首发偶发空缺 (临时空缺)-第94章

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She　ran　back　into　the　sitting　room；　seized　the　telephone　receiver　and　dialled　999。

‘Pagford？　This　is　for　Orrbank　Cottage；　is　it？　There’s　one　on　the　way。’

‘Oh；　thank　you；　thank　God；’　said　Shirley；　and　she　had　almost　hung　up　when　she　realized　what　she　had　said　and　screamed；　‘no；　no；　not　Orrbank　Cottage　…’

But　the　operator　had　gone　and　she　had　to　dial　again。　She　was　panicking　so　much　that　she　dropped　the　receiver。　On　the　carpet　beside　her；　Howard’s　wheezing　was　being　fainter　and　fainter。

‘Not　Orrbank　Cottage；’　she　shouted。　‘Thirty…six　Evertree　Crescent；　Pagford　–　my　husband’s　having　a　heart　attack　…’

XV
In　Church　Row；　Miles　Mollison　came　tearing　out　of　his　house　in　bedroom　slippers　and　sprinted　down　the　steep　sloping　pavement　to　the　Old　Vicarage　on　the　corner。　He　banged　on　the　thick　oak　door　with　his　left　hand；　while　trying　to　dial　his　wife’s　number　with　his　right。

‘Yes？’　said　Parminder；　opening　the　door。

‘My　dad；’　gasped　Miles　‘…　another　heart　attack　…　Mum’s　called　an　ambulance　…　will　you　e？　Please；　will　you　e？’

Parminder　made　a　swift　move　back　into　the　house；　mentally　seizing　her　doctor’s　bag；　but　checked。

‘I　can’t。　I’m　suspended　from　work；　Miles。　I　can’t。’

‘You’re　joking　…　please　…　the　ambulance　won’t　be　here　for—’

‘I　can’t；　Miles；’　she　said。

He　turned　and　ran　away　from　her　through　the　open　gate。　Ahead；　he　saw　Samantha；　walking　up　their　garden　path。　He　called　to　her；　his　voice　breaking；　and　she　turned　in　surprise。　At　first；　she　thought　that　his　panic　was　on　her　account。

‘Dad　…　collapsed　…　there’s　an　ambulance　ing　…　bloody　Parminder　Jawanda　won’t　e　…’

‘My　God；’　said　Samantha。　‘Oh　my　God。’

They　dashed　to　the　car　and　drove　up　the　road；　Miles　in　his　slippers；　Samantha　in　the　clogs　that　had　blistered　her　feet。

‘Miles；　listen；　there’s　a　siren　–　it’s　here　already　…’

But　when　they　turned　into　Evertree　Crescent；　there　was　nothing　there；　and　the　siren　was　already　gone。

On　a　lawn　a　mile　away；　Sukhvinder　Jawanda　was　vomiting　river　water　beneath　a　willow　tree；　while　an　old　lady　pressed　blankets　around　her　that　were　already　as　sodden　as　Sukhvinder’s　clothes。　A　short　distance　away；　the　dog…walker　who　had　dragged　Sukhvinder　from　the　river　by　her　hair　and　her　sweatshirt　was　bent　over　a　small；　limp　body。

Sukhvinder　had　thought　she　felt　Robbie　struggling　in　her　arms；　but　had　that　been　the　cruel　tug　of　the　river；　trying　to　rip　him　from　her？　She　was　a　strong　swimmer；　but　the　Orr　had　dragged　her　under；　pulled　her　helplessly　wherever　it　chose。　She　had　been　swept　around　the　bend；　and　it　had　thrown　her　in　towards　land；　and　she　had　managed　a　scream；　and　seen　the　man　with　his　dog；　running　towards　her　along　the　bank　…

‘No　good；’　said　the　man；　who　had　worked　on　Robbie’s　little　body　for　twenty　minutes。　‘He’s　gone。’

Sukhvinder　wailed；　and　slumped　to　the　cold　wet　ground；　shaking　furiously　as　the　sound　of　the　siren　reached　them；　too　late。

Back　in　Evertree　Crescent；　the　paramedics　were　having　enormous　difficulty　getting　Howard　onto　the　stretcher；　Miles　and　Samantha　had　to　help。

‘We’ll　follow　in　the　car；　you　go　with　Dad；’　Miles　shouted　at　Shirley；　who　seemed　bewildered；　and　unwilling　to　get　into　the　ambulance。

Maureen；　who　had　just　shown　her　last　customer　out　of　the　Copper　Kettle；　stood　on　the　doorstep；　listening。

‘Lots　of　sirens；’　she　said　over　her　shoulder　to　an　exhausted　Andrew；　who　was　mopping　tables。　‘Something　must　have　happened。’

And　she　took　a　deep　breath；　as　though　she　hoped　to　taste　the　tang　of　disaster　on　the　warm　afternoon　air。

I
Many；　many　times　had　Colin　Wall　imagined　the　police　ing　to　his　door。　They　arrived；　at　last；　at　dusk　on　Sunday　evening：　a　woman　and　a　man；　not　to　arrest　Colin；　but　to　look　for　his　son。

A　fatal　accident　and　‘Stuart；　is　it？’　was　a　witness。　‘Is　he　at　home？’

‘No；’　said　Tessa；　‘oh；　dear　God　…　Robbie　Weedon　…　but　he　lives　in　the　Fields　…　why　was　he　here？’

The　policewoman　explained；　kindly；　what　they　believed　to　have　happened。　‘The　teenagers　took　their　eye　off　him’　was　the　phrase　she　used。

Tessa　thought　she　might　faint。

‘You　don’t　know　where　Stuart　is？’　asked　the　policeman。

‘No；’　said　Colin；　gaunt　and　shadow…eyed。　‘Where　was　he　last　seen？’

‘When　our　colleague　pulled　up；　Stuart　seems　to　have；　ah；　run　away。’

‘Oh；　dear　God；’　said　Tessa　again。

‘He’s　not　answering；’　said　Colin　calmly；　he　had　already　dialled　Fats　on　his　mobile。　‘We’ll　need　to　go　and　look　for　him。’

Colin　had　rehearsed　for　calamity　all　his　life。　He　was　ready。　He　took　down　his　coat。

‘I’ll　try　Arf；’　said　Tessa；　running　to　the　telephone。

Isolated　above　the　little　town；　no　news　of　the　calamities　had　yet　reached　Hilltop　House。　Andrew’s　mobile　rang　in　the　kitchen。

‘’Lo；’　he　said；　his　mouth　full　of　toast。

‘Andy；　it’s　Tessa　Wall。　Is　Stu　with　you？’

‘No；’　he　said。　‘Sorry。’

But　he　was　not　at　all　sorry　that　Fats　was　not　with　him。

‘Something’s　happened；　Andy。　Stu　was　down　at　the　river　with　Krystal　Weedon；　and　she　had　her　little　brother　with　her；　and　the　boy’s　drowned。　Stu’s　run　–　run　off　somewhere。　Can　you　think　where　he　might　be？’

‘No；’　said　Andrew　automatically；　because　that　was　his　and　Fats’　code。　Never　tell　the　parents。

But　the　horror　of　what　she　had　just　told　him　crept　through　the　phone　like　a　clammy　fog。　Everything　was　suddenly　less　clear；　less　certain。　She　was　about　to　hang　up。

‘Wait；　Mrs　Wall；’　he　said。　‘I　might　know　…　there’s　a　place　down　by　the　river　…’

‘I　don’t　think　he’d　go　near　the　river　now；’　said　Tessa。

Seconds　flicked　by；　and　Andrew　was　more　and　more　convinced　that　Fats　was　in　the　Cubby　Hole。

‘It’s　the　only　place　I　can　think　of；’　he　said。

‘Tell　me　where—’

‘I’d　have　to　show　you。’

‘I’ll　be　there　in　ten　minutes；’　she　shouted。

Colin　was　already　patrolling　the　streets　of　Pagford　on　foot。　Tessa　drove　the　Nissan　up　the　winding　hill　road；　and　found　Andrew　waiting　for　her　on　the　corner；　where　he　usually　caught　the　bus。　He　directed　her　down　through　the　town。　The　street　lights　were　feeble　by　twilight。

They　parked　by　the　trees　where　Andrew　usually　threw　down　Simon’s　racing　bike。　Tessa　got　out　of　the　car　and　followed　Andrew　to　the　edge　of　the　water；　puzzled　and　frightened。

‘He’s　not　here；’　she　said。

‘It’s　along　there；’　said　Andrew；　pointing　at　the　sheer　dark　face　of　Pargetter　Hill；　running　straight　down　to　the　river　with　barely　a　lip　of　bank　before　the　rushing　water。

‘What　do　you　mean？’　asked　Tessa；　horrified。

Andrew　had　known　from　the　first　that　she　would　not　be　able　to　e　with　him；　short　and　dumpy　as　she　was。

‘I’ll　go　and　see；’　he　said。　‘If　you　wait　here。’

‘But　it’s　too　dangerous！’　she　cried　over　the　roar　of　the　powerful　river。

Ignoring　her；　he　reached　for　the　familiar　hand　and　footholds。　As　he　inched　away　along　the　tiny　ledge；　the　same　thought　came　to　both　of　them；　that　Fats　might　have　fallen；　or　jumped；　into　the　river　thundering　so　close　to　Andrew’s　feet。

Tessa　remained　at　the　water’s　edge　until　she　could　not　make　Andrew　out　any　longer；　then　turned　away；　trying　not　to　cry　in　case　Stuart　was　there；　and　she　needed　to　talk　to　him　calmly。　For　the　first　time；　she　wondered　where　Krystal　was。　The　police　had　not　said；　and　her　terror　for　Fats　had　obliterated　every　other　concern　…

Please　God；　let　me　find　Stuart；　she　prayed。　Let　me　find　Stuart；　please；　God。

Then　she　pulled　her　mobile　from　her　cardigan　pocket　and　called　Kay　Bawden。

‘I　don’t　know　whether　you’ve　heard；’　she　shouted；　over　the　rushing　water；　and　she　told　Kay　the　story。

‘But　I’m　not　her　social　worker　any　more；’　said　Kay。

Twenty　feet　away；　Andrew　had　reached　the　Cubby　Hole。　It　was　pitch　black；　he　had　never　been　here　this　late。　He　swung　himself　inside。

‘Fats？’

He　heard　something　move　at　the　back　of　the　hole。

‘Fats？　You　there？’

‘Got　a　light；　Arf？’　said　an　unrecognizable　voice。　‘I　dropped　my　bloody　matches。’

Andrew　thought　of　shouting　out　to　Tessa；　but　she　did　not　know　how　long　it　took　to　reach　the　Cubby　Hole。　She　could　wait　a　few　more　moments。

He　passed　over　his　lighter。　By　its　flickering　flame；　Andrew　saw　that　his　friend’s　appearance　was　almost　as　changed　as　his　voice。　Fats’　eyes　were　swollen；　his　whole　face　looked　puffy。

The　flame　went　out。　Fats’　cigarette　tip　glowed　bright　in　the　darkness。

‘Is　he　dead？　Her　brother？’

Andrew　had　not　realized　that　Fats　did　not　know。

‘Yeah；’　he　said；　and　then　he　added；　‘I　think　so。　That’s　what　I　–　what　I　heard。’

There　was　a　silence；　and　then　a　soft；　piglet…like　squeal　reached　him　through　the　darkness。

‘Mrs　Wall；’　yelled　Andrew；　sticking　his　head　out　of　the　hole　as　far　as　it　would　go；　so　that　he　could　not　hear　Fats’　sobs　over　the　sound　of　the　river。　‘Mrs　Wall；　he’s　here！’

II
The　policewoman　had　been　gentle　and　kind；　in　the　cluttered　cottage　by　the　river；　where　dank　water　now　covered　blankets；　chintzy　chairs　and　worn　rugs。　The　old　lady　who　owned　the　place　had　brought　a　hot…water　bottle　and　a　cup　of　boiling　tea；　which　Sukhvinder　could　not　lift　because　she　was　shaking　like　a　drill。　She　had　disgorged　chunks　of　information：　her　own　name；　and　Krystal’s　name；　and　the　name　of