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papers that had somehow been scattered as she gesticulated。
‘What about patient confidentiality？’ shouted Shirley。 ‘Outrageous！ Absolutely outrageous！’
Parminder was at the door of the hall and striding through it； and she heard； over her own furious sobs； Betty calling for her immediate expulsion from the council； she was half running away from the hall； and she knew that she had done something cataclysmic； and she wanted nothing more than to be swallowed up by the darkness and to disappear for ever。
IX
The Yarvil and District Gazette erred on the side of caution in reporting what had been said during the most acrimonious Pagford Parish Council meeting in living memory。 It made little difference； the bowdlerized report； augmented by the vivid eye…witness descriptions offered by all who had attended； still created widespread gossip。 To make matters worse； a front…page story detailed the anonymous inter attacks in the dead man’s name that had； to quote Alison Jenkins； ‘caused considerable speculation and anger。 See page four for full report。’ While the names of the accused and the details of their supposed misdemeanours were not given； the sight of ‘serious allegations’ and ‘criminal activity’ in newsprint disturbed Howard even more than the original posts。
‘We should have beefed up security on the site as soon as that first post appeared；’ he said； addressing his wife and business partner from in front of his gas fire。
Silent spring rain sprinkled the window； and the back lawn glistened with tiny red pinpricks of light。 Howard was feeling shivery； and was hogging all the heat emanating from the fake coal。 For several days； nearly every visitor to the delicatessen and the café had been gossiping about the anonymous posts； about the Ghost of Barry Fairbrother and about Parminder Jawanda’s outburst at the council meeting。 Howard hated the things that she had shouted being bandied about in public。 For the first time in his life； he felt unfortable in his own shop； and concerned about his previously unassailable position in Pagford。 The election for the replacement of Barry Fairbrother would take place the following day； and where Howard had felt sanguine and excited； he was worried and twitchy。
‘This has done a lot of damage。 A lot of damage；’ he repeated。
His hand strayed to his belly to scratch； but he pulled it away； enduring the itch with a martyr’s expression。 He would not soon forget what Dr Jawanda had screamed to the council and the press。 He and Shirley had already checked the details of the General Medical Council； gone to see Dr Crawford； and made a formal plaint。 Parminder had not been seen at work since； so no doubt she was already regretting her outburst。 Nevertheless； Howard could not rid himself of the sight of her expression as she screamed at him。 It had shaken him to see such hatred on another human’s face。
‘It’ll all blow over；’ said Shirley reassuringly。
‘I’m not so sure；’ said Howard。 ‘I’m not so sure。 It doesn’t make us look good。 The council。 Rows in front of the press。 We look divided。 Aubrey says they’re not happy； at District level。 This whole thing’s undermined our statement about the Fields。 Squabbling in public； everything getting dirty … it doesn’t look like the council’s speaking for the town。’
‘But we are；’ said Shirley； with a little laugh。 ‘Nobody in Pagford wants the Fields – hardly anyone。’
‘The article makes it look like our side went after pro…Fielders。 Tried to intimidate them；’ said Howard； succumbing to the temptation to scratch； and doing it fiercely。 ‘All right； Aubrey knows it wasn’t any of our side； but that’s not how that journalist made it look。 And I’ll tell you this： if Yarvil makes us look inept or dirty … they’ve been looking for a chance to take us over for years。’
‘That won’t happen；’ said Shirley at once。 ‘That couldn’t happen。’
‘I thought it was over；’ said Howard； ignoring his wife； and thinking of the Fields。 ‘I thought we’d done it。 I thought we’d got rid of them。’
The article over which he had spent so much time； explaining why the estate and the Bellchapel Addiction Clinic were drains and blots on Pagford； had been pletely overshadowed by the scandals of Parminder’s outburst； and the Ghost of Barry Fairbrother。 Howard had pletely forgotten now how much pleasure the accusations against Simon Price had given him； and that it had not occurred to him to remove them until Price’s wife had asked。
‘District Council’s emailed me；’ he told Maureen； ‘with a bunch of questions about the website。 They want to hear what steps we’ve taken against defamation。 They think the security’s lax。’
Shirley； who detected a personal reproof in all of this； said coldly； ‘I’ve told you； I’ve taken care of it； Howard。’
The nephew of friends of Howard and Shirley’s had e round the previous day； while Howard was at work。 The boy was halfway through a degree in puting。 His remendation to Shirley had been that they take down the immensely hackable website； bring in ‘someone who knows what they’re doing’ and set up a new one。
Shirley had understood barely one word in ten of the technical jargon that the young man had spewed at her。 She knew that ‘hack’ meant to breach illegally； and when the student stopped talking his gibberish； she was left with the confused impression that the Ghost had somehow managed to find out people’s passwords； maybe by questioning them cunningly in casual conversation。
She had therefore emailed everybody to request that they change their password and make sure not to share the new one with anybody。 This was what she meant by ‘I’ve taken care of it’。
As to the suggestion of closing down the site； of which she was guardian and curator； she had taken no steps； nor had she mentioned the idea to Howard。 Shirley was afraid that a site containing all the security measures that the superior young man had suggested would be way beyond the scope of her managerial and technical skills。 She was already stretched to the limits of her abilities； and she was determined to cling to the post of administrator。
‘If Miles is elected—’ Shirley began