Free The Death of the Elver Man by Jennie Finch Page A

place has a rather odd smell when you go in. Haven’t you noticed?’
    Alex had to confess she’s never been invited to Margaret’s house, though she had been treated to several pictures of the garden in full bloom. Sue snorted. ‘Yes the bloody garden. Not only do I pay rent and have to feed myself, I’m expected to pull up weeds and clip things outside in the evening. Look!’ She held out her hands, resplendent with pearly pink nails. ‘Do these look as if they’re comfortable digging around in the dirt? Then, by the time I’m finished I’m starving and there’s not a single take-away in the whole village. I’m practically living on toast. Thank God for the chippy round the corner here.’
    ‘Don’t you get use of the kitchen?’ Alex asked.
    Sue gave her a hard stare.
    ‘Kitchen. Yes, that implies cooking. I sort of – don’t.’
    ‘Don’t or can’t?’ Alex asked, intrigued by the thought of a woman who preferred to eat like a single man.
    ‘Both,’ said Sue. ‘Tried it a few times and hated it. And ifyou’ve got a boyfriend in tow they suddenly start appearing at mealtimes looking hopeful. Honestly, it’s virtually slavery. Do you cook?’ she added hopefully.
    Alex burst out laughing. There was something really quite attractive about this woman.
    ‘Sorry,’ said Sue, grinning up at her, ‘I guess that was a bit cheeky.’
    ‘It was worth it,’ said Alex. ‘I could do with a good laugh at the moment. And yes, I do cook. I enjoy it even if it’s just for me. Do you fancy dinner one evening – say Friday? You could stay over if you want to drink …’
    Sue bounded to her feet, sandals in hand.
    ‘Friday sounds great. I’ll bring some wine. Oh – address?’
    Alex pulled out one of her official cards and scribbled on the back.
    ‘Don’t lose it,’ she warned. ‘There are several clients I’d rather not know exactly where I live.’
    Sue sauntered towards the door and then turned back.
    ‘Is that your car outside, the Citroën?’
    Alex nodded wearily. ‘Yep. And I am so screwed unless I can get it fixed in the next week or so. I’ve got a load of visits to make and no way of getting out to them.’
    Sue tilted her head to one side and pursed her lips. ‘Maybe I can help. I need some experience writing the reports and running an interview. Why don’t I drive you out and observe?’
    Alex felt a rush of hope – maybe this was a way round her problems. Then she thought of Garry and his ‘value for money’ cost-cutting framework and her shoulders slumped despondently.
    ‘I’d love that but I’m not sure how we’d arrange it. I don’t expect Garry will consider me – experienced enough.’ She had almost said ‘suitable’. Sue waved her hand, swatting away such feeble obstacles.
    ‘I’ll sort it out with my admin support,’ she said. ‘She’ll rustle up some paperwork for us, I’m sure. She’s just wonderful – well, you would know. You had Lauren when you started too didn’t you?’

Chapter Four
    Alex frowned at the forms in front of her trying to make sense of the latest entries. With just a cursory glance she detected several spelling errors, the margins didn’t line up properly and the last lines were smudged and faded as if they had been typed using an old carbon sheet. The whole page was a mess and looked thoroughly unprofessional. She reached for the phone to ring the office, then remembered her recent behaviour towards Lauren. With a rush of shame she put the receiver back and gathered the offending papers together, intending to go down and have a quiet word in person. At that moment there was a knock on her door and Alison, one of the clerical staff, entered clutching more folders and juggling a cup of coffee.
    ‘Here you are,’ she said cheerfully, plonking the cup on the desk and flopping into a chair. The coffee slopped into the saucer and dribbled across the desk before Alex managed to blot it with some tissues from the ever-present box. Alison