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‘You can’t expect a bloke to sit by and watch another move in on his turf.’

Irma half groaned, half growled in frustration. ‘Men! Who needs them!’ she exclaimed. ‘Listen to me, Bert, he’s put the fellow in hospital. Did you know that? Now that is not going to give Fleur a warm and cosy feeling about the man we want her to marry. And you’re as dimwitted as your son if you don’t think this will involve the police. If you’d followed the plan, I’d have worked out a way to make this Catchlove fellow look bad in her view. I just needed time to get him out of the picture. But what Jimmy’s done is help her to dig her heels in against the marriage – he’s given her just the ammunition she needs. She’ll go running to her father and he’s too fair for his own good. He’ll definitely see it from her point of view and our plans will be shot.’

Coglin sighed on the other end of the line. ‘What about the other way?’

Irma pursed her lips. The very mention of it outside of her own mind terrified her. Not because of what she was doing; that was not the issue. But someone else knowing what she was up to . . . She should never had told him about the notion of ridding themselves of Henry, but at the time of her plan she couldn’t see another way forward and needed him as an ally.

‘It has to be slow. If I go any faster it will be too suspicious.’

‘Is there anything else you can try?’

‘Yes.’ She had to give him something; she wasn’t ready to tell him that her new idea was far more cunning and already underway. ‘I may need your help. I’ll come by later. In the meantime, rein your son in. I don’t want to see Jimmy’s face for a week!’

‘Already too late, Irma. She’s told us both – and these were her words – to go to hell. Said we shouldn’t be coming to Appleby’s for any work ever again.’

‘She what?’

‘You heard me.’

‘That uppity bitch. Right. Leave it with me. I’ll see you soon. Your son’d better start framing his apology to Fleur and to her friend. We have to make this idea work if I can’t make the other plan go forward.’

‘Make it happen, Irma. We’ll buy the business off you at the agreed price within days. Don’t let him get any thoughts in his head about a new will.’

‘No, no, I won’t,’ she said, shuddering at the thought, and heard the door go. She knew the sound of those footsteps. ‘I have to go,’ she said, and hung up on Coglin.

Fleur arrived into the hallway feeling addled, where Irma was standing near the phone, her hand still on the receiver. ‘Who was that?’

Irma gave her a perplexed look that said why would you ask? ‘An old friend, if you must know.’

‘Do you know where Dad is?’

Irma shrugged. ‘I haven’t seen him since breakfast.’

‘I got the oysters. Did Nan tell you?’

‘Yes, they’re in the cool box – I asked Nan to organise ice. We don’t want them going off, do we?’

‘These are as fresh as can be. They’re not going off in a hurry.’

‘Even so, Fleur. We don’t want to take any chances with your father’s failing health.’

Fleur could feel her mouth thinning at the mention. ‘Have there been any messages?’

‘Who for?’

‘For me?’

‘None,’ Irma lied.

‘And how about for Appleby’s?’

‘No calls this morning. No one’s dying apparently,’ she chortled and bustled away, hitting the telephone table with her wide hip in the narrow hallway.

Fleur knew she needed to ring the local hospital and the one in the city, just in case. Going by the state of Jimmy Coglin’s knuckles, Tom had taken a hammering from him alone, so who knew what the others alongside might have done. As she began dialling, she was surprised to see Irma with her hat and coat on.

‘Going out?’ Fleur asked sweetly, hoping Irma could hear the fake tone in her voice.

‘Obviously, Fleur. I don’t strut around the house in my hat, carrying a handbag,’ Irma sneered.