room.”
In the toilet, he phoned Dick and said urgently, “She’s coming back with me. I want you to take Sonsie and Lugs and clear
off to the Tommel Castle Hotel for the night. Tell the manager, Mr. Johnson, I’ll pay him tomorrow.”
Hamish and Hannah walked together through the close, warm night to the police station.
Once inside, Hamish said, “The only spare bed is in the one police cell. I’ll take that and give you my bed.”
“Don’t be silly. We’ll both take your bed.”
“Fine,” said Hamish. “I’ll get you some clean towels and let you use the bathroom first.”
When Hannah went into the bathroom, Hamish rushed into his bedroom and changed the sheets. Then he sat down on a chair by
the bed, almost trembling with anticipation.
He then put off the main light and left a little bedside light burning.
Time passed. She seemed to be taking a very long time.
At last, she appeared, wrapped in a large bath towel. She rushed to the bed and got under the covers.
“I won’t be long,” said Hamish hoarsely.
In the bathroom, he noticed three boxes on top of the bathroom shelf. Curious, he opened the first one. Two thick false eyelashes
like dead spiders lay there. The second box revealed contact lenses; amber with flecks of gold. He felt he shouldn’t be searching
through her stuff, but opened the third square box. It contained a pair of falsies—plastic breasts. And worse than anything,
a tumbler held a dental plate with four front teeth.
He suddenly felt cheated and told himself he was being a fool. Surely all women enhanced their appearance one way or the other.
He undressed, took a shower, and with a towel round his middle he went into the bedroom.
After she fell asleep, he lay awake. He had done the best he could and she seemed satisfied, but it had been an unnerving
experience. It was the first time he had bedded a woman who was completely flat-chested. What did it matter what she looked
like? he scolded himself. But he had been so carried away by what he had thought her beauty that he had not really listened
to her and so he did not know what she was really like.
Before he turned to switch off the light, he noticed a loose tress of black hair lying on the pillow. It had a little knob
of glue at the end. A hair extension, thought Hamish miserably.
He rose early in the morning, feeling guilty and miserable. If only he was one of those men who cheerfully had one-night stands
and gave the woman the brush-off in the morning without any conscience. He knew he could not do that. But he could play for
time.
As he sat in the kitchen drinking coffee, he heard her get up and go into the bathroom. To delay the moment when he would
have to see her again, he walked out to the waterfront and stared gloomily at the water. The humidity had lifted, and the
air was fresh and cool.
When he returned, she was still in the bathroom. He had another cup of coffee. It was over an hour before she emerged, every
bit as beautiful as she had been when Hamish had first seen her. He looked at her with admiration, thinking that she was,
indeed, a work of art.
“Oh, coffee!” she said. “I could do with a cup. Are you going to be working all day?”
“Yes, I’d better phone in and get my orders,” said Hamish.
“But we can meet up this evening?”
Hamish was just wondering how he could possibly get out of it when Jimmy Anderson strolled in without knocking. He looked
at Hannah and demanded, “Who’s this?”
Hamish introduced them. Jimmy’s face darkened. “A word in private with you, Hamish.”
“Come into the office,” said Hamish. Jimmy followed him in and slammed the door.
“Just what the hell are you playing at, Hamish?” he demanded. “Thon’s the sister of one of our suspects.”
“She chust called round,” lied Hamish, the strengthening of his highland accent betraying how upset he was.
“Pull the other one,” sneered Jimmy. “I was
In the toilet, he phoned Dick and said urgently, “She’s coming back with me. I want you to take Sonsie and Lugs and clear
off to the Tommel Castle Hotel for the night. Tell the manager, Mr. Johnson, I’ll pay him tomorrow.”
Hamish and Hannah walked together through the close, warm night to the police station.
Once inside, Hamish said, “The only spare bed is in the one police cell. I’ll take that and give you my bed.”
“Don’t be silly. We’ll both take your bed.”
“Fine,” said Hamish. “I’ll get you some clean towels and let you use the bathroom first.”
When Hannah went into the bathroom, Hamish rushed into his bedroom and changed the sheets. Then he sat down on a chair by
the bed, almost trembling with anticipation.
He then put off the main light and left a little bedside light burning.
Time passed. She seemed to be taking a very long time.
At last, she appeared, wrapped in a large bath towel. She rushed to the bed and got under the covers.
“I won’t be long,” said Hamish hoarsely.
In the bathroom, he noticed three boxes on top of the bathroom shelf. Curious, he opened the first one. Two thick false eyelashes
like dead spiders lay there. The second box revealed contact lenses; amber with flecks of gold. He felt he shouldn’t be searching
through her stuff, but opened the third square box. It contained a pair of falsies—plastic breasts. And worse than anything,
a tumbler held a dental plate with four front teeth.
He suddenly felt cheated and told himself he was being a fool. Surely all women enhanced their appearance one way or the other.
He undressed, took a shower, and with a towel round his middle he went into the bedroom.
After she fell asleep, he lay awake. He had done the best he could and she seemed satisfied, but it had been an unnerving
experience. It was the first time he had bedded a woman who was completely flat-chested. What did it matter what she looked
like? he scolded himself. But he had been so carried away by what he had thought her beauty that he had not really listened
to her and so he did not know what she was really like.
Before he turned to switch off the light, he noticed a loose tress of black hair lying on the pillow. It had a little knob
of glue at the end. A hair extension, thought Hamish miserably.
He rose early in the morning, feeling guilty and miserable. If only he was one of those men who cheerfully had one-night stands
and gave the woman the brush-off in the morning without any conscience. He knew he could not do that. But he could play for
time.
As he sat in the kitchen drinking coffee, he heard her get up and go into the bathroom. To delay the moment when he would
have to see her again, he walked out to the waterfront and stared gloomily at the water. The humidity had lifted, and the
air was fresh and cool.
When he returned, she was still in the bathroom. He had another cup of coffee. It was over an hour before she emerged, every
bit as beautiful as she had been when Hamish had first seen her. He looked at her with admiration, thinking that she was,
indeed, a work of art.
“Oh, coffee!” she said. “I could do with a cup. Are you going to be working all day?”
“Yes, I’d better phone in and get my orders,” said Hamish.
“But we can meet up this evening?”
Hamish was just wondering how he could possibly get out of it when Jimmy Anderson strolled in without knocking. He looked
at Hannah and demanded, “Who’s this?”
Hamish introduced them. Jimmy’s face darkened. “A word in private with you, Hamish.”
“Come into the office,” said Hamish. Jimmy followed him in and slammed the door.
“Just what the hell are you playing at, Hamish?” he demanded. “Thon’s the sister of one of our suspects.”
“She chust called round,” lied Hamish, the strengthening of his highland accent betraying how upset he was.
“Pull the other one,” sneered Jimmy. “I was
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