chapter6
Clare's plane turned steeply as it started its approach to Geneva airport. She could see the tops of the mountains still covered in snow and wondered if she might have time to do a bit of skiing in Zermatt. Then she immediately felt guilty this wasn't a holiday! But she had to admit that she was quite excited about the developing family mystery. It was becoming even more interesting than simply having a grandfather who had fallen to his death on a mountain. There was now most definitely a skeleton in the family cupboard, a skeleton she knew she would not be able to ignore unlike her mother. She caught the train at Geneva Airport and sat back to enjoy the four-hour journey. As the train travelled round the Lake of Geneva the spring sunshine danced on the water, and in the lakeside gardens white flowers on the trees made Clare realise how far south she'd travelled since the weekend. Here spring was well advanced and the sun had real warmth The train slowly left the lake behind and turned towards the mountains. The scenery was in many ways very familiar to her it was not that different from the Lake District, except everything was bigger. She could understand why her grandfather had liked it here. At Visp, Clare changed trains and began the long climb up the valley to Zermatt. She remembered this part from when shed been before, even though it was over twenty years ago. It was a beautiful journey with the railway line keeping to the side of the mountain. Then, as it went round a corner, she saw the Matterhorn. The setting sun had bathed the whole thing in pinky-orange light. It stood there in the distance all on its own, bright, almost as if it was on fire. Clare found herself thinking that if you had to die in a climbing accident, there could be many worse places to lie for seventy-four years. She walked out of the station and was delighted to see that the smart carriages pulled by horses were still operating. There were two of them, obviously belonging to expensive hotels. She decided she would stay in one of them, if there was room. She wanted to ride in one of the carriages, just like her mother had. The Tourist Office told her there was a room at the Grand Hotel Zermatterhof lt was horribly expensive, but why not? She earned enough money. Why not spend some while she could. The uniformed driver helped her into the closed carriage, and put her luggage in beside her. She was then taken up the main, car-free street of the town the whole magnificent distance of 300 metres to the front door of the hotel! As she walked in, her first thought was she hadn't brought enough smart clothes with her. She registered at reception and was taken up to her room which had south-facing balcony. There was just enough light and warmth left for her to sit the balcony with a gin and tonic from the mini-bar and her eyes take it all in. "How lovely to be here, she thought, 'even if it is for a rather strange reason. Business starts tomorrow. This evening is for me. Bath, dinner, and then bed with a book. Perfect!
She went downstairs for dinner at eight o'clock. The head waiter took her from the door of the magnificent dining room to a table in the corner near a window. She sat there and looked around ber In the course of her work and as a single woman, she had eaten in many hotels and restaurants on her own and she was very aware of whete waiters seated her. She hated having a table in the middle of a room when she had her back to half the room. And she also hated being hidden away somewhere in some dark corner as if there was embarrassment in being a lone diner But her table here was just right. This hotel knew its business. After a huge dinner, she felt in need of a walk. Also she wasn't ready to go to bed yet she wanted to explore Zermatt a little get a feel for the place. There were lots of people walking up and down the main street, mainly looking in the shop windows. She joined in the general movement. In one office window she saw detailed maps of the three main skiing areas which showed that some of the higher ski runs were still open, particularly the ones in the Matterhorn area. She also identified several places where she could hire skis. Good, everything was working out well. Having found the police station where shed have to tomorrow to start all the official business, she turned off the main street into the old part of the town. She remembered from her previous visit how interested shed been by the store houses down here. And there they were, still. Wonderful old wooden buildings standing on what looked like tall stone mushrooms. They were built like this to keep the rats out of the food, she'd been told She felt that this part of the town would have looked more or less the same in her grandfather's time he might even have stayed down here. She could be walking in his footsteps "What was he like?" she wondered, "Would I have enjoyed his company?" She certainly liked his choice of Zermatt. There was a small b