“Josh has spoken to Mr Sheehan, Lovejoy.” For a second I wondered who she meant, then remembered that was Big John’s surname, Sheehan. He ran the Mighty Sheehans of Ulster Import-Export business, a euphemism for charging anybody for whatever he wanted for whatever he said he supplied.
“He spoke to Big John?” I went weak. “What have I to do?”
“Nothing, Lovejoy. Josh straightened things out. They hit it off.”
If Sheehan said everything was okay, it had better be. Off the hook! I sighed with relief.
“As long as you do a few services for Josh. And me.”
“Right. What services?”
She looked about. “No perjury, nothing nasty. Just occasional consultations about antiques. The first, this coming Thursday. I’ll send my car. Be ready at ten.”
“Right.” Gelt by association?
Turning on her heel, she walked to her waiting motor. Some women can move as if the ground is making all the effort of gliding them while they just stay still. I guess it’s breeding or something.
That left me thinking of Ivy. I’d been head over heels. Now I’d be heartbroken for life. Or until at least eight o’clock tonight on North Hill, and thereafter Thursday morning. I heard a tapping on the unbroken pane.
“I’m coming, I’m coming,” I called in a temper, and went to the door with the birds’ crumbs. “Oh. Wotcher.”
“Lovejoy?” Lauren was standing there.
She wore a summery dress and high heels and looked totally different from the dowdy assistant on the ship. She carried a small suitcase.
“Lauren!” I tried to sound really eager. “How, er, great.”
“I came to help.” She set her case down, her eyes round the cottage. “After the way I behaved.”
“After…?” I couldn’t remember her doing anything wrong. It was me.
It came out with a rush in prepared phrases. “I was overbearing. You got into trouble helping me. I’ve come to repay you.” She glanced around. “I shall stay. I don’t necessarily mean … you know? But it would be irresponsible of me to leave a payment unmet. When do we resume your work?”
“Er, immediately. Always best to get back in the saddle … ” An unfortunate metaphor. “Quickest is wisest.”
“Indeed it is, Lovejoy.” She took a breath, sizing up tasks ahead. “I am no shirker, Lovejoy. Whatever the task, I shall apply myself to the uttermost. You’ll see.”
“Er, good.” I glanced out. “I need to catch the bus. See you later?”
She gave me her keys. “Use my car. Why is it so dark in here?”
I explained about the electricity, water, gas, phone. She nodded. “I shall see to those. I have funds.”
“Ta, love. I’ll be back about, er … Sorry about the state of the place.”
“I like a challenge, Lovejoy.”
Thank God for that. I bussed her quickly and left. As I turned right at the chapel and headed for the distant town I saw Margaret Dainty’s motor coming into the village.
I kept going, trying to fit the mess into the Ten Word Game, so I could say I’d won something for a change.
About the Author
JONATHAN GASH is an award-winning author who has been writing for thirty-five years. A retired doctor, he worked for many years in the Middle and Far East.
AVAILABLE FROM
ALLISON & BUSBY
The Lovejoy Series
The Ten Word Game
Faces in the Pool
The Dr Clare Burtonall Series
Bone Dancing
Blood Dancing
Other Crime Fiction
The Year of the Woman
Finding Davey
Bad Girl Magdalene
Copyright
Allison & Busby Limited
13 Charlotte Mews
London W1T 4EJ
www.allisonandbusby.com
First published in Great Britain by Allison & Busby in 2003.
This ebook edition first published in 2012.
Copyright © 2003 by JONATHAN GASH
Lovejoy™ is the registered trade mark of John Grant
The moral right of the author has been asserted.
All characters and events in this publication other than those clearly in the public domain are fictitious and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent buyer.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978–0–7490–1179–6
Ten Word Game Page 33