irritating about the man. For the first time she looked hard, directly across at him.
'You're acting now, aren't you?'
'Pardon?'
'You're pretending you're not surprised to see me.'
'No, I'm not. I saw you sitting outside the Cotswold House yesterday; smoking a cigarette. I was walking down to Cutteslowe for a newspaper.'
'Mind if I smoke now?'
'Please do. I've, er, stopped myself.'
'Since when?'
'Since this morning.'
'Would you like one?'
'Yes, please.'
Claire inhaled deeply, crossed her legs as she sat down and pulled her Jaeger skirt an inch or so below her knees.
'Why didn't you say hello?' she asked.
'I was on the opposite side of the road.'
'Not very pally, was it?'
'Why didn't you say hello to me?'
'I didn't see you.'
'I think you did, though.' His voice was suddenly gentle she had the feeling that he knew far more about her than he should. 'I think you saw me late Saturday afternoon as well -just after you'd arrived.'
'You saw me? You saw me when you walked by with your booze?'
Morse nodded.
Blast him! Blast him! 'I suppose you think you know why I've come here now.'
Morse nodded again. 'It's not because I'm psychic, though. It's | just that Jim, Mr O'Kane, he rang me yesterday…'
'About this?' She held up the newspapers.
'About the girl possibly calling there, yes. Very interesting, and very valuable, perhaps – I don't know. They're going to make a statement. Not to me though, I'm on holiday. Remember?'
'So it's a bit of a wasted journey. I was going to tell you – '
'Not a wasted journey – don't say that!'
'I – I kept thinking about the girl – all day yesterday… well, quite a few times yesterday… You know, her calling there and perhaps not having the money and then -'
'How much does a single room cost there now?'
‘I’m not sure. And your acting again! You know perfectly well I booked a double don’t you? A double for two nights. You asked O’Kane – you nosey bloody parker!’
For several seconds Morse seemed to look across the room at her with a steady intensity. 'You've got beautifully elegant legs,' he said simply; but she sensed that her answer may have caused a minor hurt. And suddenly, irrationally, she wanted him to come across the room to her, and take her hand. But he didn't.
Coffee?' he asked briskly. 'I've only got instant, I'm afraid.'
‘Some people prefer instant.'
'Do you?'
‘No.'
‘I don't suppose I can, er, pour you a glass of wine?'
‘What on earth makes you suppose that?'
'Quite good,' she commented, a minute or so later.
‘Not bad, is it? You need a lot of it though. No good in small quantities.'
She smiled attractively. 'I see you've finished the crossword.'
‘Yes. It's always easy on a Monday, did you know that? They act on the assumption that everybody's a bit bleary-brained on i Monday morning.'
‘A lot of people take The Times just for the crossword.'
‘Yep’
'And the Letters, of course.'
Morse watched her carefully. 'And the Letters,' he repeated slowly.
Claire unfolded her own copy of The Times, 13 July, and read aloud from a front-page article:
Clues to missing student
Both The Times offices and the Thames Valley Police are each still receiving about a dozen letters a day (as well as many phone calls) in response to the request for information concerning the disappearance a year ago of Karin Eriksson, the Swedish student who is thought to be the subject of the anonymous verses received by the police and printed in these columns (July 3). Chief Superintendent Strange of Thames Valley CID himself believes that the ingenious suggestions received in one of the latest communications (see Letters, page 15) is the most interesting and potentially the most significant hitherto received.
'You must have read that?'
'Yes. The trouble is, just like Mr and Mrs O'Kane said, you can't follow up everything. Not even a tenth of the things come in. Fortunately a lot of 'em are such crack-pot…' He picked up his own copy and
'You're acting now, aren't you?'
'Pardon?'
'You're pretending you're not surprised to see me.'
'No, I'm not. I saw you sitting outside the Cotswold House yesterday; smoking a cigarette. I was walking down to Cutteslowe for a newspaper.'
'Mind if I smoke now?'
'Please do. I've, er, stopped myself.'
'Since when?'
'Since this morning.'
'Would you like one?'
'Yes, please.'
Claire inhaled deeply, crossed her legs as she sat down and pulled her Jaeger skirt an inch or so below her knees.
'Why didn't you say hello?' she asked.
'I was on the opposite side of the road.'
'Not very pally, was it?'
'Why didn't you say hello to me?'
'I didn't see you.'
'I think you did, though.' His voice was suddenly gentle she had the feeling that he knew far more about her than he should. 'I think you saw me late Saturday afternoon as well -just after you'd arrived.'
'You saw me? You saw me when you walked by with your booze?'
Morse nodded.
Blast him! Blast him! 'I suppose you think you know why I've come here now.'
Morse nodded again. 'It's not because I'm psychic, though. It's | just that Jim, Mr O'Kane, he rang me yesterday…'
'About this?' She held up the newspapers.
'About the girl possibly calling there, yes. Very interesting, and very valuable, perhaps – I don't know. They're going to make a statement. Not to me though, I'm on holiday. Remember?'
'So it's a bit of a wasted journey. I was going to tell you – '
'Not a wasted journey – don't say that!'
'I – I kept thinking about the girl – all day yesterday… well, quite a few times yesterday… You know, her calling there and perhaps not having the money and then -'
'How much does a single room cost there now?'
‘I’m not sure. And your acting again! You know perfectly well I booked a double don’t you? A double for two nights. You asked O’Kane – you nosey bloody parker!’
For several seconds Morse seemed to look across the room at her with a steady intensity. 'You've got beautifully elegant legs,' he said simply; but she sensed that her answer may have caused a minor hurt. And suddenly, irrationally, she wanted him to come across the room to her, and take her hand. But he didn't.
Coffee?' he asked briskly. 'I've only got instant, I'm afraid.'
‘Some people prefer instant.'
'Do you?'
‘No.'
‘I don't suppose I can, er, pour you a glass of wine?'
‘What on earth makes you suppose that?'
'Quite good,' she commented, a minute or so later.
‘Not bad, is it? You need a lot of it though. No good in small quantities.'
She smiled attractively. 'I see you've finished the crossword.'
‘Yes. It's always easy on a Monday, did you know that? They act on the assumption that everybody's a bit bleary-brained on i Monday morning.'
‘A lot of people take The Times just for the crossword.'
‘Yep’
'And the Letters, of course.'
Morse watched her carefully. 'And the Letters,' he repeated slowly.
Claire unfolded her own copy of The Times, 13 July, and read aloud from a front-page article:
Clues to missing student
Both The Times offices and the Thames Valley Police are each still receiving about a dozen letters a day (as well as many phone calls) in response to the request for information concerning the disappearance a year ago of Karin Eriksson, the Swedish student who is thought to be the subject of the anonymous verses received by the police and printed in these columns (July 3). Chief Superintendent Strange of Thames Valley CID himself believes that the ingenious suggestions received in one of the latest communications (see Letters, page 15) is the most interesting and potentially the most significant hitherto received.
'You must have read that?'
'Yes. The trouble is, just like Mr and Mrs O'Kane said, you can't follow up everything. Not even a tenth of the things come in. Fortunately a lot of 'em are such crack-pot…' He picked up his own copy and
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