦â
âWhen one remembers that the analyses were not authorized, it is a very large sum indeed.â
âAs I explained, it was my opinion that in the circumstances it was essential for the tests to be carried out to discover if the whisky had been drugged.â
âWhat circumstances?â
âThe fact that they all fell asleep on the job.â
âWhat job?â
âSex, señor.â
âMy God! Are you under some perverse compulsion? Do you have to introduce the subject into every conversation?â
Alvarez said hurriedly: âThen there was Señorita Glassâs nightmareâ¦â
âAre you now saying that the basis for your investigation has been a womanâs nightmare? Then, no doubt, you have also consulted a clairvoyant and a necromancer?â
âThe thing is, I thought thatâ¦â
âI have neither the time nor the inclination to follow the course of your thoughts. In future, you will exactly observe each and every rule of procedure, with no exceptions. Is that clear?â
âYes, señor.â
âThere is no room for confusion?â
âNo, señor.â
The line went dead.
Alvarez replaced the receiver. The superior chief was, perhaps, confused about the nature of Kirstyâs nightmare.
*Â Â Â *Â Â Â *
Pascoe had made a fortune from the production of pornographic videos. But since the expatriate community tended to be small-minded, he always claimed heâd been in educational publishing.
Naturally, a man of his position needed to own a boat even when he feared the sea and he had been on the point of buying a forty-foot motor cruiser when, just in time, heâd learned that an acquaintance had ordered a forty-two footer; he had immediately changed his purchase to a forty-five footer. He was a gregarious man and enjoyed entertaining lavishly, especially aboard his cruiser, especially those who had cause to envy him.
When under way, he liked to be on the flying bridge, wearing a peak cap with scrambled egg, tilted at a nautical angle. He employed Milne full-time as pilot, deckhand, engineer, greaser, and steward.
Milne, at the wheel, said: âWill this do you,
He looked at his watch and was surprised to discover how long heâd been in the club. He paid the bill and walked across the square, then down the road to the post. He had been seated at his desk for less than a minute, contemplating the confusion of papers, files, unopened letters, memoranda, and notes to himself which didnât make sense, when the phone rang. The plum-voiced secretary told him that the superior chief wished to speak to him. No day could be perfect, he thought philosophically.
âHave you received the report in the Lewis case from the Laboratory of Forensic Sciences?â Salas demanded.
âThe preliminary one, yes, señor.â
âThen youâll know that it makes clear that neither the whisky in the bottle, nor the dregs in the second bottle or the glasses contained any form of narcotic?â
âThat is so, señor.â
âThus there is now no logical reason to doubt that the missing manâs disappearance was the result of a drunken accident?â
âWhen there are circumstances which seem to be ambiguousâ¦â
âIt is you, Alvarez, who delights in adding ambiguity to every circumstance. If confusion is not already present, you rush to introduce it.â
âYet in this caseâ¦â
âThere can now be no confusion.â
âIâm still perplexed byâ¦â
âBy virtually everything. The head of the laboratory has informed me of the total bill he will be presenting to the department. Have you any idea how large it is?â
âIâm afraid not, señor.â
âWell over two hundred and fifty thousand pesetas.â
âThat seems rather a lotâ¦â
âWhen one remembers that the analyses were not authorized, it is a very large sum indeed.â
âAs I explained, it was my opinion that in the circumstances it was essential for the tests to be carried out to discover if the whisky had been drugged.â
âWhat circumstances?â
âThe fact that they all fell asleep on the job.â
âWhat job?â
âSex, señor.â
âMy God! Are you under some perverse compulsion? Do you have to introduce the subject into every conversation?â
Alvarez said hurriedly: âThen there was Señorita Glassâs nightmareâ¦â
âAre you now saying that the basis for your investigation has been a womanâs nightmare? Then, no doubt, you have also consulted a clairvoyant and a necromancer?â
âThe thing is, I thought thatâ¦â
âI have neither the time nor the inclination to follow the course of your thoughts. In future, you will exactly observe each and every rule of procedure, with no exceptions. Is that clear?â
âYes, señor.â
âThere is no room for confusion?â
âNo, señor.â
The line went dead.
Alvarez replaced the receiver. The superior chief was, perhaps, confused about the nature of Kirstyâs nightmare.
*Â Â Â *Â Â Â *
Pascoe had made a fortune from the production of pornographic videos. But since the expatriate community tended to be small-minded, he always claimed heâd been in educational publishing.
Naturally, a man of his position needed to own a boat even when he feared the sea and he had been on the point of buying a forty-foot motor cruiser when, just in time, heâd learned that an acquaintance had ordered a forty-two footer; he had immediately changed his purchase to a forty-five footer. He was a gregarious man and enjoyed entertaining lavishly, especially aboard his cruiser, especially those who had cause to envy him.
When under way, he liked to be on the flying bridge, wearing a peak cap with scrambled egg, tilted at a nautical angle. He employed Milne full-time as pilot, deckhand, engineer, greaser, and steward.
Milne, at the wheel, said: âWill this do you,
Similar Books
