Vicious Circle (Masters and Green Book 18) by Douglas Clark

Author:Douglas Clark [Clark, Douglas]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Endeavour Media
Published: 2019-04-24T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

“Talking of eating,” said Green as soon as they were in the car, “I hope you’re not thinking of patronizing the HQ cafeteria again. There must be somewhere round here where we can get a decent meal.”

Rainford was not guiding them. He had stayed behind with his daughter, so he was not likely to be available to recommend a good place for dinner.

“We saw a couple of reasonable-looking places,” said Berger.

“Pubs?” queried Green.

“Restaurants. One Greek and the other British.”

“Greek,” said Green in disgust. “Everything wrapped in vine leaves or cut to bits and stuck on a skewer. And the wine’s got cat-gut polish in it.”

“Meaning you would prefer the British one?”

“Too right. You’ve heard of Montezuma’s revenge, Malta Dog and Gippy Tummy?”

“Go on.”

“The equivalent on the other side of the Adriatic from Italy is called Agamemnon’s Agony. It catches you in the middle of the third hour after you’ve eaten . . .”

“What the devil are you talking about, Bill? If it caught you in the middle of anything, it wouldn’t be the third hour after you’d eaten.”

“No?”

“No, such things are never specific as to time, only to place. It might catch you in the middle of nowhere, which might not be too bad, but generally it strikes when you are three miles from what are coyly referred to as mod cons.”

“Chief,” said Reed, puzzled at what was going on, “have you solved this case?”

“No.”

“You’re acting as if you had.”

“In that case I apologize for misleading you.”

Green lit a Kensitas from a battered packet. “As long,” he said, “as any misleading there is doesn’t result in us missing the first proper sit-down meal we’ll have had since we got here, I don’t mind.”

“I’d prefer to have a bath before we eat,” said Masters. “The day has been long and sticky.”

“Sticky, Chief? I thought we were going to have a few hysterics from that girl. Fortunately she calmed down a bit.”

“They’re all strung up to top doh,” said Green. “You’ve got a group of nice, hard-working people, getting on with living their ordinary lives, coping with a damn nuisance like this old Carlow bird and then wham! Sudden death and cops all over the place. Any young lass could be forgiven for feeling herself entangled when his nibs here starts his questions.”

“You put in your pennorth.”

“That’s what I’m paid for, lad.”

“Then why blame the Chief exclusively?”

“Because he’s more sinister than I am.”

“He’s what?”

“You heard. Upmarket voice churning out remorseless logic. Deadly. When I chip in—usually—I talk the sort of stuff that people can answer in the same sort of way. Like you do. Colloquially, I suppose you’d call it. And they’re more comfortable because it’s like conversations they have every day.”

“I see what you mean,” said Reed. “I could never tell the Chief he was talking rubbish, like I can you.”

“Now you’re getting sassy, lad.”

“For agreeing with you?”

“There you are. That proves my point.”

“Which is what?” demanded Berger.

“If I told you you wouldn’t understand.”

“Try me.”

“Well . . .”

“Come on.”

Masters grinned. “Do you know, Bill, I reckon they’ve caught you out.

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