),624 ;"8$,H

Daisy Macbeth

),624 D"FF<"HD4&":" >"Db*Z & &4HD4>, <"("24>" #D@>P,HH4, >"F:"0*"bF\ F&@4< :`$4<Z< <@D@0,>>Z< F HD,<b >"R4>8"<4.

Daisy was looking at the clothes in the shop window of Bronzetti’s enjoying her favourite three-flavour ice cream.

?>" >48@(*" >, 2"N@*4:" & <"("24>, B@H@<J RH@ >, <@(:" B@2&@:4H\ F,$, 4N P,>.

She never went into the shop because she couldn’t afford their prices.

“a *@:0>" BD42>"H\, RH@ 4H":\b>F84, B:"H\b @R,>\ <4:Z, >@ >J0>@ $ZH\ *@&@:\>@ NJ*@6, RH@$Z & >4N &:,2H\,” - BD@$@D<@H":" BD@ F,$b ),624.                     

"I must admit that Italian styles are very nice, but you have to be pretty slim to get into them." Daisy muttered to herself.

=, H@, RH@$Z ),624 $Z:" B@:>@6, F8@D,, FD,*>,6, >@ J0 H@R>@ >, NJ*@6, 8"8 :4FH, &D@*, $@:\T4>FH&" <@*,:,6.

It wasn’t that Daisy was fat, she was just average, but certainly not paper-thin, like most models.

3 @BbH\ F,$,: “'<, J H@(@ 8@FH`<" BD4bH>Z6 @HH,>@8.

And again to herself, "Mm, that two-piece is a lovely shade."

“7^6, b ,V, >, 0*": H,$b 2*,F\ J&4*,H\ - ?6, BD@FH4H,, &Z >, 7,6, >, H"8 :4?

"Kay, I didn’t expect to see you here yet - oh, sorry you’re not Kay, are you?"

),624 B@&,D>J:"F\ B@F<@HD,H\, 8H@ F >,6 (@&@D4H.

Daisy turned around to see who was speaking to her.

]H@ $Z: *@&@:\>@ B@HD,B">>@(@ &4*" $@D@*"HZ6 <J0R4>" :,H BbH4*,FbH4.

It was a rather shabby-looking, bearded man of about fifty.

?> b&>@ $Z: &ZN@*P,< 42 !LD484 4 (@&@D4: F F4:\>Z< `0>Z< "8P,>H@<.

He was clearly of African origin and had a strong Southern States accent.

=, F<@HDb >" F&@` @*,0*J, @> >@F4: @R84 2>"<,>4H@6 4H":\b>F8@6 <"D84, 8@H@DZ,, ),624 2>":", FH@4:4 $@:\T4N *,>,(.

In spite of his clothes he was wearing glasses of a famous Italian make, which Daisy knew cost a lot of money.

“=,H, 8@>,R>@.”

"No, indeed."

),624 >, BD4&Z8:" $@:H"H\ B@FD,*4 M"6 FHD4H 4 2"N@H,:" J6H4 & >"BD"&:,>44 F&@,(@ :`$4<@(@ 8"L,-<@D@0,>@,.

Daisy wasn’t used to being chatted up in the middle of the High Street and made to walk off in the direction of her favourite ice-cream parlour.

A@0":J6FH", 42&4>4H, <,>b, <4FF...]-^-^, &4*4H, :4, b D,04FF,D 4...”

"Please excuse me, Miss...er, you see I’m a film director and..."

“=,H, FB"F4$@, <>, >, 4>H,D,F>@. )@ F&4*">4b.”

"No thank you, I’m not interested. Goodbye."

“=,H, &Z >, B@>4<",H,. a *,6FH&4H,:\>@ D,04FF,D.”

"No, you don’t understand. I really am.

“a 9@JD,>F #,68,D,” - F8"2": <J0R4>" ),624, 8"8-$J*H@ JB@<4>">4, ,(@ 4<,>4 <@(:@ @$\bF>4H\ ,(@ B@&,*,>4,.

I’m Lawrence Baker," the man told Daisy as though the mention of his name would explain his behaviour.

“! b R"FH>Z6 *,H,8H4&!” - D,28@ @H&,H4:" )^624.

"And I’m a private investigator!" retorted Daisy.

“?, ^H@ >, &"0>@, &Z H@:\8@ $J*,H, *,:"H\ H@0, F"<@,.”

"Oh, that doesn’t matter, you’ll do just the same."

),624 @R,>\ N@D@T@ J<,:" 42$"&:bH\Fb @H (:JBZN :`*,6, >@ >" ^H@H D"2 ,6 FH":@ >,F8@:\8@ :`$@BZH>@ J2>"H\, RH@ F8DZ&":@F\ 2" H"8@(@ D@*" >"FH@6R4&@FH\`.

Daisy was rather good at getting rid of stupid people but this time she was a bit curious to know what was behind this sort of insistence.

“1@&4H, <,>b 9@JD,>F,” - *@$"&4: <J0R4>".

"Do call me Lawrence" the man added.

“A@F:JT"6H,, ,F:4 &Z @$@ <>, >4R,(@ >, F:ZT":4, b DJ8@&@*4: &F,< F@FH"&@< '"D:,<" & #JD,”.

"Look, in case you’ve never heard of me I directed an all Harlem cast of The Tempest."

),624 :`$4:" S,8FB4D" >" ^8D">, 4, 8@>,R>@, &4*,:" L4:\<.

Daisy liked Shakespeare on the screen and had indeed seen the film.

“QH@ 0, <>, RD,2&ZR"6>@ B@>D"&4:Fb &"T L4:\<, >@ b >, 7,6 4 ... ?, &Z (@&@D4:4 >, @ 7,6 #"DH@8, 8">"*F8@6 "8HD4F, &  ;"8$,H,?”

"Well, I liked your film immensely but I’m not Kay and......oh, you weren’t talking about Kay Bartok, the Canadian actress in Macbeth? "

%Z 4 ,(@ FH"&4:4 H@0,, H"8?

You made that too, didn’t you?

“)",” - J:Z$>J:Fb 9@JD,>F #^68,D. ),624 B@*"D4:" ,<J *,>\.

"Yes." Lawrence Baker smiled. Daisy had made his day.

“7 F@0":,>4` <@4 L4:\<Z >, BD4>@FbH $@:\T4N *,>,(, >@ <>, BD4bH>@ F:ZT"H\ @H ">(:4R">84, RH@ @>" B@:JR4:" J*@&@:\FH&4, N@Hb $Z @H @*>@(@ 42 >4N.

"I’m afraid my films don’t make a lot of money, but it gives me pleasure to hear an Englishwoman saying she enjoyed at least one of them.

=@ *"&"6H, 8 *,:J.

But back to business.

a B,D,BJH": &"F F 7,6, 4 J <,>b B@b&4:"F\ $:,F,bV"b 4*,b. ! RH@, ,F:4 $Z  &Z 2"N@H,:4 *@ 8@>P" >,*,:4 FH"H\ ,, *J$:,D@<!”

I mistook you for Kay. And I’ve had a wonderful idea. How would you like to be her double for the rest of the week!"

),624 @FH@:$,>,:".

Daisy was stunned.

;4FH,D 9@JD,>F BD@*@:0":: “%"T, :4P@ >, F@&F,< B@N@0, >" ,,, >@ J &"F 4>*,>H4R>@, H,:@F:@0,>4, 4 F@&,DT,>>@ H"84, 0, *:4>>Z, 8"TH">@&Z, &@:@FZ.

Mr. Lawrence continued: "Your face isn’t exactly like hers but you have an identical build and just the same long light-brown hair.

%Z 2>",H,, 7,6 >,F8@:\8@ &Z*@N:"F\, 4 ,6 >,BD,<,>>@ >,@$N@*4< @H*ZN.

You know, Kay, is a bit run down and she badly needs a rest.

),:@ & H@<, RH@ & F:,*J`V4, >,F8@:\8@ *>,6 J >,, <>@(@ &FHD,R, H"8 8"8 <Z 2*,F\, RH@$Z BD,*FH"&4H\ >"T B@F:,*>46 L4:\<, “="2"* & *0J>(:4 F <@*,<@<.”

The thing is that she has a lot of engagements in the next few days as we are here to promote our latest film, "Back to the jungle with a modem".

“=J, *:b <,>b ^H@ >, F@&F,< BD@L,FF4b, BD@FH@ 4>@(*", 8@(*" b D"FF:,*J` *,:@, >@......” - BD@(@&@D4:"  ),624.

"Well, I really don’t act as a profession - at least I do sometimes when I’m investigating a case, but......" said Daisy.

“A@F:JT"6H,, B@R,<J $Z >"< >, &ZB4H\ R"T,R8J 8@L, &@> H"<,” - 9@JD,>F J8"2": >" 8"L,H,D46 >" *DJ(@6 FH@D@>, J:4PZ.

"Look, why don’t we have a cup of coffee over there," Lawrence indicated a coffee shop on the other side of the road.

“7,6 &FHD,R",H <,>b H"<, B@H@<J RH@ @>" F>"R":" N@H,:" 8@,-RH@ 8JB4H\.

"Kay is meeting me there because she wanted to do some shopping first.

“E<@HD4H,, &@> @>", 4*,H & 8"L,H,D46 F,6R"F.”

Look, there she is, going into the coffee shop now."

9@JD,>F $Z: D"2(@&@DR4&Z< H4B@<, 8@H@DZ6 >, BD4>b: $Z @H&,H" “>,H”, *" 4 ),624 $Z:" 2"4>HD4(@&">" &F,< F@$ZH4,<, H"8 RH@ @>" F@(:"F4:"F\ &FHD,H4H\Fb F 7,6 #"DH@8.

Lawrence was the talkative type who would never take no for an answer, and Daisy was rather intrigued by the whole matter so she decided to meet Kay Bartok.

7@(*" ,, BD,*FH"&4:4 "8HD4F,, ),624 J&4*,:", RH@ 4N R,DHZ @H:4R":4F\ 4 RH@ 7,6 #"DH@8 $Z:", B@ 8D"6>,6 <,D,, >" BbH>"*P"H\ :,H FH"DT,,

When she was introduced to the actress, Daisy saw that their features were different and that Kay Bartok was at least fifteen years older,

>@ L4(JDZ J >4N *,6FH&4H,:\>@ $Z:4 @R,>\ B@N@04.

but physically they were indeed very similar.

7,6 #"DH@8 (@&@D4:" F F4:\>Z< 8">"*F84< "8P,>H@<.

Kay Bartok had a strong Canadian accent.

“1>"R4H &Z R"FH>Z6