首发偶发空缺 (临时空缺)- 第81部分

Affair　of　the　First　Citizen　of　Pagford

She　read　it；　but　did　not；　at　first；　understand：　she　had　been　expecting　to　see　Parminder’s　name。　She　read　it　again；　and　gave　the　suffocated　gasp　of　a　woman　being　hit　by　icy　water。

Howard　Mollison；　First　Citizen　of　Pagford；　and　long…standing　resident　Maureen　Lowe　have　been　more　than　business　partners　for　many　years。　It　is　mon　knowledge　that　Maureen　holds　regular　tastings　of　Howard’s　finest　salami。　The　only　person　who　appears　not　to　be　in　on　the　secret　is　Shirley；　Howard’s　wife。

pletely　motionless　in　her　chair；　Shirley　thought：　it’s　not　true。

It　could　not　be　true。

Yes；　she　had　once　or　twice　suspected　…　had　hinted；　sometimes；　to　Howard　…

No；　she　would　not　believe　it。　She　could　not　believe　it。

But　other　people　would。　They　would　believe　the　Ghost。　Everybody　believed　him。

Her　hands　were　like　empty　gloves；　fumbling　and　feeble；　as　she　tried；　with　many　a　blunder；　to　remove　the　message　from　the　site。　Every　second　that　it　remained　there；　somebody　else　might　be　reading　it；　believing　it；　laughing　about　it；　passing　it　to　the　local　newspaper　…　Howard　and　Maureen；　Howard　and　Maureen　…

The　message　was　gone。　Shirley　sat　and　stared　at　the　puter　monitor；　her　thoughts　scurrying　like　mice　in　a　glass　bowl；　trying　to　escape；　but　there　was　no　way　out；　no　firm　foothold；　no　way　of　climbing　back　to　the　happy　place　she　had　occupied　before　she　saw　that　dreadful　thing；　written　in　public　for　the　world　to　see　…

He　had　laughed　at　Maureen。

No；　she　had　laughed　at　Maureen。　Howard　had　laughed　at　Kenh。

Always　together：　holidays　and　workdays　and　weekend　excursions　…

…　only　person　who　appears　not　to　be　in　on　the　secret　…

…　she　and　Howard　did　not　need　sex：　separate　beds　for　years；　they　had　a　silent　understanding　…

…　holds　regular　tastings　of　Howard’s　finest　salami　…

（Shirley’s　mother　was　alive　in　the　room　with　her：　cackling　and　jeering；　a　glass　slopping　wine　…　Shirley　could　not　bear　dirty　laughter。　She　had　never　been　able　to　bear　ribaldry　or　ridicule。）

She　jumped　up；　tripping　over　the　chair　legs；　and　hurried　back　to　the　bedroom。　Howard　was　still　asleep；　lying　on　his　back；　making　rumbling；　porcine　noises。

‘Howard；’　she　said。　‘Howard。’

It　took　a　whole　minute　to　rouse　him。　He　was　confused　and　disorientated；　but　as　she　stood　over　him；　she　saw　him　still　as　a　knight　protector　who　could　save　her。

‘Howard；　the　Ghost　of　Barry　Fairbrother’s　put　up　another　message。’

Disgruntled　at　his　rude　awakening；　Howard　made　a　growling　groaning　noise　into　the　pillow。

‘About　you；’　said　Shirley。

They　did　very　little　plain　speaking；　she　and　Howard。　She　had　always　liked　that。　But　today　she　was　driven　to　it。

‘About　you；’　she　repeated；　‘and　Maureen。　It　says　you’ve　been　–　having　an　affair。’

His　big　hand　slid　up　over　his　face　and　he　rubbed　his　eyes。　He　rubbed　them　longer；　she　was　convinced；　than　he　needed。

‘What？’　he　said；　his　face　shielded。

‘You　and　Maureen；　having　an　affair。’

‘Where’s　he　get　that　from？’

No　denial；　no　outrage；　no　scathing　laughter。　Merely　a　cautious　request　for　a　source。

Ever　afterwards；　Shirley　would　remember　this　moment　as　a　death；　a　life　truly　ended。

VII
‘Fuckin’　shurrup；　Robbie！　Shurrup！’

Krystal　had　dragged　Robbie　to　a　bus　stop　several　streets　away；　so　that　neither　Obbo　nor　Terri　could　find　them。　She　was　not　sure　she　had　enough　money　for　the　fare；　but　she　was　determined　to　get　to　Pagford。　Nana　Cath　was　gone；　Mr　Fairbrother　was　gone；　but　Fats　Wall　was　there；　and　she　needed　to　make　a　baby。

‘Why　wuz　’e　in　the　room　with　yeh？’　Krystal　shouted　at　Robbie；　who　grizzled　and　did　not　answer。

There　was　only　a　tiny　amount　of　battery　power　left　on　Terri’s　mobile　phone。　Krystal　called　Fats’　number；　but　it　went　to　voicemail。

In　Church　Row；　Fats　was　busy　eating　toast　and　listening　to　his　parents　having　one　of　their　familiar；　bizarre　conversations　in　the　study　across　the　hall。　It　was　a　wele　distraction　from　his　own　thoughts。　The　mobile　in　his　pocket　vibrated　but　he　did　not　answer　it。　There　was　nobody　he　wanted　to　talk　to。　It　would　not　be　Andrew。　Not　after　last　night。

‘Colin；　you　know　what　you’re　supposed　to　do；’　his　mother　was　saying。　She　sounded　exhausted。　‘Please；　Colin—’

‘We　had　dinner　with　them　on　Saturday　night。　The　night　before　he　died。　I　cooked。　What　if—’

‘Colin；　you　didn’t　put　anything　in　the　food　–　for　God’s　sake；　now　I’m　doing　it　–　I’m　not　supposed　to　do　this；　Colin；　you　know　I’m　not　supposed　to　get　into　it。　This　is　your　OCD　talking。’

‘But　I　might’ve；　Tess；　I　suddenly　thought；　what　if　I　put　something—’

‘Then　why　are　we　alive；　you；　me　and　Mary？　They　did　a　post…mortem；　Colin！’

‘Nobody　told　us　the　details。　Mary　never　told　us。　I　think　that’s　why　she　doesn’t　want　to　talk　to　me　any　more。　She　suspects。’

‘Colin；　for　Christ’s　sake—’

Tessa’s　voice　became　an　urgent　whisper；　too　quiet　to　hear。　Fats’　mobile　vibrated　again。　He　pulled　it　out　of　his　pocket。　Krystal’s　number。　He　answered。

‘Hiya；’　said　Krystal；　over　what　sounded　like　a　kid　shouting。　‘D’you　wanna　meet　up？’

‘Dunno；’　yawned　Fats。　He　had　been　intending　to　go　to　bed。

‘I’m　in’　into　Pagford　on　the　bus。　We　could　hook　up。’

Last　night　he　had　pressed　Gaia　Bawden　into　the　railings　outside　the　town　hall；　until　she　had　pulled　away　from　him　and　thrown　up。　Then　she　had　started　to　berate　him　again；　so　he　had　left　her　there　and　walked　home。

‘I　dunno；’　he　said。　He　felt　so　tired；　so　miserable。

‘Go　on；’　she　said。

From　the　study；　he　heard　Colin。　‘You　say　that；　but　would　it　show　up？　What　if　I—’

‘Colin；　we　shouldn’t　be　going　into　this　–　you’re　not　supposed　to　take　these　ideas　seriously。’

‘How　can　you　say　that　to　me？　How　can　I　not　take　it　seriously？　If　I’m　responsible—’

‘Yeah；　all　right；’　said　Fats　to　Krystal。　‘I’ll　meet　you　in　twenty；　front　of　the　pub　in　the　Square。’

VII
‘Fuckin’　shurrup；　Robbie！　Shurrup！’

Krystal　had　dragged　Robbie　to　a　bus　stop　several　streets　away；　so　that　neither　Obbo　nor　Terri　could　find　them。　She　was　not　sure　she　had　enough　money　for　the　fare；　but　she　was　determined　to　get　to　Pagford。　Nana　Cath　was　gone；　Mr　Fairbrother　was　gone；　but　Fats　Wall　was　there；　and　she　needed　to　make　a　baby。

‘Why　wuz　’e　in　the　room　with　yeh？’　Krystal　shouted　at　Robbie；　who　grizzled　and　did　not　answer。

There　was　only　a　tiny　amount　of　battery　power　left　on　Terri’s　mobile　phone。　Krystal　called　Fats’　number；　but　it　went　to　voicemail。

In　Church　Row；　Fats　was　busy　eating　toast　and　listening　to　his　parents　having　one　of　their　familiar；　bizarre　conversations　in　the　study　across　the　hall。　It　was　a　wele　distraction　from　his　own　thoughts。　The　mobile　in　his　pocket　vibrated　but　he　did　not　answer　it。　There　was　nobody　he　wanted　to　talk　to。　It　would　not　be　Andrew。　Not　after　last　night。

‘Colin；　you　know　what　you’re　supposed　to　do；’　his　mother　was　saying。　She　sounded　exhausted。　‘Please；　Colin—’

‘We　had　dinner　with　them　on　Saturday　night。　The　night　before　he　died。　I　cooked。　What　if—’

‘Colin；　you　didn’t　put　anything　in　the　food　–　for　God’s　sake；　now　I’m　doing　it　–　I’m　not　supposed　to　do　this；　Colin；　you　know　I’m　not　supposed　to　get　into　it。　This　is　your　OCD　talking。’

‘But　I　might’ve；　Tess；　I　suddenly　thought；　what　if　I　put　something—’

‘Then　why　are　we　alive；　you；　me　and　Mary？　They　did　a　post…mortem；　Colin！’

‘Nobody　told　us　the　details。　Mary　never　told　us。　I　think　that’s　why　she　doesn’t　want　to　talk　to　me　any　more。　She　suspects。’

‘Colin；　for　Christ’s　sake—’

Tessa’s　voice　became　an　urgent　whisper；　too　quiet　to　hear。　Fats’　mobile　vibrated　again。　He　pulled　it　out　of　his　pocket。　Krystal’s　number。　He　answered。

‘Hiya；’　said　Krystal；　over　what　sounded　like　a　kid　shouting。　‘D’you　wanna　meet　up？’

‘Dunno；’　yawned　Fats。　He　had　been　intending　to　go　to　bed。

‘I’m　in’　into　Pagford　on　the　bus。　We　could　hook　up。’

Last　night　he　had　pressed　Gaia　Bawden　into　the　railings　outside　the　town　hall；　until　she　had　pulled　away　from　him　and　thrown　up。　Then　she　had　started　to　berate　him　again；　so　he　had　left　her　there　and　walked　home。

‘I　dunno；’　he　said。　He　felt　so　tired；　so　miserable。

‘Go　on；’　she　said。

From　the　study；　he　heard　Colin。　‘You　say　that；　but　would　it　show　up？　What　if　I—’

‘Colin；　we　shouldn’t　be　going　into　this　–　you’re　not　supposed　to　take　these　ideas　seriously。’

‘How　can　you　say　that　to　me？　How　can　I　not　take　it　seriously？　If　I’m　responsible—’

‘Yeah；　all　right；’　said　Fats　to　Krystal。　‘I’ll　meet　you　in　twenty；　front　of　the　pub　in　the　Square。’

IX
The　journey　took　Krystal　back　to　her　childhood。　She　had　made　this　trip　daily　to　St　Thomas’s；　all　on　her　own；　on　the　bus。　She　knew　when　the　abbey　would　e　into　sight；　and　she　pointed　it　out　to　Robbie。

‘See　the　big　ruin’　castle？’

Robbie　was　hungry；　but　slightly　distracted　by　the　excitement　of　being　on　a　bus。　Krystal　held　his　hand　tightly。　She　had　promised　him　food　when　they　got　off　at　the　other　end；　but　she　did　not　know　where　she　would　get　it。　Perhaps　she　could　borrow　money　from　Fats　for　a　bag　of　crisps；　not　to　mention　the　return　bus　fare。

‘I　wen’　ter　school　’ere；’　she　told　Robbie；　while　he　wiped　his　fingers　on　the　dirty　windows；　making　abstract　patterns。　‘An’　you’ll　go　to　school　’ere　too。’

When　they　rehoused　her；　because　of　her　pregnancy；　they　were　almost　certain　to　give　her　another　Fields　house；　nobody　wanted　to　buy　them；　they　were　so　run　down。　But　Krystal　saw　this　as　a　good　thing；　because　in　spite　of　their　dilapidation　it　would　put　Robbie　and　the　baby　in　the　catchment　area　for　St　Thomas’s。　Anyway；　Fats’　parents　would　almost　certainly　give　her　enough　money　for　a　washing　machine　once　she　had　their　grandchild。　They　might　even　get　a　television。

The　bus　rolled　down　a　slope　towards　Pagford；　and　Krystal　caught　a　glimpse　of　the　glittering　river；　briefly　visible　before　the　road　sank　too　low。　She　had　been　disappointed；　when　she　joined　the　rowing　team；　that　they　did　not　train　on　the　Orr；　but　on　the　dirty　old　canal　in　Yarvil。

‘’Ere　we　are；’　Krystal　told　Robbie；　as　the　bus　turned　slowly　into　the　flower…decked　square。

Fats　had　forgotten　that　waiting　in　front　of　the　Black　Canon　meant　standing