Before he had moved the body over on its back he knew whose face would be upturned towards his own. It was Elspeth Cost’s.

CHAPTER 5
Holiday Task

When he had made certain, beyond all shadow of a doubt, that there was nothing to be done, he ran out of the enclosure and a few yards along the footpath. Down below, on the far side of the causeway he saw Coombe, in his shirtsleeves, with his pipe in his mouth, fishing off the end of the jetty. He looked up, saw Alleyn, waved and then straightened. Alleyn beckoned urgently and signalled that they would meet at the top of the hotel steps. Coombe, seeing him run, himself broke into a lope, back down the jetty and across the causeway. He was breathing hard when he got to the top of the steps. When Alleyn had told him, he swore incredulously.

‘I’ll go into the hotel and get one of those bloody discs,’ Alleyn said. ‘I had to lock the gate, of course. And I’ll have to get a message to Miss Pride. I’ll catch you up. Who’s your div. surgeon?’

‘Maine.’

‘Right.’

There was no one in the office. He went in, tried the drawers, found the right one, and helped himself to half a dozen discs. He looked at the switchboard, plugged in the connection and lifted the receiver. He noticed with a kind of astonishment that his hand was unsteady. It seemed an eternity before Miss Emily answered.

He said: ‘Miss Emily? Roderick. I’m terribly sorry but there’s been an accident and I’m wanted here. It’s serious. Will it be a great bore if we delay your leaving? I’ll come back later and explain.’

‘By all means,’ Miss Emily’s voice said crisply. ‘I shall adjust. Don’t disarrange yourself on my account!’

‘You admirable woman,’ he said and hung up.

He had just got back on the lawful side of the desk when the hall-porter appeared, wiping his mouth. Alleyn said: ‘Can you get Dr Maine quickly? There’s been an accident. D’you know his number?’

The porter consulted a list and, staring at Alleyn, dialled it.

‘What is it, then?’ he asked. ‘Accident? Dearrr, dearr!’

While he waited for the call to come through, Alleyn saw that a notice, similar to the one that had been tied to the enclosure, was now displayed in the letter rack. ‘Warning.’ And signed ‘Emily Pride.’ He had started to read it when the telephone quacked. The porter established the connection and handed him the receiver.

Alleyn said: ‘Dr Maine? Speaking? This is a police call. I’m ringing for Superintendent Coombe. Superintendent Alleyn. There’s been a serious accident at the Spring. Can you come at once?’

‘At the Spring?’

‘Yes. You’ll need an ambulance.’

‘What is it?’

‘Asphyxia following cranial injury.’

‘Fatal?’

‘Yes.’

‘I’ll be there.’

‘Thank you.’