《首发偶发空缺 (临时空缺)》第134章

re　not　a　part。
Automatically；　because　it　was　what　she　so　often　did；　Shirley　walked　along　the　hall；　turned　into　Patricia’s　old　bedroom　and　sat　down　at　the　puter。
Patricia　ought　to　be　here；　sleeping　on　the　sofa…bed　that　Shirley　had　made　up　for　her。　It　was　a　relief　not　to　have　to　deal　with　her　this　morning。　Howard；　who　had　still　been　humming　‘The　Green；　Green　Grass　of　Home’　when　they　arrived　at　Ambleside　in　the　early　hours；　had　not　realized　that　Patricia　was　absent　until　Shirley　had　had　the　key　in　the　front　door。
‘Where’s　Pat？’　he　had　wheezed；　leaning　against　the　porch。
‘Oh；　she　was　upset　that　Melly　didn’t　want　to　e；’　sighed　Shirley。　‘They　had　a　row　or　something　…　I　expect　she’s　gone　home　to　try　and　patch　things　up。’
‘Never　a　dull　moment；’　said　Howard；　bouncing　lightly　off　alternate　walls　of　the　narrow　hallway　as　he　navigated　his　way　carefully　towards　the　bedroom。
Shirley　brought　up　her　favourite　medical　website。　When　she　typed　in　the　first　letter　of　the　condition　she　wished　to　investigate；　the　site　offered　its　explanation　of　EpiPens　again；　so　Shirley　swiftly　revised　their　use　and　content；　because　she　might　yet　have　an　opportunity　to　save　their　potboy’s　life。　Next；　she　carefully　typed　in　‘eczema’；　and　learned；　somewhat　to　her　disappointment；　that　the　condition　was　not　infectious；　and　could　not；　therefore；　be　used　as　an　excuse　to　sack　Sukhvinder　Jawanda。
From　sheer　force　of　habit；　she　then　typed　in　the　address　of　the　Pagford　Parish　Council　website；　and　clicked　onto　the　message　board。
She　had　grown　to　recognize　at　a　glance　the　shape　and　length　of　the　user　name　The_Ghost_of_Barry_Fairbrother；　just　as　a　besotted　lover　knows　at　once　the　back　of　their　beloved’s　head；　or　the　set　of　their　shoulders；　or　the　tilt　of　their　walk。
A　single　glimpse　at　the　topmost　message　sufficed：　excitement　exploded；　he　had　not　forsaken　her。　She　had　known　that　Dr　Jawanda’s　outburst　could　not　go　unpunished。
Affair　of　the　First　Citizen　of　Pagford
She　read　it；　but　did　not；　at　first；　understand：　she　had　been　expecting　to　see　Parminder’s　name。　She　read　it　again；　and　gave　the　suffocated　gasp　of　a　woman　being　hit　by　icy　water。
Howard　Mollison；　First　Citizen　of　Pagford；　and　long…standing　resident　Maureen　Lowe　have　been　more　than　business　partners　for　many　years。　It　is　mon　knowledge　that　Maureen　holds　regular　tastings　of　Howard’s　finest　salami。　The　only　person　who　appears　not　to　be　in　on　the　secret　is　Shirley；　Howard’s　wife。
pletely　motionless　in　her　chair；　Shirley　thought：　it’s　not　true。
It　could　not　be　true。
Yes；　she　had　once　or　twice　suspected　…　had　hinted；　sometimes；　to　Howard　…
No；　she　would　not　believe　it。　She　could　not　believe　it。
But　other　people　would。　They　would　believe　the　Ghost。　Everybody　believed　him。
Her　hands　were　like　empty　gloves；　fumbling　and　feeble；　as　she　tried；　with　many　a　blunder；　to　remove　the　message　from　the　site。　Every　second　that　it　remained　there；　somebody　else　might　be　reading　it；　believing　it；　laughing　about　it；　passing　it　to　the　local　newspaper　…　Howard　and　Maureen；　Howard　and　Maureen　…
The　message　was　gone。　Shirley　sat　and　stared　at　the　puter　monitor；　her　thoughts　scurrying　like　mice　in　a　glass　bowl；　trying　to　escape；　but　there　was　no　way　out；　no　firm　foothold；　no　way　of　climbing　back　to　the　happy　place　she　had　occupied　before　she　saw　that　dreadful　thing；　written　in　public　for　the　world　to　see　…
He　had　laughed　at　Maureen。
No；　she　had　laughed　at　Maureen。　Howard　had　laughed　at　Kenh。
Always　together：　holidays　and　workdays　and　weekend　excursions　…
…　only　person　who　appears　not　to　be　in　on　the　secret　…
…　she　and　Howard　did　not　need　sex：　separate　beds　for　years；　they　had　a　silent　understanding　…
…　holds　regular　tastings　of　Howard’s　finest　salami　…
（Shirley’s　mother　was　alive　in　the　room　with　her：　cackling　and　jeering；　a　glass　slopping　wine　…　Shirley　could　not　bear　dirty　laughter。　She　had　never　been　able　to　bear　ribaldry　or　ridicule。）
She　jumped　up；　tripping　over　the　chair　legs；　and　hurried　back　to　the　bedroom。　Howard　was　still　asleep；　lying　on　his　back；　making　rumbling；　porcine　noises。
‘Howard；’　she　said。　‘Howard。’
It　took　a　whole　minute　to　rouse　him。　He　was　confused　and　disorientated；　but　as　she　stood　over　him；　she　saw　him　still　as　a　knight　protector　who　could　save　her。
‘Howard；　the　Ghost　of　Barry　Fairbrother’s　put　up　another　message。’
Disgruntled　at　his　rude　awakening；　Howard　made　a　growling　groaning　noise　into　the　pillow。
‘About　you；’　said　Shirley。
They　did　very　little　plain　speaking；　she　and　Howard。　She　had　always　liked　that。　But　today　she　was　driven　to　it。
‘About　you；’　she　repeated；　‘and　Maureen。　It　says　you’ve　been　–　having　an　affair。’
His　big　hand　slid　up　over　his　face　and　he　rubbed　his　eyes。　He　rubbed　them　longer；　she　was　convinced；　than　he　needed。
‘What？’　he　said；　his　face　shielded。
‘You　and　Maureen；　having　an　affair。’
‘Where’s　he　get　that　from？’
No　denial；　no　outrage；　no　scathing　laughter。　Merely　a　cautious　request　for　a　source。
Ever　afterwards；　Shirley　would　remember　this　moment　as　a　death；　a　life　truly　ended。
VII
‘Fuckin’　shurrup；　Robbie！　Shurrup！’
Krystal　had　dragged　Robbie　to　a　bus　stop　several　streets　away；　so　that　neither　Obbo　nor　Terri　could　find　them。　She　was　not　sure　she　had　enough　money　for　the　fare；　but　she　was　determined　to　get　to　Pagford。　Nana　Cath　was　gone；　Mr　Fairbrother　was　gone；　but　Fats　Wall　was　there；　and　she　needed　to　make　a　baby。
‘Why　wuz　’e　in　the　room　with　yeh？’　Krystal　shouted　at　Robbie；　who　grizzled　and　did　not　answer。
There　was　only　a　tiny　amount　of　battery　power　left　on　Terri’s　mobile　phone。　Krystal　called　Fats’　number；　but　it　went　to　voicemail。
In　Church　Row；　Fats　was　busy　eating　toast　and　listening　to　his　parents　having　one　of　their　familiar；　bizarre　conversations　in　the　study　across　the　hall。　It　was　a　wele　distraction　from　his　own　thoughts。　The　mobile　in　his　pocket　vibrated　but　he　did　not　answer　it。　There　was　nobody　he　wanted　to　talk　to。　It　would　not　be　Andrew。　Not　after　last　night。
‘Colin；　you　know　what　you’re　supposed　to　do；’　his　mother　was　saying。　She　sounded　exhausted。　‘Please；　Colin—’