Heshookhisheadmiserably.
"Whataccentdidshehave?"
Heseemedmerelypuzzledbythequestion."ShewasEnglish,"hesaid,"notforeign."
"Whatdidshesay?"
"LikeIsaid,shesaidtopickupthisman..."
"Howwereyoutoknowhim?"
"Shesaidhewouldbenearthedieselpumpsandhe"dseeuspullupandhewouldspeaktome...andhedid."
"Whothoughtupthediarrhoea?"
"Like,shedid.See,shesaidIhadtohavesomewayofgettingBretttostopatSouthMimms.SoItoldBrettifhedidn"tstop,I"dhavetodropmytrousersinthecabandhewouldhavetocleanitup."Helaugheduneasily."Brettsaidhewouldrubmyfaceinit.Butanyway,hestopped."
"SoBrettwasn"tinthescheme?"
Davelookedfurious."Brett"sas.h.i.t."
"Why,exactly?"
Dave"ssenseofinjusticeovercamecaution."Hesaidhewouldn"ttakethemanunlesshepaidus.SoIaskedthisOgden,buthesaidhehadn"tanymoney.Hemusthavehadsome,buthesaidthatwasn"tinthebargain,Iwouldbegettingpaidlater,andIsaidBrettwouldn"tagreetoitwithoutbeingpaidfirst,andthisOgdengotsortofpurple,hewa.s.soupset,andhefoundsomemoneyafterall,butnotalot,andBrettsaiditwasn"tenoughandsoIgaveBrettsomemoneyandIhadtotellhimI"dbegettingitback,sothenhesaidhe"dbewantingsomeofthatifIdidn"twanthimtotellyouthatI"dfixedupahitchhikerformoney.Andnotonlythat?Dave"sfuryincreased,"butBrettcametothepubonSat.u.r.dayeveningandmademepayforhisbeerandhewaseffinggloating,andItoldhimthepayenvelopehadn"tturnedupbutallhesaidwas,"Toobad,mate,that"syourbadluck"andwentondrinking."
"AndyoutookaswipeatJogger,"Isaid.
"Well,hewouldn"tshutupandIwasragingaboutBrett,andJoggerwasgoingonandonaboutthingsstuckonthebottomofthehorseboxes,onandonaboutthecashboxinyoursitting-room,thatfilthyoldcashbox,onandonaboutthingsbeingcarriedunderthelorries..."
"Didyouunderstandwhathewastalkingabout?"Iasked,surprised.
"Yes,ofcourse."
"Aboutlonerangers?"
"Yeah,ofcourse.Strangers."
"WhataboutnunsandPoland?"
"Eh?"
Hisfacewasblank.NunsandPolandmeantnothing.
"DidJogger,"Iasked"knowaboutyourprivateenterprise?"
"What?DoyoumeanthatOgden?OfcourseJoggerknewhe"ddied,like.Ididn"ttellhimtheridehadbeenfixedinadvance.I"mnotloony,see,he"dhavebeenroundtoyouinfiveminutestellingonme.Alwaysonyourside,wasJogger."
"Ithoughtyouwere,too,"Iobserved.
"Yeah."Helookedveryfaintlyashamed."Well,like,there"snoharminabitofbeermoneyontheside."
"Therewas,thistime."
"HowwasItoknowhe"ddie?"Daveaskedaggrievedly.
"Whatwashecarrying?"Iasked.
"Carrying?"Hisforeheadwrinkled."Abag.Oneofthembriefcases.And,um,asortofcarrier-bagwithsandwichesandaflask.Ihelpedhimputthemallupinthecab."
"Whatdidhedowiththesandwiches?"
"Atethem,Isuppose.Idon"tknow."
"DidyouandBrettbuysandwiches?"
Helookedpuzzledbythequestionsbutfoundthemeasiertoanswerthanearlierones."Brettdid,"hesaidreadily,thoughsourly."Hewentofflaughingandboughtsomewithmymoney,thet.u.r.d."
"Brettsaidyou"dpickeduphitchhikersonotheroccasions."
"He"sas.h.i.t"
"Well,didyou?Andweretheyarrangedinadvance?"
"No,theywerecasual,like.Brettneverminded,ifhegotsomeofthedosh."
"Whatabouttheotherdrivers?Havetheydonethesame?""I"mnotsnitchingonanyone,"hesaidvirtuously."Meaningthattheyhave?""No."Hephysicallysquirmed.
Ileft.i.t.InsteadIasked,"HowlongbeforeyouwenttoNewmarketwasthestopatSouthMimmsarranged?"
"Thenightbefore."
"Time?"
"AfterIgotbackfromtheFolkestoneraces."
"Thatmeanslate."
Henodded."Mywifedidn"tlikeit."
"Hadthewomantriedtoreachyoubeforeyougotback?"
Mywifewouldhavegoneonabout.i.tifshehad."
Heseemedtobewellunderhiswife"sthumb,anditdidn"tseemtohaveoccurredtohimtoaskhowthewomanonthetelephonehadknownhewouldn"tbehomeuntillate,andhadalsoknownhewouldbegoingtoNewmarketthenextday.Shehadknown,moreover,thathecouldbebribedtopickupahitchhiker.
Shehadknownagooddealtoomuch.
Who,forG.o.d"ssake,hadtoldher?
CHAPTER10.
DaveandAzizsetoffforIreland,Davelookingonlymoderatelychastened,apparentlyconfidentthatIwouldn"tactuallysackhim.Hewasprobablyright,ashedidn"tappeartohavebrokenanylaws.e.xceptmyownandcouldgoofftoanindustrialtribunalmutteringaboutwrongfuldismissalifIgavehimgroundsandhehadamindto.Therewasnothingnewinhisirresponsibility.Hewa.s.stillverygoodandreliablewithhorsesandanadequatedriver.Ihopedhewouldthinktwiceinfutureabouttakingmoneyforlifts,butIwouldn"tbethe"dneverdoit.Themainchange,asfarasIcouldsee,wasinmyownatt.i.tudetowardshim,myindulgentlikinghavingfadedtowardsirritation.
OutinthefarmyardLewiswa.s.showingphotographsofhisbabytoNinawhohadarrivedinherworkingpersonaandherworkingcar.
"He"sarightlittleraver,"Lewissaid,lookingadoringlyathisoffspring."Youknowwhat,helikessocceronthetelly,hewatchesitallthetime."
"Howoldishe?"Ninaasked,dutifullyadmiring.
"Eightmonths.Lookatthisone,inthebath,suckinghisyellowduck."
"He"slovely,"Ninasaid.
Lewisbeamedandsaid,"Nothing"stoogoodforhim.WemightsendhimtoEton,whynot?"Hetuckedthephotosawayinanenvelope."BetterbeofftoLingfield,Iguess,"hesaid."TwoforBenjyUsher.LasttimeIwenttothatyard,"hetoldNina,"theyledoutthewronghorse,andnotforthefirsttime,either.I"dloadedupandwasdrivingoutofthegatewhenoneoftheladscametearingalongyellingandscreaming.Iaskyou!Thewronghorse!Andthere"sMrUsheryellingoutofhisupstairswindowasifitwasmyfault,nothisheadlad"s,thestupidgit."
Ninalistened,fascinated,andaskedme,"Isiteasytopickupthewronghorse?"
"Wetakethehorsestheygiveus,"Isaid."Ifthey"rethewrongones,it"snotourfault.Asyouknow,ourdrivershaveworksheetswithtimes,pick-uppoints,destinations,andthenamesofthehorses,but.i.t"snottheirjobtocheckident.i.ties."
"WetooktwoofMrUsher"sallthewaytothewrongraces,lastyear,"Lewissaid,enjoyingit.
Ienlarged."WeweretakingonefromUsher"stoLeicesterandonetoPlumpton,andalthoughLewisandtheotherdrivereachsaidclearlywhichboxwasgoingtowhichdestination,theUsherheadladmixedthemup.Theydidn"tfindoutuntilthefirstonearrivedatthewrongplace.Therewasquiteafracas."
"Frack-a.s.s,"Lewissaid,grinning.I"llsay."
"Lookinanewspaperandcheckyou"vegottherightnamesoftheUsherrunners,"ItoldLewis,"sowehavenomoremixupstoday."
"OK.".
Hewalkedofftothecanteenwherehecouldbeseenconsultingtheracingprogrammes,thenwithawavetookhimselfovertohissuper-sixtosetoffonhisjourney.
"Whenhecameherefirst,"ItoldNina,"Lewishadringlets.Nowhehasthebabyinstead.He"shandywithhisfistsifyoueverneeddefending.Therewon"tbemanypeoplemessingwithhisboy."
"Schoolbulliesbeware?"
"Andtheirdads."
"They"reallverydifferentfromeachotherwhenyougettoknowthem,"Ninasaid.
"Thedrivers,doyoumean?Yes,theyare."Shecamewithmeintomyoffice."TellmeaboutNigel."
ShesettledherselfcomfortablyintothesecondchairwhileIperchedontheedgeofthedesk.
"Hedrovenearlyalltheway,thereandback,regardlessofhours,butwewroteupthelogbooksasifwe"dshareditmoreevenly."
"Tut."
Shesmiled."HesaidIcouldlookafterthehorse.He"snottoofondofhorses,didyouknow?Hesaidsomedrivershetalkstoatracemeetingsaredownrightscaredofthem."
"SoI"veheard."
"Nigelthinksyouaren"ttoobadtoworkfor.Abitfussy,like,hesaid."
"Oh,really?"
"He"sproudofhisbody.Hegavemearun-downofthestateofhismuscles,practicallyeachofthemseparately.Hetoldmehowtodevelopmypectorals."
Ilaughedinmythroat."Howuseful."
"IhaveamessageforyoufromPatrickVenables."
Abruptchangeofsubject."Whatisit?"Iasked.
"Thosetubesyougavemefora.n.a.lysis.Hesays,"shefrownedindecisively,"hesaystheyheldsomethingcalledviraltransportmedium."
Imadenoimmediatecomment,soshewenton,"It"saliquidapparentlymadeupofsterilewater,sucrose-itsoundsoddb.u.t.that"swhathesaid-andbovinealb.u.minwhichiswhatkeepsthevirusgoing,andglutamicacid,that"sanaminoacidorsomething,andanantibioticcalledgeranium...er,no...Gentamicin...whichkillsoffinvadingbacteria,butwon"tactonavirus.Thewholestuff"susedfortransportingavirusfromplacetoplace."
"Didtheyfindavirusinit?"
"No.Theysaidaviruswouldn"tlastverylongoutofabody.Theyapparentlydon"tusetheword"live"withviruses,asvirusescan"tgoonworkingorreproducing,orwhateveritistheydo,oncethey"reawayfromalivinghostcell.It"sallabitcomplicated,itseemstome.Anyway,Patrickwantstoknowwherethetubescamefrom."
"FromPontefractservicestationinYorkshire.Beforethat,Idon"tknow."
ItoldherwhatI"dlearnedfromLynnMelissaOgden,relictofKevinKeith.
Poorwoman,"Isaid."Theyledawretchedexistence."Therearesomanyawfullives.Andyouneverexpect.i.twhenyou"restarting."
ItoldheraboutmyconfrontationwithDave,earlierthatmorning.
"Soyouwereright!"sheexclaimed."Yousaidhehadtohavearrangedthathitchhikerinadvance."
"Mm.Buthedidn"treactwhenIaskedhimwhatKevinKeithwascarrying.I"msurehedidn"tknow."
"Soitcouldn"thavebeenhimwhocameintheblackbalaclavatosearchthecab."
"I"mcertainitwasn"t.Hewouldn"thaveneededtodisguisehimself.Hecouldhavecomebackopenly.Hewashopingforhispaytobeleftinthecab,but,notsurprisingly,itwasn"t.Thepersonwhocamedisguisedwa.s.searching,notleavinganenvelope."
"Sowhowasit?"
"Goodquestion."Ithoughtabit."Therearetwomindsatworkhere.Twoatleast,"Isaid."Oneislogicalbutdestructive.Theother"sasillogicalasapoltergeist."
"Twoatleast?Youmean,morethantwo?"