[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
. I thought you weren t coming in tonight, she saidin surprise. Harry said& I know, I know.I realised I was being a bit of adrama queen.Sorry, Lib. He leaned across the barcounter and kissed her cheek. Sorry for what? It wasn t your fault I fell down ahole. Yes, it was, he said with a sigh. If I hadn t writtenthe bloody play& Oh, don t talk rubbish.We ve been over this dozensof times.You didn t know what had happened, did you? I thought Ben told you? Mum had rambled aboutsomething, but I thought she d got it muddled in herhead.She was so young when it all happened. Well, it s all over now, so we can forget about it,Page 197 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlcan t we? said Libby briskly, drying a glass and puttingit back on a shelf. How is she? Still with David and Susan.I offered to take herhome with me, but David insisted they kept her.Isuppose it makes sense as he s a doctor. Peter perchedon a bar stool. But what we do next, I ve no idea. Sheltered accommodation? suggested Libby. I don t know if she can cope on her own any more,even in somewhere like Flo s place.I think it ll have tobe an upmarket home for the bewildered like Lenny s.Isuppose we ll have to wait and see. Hasn t David told you what he thinks?TopPage No 279273Peter frowned. No, he just says leave her with them.I don t know what Susan thinks. Not much, I expect, said Libby. Were Millie andSusan close as they grew up? They re quite close in age,aren t they? Millie was four when Susan was born, so they werebrought up more or less as sisters.As far as I can makeout, she wasn t too pleased when Susan married David. Oh? Why? No idea. Peter shrugged. Perhaps she wanted himfor herself?Libby laughed. Don t be daft, she must have beenmarried by then. She was, and I was on the way.I bet she wanted tobe a bridesmaid and couldn t because of me. Lord, can you imagine your Mum as a nineteen-sixties bridesmaid? I can t. Oh, I can.Just her style. Peter stood up andstretched. Give us a drink, then, you old trout, then I llrelieve you behind the bar.But before Libby could reach for a clean glass, thefoyer doors swung open.Peter scowled. What do you want? he said. Evening, Mr Parker.I just wanted a word.Evening,Mrs Serjeant. Mr Cole. Libby looked nervously towards thedoors to the auditorium. Will you be long? I don t know, madam. DS Cole turned to Peter. It s about Mrs Parker, sir. What about her? DCI Murray needs to ask her some questions, sir,and Doctor Dedham says he can t.TopPage 198 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlPage No 280274 That s right.My mother is er somewhatconfused at the moment.I believe Doctor Dedham hasher under sedation. Ah.Senile, is she? asked Cole. Bloody hell! Of course she s not senile! She s only65. Peter swung away from the bar and took a deepbreath. We think she s had some kind of breakdown,Sergeant, put in Libby. That s why she s staying withDoctor and Mrs Dedham. Right.So when did she have this breakdown? Wasit recent?Peter turned back. Does it matter? She s been actinga little strangely for some weeks.It s obviously beenbuilding up. Ah, said the sergeant.Libby, seeing that Peter was only just holding on tohis temper, said Would you like to talk somewhere else,Sergeant? The audience will be out here for the intervalany minute.Peter let out his breath in a rush. Come up to TheManor, he said. It s nearest. He turned and made forthe doors. Right, sir, said DS Cole. Thank you, madam.Libby watched them go with some trepidation.Whatdid the police want with Millie? Surely the police didn tknow what had happened the other night?A burst of clapping indicated the end of the first act,and one of the first thro ugh the auditorium doors wasFran. What did you think? asked Libby, having passedover the wine Fran had pre-ordered. Excellent, said Fran. I ll get out of your way.TopPage No 281275 No, that s OK, Fran.Stay here, I can still talk toyou in between customers.Most of them pre-ordered likeyou.But Fran shook her head, smiling abstractedly, andmoved away from the bar.Libby watched her go over tothe big windows which opened onto a tiny terrace forsmokers and sit at one of the little metal garden tables.This was worrying.Did Fran really not like The HopPickers, or had some nasty telepa thic thought surfaced inher brain? Libby sighed and turned to her next customer.Listening to comments made by members of theaudience, who had no idea who she was, Libby wasgratified to hear a good deal of praise, which distractedPage 199 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlher temporarily from worrying about what was happeningwith Peter and DS Cole, and Fran s unnatural reticence.When the interval bell rang and Fran came to put herglass on the bar, her worries returned. What s up, Fran? Nothing.I m really enjoying it. There s a problem, though, isn t there?Fran looked away. I d better go in.I ll see youafterwards.That was that then.Libby frowned at Fran s back asshe disappeared through the auditorium doors and went tocollect glasses. Here, I ll do that. Peter appeared behind her andtook the tray from her hands. You go and do the washingup. You look more cheerful, said Libby, as sheresumed her place behind the bar. They re going to have to get another doctor to havea look at Mum to see if she s fit to be questioned.So shewon t be bullied.TopPage No 282276 No, but why do they need to question her? Theydon t suspect her of Paula s murder, surely? God knows.What worries me is that if they startasking her questions she ll go burbling on about Hettyand Warburton and then we really will be in the soup.Libby blew thoughtfully on a soapy mass of bubbles. Do you remember anyone saying where it happened?Paula, I mean, not Warburton.Peter dumped a trayful of glasses in front of her. Inthe car.You know that. No, she was found in the car.Do we know whethershe was murdered there? Bloody hell.I never thought of that. Peter rubbedthe end of his nose. Well, that d let my mum out,wouldn t it? If the body was moved. Also, said Libby slowly, it could be that the carwas moved. We ll ave to get you in the force, missus, grinnedPeter, but you re right.And that would let my mum out,too.She can t drive.Never learned. Perhaps we ought to find out, said Libby. I mean,they d know by now.They d know by er lividity, andpost thing blood patterns, or something, wouldn t they?The scene of crime people look into all that straightaway. I think it s the medical examiner who does that.Thepost-mortem s been done, I know that much.David said. Well, anyway, they d know if she was moved orwhatever, wouldn t they? I suppose so.What made you think of it?Page 200 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html Something Fran said.I hadn t thought of it, either. Fran again. Peter frowned. What did she have tosay in the interval?TopPage No 283277 Nothing much.Just said it was good and she d seeme later.A bit odd, really. Hmm. Peter gave his tray a cursory wipe and setoff for more glasses [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl przylepto3.keep.pl
. I thought you weren t coming in tonight, she saidin surprise. Harry said& I know, I know.I realised I was being a bit of adrama queen.Sorry, Lib. He leaned across the barcounter and kissed her cheek. Sorry for what? It wasn t your fault I fell down ahole. Yes, it was, he said with a sigh. If I hadn t writtenthe bloody play& Oh, don t talk rubbish.We ve been over this dozensof times.You didn t know what had happened, did you? I thought Ben told you? Mum had rambled aboutsomething, but I thought she d got it muddled in herhead.She was so young when it all happened. Well, it s all over now, so we can forget about it,Page 197 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlcan t we? said Libby briskly, drying a glass and puttingit back on a shelf. How is she? Still with David and Susan.I offered to take herhome with me, but David insisted they kept her.Isuppose it makes sense as he s a doctor. Peter perchedon a bar stool. But what we do next, I ve no idea. Sheltered accommodation? suggested Libby. I don t know if she can cope on her own any more,even in somewhere like Flo s place.I think it ll have tobe an upmarket home for the bewildered like Lenny s.Isuppose we ll have to wait and see. Hasn t David told you what he thinks?TopPage No 279273Peter frowned. No, he just says leave her with them.I don t know what Susan thinks. Not much, I expect, said Libby. Were Millie andSusan close as they grew up? They re quite close in age,aren t they? Millie was four when Susan was born, so they werebrought up more or less as sisters.As far as I can makeout, she wasn t too pleased when Susan married David. Oh? Why? No idea. Peter shrugged. Perhaps she wanted himfor herself?Libby laughed. Don t be daft, she must have beenmarried by then. She was, and I was on the way.I bet she wanted tobe a bridesmaid and couldn t because of me. Lord, can you imagine your Mum as a nineteen-sixties bridesmaid? I can t. Oh, I can.Just her style. Peter stood up andstretched. Give us a drink, then, you old trout, then I llrelieve you behind the bar.But before Libby could reach for a clean glass, thefoyer doors swung open.Peter scowled. What do you want? he said. Evening, Mr Parker.I just wanted a word.Evening,Mrs Serjeant. Mr Cole. Libby looked nervously towards thedoors to the auditorium. Will you be long? I don t know, madam. DS Cole turned to Peter. It s about Mrs Parker, sir. What about her? DCI Murray needs to ask her some questions, sir,and Doctor Dedham says he can t.TopPage 198 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlPage No 280274 That s right.My mother is er somewhatconfused at the moment.I believe Doctor Dedham hasher under sedation. Ah.Senile, is she? asked Cole. Bloody hell! Of course she s not senile! She s only65. Peter swung away from the bar and took a deepbreath. We think she s had some kind of breakdown,Sergeant, put in Libby. That s why she s staying withDoctor and Mrs Dedham. Right.So when did she have this breakdown? Wasit recent?Peter turned back. Does it matter? She s been actinga little strangely for some weeks.It s obviously beenbuilding up. Ah, said the sergeant.Libby, seeing that Peter was only just holding on tohis temper, said Would you like to talk somewhere else,Sergeant? The audience will be out here for the intervalany minute.Peter let out his breath in a rush. Come up to TheManor, he said. It s nearest. He turned and made forthe doors. Right, sir, said DS Cole. Thank you, madam.Libby watched them go with some trepidation.Whatdid the police want with Millie? Surely the police didn tknow what had happened the other night?A burst of clapping indicated the end of the first act,and one of the first thro ugh the auditorium doors wasFran. What did you think? asked Libby, having passedover the wine Fran had pre-ordered. Excellent, said Fran. I ll get out of your way.TopPage No 281275 No, that s OK, Fran.Stay here, I can still talk toyou in between customers.Most of them pre-ordered likeyou.But Fran shook her head, smiling abstractedly, andmoved away from the bar.Libby watched her go over tothe big windows which opened onto a tiny terrace forsmokers and sit at one of the little metal garden tables.This was worrying.Did Fran really not like The HopPickers, or had some nasty telepa thic thought surfaced inher brain? Libby sighed and turned to her next customer.Listening to comments made by members of theaudience, who had no idea who she was, Libby wasgratified to hear a good deal of praise, which distractedPage 199 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlher temporarily from worrying about what was happeningwith Peter and DS Cole, and Fran s unnatural reticence.When the interval bell rang and Fran came to put herglass on the bar, her worries returned. What s up, Fran? Nothing.I m really enjoying it. There s a problem, though, isn t there?Fran looked away. I d better go in.I ll see youafterwards.That was that then.Libby frowned at Fran s back asshe disappeared through the auditorium doors and went tocollect glasses. Here, I ll do that. Peter appeared behind her andtook the tray from her hands. You go and do the washingup. You look more cheerful, said Libby, as sheresumed her place behind the bar. They re going to have to get another doctor to havea look at Mum to see if she s fit to be questioned.So shewon t be bullied.TopPage No 282276 No, but why do they need to question her? Theydon t suspect her of Paula s murder, surely? God knows.What worries me is that if they startasking her questions she ll go burbling on about Hettyand Warburton and then we really will be in the soup.Libby blew thoughtfully on a soapy mass of bubbles. Do you remember anyone saying where it happened?Paula, I mean, not Warburton.Peter dumped a trayful of glasses in front of her. Inthe car.You know that. No, she was found in the car.Do we know whethershe was murdered there? Bloody hell.I never thought of that. Peter rubbedthe end of his nose. Well, that d let my mum out,wouldn t it? If the body was moved. Also, said Libby slowly, it could be that the carwas moved. We ll ave to get you in the force, missus, grinnedPeter, but you re right.And that would let my mum out,too.She can t drive.Never learned. Perhaps we ought to find out, said Libby. I mean,they d know by now.They d know by er lividity, andpost thing blood patterns, or something, wouldn t they?The scene of crime people look into all that straightaway. I think it s the medical examiner who does that.Thepost-mortem s been done, I know that much.David said. Well, anyway, they d know if she was moved orwhatever, wouldn t they? I suppose so.What made you think of it?Page 200 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html Something Fran said.I hadn t thought of it, either. Fran again. Peter frowned. What did she have tosay in the interval?TopPage No 283277 Nothing much.Just said it was good and she d seeme later.A bit odd, really. Hmm. Peter gave his tray a cursory wipe and setoff for more glasses [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]