Murder in the Blood Read Online Free PDF Page B

him in surprise.
    â€˜You mean he took himself out there?’ said Libby.
    â€˜Why not?’
    â€˜But why on earth would he take a boat out at night with someone else?’ asked Harry.
    â€˜To show them something? Is there anything around you could only see at night?’
    â€˜I don’t think so,’ said Martha doubtfully. ‘They go night fishing sometimes, but I don’t remember Alec ever doing it.’ She looked up and waved. ‘Here’s Neal, look. Alec did show him around a bit, I think.’
    Neal came down the steps to the pontoon, panama hat in hand. He bent to kiss Martha on both cheeks.
    â€˜We were just wondering, Neal,’ said Martha, ‘if Alec would have taken his boat out at night. Do you think he would?’
    â€˜I don’t know. I never went out on his boat.’ Neal pulled out a chair and sat down. ‘I ordered coffee on my way down. I hope you don’t mind.’
    â€˜Martha’s been in touch with the consulate,’ said Justin. ‘They’re going to intercede with the Jandarma. They need to trace Alec’s new-found family.’
    â€˜They need to search his house, then,’ said Neal. ‘He didn’t tell anyone the names of these people?’
    â€˜No. Unless he told Sally,’ said Martha. ‘She might know.’
    â€˜Somebody mentioned her last night,’ said Libby.
    â€˜Where does she live?’ asked Fran.
    â€˜Outside the village on the way to the coast road. I could ring her.’ Martha stood up. ‘I’ll go and find her number.’
    While they waited for Martha to return, they studied the menu which had been left on the table and decided to stay for lunch.
    â€˜No reply, so I’ve left a message,’ said Martha, coming back to the table. ‘Did you want to eat?’
    After orders had been taken, and Neal had declined, he stood up again. ‘I’m going back to the hotel. I’ll see you all later.’
    They watched him cross the bridge in silence.
    â€˜Well, now.’ Libby sat back in her chair. ‘Why did he bother to walk all this way, stay for five minutes, and go again? His behaviour really is peculiar.’
    â€˜I think the whole thing has knocked him for six,’ said Peter. ‘It looks to me as though he and this Alec were having an affair.’
    â€˜You could hardly call it that,’ said Harry. ‘He was here on holiday. It was a holiday fling if anything.’
    â€˜What do you think, Justin?’ Libby turned to look at him. ‘You introduced them, didn’t you?’
    Justin nodded.
    â€˜So did they see more of each other after that?’
    â€˜Yes, but I don’t know anything more than that. Alec took Neal out a few times, but just to show him the country, really.’
    â€˜That’s what it was, then,’ said Libby confidently. ‘An affair.’
    During lunch the lady with the pink hair and her bushy-moustached husband arrived at restaurant. They stopped on the steps leading to the pontoon.
    â€˜I can’t get down there,’ said Bushy Moustache. ‘Damn silly place for a restaurant.’
    â€˜We can sit here, then, look.’ Pink Hair indicated a table on the same level as the steps. ‘Then you won’t have to use the steps.’ She looked over and waved at the rest of the hotel contingent. ‘Hello, there!’
    They all waved back.
    â€˜Thank goodness he doesn’t like the steps,’ muttered Libby. ‘Otherwise they might have joined us.’
    â€˜He’s too grumpy to want to join anyone,’ said Harry. ‘Have you noticed, if there’s a conversation in the bar he just sits and stares off into the distance and has to have everything repeated? He just doesn’t take any notice.’
    â€˜I think he’s probably a bit deaf,’ said Fran. ‘And doesn’t want to admit it.’
    â€˜That’s charitable,’ said Libby.