Evil Under the Sun

‘Somebody told me about this place. I think it was the Rylands. They said it was simply too marvellous—so unspoilt! Don’t you like it?’

Kenneth Marshall said:

‘I’m not sure.’

‘Oh, darling, but you adore bathing and lazing about. I’m sure you’ll simply adore it here.’

‘I can see that you mean to enjoy yourself.’

Her eyes widened a little. She looked at him uncertainly.

Kenneth Marshall said:

‘I suppose the truth of it is that you told young Redfern that you were coming here?’

Arlena said:

‘Kenneth darling, you’re not going to be horrid, are you?’

Kenneth Marshall said:

‘Look here, Arlena. I know what you’re like. They’re rather a nice young couple. That boy’s fond of his wife, really. Must you upset the whole blinking show?’

Arlena said:

‘It’s so unfair blaming me. I haven’t done anything—anything at all. I can’t help it if—’

He prompted her.

‘If what?’

Her eyelids fluttered.

‘Well, of course. I know people do go crazy about me. But it’s not my doing. They just get like that.’

‘So you do admit that young Redfern is crazy about you?’

Arlena murmured:

‘It’s really rather stupid of him.’

She moved a step towards her husband.

‘But you know, don’t you, Ken, that I don’t really care for anyone but you?’

She looked up at him through her darkened lashes.

It was a marvellous look—a look that few men could have resisted.

Kenneth Marshall looked down at her gravely. His face was composed. His voice quiet. He said:

‘I think I know you pretty well, Arlena…’

IV

When you came out of the hotel on the south side the terraces and the bathing beach were immediately below you. There was also a path that led off round the cliff on the south-west side of the island. A little way along it, a few steps led down to a series of recesses cut into the cliff and labelled on the hotel map of the island as Sunny Ledge. Here cut out of the cliff were niches with seats in them.

To one of these, immediately after dinner, came Patrick Redfern and his wife. It was a lovely clear night with a bright moon.

The Redferns sat down. For a while they were silent.

At last Patrick Redfern said:

‘It’s a glorious evening, isn’t it, Christine?’

‘Yes.’

Something in her voice may have made him uneasy. He sat without looking at her.

Christine Redfern asked in her quiet voice:

‘Did you know that woman was going to be here?’

He turned sharply. He said:

‘I don’t know what you mean.’

‘I think you do.’

‘Look here, Christine. I don’t know what has come over you—’

She interrupted. Her voice held feeling now. It trembled.

‘Over me? It’s what has come over you!’

‘Nothing’s come over me.’

‘Oh! Patrick! it has! You insisted so on coming here. You were quite vehement. I wanted to go to Tintagel again where—where we had our honeymoon. You were bent on coming here.’

‘Well, why not? It’s a fascinating spot.’

‘Perhaps. But you wanted to come here because she was going to be here.’

‘She? Who is she?’

‘Mrs Marshall. You—you’re infatuated with her.’

‘For God’s sake, Christine, don’t make a fool of yourself. It’s not like you to be jealous.’