Fate Worse Than Death Read Online Free

are too low as it is, we need every penny we can make. And don’t be so sensitive – if they try to tease you, just laugh it off. They’re all trogs,‘ he added with contempt; he avoided his midday customers because he despised them. ‘They must be direct descendants of the Neolithic flint-miners!’
    â€˜Not all of them. You can hardly call Howard Braithwaite a trog, or Desmond Flood. They don’t belong to this part of the country any more than we do. But that doesn’t make them any easier to deal with. I feel sorry for Desmond – it’s humiliating for him that Sandra went off just before they were going to be married – but I’m glad he’s stopped lunching here now. He was always such a misery. As for Howard, he’s bad-tempered and picky with his food. From the way he barks and complains you’d think he couldn’t stand the sight of me, and hated coming here. But he hides behind the Financial Times so that he doesn’t have to talk to the other customers, and sometimes he holds the paper upside down. Whenever I happen to look in his direction I can see him peering at me over his half-moon glasses … I don’t like him. He’s creepy.’
    Her husband dismissed her unease. ‘An old fool having harmless fantasies. Ignore him.’
    â€˜And Charley Horrocks isn’t a trog either, not with that upper-crust accent. But he’s the most difficult of the lot.’
    â€˜Charley Horrocks is a nutter!’ Goodwin exclaimed. ‘If you can get rid of him, do. He’ll be no loss!’
    â€˜Don’t think I haven’t tried. But I can’t deal with him, Phil – he’s impossible to communicate with. I’m sure he’s been getting worse lately, the heat must have gone to his head. Couldn’t you make a point of staying here today and getting rid of him yourself?’
    â€˜Ah, well, yes, I’d stay if I could, love. But I have to go and see the accountant. My appointment’s at twelve – God, is that the time, I’ll have to rush!’
    Lois wasn’t surprised by his reaction. She knew her husband too well. For one thing, he wasn’t really any better at coping with the regulars – and with Charley Horrocks in particular – than she was. For another, he was obviously up to something.
    The pub closed, as the licensing laws demanded, from two-thirty in the afternoon until six in the evening. The Goodwins had those few hours to themselves each day, and it would have been more practical for Phil to see his accountant then. It would also be a useful saving of petrol if Lois could take the opportunity to go to Breckham Market with him and do the shopping. So if Phil deliberately made his appointment at a time when she couldn’t accompany him, it must be because he had some good reason for wanting to shake her off. Probably he wasn’t going to see the accountant at all; perhaps he wasn’t even going to Breckham Market …
    â€˜You’ve plenty of time,’ she suggested brightly. ‘You needn’t leave for at least half an hour. I’ve been thinking – if you really must go into town today, why not take the children to the swimming-pool? They’d love that. I’ll see if I can find them.’
    â€˜No!’ Phil used the second finger of his right hand to make a characteristically nervy tour of his three-sided moustache, as though to make sure that it was still there. ‘No point in trying to find them, they’ll be in the forest with their friends. Anyway, I can’t hang about, you know how difficult it is to park in Breckham. I’d better leave now. Listen, don’t worry about Charley Horrocks, everybody knows he’s harmless. Just don’t let him con you, that’s all. The trogs are honest, I’ll say that for them, but Horrocks will do us down if he can. Don’t for God’s sake give him any credit! All right?