Caught Out in Cornwall Read Online Free PDF Page B

Sally had said about Michael Poole continuing to support his child. ‘But is she on benefits? Sally told me that Beth’s father still pays for her keep regularly.’
    ‘What do you mean?’
    Rose blushed, ashamed of her thoughts. ‘Perhaps she’s claiming as well.’
    Jack frowned. ‘You’re not making any sense, Rose.’
    ‘When I was at Sally’s, one of the things she said was that she didn’t want anything more to do with Beth’s father, which was the reason she’d moved away from Looe. It surprised me that he carries on paying when he doesn’t have any access to Beth.’
    This sounded a little too altruistic to be true. ‘Was Janice Richards aware of this comment?’ If this were the case there could be two reasons for her being in trouble.
    ‘No, I don’t think she was, actually. I’m sure she’d gone to use the bathroom at the time. Why? Is it important?’ Even before she’d finished asking she realised that it might be. If Michael Poole was still making payments to Sally it was possible that she was guilty of benefit fraud. But surely there would be checks made on a newcomer to an area before the DHSS started handing out money.
    ‘It certainly could be. It’s something to look into.’ Not much of a start, though, except Jack was beginning to think that the case was not as simple as it appeared. ‘I think I’ll go now. I’m going to try and get a couple of hours sleep. I’m shattered.’
    That he left without kissing her or arranginganother time to see her showed Rose just how concerned he was.
    After he’d left she felt restless and would normally have sought Laura’s company, but Trevor had landed and would want to spend time with his wife. Rose smiled. Well, not necessarily. Although he was at sea for days on end, their reunions were not always harmonious. Trevor would be tired as he, like many other fishermen, worked in shifts, four hours on, four hours off, and once Laura, who worried about him continuously whilst he was at sea, knew he was safe, she was not one of the most patient of women. She had always been the same. It was her nature; just as her nervous energy and vibrancy was a part of the whole that made Laura what she was. Rose envied her ability to eat whatever she wanted and to remain thin.
    I’ll ring Barry Rowe and see if he fancies a drink, she decided. He answered the phone on the second ring. Maybe he had hoped it was Jenny calling. To save him embarrassment, Rose asked if he’d arranged to meet her that night.
    ‘No, not this evening,’ he said. ‘She’s babysitting. Are you about to invite me somewhere sophisticated and exciting?’
    ‘Such as where?’
    ‘Ah, I get your point. Just a drink I take it?’
    ‘That’s what I had in mind. How about the Alex in half an hour?’
    ‘Ideal. I’ll see you soon.’
    The Alexandra Inn and Alexandra Road in which it was situated, were named after one of Queen Victoria’s daughters who had once visited the area. It was about halfway between Newlyn and the shop in Penzance above which Barry lived which meant they could both walk the distance easily.
    It was a clear night with the tang of kelp in the air. The beach was littered with thick wads of seaweed. Sometimes there was none at all; it depended upon the ebb and flow of the tide and the roughness of the sea. Overhead, stars glittered sharply and a full moon shone on the blackness of the water in the bay, lighting up a container ship, which lay beneath its circle. Beyond it was what looked like a frigate, but Rose couldn’t be certain. The wind had dropped but there was a rolling swell which made the silvery reflection of the moon undulate. In the distance a curlew cried as it took flight from its resting place.
    No matter what time of the year, no matter what time of the day or night, Rose never tired of the beauty before her. She would not, could not, ever leave the area now.
    When she arrived Barry was already at the bar. There were several other customers; those