Poisoning in the Pub, The. Simon Brett

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      EIGHT

      Jude’s relationship with Carole was easy, but it required effort on Jude’s part to keep it that way. She had to avoid many areas of spikiness in Carole’s personality. Most of these were predictable, but there was always the danger of inadvertently touching on some new, unpredictable one. So Jude anticipated a potential problem in their approach to Ted Crisp’s occasional helper, Ray.

      Basically, she knew it was the kind of interview that would work better if she did it on her own. From all accounts, Ray was a highly strung individual, and Jude’s work as a therapist had given her plentiful experience of dealing with such people. But she knew how sensitive Carole could be about the idea of being excluded from any part of an investigation.

      On this occasion, however, her neighbour seemed to recognize her own limitations. After Jude’s call to Sally Monks, they had agreed that an attempt should be made to see Ray the next day. But when Jude called at High Tor on the Saturday morning, Carole seemed preoccupied. She said she needed to do a big shop, and would Jude mind visiting Ray on her own?

      Jude recognized the excuse for what it was. Carole was very organized about her shopping, paying a monthly visit to Sainsbury’s for non-perishable essentials. And always mid-week. She would never willingly expose herself to the bigger crowds of weekend shoppers.

      But the talk of a ‘big shop’ was her graceful way of backing off. Carole too knew in her heart of hearts that Jude would be better with someone like Ray than she would. She just couldn’t bring herself to say that in so many words.

      Jude was grateful for her friend’s uncharacteristic moment of self-knowledge, and immediately set off for the address that Sally Monks had given her.

      Everything in Fethering was within walking distance, but because the village sprawled almost enough to be called a town, some destinations involved a longer walk than others. So it was with Copsedown Hall, the sheltered accommodation where Ray lived, set on the northern fringe furthest from the sea in the less salubrious part of Fethering known as Downside.

      The cars that lined the roads were older and shabbier than those in the smarter parts of the village. Front gardens were ill-maintained, many of them serving as repositories for defunct kitchen equipment. Shreds of plastic bags lay in the gutters. They would have fluttered about had there been any wind, but the hot air lay heavy on the July day.

      Copsedown Hall, however, looked smarter than the old council housing that surrounded it. The small block of flats had probably been built in the thirties, but recently modernized. Paint still gleamed on door and window frames. Except for a disabled ramp overriding the front steps, there was nothing to suggest anything unusual about the residents.

      The double glass doors were locked when Jude pushed against them. On the wall was an intercom. She was beginning to wish she had got more information about the place from Sally Monks. Presumably there would be some kind of warden monitoring the activities of the house. It might have helped if she had a name to ask for. Still, too late. She’d have to trust to her instincts and natural charm.

      She pressed the intercom button. After a longish pause, a crackly young female voice answered, ‘Yes?’

      ‘It’s Jude.’ She couldn’t think of anything else to say.

      But the voice at the other end didn’t seem to require more. ‘I’ll come and let you in,’ it said. ‘The buzzer button’s broken.’

      Again there was a pause. Then, through the glass, Jude saw someone coming down the stairs. A short chubby girl with a slight limp moved slowly towards her. Dealing with the latch seemed to require a lot of concentration, but when the door was flung open the girl beamed with satisfaction at her achievement.

      She had the flattened face characteristic of Down’s Syndrome. Her hair was reddish-brown. Through her thick glasses blue eyes were set in distinctive rounded lids. She transferred her beam to the visitor and announced, ‘I’m Kelly-Marie.’ Her speech was a little hesitant and childlike. It was hard to assess her precise age, though Jude, who had encountered other people with the same condition, would have said late twenties.

      ‘As I say, I’m Jude.’

      There was a comfortable silence as they both beamed at each other. Then the girl said, ‘Ken’s not here. He’s never here at weekends.’

      Jude assumed she was referring to the social worker who was responsible for keeping an eye on Copsedown Hall. ‘It’s not Ken I’ve come to see. I’m looking for Ray.’

      ‘Oh, Ray.’ The girl’s smile grew bigger. She certainly recognized the name, but she didn’t volunteer any other information.

      ‘Is Ray here?’ Jude prompted.

      ‘Yes. He came back.’

      ‘Could I see him?’

      Kelly-Marie hesitated. ‘He’s in his flat.’

      ‘Could you show me where it is?’

      The girl was silent for a moment. Then she said slowly, ‘Ray doesn’t like … people in his flat.’

      ‘Ah.’ Jude tried another big smile. Kelly-Marie smiled back. But she didn’t move. She was still inside the door, and Jude outside.

      ‘Do you think Ray might see me in one of the communal rooms?’

      Kelly-Marie considered the proposition. At length she conceded that he might.

      ‘Well, would you mind asking him if he’d come down to see me?’ Jude was assuming that all the flats were up the stairs down which Kelly-Marie had come.

      After further deliberation, the decision was made. ‘Yes.’ She drew back to let Jude into the hall and turned towards the stairs.

      ‘Where shall I go?’

      This answer again required thought. ‘Do you want to see СКАЧАТЬ