The Wild Wood Enquiry by Ann Purser Page B

yesterday afternoon, and after discussing the Green Man of the Woods with Roy, she decided to tell the others immediately. Roy had suggested a couple of phone calls, but she thought they should all be together to talk about such an important development. She would ring round and summon them. When she called Gus, he had sounded odd, reluctant even, but she put that down to jealousy of Theo Roussel and his success with Deirdre.
    Deirdre’s cleaner was busy in Tawny Wings, and so Ivy had requisitioned Springfield’s small conference room for the meeting, where they had in the past played pontoon regularly, until a tragedy involving one of the players had causedthem to lose heart. The room, as the three entered, smelled musty and unused. Deirdre crossed to the window and threw it wide open. “Phew! That’s better,” she said. “Have you ordered coffee from your little Polish friend, Ivy?”
    “We must wait for Gus,” Roy said mildly. “It would be a shame to start without him.”
    “Is he bringing Miriam? She’s obviously having a great time,” said Deirdre sourly. She was very fond of Gus, and although she had no intention of committing herself to him, she objected to anyone else claiming his attentions.
    “Don’t know,” Ivy replied. “She can be quite difficult to shake off. I would rather she did
not
come this morning, but we shall see if Gus is persuaded to bring her along.”
    In the event, it was more a case of Miriam dragging Gus out of his cottage and on the way to Springfields. “Of course I must come, too, Gus,” she said. “After all, I found the earring.”
    He did not reply, and they walked in complete silence until they reached Springfields, when Gus emerged from dark thoughts and said, “You’re unusually quiet this morning, Miriam. Anything up?”
    Miriam shook her head mutely, and they checked in with Miss Pinkney, the assistant manager on duty this morning. She, unlike her boss, was a fan of Enquire Within and particularly admired Ivy Beasley for the way she had reorganised aspects of Springfields to suit her requirements. She greeted them warmly and pointed them in the direction of the conference room.
    “Ah, there you are, Gus. And Miriam, too?” Ivy’s tone was not welcoming.
    “Naturally,” said Miriam firmly. “It’s my enquiry, isn’t it?”
    “Of course, my dear,” said Roy the peacemaker. “But sometimes, you see, we need to discuss other cases onhand, and I’m sure you appreciate that these are confidential, as would your own be, if other clients were present.”
    “Oh, for goodness’ sake, let’s get on with it,” said Deirdre. “I’ve got a hairdresser’s appointment at midday in Oakbridge.”
    “I’ll open the meeting, then,” Ivy said. “Though Gus usually does it, he looks half-asleep. Shall I start, Gus?”
    He nodded miserably, and Ivy began to recount what had happened when she was doing a spot of research in the woods.
    “You? Did you go into those woods on your own, Ivy?” Deirdre asked. Although Ivy was extremely smart and capable of most things, Deirdre still felt responsible for her, since it was she who had persuaded Ivy to come to Springfields.
    “Yes, of course. And Roy was close at hand. I saw this man, and when he saw me he began to run. I followed as quickly as I could until I caught my foot in a bramble and fell. Then he came back and helped me up. He was very pleasant but not at all forthcoming, and as soon as he’d made sure I could walk again, he disappeared through the trees.”
    “Very succinct, my love,” said Roy. “Exactly right. But there was something else, wasn’t there? The badgers’ sett?”
    “The what?” said Miriam.
    “Sett, earth, holt,” said Ivy impatiently. “You know, the mounds in the woods with holes in them where badgers live.”
    “No need to be so patronising, Ivy,” said Miriam defensively.
    “You’re a countrywoman, aren’t you?” replied Ivy. “Anyway, I was still not sure of the way back to