Murder At Marple Manor: Chapter XXXVII

Hugh Hamilton

"OK, m'lad," said Hugh in an annoyingly jolly manner.
"Well then...?" Ben looked expectantly at Hugh.
"What?"
"What shall we do?"
"I don't know. It was your idea. I was quite happy eating my whale."
"But you've finished now."
"Nostalgia."
"What about it?"
"It's overcome me."
"How does that affect anything?"
"It's hard to work to your fullest ability while being nostalgic."
"That's OK, you were never much help then either."
Hugh nodded absently.
"What exactly are you nostalgic about?"
"That whale I just ate," Hugh replied bluntly.
"Why?"
"It reminded me of the sea."
"So?"
"I'm nostalgic about it."
"What's so good about the sea?"
"Ships."
"Go on..."
"You know, the old fashioned ones," began Hugh, "with riggings and whales."
"What, hunting them?" asked Ben.
"Well, sort of. I'd put them back after I find ‘em."
"Then what's the point?"
"No point. It's just about being, you know?"
"No..."
"Well I believe there is a good deal of satisfaction to be derived from the sheer act of being somewhere."
"What, anywhere?"
"Well, depends."
"On what?"
"On whether it's an anywhere you'd like to be in."
"Oh," said Ben in a subtle attempt to stop the conversation.
"You know," said Hugh after a long pause, "like a bar you could just sit in all day."
"Getting drunk?"
"No. Not those sort of bars."
"I wasn't aware there were any other sorts of bars."
"I assume there would be."
"How long would you 'be' in the bar for then?"
"How ever long I could stand."
"What about food and shelter? Would you have a job and just go to the bar on Sundays?"
"No, a job would ruin it."
"So would death I imagine."
"Unless," said Hugh looking at the ceiling, "I won the lottery or something."
"Good plan."
Hugh scowled quietly to himself.
"What about you?" he said after another pause.
"Well," said Ben "I'd really, really, really love to get on with the case"
"What's the point? We're not getting paid."
"I thought you didn't care about things having points."
"I'm selective about it actually."
"Well, I think we should solve this case, even if it's for nothing more then closure."
"I hate that word," said Hugh and stretched his legs.