Four
Freddie’sFishandChipswas exactly as I’d expected it to be. It was also packed to the rafters. Not that it had rafters. But you know what I mean.
The staff, all of whom were dressed in white and navy outfits resembling sailor suits, had smiles as wide as the English Channel, which this restaurant overlooked.
‘We’ve booked,’ said Lucy when the smiling waitress asked.
‘Ah yes,’ the woman said, the smile sliding from her face. ‘It’s Lucy, isn’t it? Sam’s new girlfriend.’
‘Me-oww,’ I said, not meaning to say that aloud.
The waitress narrowed her eyes into slits, and I swear she hissed at me.
‘This way,’ she said, swishing her hair like a cat’s tail as she marched ahead.
‘She fancies, Sam,’ Lucy whispered.
‘Really?’ I said. ‘I never would’ve guessed.’
Lucy rolled her eyes at me. ‘Okay, detective. I wasn’t sure it was that obvious.’
‘If she’d hit you on the head with a hammer, she couldn’t have been more so, Lucy. And, she’d probably quite like to do that, so be thankful you have a police officer present.’
‘Does the Met have jurisdiction outside of London?’
‘The Met, like any UK police force, has jurisdiction across the UK, within reason. And police powers generally apply regardless of whether an officer is on or off duty. But remember, anyone can make a Citizen’s arrest, so you could arrest her if she committed a crime. And frankly, the way she looked at you just then constitutes a crime in my book.’
‘Here’s your table,’ the waitress said, slapping two menus on a table right in front of the window. Even her fingernails looked like claws. ‘Someone will take your order in a moment. Enjoy your lunch.’ She tugged her face into a smile and flounced away.
‘Have a super day,’ I called after her.
‘This is the table Sam and I sat at,’ Lucy said, beaming at me, the waitress already forgotten. ‘And over there is the bar and that seat near the end is where Sam was sitting the day we met. Again.’
‘I like it here. Although a certain member of staff needs to learn some manners.’
I sat opposite Lucy and took in the view. She had been right about that. It was breathtaking. The promenade was heaving with people but beyond the crowd the sky was now a vivid cyan blue with the tiniest puffs of pure white clouds dotted here and there. Below that, the cobalt sea glistened in the now radiant sunshine and in the few gaps between the pedestrians, I could see gentle waves lapped at the shore.
‘It’s like paradise,’ I said.
‘Uh huh,’ Lucy agreed.
‘May I get you drinks?’ A waiter had appeared at our table and he made me jump.
‘They do that a lot,’ Lucy whispered over her menu. ‘Pop up from nowhere.’
‘I came from the kitchen,’ the handsome waiter said, winking at us both, and making Lucy blush.
‘Pity I can’t order him,’ I said in a whisper loud enough for him to hear.
‘You can,’ he said, giving me as good as I was giving him, and sending a little tingle up my spine. If I’d been here on my own, I might’ve taken him up on that.
‘A bottle of Sancerre, please,’ said Lucy giving a small cough. ‘And some sparkling water. Thanks.’
He winked at me again before he left.
‘Damn,’ I said. ‘I wish I’d brought my handcuffs.’
‘Behave yourself,’ Lucy laughed. ‘This is only your first day.’
