The Secret of Annexe 3

Colin Dexter graduated from Cambridge in 1953. He spent his years wholly in education until his retirement in 1988, first teaching Greek and Latin, then moving to Oxford in 1966 to work for the University Examination Board, where he fought in vain against the cradle-to-coffin philosophy of the GCSE.

He began writing detective fiction comparatively late in life - the first Inspector Morse book appeared in 1975 - and two of his novels have been awarded Daggers by the Crime Writers' Association. The Inspector Morse novels have been successfully translated for the small screen in Central Television's series starring John Thaw.

His interests range from listening to The Archers to compiling crosswords. His unfulfilled ambitions are opening the batting for England, and crossing swords with Mrs Thatcher in parliamentary debate.

Also by Colin Dexter in Pan Books

Last Bus to Woodstock

Last Seen Wearing

The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn Service of All the Dead

The Dead of Jericho

The Riddle of the Third Mile

The Wench is Dead

COLIN DEXTER

THE SECRET OF ANNEXE 3

CRIME

Pan Books

in association with Macmillan

First published 1986 by Macmillan London Ltd

This edition published 1987 by Pan Books Ltd, Cavaye Place, London SW10 9PG in association with Macmillan London Ltd 15 17 19 20 18 16 © Colin Dexter 1986 ISBN 0 330 29976 X

Printed in England by Clays Ltd, St Ives plc

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher's prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser

For

Elizabeth, Anna, and Eve

Acknowledgements

The author and publishers wish to thank the following who have kindly given permission for the use of copyright material:

George Allen & Unwin (Publishers) Ltd, for a quotation by Bertrand Russell.

Curtis Brown Group Ltd, London, on behalf of the Estate of Ogden Nash for a quotation by him.

Peter Champkin for an extract from his book The Waking Life of Aspern Williams.

Faber and Faber Ltd, for an extract from 'La Figlia Che Piange' in Collected Poems by T. S. Eliot.

A. M. Heath & Company Ltd, on behalf of the Estate of the late Sonia Brownell Orwell for an extract from Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell, published by Seeker & Warburg Ltd.

Henry Holt & Company Inc, for a quotation by Robert Frost.

A. D. Peters & Company and Jonathan Cape Ltd, on behalf of the Executors of the Estate of C. Day Lewis, for an extract from 'Departure in the Dark* in Collected Poems, 1954, published by the Hogarth Press.

The Society of Authors on behalf of the Bernard Shaw Estate for a quotation by Bernard Shaw.

A. P. Watt Ltd, on behalf of The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, for an extract by Rudyard Kipling from The Thousandth Man.

Every effort has been made to trace all the copyright holders but if any have been inadvertently overlooked the publishers will be pleased to make the necessary arrangement at the first opportunity.

Chapter One November

The pomp of funerals has more regard to the vanity of the living than to the honour of the dead.

(LA ROCHEFOUCAULD, Maxims)

When the old man died, there was probably no great joy in heaven; and quite certainly little if any real grief in Charlbury Drive, the pleasantly unpretentious cul-de-sac of semi-detached houses to which he had retired. Yet a few of the neighbours, especially the womenfolk, had struck up some sort of distanced acquaintance with him as they pushed prams or shopping trolleys past his neatly kept front lawn; and two of these women (on learning that things were fixed for a Saturday) had decided to be present at the statutory obsequies. Margaret Bowman was one of them. 'Do I look all right?' she asked.

'Fine!' His eyes had not left the racing page of the tabloid newspaper, but he knew well enough that his wife would always be an odds-on favourite for looking all right: a tall, smart woman upon whom clothes invariably hung well, whether for dances, weddings, dinners - or even funerals.

'Well? Have a look then! Yes?'

So he looked up at her and nodded vaguely as he surveyed the black ensemble. She did look fine. What else was there to say? 'You look fine,' he said.