The Cipher Garden (26 page)

‘We all need somebody to load things on to.’

‘And you have Miranda.’

‘Well.’ He considered. ‘Louise.’

Her eyebrows rose. ‘Both of them, surely? While I have Marc.’

‘I suppose I ought to leave you in peace.’

‘For a while, perhaps. I hope that doesn’t sound rude. I need to do some thinking.’

‘Of course.’

She hesitated. ‘You know…’

‘What?’

‘Oh, when your father was alive, once or twice we talked about the things going on in our heads. He never came out with the corny old line that Cheryl didn’t understand him, even though it would have been true. He wasn’t trying to seduce me.’

He grinned. ‘Certain of that?’

‘Frankly, Daniel, if he was trying to get me into bed, he was far too oblique to have any chance of success. Ben was a great guy, but as a smooth-talking charmer, he wouldn’t know where to start.’

‘Runs in the family.’

She contemplated him. ‘Not sure about that. Incidentally, your chin is smeared with chocolate.’

She bent forward and wiped his skin clean with her
forefinger. A tremor ran through Daniel’s body at her touch. The moment of intimacy was an electric shock.

The waitress stopped at their table. ‘Would you like anything else?’

Daniel and Hannah exchanged glances. He dared to wonder if she might be thinking what he was thinking.

‘Another slice of gateau,’ Hannah said. ‘Sod the diet, I’ve decided to spoil myself.’

The waitress scribbled on her notepad. ‘It’s good for morale to sin a little!’

As she moved away, Daniel said, ‘Tell you what, it frightens me sometimes, how little I remember about him.’

‘You haven’t forgotten his favourite adage? Life is short.’

‘He was right.’

On impulse, he seized her hand again and squeezed it hard. She looked down at the lace tablecloth, then closed her eyes. The clatter of the crockery and conversation faded. Her soft breathing was all he wanted to hear. This time she left it longer before easing her hand away from his.

This is a work of fiction, and the village of Old Sawrey and the characters, incidents and businesses which play a part in the story are imaginary. Whether the Crier of Claife does, or ever did, exist is something I leave to others to figure out. I have made a few adjustments to the topography of those parts of the Lake District in which the book is set to emphasise the gap between real life and the crime writer’s imagination. Any similarities between people and events in those respective worlds are wholly unintended and coincidental.

In writing this book, I have again been helped by a large number of people, too many to list individually. I would, though, like to express particular thanks to those who have offered special support: my agent Mandy Little; my publishers and editors David Shelley, Susie Dunlop, Rob Rosenwald and Barbara Peters and their teams; Roger Forsdyke; Andrew Shanks, Dian Leppington, Ivan de Beer (who did not manage to persuade me to go skydiving but offered much insight into an unfamiliar experience); Ann Cleeves and my other friends and colleagues in Murder Squad; and my family, Helena, Jonathan and Catherine Edwards, not least for their company on research trips around Cumbria. There could be nowhere better to ‘have’ to visit.

M
ARTIN
E
DWARDS
was born in Cheshire. He read Law at Oxford and then trained as a solicitor. He is married with two children, and is currently a partner at Mace & Jones law firm, based in Liverpool and Manchester. The author of the acclaimed series of legal mysteries featuring Harry Devlin, he is also a critic and has edited various short story collections.

www.martinedwardsbooks.com

L
AKE
D
ISTRICT
M
YSTERIES

The Coffin Trail

The Cipher Garden

The Arsenic Labyrinth

The Serpent Pool

The Hanging Wood

H
ARRY
D
EVLIN
N
OVELS

Waterloo Sunset