Murder Most Royal

’

The Queen noticed how Rozie was gaining confidence in the job, to the point of challenging one’s assumptions, which could be very useful in this sort of situation.

‘He’s such a quiet, shy sort of man. It can’t have been easy,’ Rozie went on.

‘Perhaps,’ the Queen granted. ‘I agree that it is very unusual for an old-fashioned sort of peer, shall we say, such as Hugh, to be so open to the idea. When so much is at stake.’

‘At stake, ma’am?’ Rozie asked.

‘Ask Sir Simon,’ the Queen said, cryptically. And then, more cryptically still, ‘And then, there are the dogs.

’

‘The dogs?’ Rozie echoed, feeling increasingly lost.

‘Exactly,’ the Queen said. ‘The dogs are at the heart of everything. I’d like to know more about Valentine,’ she added, thoughtfully. ‘Mr Wallace’s wife was close to Lee. I wonder if she knew something. Can you see if you can dig a little deeper?’

‘In that case—’ Rozie began.

The Queen shook her head. ‘But not in the way the police imagine. I hope I’m wrong. Let me know how you get on.’

There was nothing for it.

Rozie and Katie Briggs had spent the afternoon driving up the coast in Rozie’s Mini, trying to work out ways of finding out more about Laura Wallace that didn’t involve getting up at dawn in order to get freezing cold in an icy river with the Dix Dunkers.

There was little Rozie wouldn’t do for the Boss, but this remained in her ‘not if I can possibly help it’ pile.

‘You’ll love it,’ Katie said. ‘Trust me. I started wild swimming in the summer. It’s changed my life.

I honestly had no energy before I started. There’s something about the cold water on your skin, what it does to your heart rate . . . It’s the most beautiful sensation.’

‘I think the active word then was “summer”,’ Rozie said. ‘If this was July, I’d happily do it. It’s January. A man literally died.’

Katie shook her head. ‘He stayed out too long, deliberately. We know that. You’d only be in the water for a few seconds.’

‘Why me?’ Rozie asked, not unreasonably. ‘You’re the wild swimmer.’

‘You know the ins and outs of it better than I do.

You’ve done it before. It’d probably be safer if you went.’

Katie let out an angry sigh. ‘I just can’t. Maybe it would go OK, maybe it wouldn’t. The shock of water that freezing . . . If I overdo it, I pay the price for days. I can’t risk it. Believe me, I wish I could. Pushing through only makes it worse.’

Katie squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. She was clearly still struggling with talking about whatever it was.