Clopwolde-on-Sea is an unfriendly place. Please, let me buy you a coffee. There’s a really nice café over the road.” She darted anxious glances at Lexy as she spoke.
“But I’ve got…” Lexy inclined her head at Kinky, managing to free her arm.
“Not a problem. Tuck him under the table – they won’t even notice him. You’ll behave yourself, won’t you, poppet?” This last was directed at Kinky, who was looking distinctly truculent, having just noticed a doberman approaching.
“OK… thanks,” said Lexy, looking back at the newsagent’s adverts. There was one offering work at a local plant nursery. A nice sensible job that didn’t involve stalking sex-crazed women or searching for mutant cats. Someone else might have called about it by the time she got back.
“Great!” Hope herded Lexy across the road. Kinky followed reluctantly, emitting small snarls from his funnel. She opened the door of a gingham-themed café called Kitty’s Kitchen. Lexy leant down to pluck up Kinky, concealing him under her shoulder bag as best she could.
The aroma of freshly ground coffee hit them as they went in, mingling with a pleasant low murmur of chat and chink of crockery.
“Let’s sit over there,” said Hope, indicating a dark corner behind an oak pillar.
Lexy thrust the still irritable Kinky under the long white tablecloth, and watched while Hope fussed with her serviette, picked up and put down the menu several times and seemed at a loss for words. Her eyes, Lexy couldn’t help noticing, were every bit as red and bloodshot as they had been the day before, and her cheeks seemed even paler. She obviously didn’t get that good night’s sleep.
“Are you all right?” Lexy asked, bluntly.
“Yes, yes. I’m fine,” insisted the receptionist, with false brightness.
An awkward pause followed.
“Look, this isn’t about me going to see your brother at home on Saturday, is it?” Lexy said. “Because it’s not like I’ve got any…” Any what? Designs on him? Intention of seducing him?
But Hope Ellenger was frowning uncomprehendingly. “I never thought… no, this is something else. It’s rather difficult, actually.”
Lexy stared at her with new consternation. What was rather difficult?
“I…” Hope broke off. A stout woman in a gingham apron had materialised at Lexy’s shoulder.
“Hello, Kitty.” Hope’s voice was as brittle as a charcoal twig.
“Hello, dear. What can I get you and your friend?” The woman peered curiously at Lexy.
“Er…” Lexy glanced distractedly down the list of beverages. “Just a black coffee, thanks.”
Hope glanced quickly up at Kitty. “Double espresso for me, please. And… I don’t know… chocolate croissants?”
The woman nodded. “Anything to eat for you, dear?” she asked Lexy.
“No – I’m fine, thanks,” Lexy replied, tersely. She just wanted the woman to be gone, so that she could hear the worst.
Hope waited until Kitty had bustled out of earshot.
“I have this problem,” she said, in an undertone.
“OK,” said Lexy, slowly. Why was Hope Ellenger coming to a total stranger with her problems?
“I…” Suddenly a tear shivered in each of Hope’s eyes.
“Hey, don’t get upset, now.” Lexy cast around nervously, wishing that she could pass the woman on to someone else. “If it’s a… personal thing, isn’t there someone you can tell who can really help you?”
“Yes – I’m telling you,” Hope rejoined, wiping her eyes fiercely. Her voice dropped to a whisper. “You’re a … private investigator , aren’t you?”
“What? I’m not exact… who told you that?”
“Guy, of course. I got it out of him, actually. I knew something was up when you said you were going to visit him. Anyway – I want to hire you.”
“To do what?” This couldn’t be happening. Not three times in the space of twenty-four hours. What was it with this village? She eyed Hope. What could this be about – another lost animal? Money
“But I’ve got…” Lexy inclined her head at Kinky, managing to free her arm.
“Not a problem. Tuck him under the table – they won’t even notice him. You’ll behave yourself, won’t you, poppet?” This last was directed at Kinky, who was looking distinctly truculent, having just noticed a doberman approaching.
“OK… thanks,” said Lexy, looking back at the newsagent’s adverts. There was one offering work at a local plant nursery. A nice sensible job that didn’t involve stalking sex-crazed women or searching for mutant cats. Someone else might have called about it by the time she got back.
“Great!” Hope herded Lexy across the road. Kinky followed reluctantly, emitting small snarls from his funnel. She opened the door of a gingham-themed café called Kitty’s Kitchen. Lexy leant down to pluck up Kinky, concealing him under her shoulder bag as best she could.
The aroma of freshly ground coffee hit them as they went in, mingling with a pleasant low murmur of chat and chink of crockery.
“Let’s sit over there,” said Hope, indicating a dark corner behind an oak pillar.
Lexy thrust the still irritable Kinky under the long white tablecloth, and watched while Hope fussed with her serviette, picked up and put down the menu several times and seemed at a loss for words. Her eyes, Lexy couldn’t help noticing, were every bit as red and bloodshot as they had been the day before, and her cheeks seemed even paler. She obviously didn’t get that good night’s sleep.
“Are you all right?” Lexy asked, bluntly.
“Yes, yes. I’m fine,” insisted the receptionist, with false brightness.
An awkward pause followed.
“Look, this isn’t about me going to see your brother at home on Saturday, is it?” Lexy said. “Because it’s not like I’ve got any…” Any what? Designs on him? Intention of seducing him?
But Hope Ellenger was frowning uncomprehendingly. “I never thought… no, this is something else. It’s rather difficult, actually.”
Lexy stared at her with new consternation. What was rather difficult?
“I…” Hope broke off. A stout woman in a gingham apron had materialised at Lexy’s shoulder.
“Hello, Kitty.” Hope’s voice was as brittle as a charcoal twig.
“Hello, dear. What can I get you and your friend?” The woman peered curiously at Lexy.
“Er…” Lexy glanced distractedly down the list of beverages. “Just a black coffee, thanks.”
Hope glanced quickly up at Kitty. “Double espresso for me, please. And… I don’t know… chocolate croissants?”
The woman nodded. “Anything to eat for you, dear?” she asked Lexy.
“No – I’m fine, thanks,” Lexy replied, tersely. She just wanted the woman to be gone, so that she could hear the worst.
Hope waited until Kitty had bustled out of earshot.
“I have this problem,” she said, in an undertone.
“OK,” said Lexy, slowly. Why was Hope Ellenger coming to a total stranger with her problems?
“I…” Suddenly a tear shivered in each of Hope’s eyes.
“Hey, don’t get upset, now.” Lexy cast around nervously, wishing that she could pass the woman on to someone else. “If it’s a… personal thing, isn’t there someone you can tell who can really help you?”
“Yes – I’m telling you,” Hope rejoined, wiping her eyes fiercely. Her voice dropped to a whisper. “You’re a … private investigator , aren’t you?”
“What? I’m not exact… who told you that?”
“Guy, of course. I got it out of him, actually. I knew something was up when you said you were going to visit him. Anyway – I want to hire you.”
“To do what?” This couldn’t be happening. Not three times in the space of twenty-four hours. What was it with this village? She eyed Hope. What could this be about – another lost animal? Money
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