《首发偶发空缺 (临时空缺)》第121章

‘Is　everything　all　right？’　he　asked；　closing　the　door　behind　her；　looking　wary。
‘Yes；　fine；’　she　said。　‘I　thought　you　might　like　to　walk　down　the　church　hall　with　me；　to　vote。’
‘I　–　no；’　he　said　weakly。　‘I’m　sorry。’
‘I　know　how　you　feel；　Colin；’　said　Parminder；　in　a　small　tight　voice。　‘But　if　you　don’t　vote；　it　means　they’ve　won。　I’m　not　going　to　let　them　win。　I’m　going　to　go　down　there　and　vote　for　you；　and　I　want　you　to　e　with　me。’
Parminder　was　effectively　suspended　from　work。　The　Mollisons　had　plained　to　every　professional　body　for　which　they　could　find　an　address；　and　Dr　Crawford　had　advised　Parminder　to　take　time　off。　To　her　great　surprise；　she　felt　strangely　liberated。
But　Colin　was　shaking　his　head。　She　thought　she　saw　tears　in　his　eyes。
‘I　can’t；　Minda。’
‘You　can！’　she　said。　‘You　can；　Colin！　You’ve　got　to　stand　up　to　them！　Think　of　Barry！’
‘I　can’t　–　I’m　sorry　–　I　…’
He　made　a　choking　noise　and　burst　into　tears。　Colin　had　cried　in　her　surgery　before　now；　sobbed　in　desperation　at　the　burden　of　fear　he　carried　with　him　every　day　of　his　life。
‘e　on；’　she　said；　unembarrassed；　and　she　took　his　arm　and　steered　him　through　to　the　kitchen；　where　she　handed　him　kitchen　roll　and　let　him　sob　himself　into　hiccups　again。　‘Where’s　Tessa？’
‘At　work；’　he　gasped；　mopping　his　eyes。
There　was　an　invitation　to　Howard　Mollison’s　sixty…fifth　birthday　party　lying　on　the　kitchen　table；　somebody　had　torn　it　neatly　in　two。
‘I　got　one　of　those；　as　well；’　said　Parminder。　‘Before　I　shouted　at　him。　Listen；　Colin。　Voting—’
‘I　can’t；’　whispered　Colin。
‘—shows　them　they　haven’t　beaten　us。’
‘But　they　have；’　said　Colin。
Parminder　burst　out　laughing。　After　contemplating　her　with　his　mouth　open　for　a　moment；　Colin　started　to　laugh　too：　a　big；　booming　guffaw；　like　the　bark　of　a　mastiff。
‘All　right；　they’ve　run　us　out　of　our　jobs；’　said　Parminder；　‘and　neither　of　us　wants　to　leave　the　house　but；　other　than　that；　I　think　we’re　in　very　good　shape　indeed。’
Colin　took　off　his　glasses　and　dabbed　his　wet　eyes；　grinning。
‘e　on；　Colin。　I　want　to　vote　for　you。　It　isn’t　over　yet。　After　I　blew　my　top；　and　told　Howard　Mollison　he　was　no　better　than　a　junkie　in　front　of　the　whole　council　and　the　local　press—’
He　burst　out　laughing　again　and　she　was　delighted；　she　had　not　heard　him　laugh　so　much　since　New　Year；　and　then　it　had　been　Barry　making　him　do　it。
‘—they　forgot　to　vote　on　forcing　the　addiction　clinic　out　of　Bellchapel。　So；　please。　Get　your　coat。　We’ll　walk　down　there　together。’
Colin’s　snorts　and　giggles　died　away。　He　stared　down　at　the　big　hands　fumbled　over　each　other；　as　if　he　were　washing　them　clean。
‘Colin；　it’s　not　over。　You’ve　made　a　difference。　People　don’t　like　the　Mollisons。　If　you　get　in；　we’d　be　in　a　much　stronger　position　to　fight。　Please；　Colin。’
‘All　right；’　he　said；　after　a　few　moments；　awed　by　his　own　daring。
It　was　a　short　walk；　in　the　fresh　clean　air；　each　of　them　clutching　their　voter　registration　cards。　The　church　hall　was　empty　of　voters　apart　from　themselves。　Each　put　a　thick　pencil　cross　beside　Colin’s　name　and　left　with　the　sense　that　they　had　got　away　with　something。
Miles　Mollison　did　not　vote　until　midday。　He　paused　at　his　partner’s　door　on　the　way　out。
‘I’m　off　to　vote；　Gav；’　he　said。
Gavin　indicated　the　telephone　pressed　against　his　ear；　he　was　on　hold　with　Mary’s　insurance　pany。
‘Oh　–　right　–　I’m　off　to　vote；　Shona；’　said　Miles；　turning　to　their　secretary。
There　was　no　harm　in　reminding　them　both　that　he　was　in　need　of　their　support。　Miles　jogged　downstairs　and　proceeded　to　the　Copper　Kettle；　where；　during　a　brief　post…coital　chat；　he　had　arranged　to　meet　his　wife　so　that　they　could　go　down　to　the　church　hall　together。
Samantha　had　spent　the　morning　at　home；　leaving　her　assistant　in　charge　at　the　shop。　She　knew　that　she　could　no　longer　put　off　telling　Carly　that　they　were　out　of　business；　and　that　Carly　was　out　of　a　job；　but　she　could　not　bring　herself　to　do　it　before　the　weekend　and　the　concert　in　London。　When　Miles　appeared；　and　she　saw　his　excited　little　grin；　she　experienced　a　rush　of　fury。
‘Dad　not　ing？’　were　his　first　words。
‘They’re　going　down　after　closing　time；’　said　Samantha。
There　were　two　old　ladies　in　the　voting　booths　when　she　and　Miles　got　there。　Samantha　waited；　looking　at　the　backs　of　their　iron…grey　perms；　their　thick　coats　and　their　thicker　ankles。　That　was　how　she　would　look　one　day。　The　more　crooked　of　the　two　old　women　noticed　Miles　as　they　left；　beamed；　and　said；　‘I’ve　just　voted　for　you！’
‘Well；　thank　you　very　much！’　said　Miles；　delighted。
Samantha　entered　the　booth　and　stared　down　at　the　two　names：　Miles　Mollison　and　Colin　Wall；　the　pencil；　tied　to　the　end　of　a　piece　of　string；　in　her　hand。　Then　she　scribbled　‘I　hate　bloody　Pagford’　across　the　paper；　folded　it　over；　crossed　to　the　ballot　box　and　dropped　it；　unsmiling；　through　the　slot。
‘Thanks；　love；’　said　Miles　quietly；　with　a　pat　on　her　back。
Tessa　Wall；　who　had　never　failed　to　vote　in　an　election　before；　drove　past　the　church　hall　on　her　way　back　home　from　school　and　did　not　stop。　Ruth　and　Simon　Price　spent　the　day　talking　more　seriously　than　ever　about　the　possibility　of　moving　to　Reading。　Ruth　threw　out　their　voter　registration　cards　while　clearing　the　kitchen　table　for　supper。
Gavin　had　never　intended　to　vote；　if　Barry　had　been　alive　to　stand；　he　might　have　done　so；　but　he　had　no　desire　to　help　Miles　achieve　another　of　his　life’s　goals。　At　half…past　five　he　packed　up　his　briefcase；　irritable　and　depressed；　because　he　had　finally　run　out　of　excuses　not　to　have　dinner　at　Kay’s。　It　was　particularly　irksome；　because　there　were　hopeful　signs　that　the　insurance　pany　was　shifting　in　Mary’s　favour；　and　he　had　very　much　wanted　to　go　over　and　tell　her　so。　This　meant　that　he　would　have　to　store　up　the　news　until　tomorrow；　he　did　not　want　to　waste　it　on　the　telephone。
When　Kay　opened　the　door　to　him；　she　launched　at　once　into　the　rapid；　quick…fire　talk　that　usually　meant　she　was　in　a　bad　mood。
‘Sorry；　it’s　been　a　dreadful　day；’