Dead and Gone by Dorothy Simpson

Author:Dorothy Simpson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scribner

TWELVE

Agon ran his tongue over his lips. ‘Sure you don’t want a drink? No? Mind if I get myself one?’

They watched him walk across the grass to the little bar, exchanging an occasional greeting with some of the other people scattered around. One young woman put out a hand to detain him and they spoke together briefly.

‘Fancies him, doesn’t she?’ said Lineham. ‘Very popular with the ladies, our Mr Agon.’

‘Looks like it. Not surprising, I suppose. He’s a very good-looking young man.’

‘I wonder what Rachel thinks of it. It must be very uncomfortable, being engaged to someone who’s such a magnet to the opposite sex, don’t you think?’

‘I imagine she’s so head over heels she doesn’t care, just feels delighted that she’s the one he’s chosen. Anyway, I expect he watches his step when she’s around.’

‘It’ll be different after they’re married, I bet. He won’t need to be so careful then.’

‘You’re a cynic, Mike. Perhaps she’s the love of his life.’

Lineham gave a derisive snort. ‘Think he really needs a drink, sir, or d’you think he’s just playing for time while he makes up his mind what he’s going to tell us?’

‘A bit of both, I imagine.’

When Agon returned Thanet tried to avoid looking at the glass of lemonade he was carrying. Tall, beaded with moisture and chinking with ice it looked far too inviting for Thanet’s comfort.

Agon took a long swallow and then sat back with a sigh of satisfaction. ‘Ah, that’s better. It’s hot work out there. Now, where were we?’ He crossed his legs, resting right ankle on left knee, and looked expectantly at Lineham.

Thanet had been trying to work out what it was about the man which had provoked that immediate reaction of dislike, the night before last. It wasn’t that he automatically mistrusted goodlooking men. Alexander, for instance, was very good-looking. When would there be more news of Bridget? True, Agon’s eyes were set rather close together. Was there any justification for the old adage that this denoted shiftiness? Perhaps he, Thanet, was being unfair. He must be on his guard. Prejudice clouds the judgement.

‘You were going to tell us about that night, sir,’ said Lineham. ‘You said it was interesting.’

‘Ah, yes.’ Agon took another swig from his glass. ‘Well, if you’ve been talking to the family, as I’m sure you have, you’ll have gathered I’m not exactly numero uno around there and on Saturday night they were all shook up, as Elvis would have put it, by our little bombshell.’

‘That you and Miss Mintar had just got engaged, you mean.’

‘That’s right. You a married man, Sergeant?’ Agon eyed Lineham speculatively. ‘Yes, you are. I can always tell. They have that – what? That settled look.’

Lineham ignored this. ‘You had a little celebration, I believe? Mr Mintar opened a bottle of champagne.’

‘Huh! Celebration? Wake, more like it. Oh, they put as good a face on it as they could bring themselves to, for Rachel’s sake, but you didn’t have to be a mind-reader to know what they were all thinking.

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