IwentoutofhishouseandovertomyFourtrakandhefollowedmeindecisivelyasfarashisdoor.
"Comeback,"hesaid.
Iretracedafewstepsinhisdirection.
"Youcan"tmakeaccusationslikethatandsimplyb.u.g.g.e.roff,"hesaid."Doyouordon"tyouwanttogoondrivingmyhorses?"
"Verybadly,"Iadmitted.
"Thenthisisnotthewaytogoabout.i.t."
"Ican"tletmybusinessbeusedforcarryingvirusesfromplacetoplaceanddonothingtostopit."
"Huh,"hesaidonalowbreath."Whenyouthinkofitlikethat...b.u.t.tessa?It"spreposterous.Shewouldn"tknowhowtodoit,forastart."
"I"dliketoaskher,"Isaidreasonably."Issheathome?"
Helookedathiswatch."Sheoughttobehereatanyminute.Sheonlywentshopping."
"Icouldcomeback,"Isaid.
Hehesitated,thenjerkedhisheadtowardstheinsideofthehouse,biddingmetofollow."Youmightaswellwait,"hesaid.
Ifollowedhimthroughtothesitting-room.
"Tessa,"hesaid,notbelievingit."You"vegot.i.tallwrong."
"IfIhave,I"llgrovel."
Hegavemeasharplook."You"llneedto."
Wewaited.Michaeltriedtoreadanewspaperandput.i.tdowncrossly,unabletoconcentrate.
"Nonsense,"hesaid,meaningwhatI"dsaidaboutTessa."Totalnonsense."
Hisdaughterreturned,lookingintothesitting-rooma.s.shepa.s.sed,festoonedwithboutiquebags,onherwayupstairs.Brownhaired,lighteyed,perpetuallysulky-looking,sheglancedatmewithdisfavour.
"Comein,Tessa,"herfathersaid."Shutthedoor."
"Iwanttogoupstairs."Shepeeredintooneofthebags."Iwanttotrythisdresson."
"Comein,"hesaid,sharplyforhim,andfrowning,ungraciously,shedidso.
"Whatisit,then?"sheasked.
"Allright,Freddie,"herfathersaidtome."Askher."
"Askmewhat?"Shewasdispleased,butnotfrightened.
"Um..."Isaid,"didyouarrangeforsometubescontainingvirustobebroughttoPixhill?"
Ittookamomentformydeliberatelycasualtoneofvoicetoreachherunderstanding.WhensherealisedwhatI"daskedher,shestoppedfidgetingwithhershoppingandgrewstillwithshock,herfacestiffening,mouthopen,eyeswary.EventoMichaelitwasplainthatsheknewwhatIwastalkingabout.
"Tessa,"hesaiddespairingly.
"Well,whatofit?"shesaiddefiantly."WhatifIdid?Itnevergothere.Sowhat?"
Itookthetwotubesoutofmypocketagainandputthemonthetable.Shelookedatthemvaguely,thenworkedoutwhattheywere.Abadmomentforher,Ithought.
"Thereweresixtubes,"Isaid."Whatwereyougoingtodowiththem?PourthecontentsupthenosesofsixfilliesbelongingtoJerichoRich?"
"Dad!"Sheturnedtohim,imploring,"Getridofhim."
"Ican"t,"Michaelsaidsadly."Isthatwhatyouintended?"
"Ididn"tdoit."Shesoundedtriumphantmorethanabashed.
"Youdidn"tdoit,"Iagreed,"becauseyourcourierdiedofheartfailureonthejourneyandfailedtodeliverthethermos."
"Youdon"tknowanything,"shesaid."You"remakingitup."
"YouwantedtogetevenwithJerichoRichfortakinghishorsesawaybecausehemadeapa.s.satyouandyouslappedhisface.Youthoughtyouwouldmakehishorsesillsotheycouldn"twin,servehimright.Yousawanadvertis.e.m.e.ntinHorseandHoundsayingmoreorless"anythingtransportedanywhere",soyouphonedthenumberintheadandarrangedforKevinKeithOgden-themanwhodied-topickupathermosatPontefractservicestationandbringitdowntheA1tothejunctionwiththeM25atSouthMimms.Youarrangedwithmydriver,Dave,togetOgdenpickedupthereandtobringhimtoChieveley.YouphonedDavelateintheeveningafterhegotbackfromFolkestone,asyouknewitwasnogoodtryingtoreachhimearlierbecauseyouknewhisschedule.You"realwaysinandoutofIsobel"sofficeandyoucouldseetheday"slist.Ogdenwa.s.supposedtodisembarkatChieveleyandhandoverthethermos,butashe"ddiedmymenbroughthimallthewaytomyhouse.IexpectyoumayhavebeensurprisedwhenOgdendidn"tappearatChieveley,but.i.twa.s.soonalloverthevillagewhynot,andcertainlyyourfatherknewabout.i.talmostatonce."Ipausedbriefly.Neitherfathernordaughtertriedtospeak.
"WhenyoufoundOgdenwasdead,"Iwenton,"youknewthethermoshadtobestillinthehorsebox,soyoucamelookingforit,Tessa,disguisedindarkclotheswithablackbalaclavaoveryourhead,sothatifIsawyouIwouldn"tknowyou.Ifoundyouinthecab,ifyouremember,andyouranaway."
ItwasMichaelwhosaid,"No."
"Youcouldn"tfindthethermos,"ItoldTessa."Youtriedtwice.ThenIdecidedtosleepinthecab,whichputanendtoit."
Michaelsaid,"Idon"tbelieveit."Buthedid.
I"llmakeadealwithyou,"IsaidtoTessa."Iwon"ttellJerichoRichwhatyouintendedforhisfilliesifyou"llanswerafewquestions."
"Youcan"tproveathing,"shesaid,narrowinghereyes."Andthat"sblackmail."
"Maybe.Inreturnformynevermentioningthisagaintoanyone,Iwantafewanswers.It"snotabadbargain."
"HowdoIknowyou"llkeepit?"
"Hewill,"Michaelsaid.
"Whydoyoutrusthimsomuch?"hisdaughterdemanded.
"Ijustdo."
Shedidn"tlikeit.Shetossedherhead.Shesaidtightly,"Whatdoyouwanttoknow?"
"Chiefly,"Isaid,"wheredidthevirustransportmediumcomefrom?"
"What?"
Irepeatedthequestion.Shewentonlookingblank.
"Theliquidinthosetubes,"Isaid,"isamixtureusedfortransportingvirusesoutsidealivingbody."
"Idon"tunderstand."
"Ifyousimplycollectedthenasaldischargeofahorsewiththevirus,"Isaid,"theviruswoulddisappearinaveryshorttime.TobringtheinfectiontoPixhillfromYorkshirebyroad,thewayitcame,you"dneedtocombinethenasaldischargewithamixturethatwouldkeepthevirusactive.That"swhat"sinthesetubes,thatmixture.Eveninthese,aviruswon"tsurvivemorethantwodays.Thismixturehereisharmlessnow.Butwherediditcomefrom?"
Shedidn"tanswer.Michaelsaid,"Where,Tessa?"
"Idon"tknow.Idon"tknowwhatyou"retalkingabout."
"Allyouknow,"Isuggested,"wasthatifyouheldahorse"sheadupandpouredthemixturedownhisnostril,hewouldbeinfected?"
"Well,probably.Probablybeinfected."
"Whotoldyou?"Iasked."Whogotthestuffforyou?"
Silence.
"Tessa?"Michaelsaid.
"WasitBenjyUsher?"Iasked.
"No!"Shewastrulyastonished."Ofcoursenot."
"NotBenjy,"Michaelagreed,amused."Butwho,Tessa?"
"I"mnotsaying."
"That"sunfortunate,"Imurmured.
Asilencelengthenedwhilethehead-t.o.s.s.e.r,thewhisperer,thought.i.tover.
"Oh,allright,"sheburstout."ItwasLewis."
Michaelwasa.s.surprisedasIwasnot.Iwouldhavebeenastoundedifshe"dsaidanyoneelse.
"Idon"tknowwherehegot.i.tfrom,"shesaidwildly."Allhesaidwashecouldgetapalupnorthtocollectsomesnotfromahorsewiththevirus-that"swhathesaid,snot,notallposhlikenasaldischarge-andthispalwouldtakeittoPontefractservicestationifIcouldgetsomeonetocollect.i.t.Thepalcouldn"tgetawaytobringitdownhereandI"dnochanceofgoingtoYorkshirewithoutmakingendless.e.xcuses,soyes,I"dseentheadinthemagazineandsuggestedtoLewisthatIcoulduseitandhesaidgetDavetopickthemanup;DavewasdownforthetriptoNewmarketandhewoulddoanythingformoney,andthemanwouldgettoChieveley,whereIcouldmeethimeasily,andhowwasItoknowhewasgoingtodie"?IphonedLewisandtoldhimwhathadhappenedandaskedhimtofindthethermosformebutallhewoulddowasgivemethekeytogetintothecabwith.Andifyouwanttoknow,youlookedprettystupidwhenyoucaughtmesearching,whenyouweretryingtoruninsleepingshortsandgumbootsandaraincoathalfoff.Prettysilly,youlooked."
"Iexpectso,"Isaidequably."Didyoulookunderthehorseboxaswellasinit?"
"MrKnow-all,aren"tyou?Yes,Idid."
"Er,why?"
"Lewistoldmeonedayyoucouldcarryanythingunderthehorseboxesifyouwantedto."
"Whydidhesaythat?"Iasked.
"Whydoesanyonesayanything?Helikedsayingthingstogetyougoing.Hesaidhe"dcarriedsoapinacontainerunderoneofyourboxes,buthe"dgivenitup,itdidn"twork."
"Soap,"Michaelsaid,hopelesslylost,"whyeversoap?"
"Idon"tknow.HowshouldIknow?Lewisjustsaysweirdthings.Justhisway."
"So...er..."Isaid,"didyoufindanysoapundermyhorsebox?"
"No,ofcourseIdidn"t.Iwaslookingforathermos.Therewasnothingatallunderthere.Itwasallfilthydirty."
"WhenyoutriedtogetNigeltotakeyoutoNewmarketwiththefillies,"Isaid,"wereyoustillhopingtofindtheviruscontainerandinfectthehorsesonthejourney?"
"WhatifIwas?"
"Itwasadifferenthorsebox,"Isaid.
"Itwasn"t...well,theyalllookalike."
"Manydo."
Shelookedshattered.
"DidyoupayDave?"Iaskedmildly.
"No,Ididn"t.Imean,Inevergotthestuff,didI?"
"Andyoudidn"tpayOgden,becausehewasdead.DidyoupayLewis?"
Afterapauseshesaidsullenly,"Hewanteditinadvance.So,yes."
Michaelsaid,"Tessa,"again,almostwailing.
"WellIdiditforyou,Dad,"shesaid."IhateJerichoRich.TakinghishorsesawaybecauseIslappedhisface!Ididitforyou."
Michaelwasovercome,fulloftoo-easyindulgence.Ididn"tbelieveher,butperhapsMichaelneededto.
CHAPTER13.
Isobelwa.s.stillintheofficewhenIreturnedtothefarmyardalthoughitwasbythennearlyfive.Rosehadgonehome.
Lewishadphoned,Isobelsaid.Ihadjustmissedhim.HeandNinawerebackthroughtheMontBlanctunnelandhadstoppedforasandwichandrefuelling.Ninahadbeendriving.Thecolthadhaditsheadoutofthewindowallthewaybuthadnotgoneberserk.Lewiswouldbedrivingnorththroughthenight,thoughhewouldstopsomewheretofillthejerrycanswithFrenchwaterforthecolt.