I didn’t have my Iron Maiden handy, thought Pascoe; but what he said was, ”s all. Yes, it was his porkpie hat; no, he hadn’t been wandering round the dunes at midnight last Thursday, he’d been sitting up late at home after all his family had gone off to bed so that he could watch a documentary on medieval industry. Anyway, if Anita was going into Fallowfield’s cottage a couple of hours later, what does it matter who disturbed the dance?”
“There’s a porpoise close behind me and it’s treading on my tail,’ said Dalziel thoughtfully. ‘ course those kids might have been dreaming. Or for that matter, it might have been some other long-haired beauty that Fallowfield’s having it away with. We won’t know till we find the man, will we?”
“No, sir.”
“And of course, if the kids are right, then everyone’s going to need new alibis, aren’t they?”
“That’s right,’ said Pascoe, brightening. ‘ these bloody students.”
Dalziel eyed him sardonically.
“Watch it, Sergeant,’ he said. ‘ forget, the country’s full of wonderful young people who stand up for pregnant women in buses and run errands for the aged and decrepit. The Daily Mirror said so last week.
Or was it the Express?”
“Then it must be true. What now, sir?”
Dalziel glanced at his watch. It was nearly a quarter to seven. It had been a quick day and he still wasn’t sure whether they had advanced or gone back. But first things first.
“Dinner,’ he said with satisfaction.
After dinner, Pascoe sat in his room and contemplated the rest of the evening. He felt lonely. His meal had been brought to him on a tray as usual and used though he was to eating by himself, it always seemed a particularly lonely thing to have to do. He supposed no one would have thrown bread-rolls at him if he had appeared in the dining-hall, but he doubted if he would have felt less alone.
He suddenly thought how lonely such a life could be for many of those permanently committed to it. Perhaps it just seemed so on the surface.
Perhaps the seeming lonely like Disney or Scotby really had troops of friends, tribes of loving relations, acres of exciting interests, at their beck and call.
But it wasn’t just them. It was people like Marion, and Ellie as well.
Halfdane too, even Fallowfield. The unmarried. Those for whom home was - this. He looked around the room. It was at least as comfortable as his own minute flat. And, God knows, he knew what it was to be lonely even in a job which often kept him at it for anything up to twenty hours a day.
Therefore, he said, if all people are lonely some of the time and some people are lonely all of the time, it is not merely self-indulgence to thrust myself at them, it may even be a social service.
The obvious person to thrust at was Ellie. He reached for the phone and dialled.
“Hallo, Ellie.”
“Oh, it’s you.” “Right first time,’ he said. ‘, I’ve been glancing through your manuscript. Very interesting. But I thought I’d get it back to you before I do something awful with it, like spill coffee all over it or lose it. Is it OK if I come round and return it now?”
There was a pause.
“Yes. No. Look, I’ll come and collect it. You’re in 28, aren’t you?”
“That’s right. Worried about the kind of person seen going into your room, are you?’ he said with an attempt at lightness.
“Piss off.”
The phone went dead. He wondered if this meant she wasn’t coming, but within five minutes there was a tap at the door.
“Hi,’ she said. She looked very attractive in a simple white dress with large black buttons right down the front. He couldn’t quite decide whether they were functional or merely decorative.
“I enjoyed your book.” “Liar,’ she said calmly. ‘ haven’t had time to look at it.”
“No,’ he protested. ‘ of the characterization helped a great deal in understanding life here at the college. I’m looking forward to reading the finished thing when it’s published.”
She sat down, smiling now.
“It’s like listening to some sentimental song,’ she said. ‘ tune, meaningless words, but it works on you. Keep talking.”
There was a tap on the door. It was Elizabeth, neat as ever in her nylon overall, come to collect the dishes. It was nice to have such a pretty girl looking after him. She seemed very obliging. In fact earlier he had found her in the room tidying up. Perhaps she fancies me, he thought.
She seemed a little disconcerted to find Ellie there also and let a fork slide on to the carpet.
“Sorry,’ she said, bending down. Pascoe automatically stooped also and the heads nearly cracked together. They both rocked back on their haunches, smiling, the girl showing a lot of leg where the overall parted above her knees. Pascoe glanced down involuntarily. On the inside hem of the garment he saw the initials in indian ink E.A.
There wasn’t a blinding flash. There rarely was. Just another certainty sliding into place. Fancies me, hell! he mocked himself.
Tell me,’ he said conversationally, ‘ time did you get back from the beach on Thursday morning?”
The girl turned pale. Bulls-eye! thought Pascoe.