Ellis Peters - George Felse 11 - Death To The Landlords by Ellis Peters Page B

confirmed soothingly.
    ‘You are going on towards the coast?’ asked Mani.
    ‘No, back towards Madurai.’
    ‘We, too, of course, the car we have hired there, we must return it Then we think of going out by train to Rameshwaram for one or two nights, before going on south.’
    ‘I am so thankful,’ Sudha said fervently, ‘that they found out so quickly it was that boat-boy. Imagine, he had Naxalite propaganda hidden away in his belongings. I ask you, did that man look like a terrorist? You cannot any longer trust anyone or anything,’
    ‘Hush, my dear, don’t distress yourself,’ murmured Gopal Krishna, patting her plump amber hand. ‘It is all over now. You must forget about it.’
    ‘That is so easy to say,’ she protested fretfully, ‘but it is not so easy to forget one has sat in the same boat with a murderer.’
    ‘Two murderers,’ Larry corrected cynically, but only in a whisper, and not until they had moved on from the table and could not possibly be overheard. ‘One with money, one with none. One who hired thugs to do the job for him, the other who did it himself, and felt so strongly about it that he made sure by killing himself as well. But you know which of the two
she’d
retain some respect for, don’t you?’
     
    ‘Ah, so you’re off already,’ said Inspector Raju, looking up at them over a table strewn with papers, the debris of a hasty breakfast, and the cigarette-butts of a sleepless night overflowing from two glass ashtrays. He had discarded his tie and his jacket, and his lank, greying hair stood on end in all directions from the activities of his long, thin fingers. Even Sergeant Gokhale looked less immaculate than on the previous evening. ‘No doubt you have heard by now how this affair has come out? Now it only remains for me to wish you a good journey wherever you are going, and happier arrivals than this one has been.’ He did not look at Dominic with any more pointed significance than at the rest of them; the conversation of yesterday might as well never have taken place.
    ‘Is it quite certain that this man Ghose was responsible?’ Larry asked curiously.
    ‘Miss Madhavan did not confide in you all?’ The inspector looked at Priya with a small, glimmering smile. ‘What admirable discretion! But yes, it is generally known by this time. Why not? We have found ample evidence in the dead man’s possessions that he was deeply involved with the Naxalite terrorists, and the head boatman confirms that it was at Ghose’s request that he changed round the duties for yesterday. There is not much room for doubt.’
    All very decisive and satisfactory, Dominic thought, meeting the placid grey eyes. A case quickly and tidily solved, and a nice clear field ahead for that other person, the one who supplied the bullets but did not fire them, to lower his guard and emerge from cover, like the animals crossing that treeless belt of scrub grass to reach the water. Where, if he happens to be anyone present here, someone who has appeared only as an innocent bystander in this lake atrocity, he will not only afford the police a good view of him, but will also be on a long lead and ready to be hauled in at will. Because they’re going to know where every one of us is – or says he’s going to be – for the next few days, longer if they feel like continuing the supervision; and they’re going to be checking that we really are where we say we are.
    ‘I think,’ said Priya, looking hesitantly at Patti, ‘that Miss Galloway wanted to speak with you. Inspector.’
    ‘At your service, Miss Galloway. I hope you are feeling better this morning?’
    For once Patti looked disconcerted, even stammered a little. ‘Thank you, I’m quite all right It was only that I rather thought
you
would want to talk to
me
, since I made such a fool of myself keeling over like that last night. I don’t suppose I can add much to what the others told you, but I thought you’d probably want to see me,