首发偶发空缺 (临时空缺)-第123章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ay…by　on　the　Yarvil　bypass。　Frightened　that　she　would　order　him　out　of　the　car；　he　turned　his　swollen　face　to　her。

‘Your　birth　mother；’　she　said；　looking　at　him　as　she　had　never　done　before；　without　pity　or　kindness；　‘was　fourteen　years　old。　We　had　the　impression；　from　what　we　were　told；　that　she　was　middle　class；　quite　a　bright　girl。　She　absolutely　refused　to　say　who　your　father　was。　Nobody　knew　whether　she　was　trying　to　protect　an　under…age　boyfriend　or　something　worse。　We　were　told　all　of　this；　in　case　you　had　any　mental　or　physical　difficulties。　In　case；’　she　said　clearly；　like　a　teacher　trying　to　emphasize　a　point　sure　to　e　up　in　a　test；　‘you　had　been　the　result　of　incest。’

He　cowered　away　from　her。　He　would　have　preferred　to　be　shot。

‘I　was　desperate　to　adopt　you；’　she　said。　‘Desperate。　But　Dad　was　very　ill。　He　said　to　me；　“I　can’t　do　it。　I’m　scared　I’ll　hurt　a　baby。　I　need　to　get　better　before　we　do　this；　and　I　can’t　do　that　and　cope　with　a　new　baby　as　well。”

‘But　I　was　so　determined　to　have　you；’　said　Tessa；　‘that　I　pressured　him　into　lying；　and　telling　the　social　workers　that　he　was　fine；　and　pretending　to　be　happy　and　normal。　We　brought　you　home；　and　you　were　tiny　and　premature；　and　on　the　fifth　night　we　had　you；　Dad　slipped　out　of　bed　and　went　to　the　garage；　put　a　hosepipe　on　the　exhaust　of　the　car　and　tried　to　kill　himself；　because　he　was　convinced　he’d　smothered　you。　And　he　almost　died。

‘So　you　can　blame　me；’　said　Tessa；　‘for　your　and　Dad’s　bad　start；　and　maybe　you　can　blame　me　for　everything　that’s　e　since。　But　I’ll　tell　you　this；　Stuart。　Your　father’s　spent　his　life　facing　up　to　things　he　never　did。　I　don’t　expect　you　to　understand　his　kind　of　courage。　But；’　her　voice　broke　at　last；　and　he　heard　the　mother　he　knew；　‘he　loves　you；　Stuart。’

She　added　the　lie　because　she　could　not　help　herself。　Tonight；　for　the　first　time；　Tessa　was　convinced　that　it　was　a　lie；　and　also　that　everything　she　had　done　in　her　life；　telling　herself　that　it　was　for　the　best；　had　been　no　more　than　blind　selfishness；　generating　confusion　and　mess　all　around。　But　who　could　bear　to　know　which　stars　were　already　dead；　she　thought；　blinking　up　at　the　night　sky；　could　anybody　stand　to　know　that　they　all　were？

She　turned　the　key　in　the　ignition；　crashed　the　gears　and　they　pulled　out　again　onto　the　bypass。

‘I　don’t　want　to　go　to　the　Fields；’　said　Fats　in　terror。

‘We’re　not　going　to　the　Fields；’　she　said。　‘I’m　taking　you　home。’

IV
The　police　had　picked　up　Krystal　Weedon　at　last　as　she　ran　hopelessly　along　the　river　bank　on　the　very　edge　of　Pagford；　still　calling　her　brother　in　a　cracked　voice。　The　policewoman　who　approached　her　addressed　her　by　name；　and　tried　to　break　the　news　to　her　gently；　but　she　still　tried　to　beat　the　woman　away　from　her；　and　in　the　end　the　policewoman　had　almost　to　wrestle　her　into　the　car。　Krystal　had　not　noticed　Fats　melting　away　into　the　trees；　he　did　not　exist　to　her　any　more。

The　police　drove　Krystal　home；　but　when　they　knocked　on　the　front　door　Terri　refused　to　answer。　She　had　glimpsed　them　through　an　upstairs　window；　and　thought　that　Krystal　had　done　the　one　unthinkable　and　unforgivable　thing；　and　told　the　pigs　about　the　hold…alls　full　of　Obbo’s　hash。　She　dragged　the　heavy　bags　upstairs　while　the　police　hammered　at　the　door；　and　only　opened　up　when　she　considered　that　it　had　bee　unavoidable。

‘Whatcha　wan’？’　she　shouted；　through　an　inch…wide　gap　in　the　door。

The　policewoman　asked　to　e　in　three　times　and　Terri　refused；　still　demanding　to　know　what　they　wanted。　A　few　neighbours　had　begun　to　peer　through　windows。　Even　when　the　policewoman　said；　‘It’s　about　your　son；　Robbie；’　Terri　did　not　realize。

‘’E’s　fine。　There’s　nuthin’　wrong　with　’im。　Krystal’s　got　’im。’

But　then　she　saw　Krystal；　who　had　refused　to　stay　in　the　car；　and　had　walked　halfway　up　the　garden　path。　Terri’s　gaze　trickled　down　her　daughter’s　body　to　the　place　where　Robbie　should　have　been　clinging　to　her；　frightened　by　the　strange　men。

Terri　flew　from　her　house　like　a　fury；　with　her　hands　outstretched　like　claws；　and　the　policewoman　had　to　catch　her　round　the　middle　and　swing　her　away　from　Krystal；　whose　face　she　was　trying　to　lacerate。

‘Yeh　little　bitch；　yeh　little　bitch；　what’ve　yeh　done　ter　Robbie？’

Krystal　dodged　the　struggling　pair；　darted　into　the　house　and　slammed　the　front　door　behind　her。

‘For　fuck’s　sake；’　muttered　the　policeman　under　his　breath。

Miles　away　in　Hope　Street；　Kay　and　Gaia　Bawden　faced　each　other　in　the　dark　hallway。　Neither　of　them　was　tall　enough　to　replace　the　light　bulb　that　had　been　dead　for　days；　and　they　had　no　ladder。　All　day　long；　they　had　argued　and　almost　made　up；　then　argued　again。　Finally；　at　the　moment　when　reconciliation　seemed　within　touching　distance；　when　Kay　had　agreed　that　she　too　hated　Pagford；　that　it　had　all　been　a　mistake；　and　that　she　would　try　and　get　them　both　back　to　London；　her　mobile　had　rung。

‘Krystal　Weedon’s　brother’s　drowned；’　whispered　Kay；　as　she　cut　Tessa’s　call。

‘Oh；’　said　Gaia。　Knowing　that　she　ought　to　express　pity；　but　frightened　to　let　discussion　of　London　drop　before　she　had　her　mother’s　firm　mitment；　she　added；　in　a　tight　little　voice；　‘That’s　sad。’

‘It　happened　here　in　Pagford；’　said　Kay。　‘Along　the　road。　Krystal　was　with　Tessa　Wall’s　son。’

Gaia　felt　even　more　ashamed　of　letting　Fats　Wall　kiss　her。　He　had　tasted　horrible；　of　lager　and　cigarettes；　and　he　had　tried　to　feel　her　up。　She　was　worth　much　more　than　Fats　Wall；　she　knew　that。　If　it　had　even　been　Andy　Price；　she　would　have　felt　better　about　it。　Sukhvinder　had　not　returned　one　of　her　calls；　all　day　long。

‘She’ll　be　absolutely　broken　up；’　said　Kay；　her　eyes　unfocused。

‘But　there’s　nothing　you　can　do；’　said　Gaia。　‘Is　there？’

‘Well　…’　said　Kay。

‘Not　again！’　cried　Gaia。　‘It’s　always；　always　the　same！　You’re　not　her　social　worker　any　more！　What；’　she　shouted；　stamping　her　foot　as　she　had　done　when　she　was　a　little　girl；　‘about　me？’

The　police　officer　in　Foley　Road　had　already　called　a　duty　social　worker。　Terri　was　writhing　and　screaming　and　trying　to　beat　at　the　front　door；　while　from　behind　it　came　the　sounds　of　furniture　being　dragged　to　form　a　barricade。　Neighbours　were　ing　out　onto　their　doorsteps；　a　fascinated　audience　to　Terri’s　meltdown。　Somehow　the　cause　of　it　was　transmitted　through　the　watchers；　from　Terri’s　incoherent　shouts　and　the　attitudes　of　the　ominous　police。

‘The　boy’s　dead；’　they　told　each　other。　Nobody　stepped　forward　to　fort　or　calm。　Terri　Weedon　had　no　friends。

‘e　with　me；’　Kay　begged　her　mutinous　daughter。　‘I’ll　go　to　the　house　and　see　if　I　can　do　anything。　I　got　on　with　Krystal。　She’s　got　nobody。’

‘I　bet　she　was　shagging　Fats　Wall　when　it　happened！’　shouted　Gaia；　but　it　was　her　final　protest；　and　a　few　minutes　later　she　was　buckling　herself　into　Kay’s　old　Vauxhall；　glad；　in　spite　of　everything；　that　Kay　had　asked　her　along。

But　by　the　time　they　had　reached　the　bypass；　Krystal　had　found　what　she　was　looking　for：　a　bag　of　heroin　concealed　in　the　airing　cupboard；　the　second　of　two　that　Obbo　had　given　Terri　in　payment