首发偶发空缺 (临时空缺)-第35章

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‘Should　I　have　consulted　you　first？’　said　Simon。

‘No。’

‘Oh；　thank　you；’　said　Simon。　His　lower　jaw　was　protruding；　as　it　often　did　when　he　was　working　up　to　losing　control。　‘Have　you　found　a　job　yet；　you　skiving；　sponging　little　shit？’

‘No。’

Simon　glared　at　Andrew；　not　eating；　but　holding　a　cooling　forkful　of　shepherd’s　pie　in　mid…air。　Andrew　switched　his　attention　back　to　his　food；　determined　not　to　offer　further　provocation。　The　air　pressure　within　the　kitchen　seemed　to　have　increased。　Paul’s　knife　rattled　against　his　plate。

‘Shirley　says；’　Ruth　piped　up　again；　her　voice　high…pitched；　determined　to　pretend　all　was　well　until　this　became　impossible；　‘that　it’ll　be　on　the　council　website；　Simon。　About　how　you　put　your　name　forward。’

Simon　did　not　respond。

Her　last；　best　attempt　thwarted；　Ruth　fell　silent　too。　She　was　afraid　that　she　might　know　what　was　at　the　root　of　Simon’s　bad　mood。　Anxiety　gnawed　at　her；　she　was　a　worrier；　she　always　had　been；　she　couldn’t　help　it。　She　knew　that　it　drove　Simon　mad　when　she　begged　him　for　reassurance。　She　must　not　say　anything。

‘Si？’

‘What？’

‘It’s　all　right；　isn’t　it？　About　the　puter？’

She　was　a　dreadful　actress。　She　tried　to　make　her　voice　casual　and　calm；　but　it　was　brittle　and　high…pitched。

This　was　not　the　first　time　stolen　goods　had　entered　their　home。　Simon　had　found　a　way　of　fiddling　the　electricity　meter　too；　and　did　small　jobs　on　the　side；　at　the　printworks；　for　cash。　All　of　it　gave　her　little　pains　in　the　stomach；　kept　her　awake　at　night；　but　Simon　was　contemptuous　of　people　who　did　not　dare　take　the　shortcuts　（and　part　of　what　she　had　loved　about　him；　from　the　beginning；　was　that　this　rough　and　wild　boy；　who　was　contemptuous；　rude　and　aggressive　to　nearly　everyone；　had　taken　the　trouble　to　attract　her；　that　he；　who　was　so　difficult　to　please；　had　selected　her；　alone；　as　worthy）。

‘What　are　you　talking　about？’　Simon　asked　quietly。　The　full　focus　of　his　attention　shifted　from　Andrew　to　Ruth；　and　was　expressed　by　the　same　unblinking；　venomous　stare。

‘Well；　there　won’t　be　any　…　any　trouble　about　it；　will　there？’

Simon　was　seized　with　a　brutal　urge　to　punish　her　for　intuiting　his　own　fears　and　for　stoking　them　with　her　anxiety。

‘Yeah；　well；　I　wasn’t　going　to　say　anything；’　he　said；　speaking　slowly；　giving　himself　time　to　make　up　a　story；　‘but　there　was　a　bit　of　trouble　when　they　were　nicked；　as　it　turns　out。’　Andrew　and　Paul　paused　in　their　eating　and　stared。　‘Some　security　guard　got　beaten　up。　I　didn’t　know　anything　about　it　till　it　was　too　late。　I　only　hope　there’s　no　eback。’

Ruth　could　barely　breathe。　She　could　not　believe　the　evenness　of　his　tone；　the　calmness　with　which　he　spoke　of　violent　robbery。　This　explained　his　mood　when　he　had　e　home；　this　explained　everything。

‘That’s　why　it’s　essential　nobody　mentions　we’ve　got　it；’　said　Simon。

He　subjected　each　of　them　to　a　fierce　glare；　to　impress　the　dangers　on　them　by　sheer　force　of　personality。

‘We　won’t；’　Ruth　breathed。

Her　rapid　imagination　was　already　showing　her　the　police　at　the　door；　the　puter　examined；　Simon　arrested；　wrongly　accused　of　aggravated　assault　–　jailed。

‘Did　you　hear　Dad？’　she　said　to　her　sons；　in　a　voice　barely　louder　than　a　whisper。　‘You　mustn’t　tell　anybody　we’ve　got　a　new　puter。’

‘It　should　be　all　right；’　said　Simon。　‘It　should　be　fine。　As　long　as　everyone　keeps　their　traps　shut。’

He　turned　his　attention　back　to　his　shepherd’s　pie。　Ruth’s　eyes　flittered　from　Simon　to　her　sons　and　back　again。　Paul　was　pushing　food　around　his　plate；　silent；　frightened。

But　Andrew　had　not　believed　a　word　his　father　said。

You’re　a　lying　fucking　bastard。　You　just　like　scaring　her。

When　the　meal　was　finished；　Simon　got　up　and　said；　‘Well；　let’s　see　whether　the　bloody　thing　works；　at　least。　You；’　he　pointed　at　Paul；　‘go　and　get　it　out　of　the　box　and　put　it　carefully　–　carefully　–　on　the　stand。　You；’　he　pointed　at　Andrew；　‘you　do　puting；　don’t　you？　You　can　tell　me　what　to　do。’

Simon　led　the　way　into　the　sitting　room。　Andrew　knew　that　he　was　trying　to　catch　them　out；　that　he　wanted　them　to　mess　up：　Paul；　who　was　small　and　nervous；　might　drop　the　puter；　and　he；　Andrew；　was　sure　to　blunder。　Behind　them　in　the　kitchen；　Ruth　was　clattering　around；　clearing　away　the　dinner　things。　She；　at　least；　was　out　of　the　immediate　line　of　fire。

Andrew　went　to　assist　Paul　as　he　lifted　the　hard　drive。

‘He　can　do　it；　he’s　not　that　much　of　a　pussy！’　snapped　Simon。

By　a　miracle；　Paul；　his　arms　trembling；　set　it　down　on　the　stand　without　mishap；　then　waited　with　his　arms　dangling　limply　at　his　sides；　blocking　Simon’s　access　to　the　machine。

‘Get　out　of　my　way；　you　stupid　little　prick；’　Simon　shouted。　Paul　scurried　off　to　watch　from　behind　the　sofa。　Simon　picked　up　a　lead　at　random　and　addressed　Andrew。

‘Where　do　I　put　this？’

Up　your　arse；　you　bastard。

‘If　you　give　it　to　me—’

‘I’m　asking　where　I　fucking　put　it！’　roared　Simon。　‘You　do　puting　–　tell　me　where　it　goes！’

Andrew　leaned　around　the　back　of　the　puter；　he　instructed　Simon　wrong　at　first；　but　then；　by　chance；　got　the　right　socket。

They　had　nearly　finished　by　the　time　Ruth　joined　them　in　the　sitting　room。　Andrew　could　tell；　from　one　fleeting　look　at　her；　that　she　did　not　want　the　thing　to　work；　that　she　wanted　Simon　to　dump　it　somewhere；　and　never　mind　the　eighty　quid。

Simon　sat　down　in　front　of　the　monitor。　After　several　fruitless　attempts；　he　realized　that　the　cordless　mouse　had　no　batteries　in　it。　Paul　was　sent　sprinting　from　the　room　to　fetch　some　from　the　kitchen。　When　he　held　them　out　to　his　father　on　his　return；　Simon　snatched　them　out　of　his　hand；　as　if　Paul　might　try　and　whip　them　away。

His　tongue　down　between　his　lower　teeth　and　his　lip；　so　that　his　chin　bulged　out　stupidly；　Simon　made　an　exaggerated　over…fiddling　business　of　inserting　the　batteries。　He　always　pulled　this　mad；　brutish　face　as　a　warning　that　he　was　reaching　the　end　of　his　tether；　descending　into　the　place　where　he　could　not　be　held　accountable　for　his　actions。　Andrew　imagined　walking　out　and　leaving　his　father　to　it；　depriving　him　of　the　audience　he　preferred　when　working　himself　up；　he　could　almost　feel　the　mouse　hitting　him　behind　the　ear　as；　in　his　imagination；　he　turned　his　back。
Ｚei8。电子书
‘Get　–　fucking　–　IN！’

Simon　began　to　emit　the　low；　animal　noise；　unique　to　him；　that　matched　his　aggressively　wadded　face。

‘Uhhlll　…　uhhlll　…　CUNTING　THING！　You　fucking　do　it！　You！　You’ve　got　pissy　little　girl’s　fingers！’

Simon　slammed　the　control　and　the　batteries　into　Paul’s　chest。　Paul’s　hands　shook　as　he　fitted　the　little　metal　tubes　into　place；　he　snapped　the　plastic　cover　shut　and　held　the　controls　back　out　to　his　father。

‘Thank　you；　Pauline。’

Simon’s　chin　was　still　jutting　like　a　Neanderthal’s。　He　habitually　acted　as　though　inanimate　objects　were　conspiring　to　irritate　him。　Once　again　he　placed　the　mouse　on　the　mat。

Let　it　work。

A　small　white　arrow　appeared　on　screen　and　swooped　cheerily　around　at　Simon’s　mand。

A　tourniquet　of　fear　was　released；　relief　gushed　through　three　of　the　watc