Lyndhurst serves as a meeting place in the investigation: Don Challenor and Blake travel there to meet Anna Marchant, arriving at a parking area on the town’s eastern edge. Its ordinary, busy setting contrasts with the significance of the appointment taking place there.

Setting and Directions

The meeting point is specified with practical precision: take the Beaulieu turning off the Southampton road, then turn left immediately after the cattle grid to reach the parking area. The directions place the rendezvous on Lyndhurst’s eastern edge, rather than at a named building or private address.

The Meeting

Don and Blake arrive early for their appointment with Anna Marchant, but she is not late. The parking area is nearly full on a sunny Sunday afternoon, with heathland opposite drawing strollers and dog-walkers. In this open, well-used setting, Blake spots a mint-green Fiat turning in slowly. Anna is driving, her bobbed hair visible and her eyes hidden behind sunglasses.

Narrative Significance

Lyndhurst provides a public, easily located point of contact for the three characters. The crowded car park and passing walkers give the appointment a distinctly everyday backdrop, while the precise directions and the Fiat’s arrival mark the moment the planned meeting begins.