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saying to you, ma petite? You are so young. I must warn you that none of these suitors are right for you.’
    ‘You lie, Madame! How do you know this?’
    ‘You picked them out, my dear. You are in sole command of your own fate.’
    ‘What you say... It-it cannot be true.’
    ‘The cards tell me this and they do not lie. I advise you to take great care during the next few hours. It could be vital for your safety.’ Esmeralda hesitated and touched the Tower card. She saw it as a symbol of trouble, and closed her eyes for a second or so. What else could she say to this girl? Should she say, ‘Beware of the companion you choose for the weekend? He could be so wrong for you. Dangerous even.’
    Instead she said softly; ‘Your choice should not be a married man. He is wrong for you. And this other younger man he is only thinking of prospering from you. He takes and never gives willingly. He leads you here into making a mess and chaos of your young life.’
    ‘How do you know this? Have you been told bad things by the old ladies who gossip at the hotel and you listen to them? Is that not so?’
    ‘No, child.’ Esmeralda shook her head, loosening a frond of bright hennaed hair from her turban as she firmly declared: ‘I knew nothing about your personal life before you walked through this door.’
    ‘I cannot believe what you say! You are a-a nosy old bitch,’ Yvette declared loudly and other sharp words followed in gutter French which Esmeralda was thankful she couldn’t interpret quickly off the cuff.
    The girl stood up abruptly, shaking the light table and her purse fell open on the green rush matting floor, where its contents mixed with the fallen cards. She bent over and retrieved her possessions hastily and threw some coins down on the table. ‘Here - -here is your money. And I - I hope you choke on it, Madame!’
    She walked out of the door and slammed it shut after her. Sending the long strands of glittering crystal beads on the ceiling mobile tinkling like crazy for a minute or so. Esmeralda sat still for a moment, thinking quietly. Then she picked up the angry voices filtering in from outside. Accompanied by the sound of the noisy traffic along the sea front it didn’t make pleasant hearing. The girl was arguing loudly with a man.
    One of the men that she had warned her about. Esmeralda gathered up the cards slowly and those that had fallen and scattered onto the floor. She shook her head and sighed sadly. She had failed and it was entirely up to the girl now what she did with her life.

     
    7
     
    ‘Raymond Perkins, Turner. What do we know about this lad?’ Kent said, as he took his seat in the car next to Turner, outside the police station prior to moving off. He took the top off of his carton of coffee cautiously. He hadn’t put the canteen to the test much before. ‘He’d be working at the funeral parlour today, I suppose.
    ‘It’s possible that Maureen led him up the garden path like she did her parents. He’d have some idea perhaps of what that young madam was up to last evening. If she felt like telling him.’
    ‘Carey’s has a funeral this morning. He might still be out,’ Turner said taking a large bite appreciatively out of his thick ham and pickle sandwich. It wasn’t bad as canteen food went but he’d much rather he lunched at home. Kent was working him, and the rest of the team, hard as befitted a new broom. Let’s hope he’d get good support from those that mattered in the Town Hall, Turner thought smiling. If Kent stepped on any of their toes it spelt big trouble.
    The town was beneficially crowded, hotels, guesthouses and local traders were doing well and , for once, the weather was on their side. They didn’t need any nasty business like this murder of a young girl, and a local one, at that to spoil the holiday trade.
    Kent sipped his plastic cup of scalding hot coffee carefully. If he guessed what his colleague was thinking he showed no signs of it. ‘So tell me what you