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anything to do with the French. Can you believe it? They must still be fighting the battle of Waterloo over there.’
    ‘So who did they decide to twin with?’
    ‘Nobody. They’re going to have a drinking fountain instead. I say, look at this map of the world, Aggie – 1392, can you believe it?’
    Agatha sighed. The heat was suffocating and she longed for a cigarette.
    ‘Evesham is also twinned with Melsungen in Germany and Evesham, New Jersey.’
    ‘Yawn,’ said Agatha. ‘Can’t I go and sit in the garden and wait for you?’
    ‘No, there’s more upstairs. Come on.’
    Agatha found herself becoming fascinated with two examples of Victorian dress. Usually in museums the ladies’ shoes were tiny, but these Evesham ladies had great big feet.
    They moved on. Agatha became uneasy as she saw household items she remembered from her youth.
    She was relieved when the tour was over. But then Charles wanted to see the two churches, St Lawrence and All Saints. She fretted behind him wondering how such a frivolous man could become so excited over the sight of a Norman arch. Then they walked through the dark arch of the old Bell Tower, built between 1529 and 1539, chattered Charles, and so across the grass and down towards the river Avon. Just before the river was a paddling pool shrill with the cries of children. ‘That’s where the monks used to fish,’ said Charles.
    ‘Let’s sit down for a moment,’ said Agatha wearily.
    They sat down together on a bench. It was a lazy, sunny scene. A band was churning out selections from My Fair Lady . Families sprawled on the grass. It looked so safe, so English, so far from the violence of the inner cities. Agatha relaxed. Evesham had a laid-back charm.
    ‘Let’s take a boat,’ said Charles.
    ‘Are you going to row?’
    ‘Too hot. One of those pleasure boats.’
    They walked back out into Bridge Street, past the multi-storey car park and so down to the landing stage, where a boat was just about to leave.
    The boat went under the Workman Bridge and circled back when it came to a weir, then went back under the bridge and slowly along beside the Abbey Gardens, as they are called.
    ‘Do you know that Evesham Abbey was larger than Gloucester Cathedral?’ said Charles.
    ‘Um,’ said Agatha absently.
    ‘And do you know that – What?’ For Agatha had suddenly clutched his arm.
    ‘Over there. Mr John,’ hissed Agatha.
    The open pleasure boat was sliding slowly past a tea garden. Charles looked. ‘Blond chap? Who’s that with him?’
    Agatha twisted her head backwards as the boat moved on. ‘Don’t know. Oh, yes. I think it’s a customer of his called Maggie. We’re all first names at the hairdresser’s.’
    ‘She didn’t look all that happy.’
    ‘We go back this way again, don’t we?’
    ‘Shortly, I should think. The trips are only half an hour long, so we should be turning back any moment now.’
    Sure enough, the boat soon made a circle.
    ‘Get ready,’ said Agatha. ‘Be prepared for a good look at them this time.’
    But as the boat passed the tea garden, the table at which Mr John had been sitting with Maggie was empty.
    ‘Pity,’ said Agatha. ‘She was bitching to him about how her husband didn’t appreciate her. Do you think it really is blackmail? He might just be a philanderer.’
    ‘So why was Mrs Friendly so frightened?’
    ‘I’d forgotten about Mrs Friendly. I’ll ask Mrs Bloxby, the vicar’s wife. She might know something. Want to come with me?’
    He looked at his watch. ‘Can’t. Got to get home soon. Going out tonight.’
    ‘Where?’
    ‘Taking this girl to see Macbeth at Stratford.’
    ‘Oh,’ said Agatha in a small voice. She felt disappointed but reminded herself that Charles was a bachelor with his own life to lead.
    When they left the boat and walked back towards the car park, the heat was suffocating.
    ‘Thunder tonight,’ said Charles as they drove out of Evesham. Agatha looked ahead. There were purple clouds building