which James was shoving back into his pocket. ‘How did you get outside? The doors are locked at midnight.’
‘Up and down the stairs,’ said Agatha.
‘Up and down the stairs?’
‘I am so silly,’ gushed Agatha. ‘I have these step things at home. You know, one of those exercise machines. Well, it’s vanity. I really wanted to be trim and fit for my medical in the morning, so I said to James, “Let’s run up and down the stairs.” They are so thickly carpeted, I knew we wouldn’t disturb anyone.’
Mr Adder’s eyes were uncomfortably shrewd. ‘You are therefore in better condition than I would have believed, Mrs Raisin. You are not out of breath, neither are you sweating.’
‘Oh, thank you !’ said Agatha. ‘I must really be quite fit, although I do confess to feeling a teensy bit tired. Bed, darling?’
‘Good idea,’ said James. ‘See you in the morning, Mr Adder.’
He blocked their way. ‘You must not try to run your own programme or this whole stay will be a waste of your money and our time. Do not wander about during the night.’
‘Right,’ said James, putting an arm around Agatha’s shoulders. They walked on past Mr Adder.
Agatha looked back as they gained the stairs. Mr Adder was trying the office door to make sure it was locked.
‘Phew,’ she said, when they were back in their room. ‘Think he swallowed that?’
‘No, but he probably thought we were looking for the kitchens and tried the office door just to be sure. Now I chose the names out of the register of the people who live near Mircester who were here at the same time as Jimmy.’ He flipped open the notebook. ‘We have Sir Desmond Derrington and Lady Derrington, a Miss Janet Purvey, and a Mrs Gloria Comfort. When we get out of here, however, the first thing we do is to go up to Charles Street in London and see if Mrs Gore-Appleton is still at the same address. Then we’ll start on these names.’
‘Have you paid for the whole week in advance?’ asked Agatha.
‘Yes.’
‘So don’t you think we should stay the whole week and get our money’s worth?’
‘I should die of boredom,’ said James, turning away to pick up his pyjamas and so missing the look of naked hurt in Agatha’s eyes. ‘May as well both get our medical check-up, have a swim or a massage or something, and then get the hell out of here.’
Agatha found at her medical the following morning that her blood pressure and cholesterol levels were both a bit high. After a breakfast of muesli and fruit, she looked at her programme and went to the masseur to be pulled and pummelled, then a sauna and then to the gym for the morning’s aerobics.
James was already there. The class was led by a blonde with long, long legs and a staggeringly beautiful figure. Agatha panted and sweated, aware the whole time that James’s eyes were fastened on the vision leading the class. From wanting to stay on the whole week, she suddenly couldn’t wait to get out of the place. After the class was over, she fidgeted impatiently while James chatted to the blonde instructress.
Over a meagre salad lunch and fruit juice, James looked at his own programme. ‘Going easy on me for the first day,’ he said. ‘Not much this afternoon. Like to go for a swim?’
Agatha had a sudden mental picture of her own body set against the glory of that of the instructress. She shook her head. ‘I thought we should be getting on with our investigations.’
‘Right you are,’ he said easily. ‘But I thought you wanted to stay.’
‘Mr Adder is over there and keeps darting little looks at us.’
‘Agatha, I don’t believe you. I think the aerobics class was too much for you.’
‘Not in the slightest. I got a little puffed, that’s all.’
‘I wouldn’t worry about Adder. It’s quite pleasant here.’ He laughed at the baffled look on Agatha’s face. ‘It’s all right. We’ll go. What excuse shall we give?’
‘I have these fads. I’m a temperamental lady. I’ve
‘Up and down the stairs,’ said Agatha.
‘Up and down the stairs?’
‘I am so silly,’ gushed Agatha. ‘I have these step things at home. You know, one of those exercise machines. Well, it’s vanity. I really wanted to be trim and fit for my medical in the morning, so I said to James, “Let’s run up and down the stairs.” They are so thickly carpeted, I knew we wouldn’t disturb anyone.’
Mr Adder’s eyes were uncomfortably shrewd. ‘You are therefore in better condition than I would have believed, Mrs Raisin. You are not out of breath, neither are you sweating.’
‘Oh, thank you !’ said Agatha. ‘I must really be quite fit, although I do confess to feeling a teensy bit tired. Bed, darling?’
‘Good idea,’ said James. ‘See you in the morning, Mr Adder.’
He blocked their way. ‘You must not try to run your own programme or this whole stay will be a waste of your money and our time. Do not wander about during the night.’
‘Right,’ said James, putting an arm around Agatha’s shoulders. They walked on past Mr Adder.
Agatha looked back as they gained the stairs. Mr Adder was trying the office door to make sure it was locked.
‘Phew,’ she said, when they were back in their room. ‘Think he swallowed that?’
‘No, but he probably thought we were looking for the kitchens and tried the office door just to be sure. Now I chose the names out of the register of the people who live near Mircester who were here at the same time as Jimmy.’ He flipped open the notebook. ‘We have Sir Desmond Derrington and Lady Derrington, a Miss Janet Purvey, and a Mrs Gloria Comfort. When we get out of here, however, the first thing we do is to go up to Charles Street in London and see if Mrs Gore-Appleton is still at the same address. Then we’ll start on these names.’
‘Have you paid for the whole week in advance?’ asked Agatha.
‘Yes.’
‘So don’t you think we should stay the whole week and get our money’s worth?’
‘I should die of boredom,’ said James, turning away to pick up his pyjamas and so missing the look of naked hurt in Agatha’s eyes. ‘May as well both get our medical check-up, have a swim or a massage or something, and then get the hell out of here.’
Agatha found at her medical the following morning that her blood pressure and cholesterol levels were both a bit high. After a breakfast of muesli and fruit, she looked at her programme and went to the masseur to be pulled and pummelled, then a sauna and then to the gym for the morning’s aerobics.
James was already there. The class was led by a blonde with long, long legs and a staggeringly beautiful figure. Agatha panted and sweated, aware the whole time that James’s eyes were fastened on the vision leading the class. From wanting to stay on the whole week, she suddenly couldn’t wait to get out of the place. After the class was over, she fidgeted impatiently while James chatted to the blonde instructress.
Over a meagre salad lunch and fruit juice, James looked at his own programme. ‘Going easy on me for the first day,’ he said. ‘Not much this afternoon. Like to go for a swim?’
Agatha had a sudden mental picture of her own body set against the glory of that of the instructress. She shook her head. ‘I thought we should be getting on with our investigations.’
‘Right you are,’ he said easily. ‘But I thought you wanted to stay.’
‘Mr Adder is over there and keeps darting little looks at us.’
‘Agatha, I don’t believe you. I think the aerobics class was too much for you.’
‘Not in the slightest. I got a little puffed, that’s all.’
‘I wouldn’t worry about Adder. It’s quite pleasant here.’ He laughed at the baffled look on Agatha’s face. ‘It’s all right. We’ll go. What excuse shall we give?’
‘I have these fads. I’m a temperamental lady. I’ve
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