Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist

attack.
    ‘I’m right surprised to see you here,’ said Angus accusingly and Harry nodded in agreement.
    ‘I owe you all an apology,’ said Agatha humbly. ‘I was upset and Charles had heard you having a go at me, Trevor, and he was angry. But I don’t know Charles very well and I am not responsible for his remarks. I wouldn’t hurt any of you for the world.’
    ‘It’s all right, Agatha,’ said Olivia with a sudden warm smile. ‘We’re all rattled by this business and they are still holding the body and poor old Trevor can’t get on with the funeral arrangements.’
    ‘Sit down and join us,’ said George. ‘Drink?’
    That was easy, almost too easy, thought Agatha, but glad that her apology was over, she ordered a gin and tonic; James ordered a brandy sour.
    ‘The reason we came looking for you,’ said James, ‘was that Agatha wanted to take you all out for dinner.’
    Agatha nearly cried out, ‘I did?’ but bit the exclamation back just in time.
    Instead she said, ‘Where would you like to go?’
    ‘You suggest somewhere,’ said Olivia.
    ‘There’s a very good fish restaurant next to where we are living,’ said James. ‘The Altinkaya.’
    ‘The manager there is a friend of Jackie and Bilal, the couple who look after us,’ said Agatha. It sounded like a good idea. The farther they were from Kyrenia, the less chance she had of running into Charles, for she did not want to see the unnerving and cheapskate Charles again.
    Agatha was grateful that James did not suggest driving them there; she liked the independence of having her own car and the temporary freedom it gave her from all of them.
    James said he would drive off first and all they had to do was follow him.
    Agatha walked up the side street to her car. The others had all managed to find parking places opposite the hotel.
    As she was opening the door to her car, a familiar voice said in her ear, ‘Hello, Aggie.’
    ‘Hello, Charles,’ said Agatha without turning round.
    ‘Where are you off to?’
    ‘Mind your own business,’ snapped Agatha, turning around.
    ‘Now what have I done?’ he said, looking hurt and bewildered.
    ‘I’ll be honest with you, Charles. I don’t like tightwads. I don’t like fellows who invite me to lunch and then pull that old trick of going to the toilet and leaving me to pay the bill.’
    He looked pained. ‘Did I do that? Am I to be blamed for a weak bladder? I thought you invited me, this being the liberated age.’
    ‘No, you invited me.’
    ‘Oh, well, that’s easily repaired. I haven’t eaten. I’ll take you for dinner.’
    ‘Can’t. I’m going to join my friends.’
    He looked amused. ‘Not Olivia et al.’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘No wonder someone keeps trying to bump you off, Aggie. You don’t know when to give up.’
    ‘I didn’t give up on you.’
    ‘No, that’s true. I owe you my life, Aggie.’
    ‘Okay, I’d best get on,’ said Agatha, already dreading imagined demands from James as to what had kept her.
    He leaned against the car so that she could not get into it. ‘They were quarrelling this evening in the bar.’
    ‘When?’
    ‘I was there about an hour ago and they were all going at it hammer and tongs.’
    ‘What about? Could you hear?’
    ‘Trevor was accusing George of having made a pass at Rose. Olivia screamed at Trevor that he was drunk. Angus shouted that Rose was a saint and wouldn’t have made a pass at anyone. Harry says, “Well, she was a bit of a slut.” Trevor tries to punch him. People stare. Waiters come running up. George suddenly mutters something and they all calm down. George offers drinks all round. Olivia coos something at Trevor, Trevor appears to apologize. End of drama.’
    ‘Gosh, I wish I’d been there.’
    ‘Anyway, Aggie, why don’t you just leave it to the police? Someone’s trying to bump you off and it must be one of them.’
    ‘Mrs Raisin?’
    They both turned. Pamir was walking up the hill towards them. ‘I have been looking for you,’ he said. ‘We found out who threw a rock at your car.’
    ‘My car,’ said Charles.
    ‘The parents brought the boy in. Very bad child from Bellapais. His friends bet him he wouldn’t smash the window of a tourist car, so he did. Then he bragged about it.’
    ‘Thank you for telling me,’ said Agatha.
    ‘Most unusual,’ said Pamir, shaking his head. ‘We’ve never had a case like this before. But the boy is, I think, retarded.’
    ‘How did you find me?’ asked Agatha.
    ‘I