Nine Ten Begin Again: A Grasshopper Lawns affair Read Online Free PDF Page A

complaints.’
    ‘Jemima Bateman, the political wannabe? Och, well, that explains it all.’ William shook his head. ‘Politicians haven’t a clue. You of all people should have known that, Patrick.’
    ‘Not my choice. I was appointed an Executive Trustee after she was brought in,’ Patrick said briefly.
    ‘So sad about Hamish’s son being murdered. I’m not surprised it knocked him for a loop, but still, a year!’ Vivian looked back at the buffet. ‘Are we going to risk a pudding, to get rid of the aftertaste of curry?’
    ‘Was that why he took it? I didn’t realize. I assumed he wanted to write a book, or something.’ William pushed back his chair, and Vivian followed suit.
    ‘Typical writer,’ Edge remarked, smiling, to Patrick. ‘I don’t think it has ever occurred to William that anyone would want to do anything but write books.’
    ‘He’s made it work for him. His latest is doing well, deservedly so. I enjoyed it. More accessible than his earlier ones. Have you read it?’
    ‘I haven’t. I’m not good at sci-fi and his books make me feel a complete idiot, but I’ll try it. I hadn’t realized that was why Hamish took off, either. A year seems a long time to mourn a son, especially to leave Scotland when he’s got two other sons here. He’s a very proud grandfather, forever showing me photographs of wee Hamish.’
    ‘Before my time,’ Patrick reminded her patiently. ‘The Trustees made the decision, especially as he recommended Jemima and she did have the qualifications.’
    ‘I can’t imagine why a political wannabe would want to be the bursar for a retirement village. I’d have thought it very time-consuming and very low profile.’
    ‘Well, part of her policy is getting people back in work, and she asked if she could bring in part-timers for repainting, that sort of thing. The Trustees were happy with that. There’s always stuff that needs doing around a place this size, and if she has candidates on file it’s less work for the administrator, after all. You have to admit the place is looking smarter already; all the painting and gardening tidy-up has paid off. Definite improvement when I drove in. Are we having pudding?’
     
     
    Meeting with new bursar
    ‘I’m not sure this Trustee appointment will be the easy ride I thought.’ Patrick went back to their earlier conversation as they made their way after lunch up to the administrative offices. ‘The Executive Trustee bit, I mean. I didn’t like to say earlier, but there have been twenty-seven complaints since she took up the reins. Not only things like employing ex-cons; she’s treading on a lot of toes.’
    ‘Make that twenty-eight, ’ Edge said drily as they reached the top of the stairs and the slightly muffled noise audible from the first landing resolved itself into the administrator’s angry voice. Her South African accent always became more noticeable when she was under pressure and her voice raised another notch to a near shout as Patrick and Edge neared her office.
    ‘You hed no right to change kitchen staff, thet is my responsibility,’ she was saying as Patrick tapped at the closed door, then opened it to allow Edge in first. ‘I hed spoken to you about this before, you can’t jist—’
    As they entered she stopped short, bristling, a middle-aged and extremely competent woman so flushed with rage she looked on the brink of an apoplexy. By contrast, the woman opposite her looked perfectly composed, but turned an annoyed face to the intruders.
    ‘Do you mind? This is a private conversation.’
    ‘Not really,’ Patrick said cheerfully. ‘It can be heard halfway round the building. I’m Patrick Fitzpatrick, from the Board of Trustees, and we have an appointment at,’ he glanced at his watch, ‘two-thirty. It’s three minutes to that now. I’d have waited, but this conversation sounded relevant to my visit.’
    ‘Ja well, it is.’ Katryn turned sharply on her heel and went back behind her desk to sit