Dr Morelle and Destiny by Ernest Dudley

Author:Ernest Dudley [Dudley, Ernest]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Endeavour Media
Published: 2018-02-21T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

HE WAS PLEASED with himself. He was riding high, like on the roller-coaster at the Kursaal. He’d found the girl, and she was all ready to move right in under his umbrella.

Any fear back of his mind that she might have left the place was wiped out as soon as he saw the hoop-la stall. He’d made a good impression, she was ready to go for him. But then didn’t he find it went that way with any number he had wanted to go for him? He smiled thinly to himself and went into one of the Kursaal snack-bars and ordered coffee and hot dogs.

He didn’t notice the other customers. He sat at the counter in a corner. He began working it out he was going to play his hand from here. He had to be diplomatic. No use pushing her and setting the fire-alarm ringing. He’d got to take it gently and he was sure she’d lead him home. Casual inquiries about where she came from, was she alone, she have any folk around?

If he played his cards right, an hour or so with her should put him on the road to his final destination. He would be glad to get out of Southend, anyway. Hot and crowded and noisy, it was unwise to stay in any one place too long. And this crummy place was no place to stay anyway. He rode the electric train to the pier-head, found a chair in a quiet corner in the shade and relaxed. It was nice just to lie back with his eyes closed and feel the gentle sea breeze whispering across his face. Nice just to lie there, and think of nothing in particular, knowing everything was organized up to date.

He was back on shore again by seven. He wandered along towards Westcliff, lingering over a couple of drinks in a bar. When he returned to the Kursaal he was still feeling good and all set to click the last cog in the works into place.

She was trying to look as though she wasn’t waiting for him at the hoop-la. The customers were still throwing the rings, but there was another girl working the stall. The dark, sultry girl saw him and said something to the other girl. The other girl glanced up in his direction and smirked. He gave Lucilla a glad hand, then she came out to meet him.

She looked more attractive now than when he had first seen her. Luscious was the word. She’d changed her frock. He could see it wasn’t an expensive one. Just a plain summery job with a full skirt and an off-the-shoulder line, but she looked a million in it. She didn’t wear much make-up. A touch of lipstick to turn her full mouth to a deeper red.

“I wondered if you’d be back,” she said. The glance from beneath her dark mascarad eyelashes held a conversation with his own eyes.

“I didn’t,” he said. “Nothing could have kept me away.”

She eyed him

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