suppose we could,’ she conceded. ‘Since we’ve dragged it all out here. I know it should be played on a special court – a large grassy area marked out in some way.’
After a short discussion they agreed to set the hoops out randomly, a few yards apart.
Alice said, ‘We’ll take it in turns to have one go at each ball and score a point if the ball goes through the hoop. We’ll have to ignore the stake thing because we don’t know what it’s for.’
Before Biddy could reply Primmy leapt to her feet and raced off round the house in the direction of the front steps.
Biddy said, ‘You go and see, Alice. Your legs are younger than mine. I’ll catch you up.’
Primmy was yelping with excitement and Biddy soon saw why. Alice was standing on the front steps holding on to the dog’s collar while trying to speak to a policeman who was eyeing Primmy nervously. Biddy hurried up to them. The policeman was a heavy-looking man with a greying moustache and Biddy guessed him to be around forty years old. He introduced himself as Sergeant Taylor.
‘I’m Biddy Cope, the only family member here today. I hope there’s nothing wrong, Sergeant.’
‘Nothing to worry you about, ma’am,’ he assured her. ‘Just an enquiry from the Hastings force about a Mr Lionel Brent. Seems he’s wandered off somewhere and they’re looking for him. They think he might have come home.’
‘Wandered off?’ Biddy stared at him in shock. ‘ Wandered off? Lionel? There must be some mistake.’
‘That’s what I said.’ Alice turned to him, releasing Primmy who rushed round and round the policeman legs, longing to be noticed.
Biddy said, ‘Mr Brent wouldn’t wander off. Why should he? He’s at the Romilees Hotel in Hastings with his wife until—’
‘Except that he isn’t,’ the sergeant insisted. ‘My information is that he went out after lunch and hasn’t been seen since. No explanation about where he was headed. Wife’s very anxious and—’
‘Oh! Poor Maude!’
‘She thinks he’s been in an accident but nothing’s been reported, according to the hospitals.’ He fumbled in his pocket and found a page of scanty notes. ‘Wife, Maude Brent, has spoken to the Hastings lot as we speak and has suggested that he might have developed amnesia and be trying to reach his home. The Hastings lot are checking with us, you see, asking for us to help them out.’ He glanced up enquiringly. ‘I take it you haven’t seen him.’
Alice shook her head. ‘It doesn’t make sense,’ she muttered.
Biddy said, ‘He wouldn’t just get amnesia. I might, but not Lionel.’
He shrugged. ‘Might happen if he got a bang on the head. Concussion. That sort of thing. Could have fallen and banged his head. Could have been attacked.’
Alice looked at Biddy. ‘I suppose it’s possible,’ she said slowly.
The sergeant looked from one to the other, pencil poised. ‘Nothing to add, then? No insights into what may have happened? Anyone in Hastings he might know? Anyone he might be visiting?’
They regarded him blankly. Primmy, desperate for attention, jumped up at him.
‘Get down!’ he roared and, although he hadn’t touched her, Primmy gave a little yelp of terror and fled up the front steps to relative safety.
‘You’ve frightened her!’ Alice told the sergeant indignantly. ‘She wasn’t going to bite you. I told you she was friendly.’
He brushed bits of grass from his uniform. ‘I don’t like noisy dogs,’ he replied. ‘She ever bite the postman? The butcher’s boy? I bet she has.’
‘Well, you’re wrong because she hasn’t! She doesn’t bite. She’s just young and excitable.’
Biddy intervened quickly. ‘So what’s the next step, Sergeant? If Lionel is officially missing, what do you have to do now?’
‘Nothing.’ He shook his head. ‘Refer it back to Hastings. It’s their problem. They’re Sussex. We’re Kent. We’re just helping them out.’
‘But who can we ask for further news?’
He
After a short discussion they agreed to set the hoops out randomly, a few yards apart.
Alice said, ‘We’ll take it in turns to have one go at each ball and score a point if the ball goes through the hoop. We’ll have to ignore the stake thing because we don’t know what it’s for.’
Before Biddy could reply Primmy leapt to her feet and raced off round the house in the direction of the front steps.
Biddy said, ‘You go and see, Alice. Your legs are younger than mine. I’ll catch you up.’
Primmy was yelping with excitement and Biddy soon saw why. Alice was standing on the front steps holding on to the dog’s collar while trying to speak to a policeman who was eyeing Primmy nervously. Biddy hurried up to them. The policeman was a heavy-looking man with a greying moustache and Biddy guessed him to be around forty years old. He introduced himself as Sergeant Taylor.
‘I’m Biddy Cope, the only family member here today. I hope there’s nothing wrong, Sergeant.’
‘Nothing to worry you about, ma’am,’ he assured her. ‘Just an enquiry from the Hastings force about a Mr Lionel Brent. Seems he’s wandered off somewhere and they’re looking for him. They think he might have come home.’
‘Wandered off?’ Biddy stared at him in shock. ‘ Wandered off? Lionel? There must be some mistake.’
‘That’s what I said.’ Alice turned to him, releasing Primmy who rushed round and round the policeman legs, longing to be noticed.
Biddy said, ‘Mr Brent wouldn’t wander off. Why should he? He’s at the Romilees Hotel in Hastings with his wife until—’
‘Except that he isn’t,’ the sergeant insisted. ‘My information is that he went out after lunch and hasn’t been seen since. No explanation about where he was headed. Wife’s very anxious and—’
‘Oh! Poor Maude!’
‘She thinks he’s been in an accident but nothing’s been reported, according to the hospitals.’ He fumbled in his pocket and found a page of scanty notes. ‘Wife, Maude Brent, has spoken to the Hastings lot as we speak and has suggested that he might have developed amnesia and be trying to reach his home. The Hastings lot are checking with us, you see, asking for us to help them out.’ He glanced up enquiringly. ‘I take it you haven’t seen him.’
Alice shook her head. ‘It doesn’t make sense,’ she muttered.
Biddy said, ‘He wouldn’t just get amnesia. I might, but not Lionel.’
He shrugged. ‘Might happen if he got a bang on the head. Concussion. That sort of thing. Could have fallen and banged his head. Could have been attacked.’
Alice looked at Biddy. ‘I suppose it’s possible,’ she said slowly.
The sergeant looked from one to the other, pencil poised. ‘Nothing to add, then? No insights into what may have happened? Anyone in Hastings he might know? Anyone he might be visiting?’
They regarded him blankly. Primmy, desperate for attention, jumped up at him.
‘Get down!’ he roared and, although he hadn’t touched her, Primmy gave a little yelp of terror and fled up the front steps to relative safety.
‘You’ve frightened her!’ Alice told the sergeant indignantly. ‘She wasn’t going to bite you. I told you she was friendly.’
He brushed bits of grass from his uniform. ‘I don’t like noisy dogs,’ he replied. ‘She ever bite the postman? The butcher’s boy? I bet she has.’
‘Well, you’re wrong because she hasn’t! She doesn’t bite. She’s just young and excitable.’
Biddy intervened quickly. ‘So what’s the next step, Sergeant? If Lionel is officially missing, what do you have to do now?’
‘Nothing.’ He shook his head. ‘Refer it back to Hastings. It’s their problem. They’re Sussex. We’re Kent. We’re just helping them out.’
‘But who can we ask for further news?’
He
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