all. ‘I’ve heard more than enough of this. I’ve made myself clear. I can’t help you. Now allow me to get back to my friends.’
Ada was blocking his route to the bar door.
She remained where she was. However, she said with more tact, ‘If you took the trouble to drive her to hospital, you must have been concerned.’
He said, ‘Will you stand out of my way?’
‘Please. We’re not blaming you for anything,’ said Rose. ‘I just want to know what happened to me that night. You’re the best chance I have - the only chance.’
‘No, he isn’t,’ said Ada. ‘There’s his wife.’
Dunkley-Brown said through clenched teeth, ‘You are not speaking to my wife.’
‘She offered to come outside,’ said Ada.
‘There’s no reason. She can’t tell you a damned thing.’
‘Then you have nothing to fear.’
‘I’ve nothing to fear anyway. My conscience is perfectly clear.’
Ada turned to Rose. ‘Why don’t I stay out here with Mr Dunkley-Brown while you go and ask his good lady to join us?’
‘This is outrageous,’ said Dunkley-Brown. ‘You can’t detain me against my will. I’ll complain to the police.’
Ada beamed at him. ‘I bet you won’t, buster. I bet my next dinner you won’t.’
Rose went back inside and found that the bonhomie had been fully restored at the table. There was some ribald comment when they saw who had come from outside.
‘Hullo, what’s happened to Ned?’ one of them said. ‘Still at it?’
The other man said, ‘With the big one.’
‘Showing her his Bentley,’ shrieked one of the women.
Ignoring them, Rose walked around the chairs and up to Mrs Dunkley-Brown. ‘If you don’t mind, we’d like you to help us after all.’
‘Watch out, Pippa,’ said the woman to her right. ‘They might want you for a threesome.’
Pippa Dunkley-Brown glared at Rose. ‘My husband said he could handle it. What do you want me for?’
‘To support what he’s saying.’
‘He doesn’t need me. He’s well used to speaking for himself and being believed.’
‘You were there. We want to know what happened.’
‘Where? What is this about?’
‘The Hinton Clinic last Monday night.’
After a pause, she said, ‘I don’t know a damned thing about the Hinton Clinic. I’ve never set foot inside the place.’
In her exasperation, Rose found herself pouring out words. ‘Oh, come on, I don’t mean inside. Just in the grounds. The car park, where I was found. I need your help. I’m not accusing you of anything. You probably saved my life, you and your husband. If you want to keep quiet about what you did, that’s up to you, but please have some understanding for my position.’
The man across the table, the most vocal of the group, said, ‘What’s this about saving her life, Pippa? Have you and Ned been performing acts of heroism and keeping it from your old chums?’
She said tight-lipped, ‘She’s confused.’
‘Yes, I am confused,’ Rose said. ‘I admit it. That’s why I’m appealing to you for help.’
Pippa Dunkley-Brown drew herself up. ‘Young woman, I’m becoming more than a little angry.’
The man opposite, well soused, seized the chance to goad her. ‘Come clean, Pippa. What were you and Ned up to in this hospital car park that you don’t want us to know about? Naughties in the back of the Bentley?’
She snapped, ‘Don’t be so bloody ridiculous.’
‘Well, if it wasn’t you with Ned,’ he said with a grin at the other women, ‘who was it?”
Pippa reddened.
One of the women, probably the man’s wife, said, ‘Knock it off, Keith, you stupid jerk.’
The rebuke had the effect of stinging Pippa rather than Keith, for it showed that these friends of hers were taking the suggestion seriously. The idea that her ageing husband might dally with another woman was more damaging than any threat represented by Rose and Ada. She couldn’t allow it to pass unchallenged. she said in a low, measured voice, ‘What are you on about,
Ada was blocking his route to the bar door.
She remained where she was. However, she said with more tact, ‘If you took the trouble to drive her to hospital, you must have been concerned.’
He said, ‘Will you stand out of my way?’
‘Please. We’re not blaming you for anything,’ said Rose. ‘I just want to know what happened to me that night. You’re the best chance I have - the only chance.’
‘No, he isn’t,’ said Ada. ‘There’s his wife.’
Dunkley-Brown said through clenched teeth, ‘You are not speaking to my wife.’
‘She offered to come outside,’ said Ada.
‘There’s no reason. She can’t tell you a damned thing.’
‘Then you have nothing to fear.’
‘I’ve nothing to fear anyway. My conscience is perfectly clear.’
Ada turned to Rose. ‘Why don’t I stay out here with Mr Dunkley-Brown while you go and ask his good lady to join us?’
‘This is outrageous,’ said Dunkley-Brown. ‘You can’t detain me against my will. I’ll complain to the police.’
Ada beamed at him. ‘I bet you won’t, buster. I bet my next dinner you won’t.’
Rose went back inside and found that the bonhomie had been fully restored at the table. There was some ribald comment when they saw who had come from outside.
‘Hullo, what’s happened to Ned?’ one of them said. ‘Still at it?’
The other man said, ‘With the big one.’
‘Showing her his Bentley,’ shrieked one of the women.
Ignoring them, Rose walked around the chairs and up to Mrs Dunkley-Brown. ‘If you don’t mind, we’d like you to help us after all.’
‘Watch out, Pippa,’ said the woman to her right. ‘They might want you for a threesome.’
Pippa Dunkley-Brown glared at Rose. ‘My husband said he could handle it. What do you want me for?’
‘To support what he’s saying.’
‘He doesn’t need me. He’s well used to speaking for himself and being believed.’
‘You were there. We want to know what happened.’
‘Where? What is this about?’
‘The Hinton Clinic last Monday night.’
After a pause, she said, ‘I don’t know a damned thing about the Hinton Clinic. I’ve never set foot inside the place.’
In her exasperation, Rose found herself pouring out words. ‘Oh, come on, I don’t mean inside. Just in the grounds. The car park, where I was found. I need your help. I’m not accusing you of anything. You probably saved my life, you and your husband. If you want to keep quiet about what you did, that’s up to you, but please have some understanding for my position.’
The man across the table, the most vocal of the group, said, ‘What’s this about saving her life, Pippa? Have you and Ned been performing acts of heroism and keeping it from your old chums?’
She said tight-lipped, ‘She’s confused.’
‘Yes, I am confused,’ Rose said. ‘I admit it. That’s why I’m appealing to you for help.’
Pippa Dunkley-Brown drew herself up. ‘Young woman, I’m becoming more than a little angry.’
The man opposite, well soused, seized the chance to goad her. ‘Come clean, Pippa. What were you and Ned up to in this hospital car park that you don’t want us to know about? Naughties in the back of the Bentley?’
She snapped, ‘Don’t be so bloody ridiculous.’
‘Well, if it wasn’t you with Ned,’ he said with a grin at the other women, ‘who was it?”
Pippa reddened.
One of the women, probably the man’s wife, said, ‘Knock it off, Keith, you stupid jerk.’
The rebuke had the effect of stinging Pippa rather than Keith, for it showed that these friends of hers were taking the suggestion seriously. The idea that her ageing husband might dally with another woman was more damaging than any threat represented by Rose and Ada. She couldn’t allow it to pass unchallenged. she said in a low, measured voice, ‘What are you on about,
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