The Clutter Corpse by Simon Brett

Author:Simon Brett
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781448304097
Publisher: Severn House Publishers
Published: 2020-01-06T16:00:00+00:00

TEN

Meanwhile, the work of SpaceWoman had to go on. In the chaos of the weekend, I’d had a call from Dorothy Lechlade, and agreed to go back to Clovelly on the Monday afternoon to meet her and her husband. I’d stayed so long with Dodge that making the two o’clock appointment in Chichester meant missing another lunch, a hardship I was well used to.

Tobias Lechlade was exactly as I had imagined him. Probably in his sixties, crumpled brown corduroy trousers, a tattersall check shirt over which he wore a green woollen cardigan with leather elbow patches, and brown lace-up brogues. His aspiration to look like a scatty academic were let down by a couple of details. The price stickers on the bottom of the brogues showed them to be recent purchases, and the cardigan had been bought ready-elbowed. It was not an old garment whose overuse had necessitated the leather reinforcement.

His fingers, I noticed, were stained from the constant tamping down of his pipes.

Dorothy was as soberly dressed as she had been on the previous occasion. Once again, something familiar about her face nagged at me.

Tobias’s manner with his wife was interesting. Though probably only ten years older than her, he was very much of the ‘don’t you worry your pretty little head about that’ brigade. Also, and I got the feeling it was for my benefit, he was constantly touching her, taking her hand, bestowing little pats on her shoulder or bottom. The gestures seemed to be statements of ownership.

I found this act mildly repellent, but Dorothy clearly lapped it up. I might have thought what an emotionally impoverished life she had had to warm to such behaviour, but I curbed such speculation. What went on inside another marriage was not my business.

‘Dotty’s told me why she called you in,’ said Tobias. I also registered that I would hate to be called ‘Dotty’. ‘Secretive little minx, eh? Going behind my back. When the cat’s away …’

Dorothy, I’m afraid, simpered at this.

‘Still, I’m not criticizing her,’ he went on magnanimously. ‘I know that marriage – even at our advanced age – is a matter of compromise, each partner making concessions to the other in a fair and even-handed way. So, if Dotty feels that changes are needed to my workspace, I am prepared to discuss the issue … so long as she agrees to take up my system of stacking the dishwasher.’

Tobias guffawed. Dorothy tittered. Clearly, the dishwasher had become a private joke between them. I disguised my inward wince.

‘No, I’m a reasonable man. Obviously, I’m not going to sanction any changes that will affect my working methods …’

‘I wouldn’t expect you to, darling,’ said Dorothy, the endearment sounding slightly awkward, as if she didn’t yet feel at ease using it.

‘… but anything that improves my efficiency … well, I’m all in favour of that.’

‘You’ll definitely need to get the leaking roof sorted,’ I said, ‘and I think there’s a significant fire risk from all those papers.’

‘“All those papers”?’ he echoed humorously.

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