首发偶发空缺 (临时空缺)-第125章

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（The　dirty　and　foul…mouthed　little　boy；　of　whose　existence　few　had　been　aware；　and　of　whom　nobody　but　his　mother　and　sister　had　been　especially　fond；　had　undergone　such　a　transformation　in　Pagford’s　collective　mind　by　his　drowning；　that　he　was　spoken　of　everywhere　as　a　water　baby；　a　cherub；　a　pure　and　gentle　angel　whom　all　would　have　embraced　with　love　and　passion；　if　only　they　could　have　saved　him。

But　the　needle　and　the　flame　had　had　no　transformative　effect　upon　Krystal’s　reputation；　on　the　contrary；　they　had　fixed　her　permanently　in　the　mind　of　Old　Pagford　as　a　soulless　creature　whose　pursuit　of　what　the　elderly　liked　to　call　kicks　had　led　to　the　death　of　an　innocent　child。）

Shirley　was　pulling　on　her　coat。

‘You　realize；　I　actually　saw　them　that　day？’　she　said；　her　cheeks　turning　pink。　‘The　boy　bawling　by　one　clump　of　bushes；　and　Krystal　Weedon　and　Stuart　Wall　in　another—’

‘Did　you？　And　were　they　really　…？’　asked　Maureen　avidly。

‘Oh　yes；’　said　Shirley。　‘Broad　daylight。　Open　air。　And　the　boy　was　right　by　the　river　when　I　saw　him。　A　couple　of　steps　and　he’d　have　been　in。’

Something　in　Maureen’s　expression　stung　her。

‘I　was　hurrying；’　said　Shirley　with　asperity；　‘because　Howard　had　said　he　was　feeling　poorly　and　I　was　worried　sick。　I　didn’t　want　to　go　out　at　all；　but　Miles　and　Samantha　had　sent　Lexie　over　–　I　think；　if　you　want　my　honest　opinion；　they’d　had　a　row　–　and　then　Lexie　wanted　to　visit　the　café　–　I　was　absolutely　distracted；　and　all　I　could　think　was；　I　must　get　back　to　Howard　…　I　didn’t　actually　realize　what　I’d　seen　until　much　later　…　and　the　dreadful　thing；’　said　Shirley；　her　colour　higher　than　ever；　and　returning　again　to　her　favourite　refrain；　‘is　that　if　Krystal　Weedon　hadn’t　let　that　child　wander　off　while　she　was　having　her　fun　in　the　bushes；　the　ambulance　would　have　reached　Howard　so　much　more　quickly。　Because；　you　know；　with　two　of　them　ing　…　things　got　confu—’

‘That’s　right；’　said　Maureen；　interrupting　as　they　moved　out　towards　the　car；　because　she　had　heard　all　this　before。　‘You　know；　I　can’t　think　why　they’re　having　the　service　here　in　Pagford　…’

She　longed　to　suggest　that　they　drive　past　the　church　on　the　way　to　the　hospital　–　she　had　a　craving　to　see　what　the　Weedon　family　looked　like　en　masse；　and　to　glimpse；　perhaps；　that　degenerate　junkie　mother　–　but　could　think　of　no　way　to　frame　the　request。

‘You　know；　there’s　one　fort；　Shirley；’　she　said；　as　they　set　off　for　the　bypass。　‘The　Fields　are　as　good　as　gone。　That　must　be　a　fort　to　Howard。　Even　if　he　can’t　attend　council　for　a　while；　he　got　that　done。’

Andrew　Price　was　speeding　down　the　steep　hill　from　Hilltop　House；　with　the　sun　hot　on　his　back　and　the　wind　in　his　hair。　His　week…old　shiner　had　turned　yellow　and　green；　and　looked；　if　possible；　even　worse　than　it　had　when　he　had　turned　up　at　school　with　his　eye　almost　closed。　Andrew　had　told　the　teachers　who　enquired　that　he　had　fallen　off　his　bike。

It　was　now　the　Easter　holidays；　and　Gaia　had　texted　Andrew　the　previous　evening　to　ask　whether　he　would　be　going　to　Krystal’s　funeral　the　next　day。　He　had　sent　an　immediate　‘yes’；　and　was　now　dressed；　after　much　deliberation；　in　his　cleanest　jeans　and　a　dark　grey　shirt；　because　he　did　not　own　a　suit。

He　was　not　very　clear　why　Gaia　was　going　to　the　funeral；　unless　it　was　to　be　with　Sukhvinder　Jawanda；　to　whom　she　seemed　to　cling　more　fondly　than　ever；　now　that　she　was　moving　back　to　London　with　her　mother。

‘Mum　says　she　should　never　have　e　to　Pagford；’　Gaia　had　told　Andrew　and　Sukhvinder　happily；　as　the　three　of　them　sat　on　the　low　wall　beside　the　newsagent’s　at　lunchtime。　‘She　knows　Gavin’s　a　total　twat。’

She　had　given　Andrew　her　mobile　number　and　told　him　that　they　would　go　out　together　when　she　came　to　Reading　to　see　her　father；　and　even　mentioned；　casually；　taking　him　to　see　some　of　her　favourite　places　in　London；　if　he　visited。　She　was　showering　benefits　around　her　in　the　manner　of　a　demob…happy　soldier；　and　these　promises；　made　so　lightly；　gilded　the　prospect　of　Andrew’s　own　move。　He　had　greeted　the　news　that　his　parents　had　had　an　offer　on　Hilltop　House　with　at　least　as　much　excitement　as　pain。

The　sweeping　turn　into　Church　Row；　usually　made　with　an　uplift　of　spirits；　dampened　them。　He　could　see　people　moving　around　in　the　graveyard；　and　he　wondered　what　this　funeral　was　going　to　be　like；　and　for　the　first　time　that　morning　thought　of　Krystal　Weedon　in　more　than　the　abstract。

A　memory；　long　buried　in　the　deepest　recesses　of　his　mind；　came　back　to　him；　of　that　time　in　the　playground　at　St　Thomas’s；　when　Fats；　in　a　spirit　of　disinterested　investigation；　had　handed　him　a　peanut　hidden　inside　a　marshmallow　…　he　could　still　feel　his　burning　throat　closing　inexorably。　He　remembered　trying　to　yell；　and　his　knees　giving　way；　and　the　children　all　around　him；　watching　with　a　strange；　bloodless　interest；　and　then　Krystal　Weedon’s　raucous　scream。

‘Andiprice　iz　’avin’　a　’lurgycacshun！’

She　had　run；　on　her　stocky　little　legs；　all　the　way　to　the　staff　room；　and　the　headmaster　had　snatched　Andrew　up　and　sprinted　with　him　to　the　nearby　surgery；　where　Dr　Crawford　had　administered　adrenalin。　She　was　the　only　one　who　had　remembered　the　talk　that　their　teacher　had　given　the　class；　explaining　Andrew’s　life…threatening　condition；　the　only　one　to　recognize　his　symptoms。

Krystal　ought　to　have　been　given　a　gold　merit　star；　and　perhaps　a　certificate　at　assembly　as　Pupil　of　the　Week；　but　the　very　next　day　（Andrew　remembered　it　as　clearly　as　his　own　collapse）　she　had　hit　Lexie　Mollison　so　hard　in　the　mouth　that　she　had　knocked　out　two　of　Lexie’s　teeth。

He　wheeled　Simon’s　bike　carefully　into　the　Walls’　garage；　then　rang　the　doorbell　with　a　reluctance　that　had　never　been　there　before。　Tessa　Wall　answered；　dressed　in　her　best　grey　coat。　Andrew　was　annoyed　with　her；　it　was　down　to　her　that　he　had　a　black　eye。

‘e　in；　Andy；’　said　Tessa；　and　her　expression　was　tense。　‘We’ll　just　be　a　minute。’

He　waited　in　the　hallway；　where　the　coloured　glass　over　the　door　cast　its　paintboxy　glow　on　the　floorboards。　Tessa　marched　into　the　kitchen；　and　Andrew　glimpsed　Fats　in　his　black　suit；　crumpled　up　in　a　kitchen　chair　like　a　crushed　spider；　with　one　arm　over　his　head；　as　if　he　were　fending　off　blows。

Andrew　turned　his　back。　The　two　boys　had　had　no　munication　since　Andrew　had　led　Tessa　to　the　Cubby　Hole。　Fats　had　not　been　to　school　for　a　fortnight。　Andrew　had　sent　a　couple　of　texts；　but　Fats　had　not　replied。　His　Facebook　page　remained　frozen　as　it　had　been　on　the　day　of　Howard　Mollison’s　party。

A　week　ago；　without　warning；　Tessa　had　telephoned　the　Prices；　told　them　that　Fats　had　admitted　to　having　posted　the　messages　under　the　name　The_Ghost_of_Barry_Fairbrother；　and　offered　her　deepest　apologies　for　the　consequences　they　had　suffered。

‘So　how　did　he　know　I　had　that　puter？’　Simon　had　roared；　advancing　on　Andrew。　‘How　did　fucking　Fats　Wall　know　I　did　jobs　after…hours　at　the　printworks？’

Andrew’s　only　consolation　was　that　if　his　father　had　known　the　truth；　he　might　have　ignored　Ruth’s　protests　and　continued　to　pummel　Andrew　until　he　was　uncon