Me: How was your visit to the beach?
Nell: Extremely interesting, thank you very much.
Me: I noticed you took an awful lot of photos.
Nell: We did. Have you examined the evidence?
Me: What evidence?
Nell: Gulls were Gathering. Things were on the move.
Me: Yes, until Harriet chased them away.
Nell: And there was a suspiciously copious amount of seaweed all over the beach.
Me: Which you and Dave seemed to find absolutely fascinating.
Nell: We were looking for clues.
Me: It seemed to me that you were all having tremendous fun. Apart from Poppy who tried to eat her lead.
Nell: She doesn’t like to be restrained. Poppy is a free spirit. She can’t stand being tethered.
Me: This may sound silly but what kind of clues were you actually expecting to find?
Nell: I beg your pardon?
Me: When you all said you needed to get down to the beach urgently.
Nell: One has to move fast in times of crisis.
Me: Was it actually because you fancied a walk on the beach and a quick swim?
Nell: How dare you suggest such a thing. Gathering evidence is an essential part of the process.
Me: What process and evidence of what? We know Roary and Lionel are at the Burgh Island Hotel and we know the Beefies are guarding the beaches.
Nell: That’s where you are wrong. Take another look at the photos.
Me: Harriet is simply having tremendous fun chasing Beefies.
Nell: Those aren’t Beefies.
Me: They aren’t?
Nell: No. They are gulls. Much smaller than Beefies and low ranking.
Me: So, where were the Beefies?
Nell: Exactly. And who is in the sea tractor heading towards the island?
Me: What sea tractor?
Nell: Just examine the evidence properly next time, please.
Me: Yes. Sorry.
