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‘You wouldn’t like it if Stu took a job with someone like Mollison；’ Colin told Tessa。
‘I wouldn’t care；’ said Tessa。 ‘I’d be thrilled he was showing any kind of work ethic。 As far as I can tell； all he seems to care about is puter games and—’
But Colin did not know that Stuart smoked； she broke off； and Colin said； ‘Actually； this would be exactly the kind of thing Stuart would do。 Insinuate himself with somebody he knew we didn’t like； to get at us。 He’d love that。’
‘For goodness sake； Colin； Sukhvinder isn’t trying to get at Minda；’ said Tessa。
‘So you think I’m being unreasonable？’ Parminder shot at Tessa。
‘No； no；’ said Tessa； appalled at how quickly they had been sucked into the family row。 ‘I’m just saying； there aren’t many places for kids to work in Pagford； are there？’
‘And why does she need to work at all？’ said Parminder； raising her hands in a gesture of furious exasperation。 ‘Don’t we give her enough money？’
‘Money you earn yourself is always different； you know that；’ said Tessa。
Tessa’s chair faced a wall that was covered in photographs of the Jawanda children。 She had sat here often； and had counted how many appearances each child made： Jaswant； eighteen； Rajpal； nieen； and Sukhvinder； nine。 There was only one photograph on the wall celebrating Sukhvinder’s individual achievements： the picture of the Winterdown rowing team on the day that they had beaten St Anne’s。 Barry had given all the parents an enlarged copy of this picture； in which Sukhvinder and Krystal Weedon were in the middle of the line of eight； with their arms around each other’s shoulders； beaming and jumping up and down so that they were both slightly blurred。
Barry； she thought； would have helped Parminder see things the right way。 He had been a bridge between mother and daughter； both of whom had adored him。
Not for the first time； Tessa wondered how much difference it made that she had not given birth to her son。 Did she find it easier to accept him as a separate individual than if he had been made from her flesh and blood？ Her glucose…heavy； tainted blood …
Fats had recently stopped calling her ‘Mum’。 She had to pretend not to care； because it made Colin so angry； but every time Fats said ‘Tessa’ it was like a needle jab to her heart。
The four of them finished their cold fruit in silence。
。
VIII
Up in the little white house that sat high above the town； Simon Price fretted and brooded。 Days passed。 The accusatory post had vanished from the message boards； but Simon remained paralysed。 To withdraw his candidacy might seem like an admission of guilt。 The police had not e knocking about the puter； Simon half regretted throwing it off the old bridge now。 On the other hand； he could not decide whether he had imagined a knowing grin from the man behind the till when he handed over his credit card in the garage at the foot of the hill。 There was a lot of talk about redundancies at work； and Simon was still afraid of the contents of that post ing to the bosses’ ears； that they might save themselves redundancy pay by sacking himself； Jim and Tommy。
Ｚei8。电子书
Andrew watched and waited； losing hope every day。 He had tried to show the world what his father was； and the world； it seemed； had merely shrugged。 Andrew had imagined that someone from the printworks or the council would rise up and tell Simon firmly； ‘no’； that he was not fit to set himself up in petition with other people； that he was unsuitable and sub…standard； and must not disgrace himself or his family。 Yet nothing had happened； except that Simon stopped talking about the council or making telephone calls in the hope of garnering votes； and the leaflets that he had had printed out of hours at work sat untouched in a box in the porch。
Then； without warning or fanfare； came victory。 Heading down the dark stairs in search of food on Friday evening； Andrew heard Simon talking stiffly on the telephone in the sitting room； and paused to listen。
‘… withdraw my candidacy；’ he was saying。 ‘Yes。 Well； my personal circumstances have changed。 Yes。 Yes。 Yeah； that’s right。 OK。 Thank you。’
Andrew heard Simon replace the receiver。
‘Well； that’s that；’ his father said to his mother。 ‘I’m well out of it； if that’s the kind of shit they’re throwing around。’
He heard his mother return some muffled； approving rejoinder； and before Andrew had time to move； Simon had emerged into the hall below； drawn breath into his lungs and yelled the first syllable of Andrew’s name； before realizing that his son was right in front of him。
‘What are you doing？’
Simon’s face was half in shadow； lit only by the light escaping the sitting room。
‘I wanted a drink；’ Andrew lied； his father did not like the boys helping themselves to food。
‘You start work with Mollison this weekend； don’t you？’
‘Yeah。’
‘Right； well； you listen to me。 I want anything you can get on that bastard； d’you hear me？ All the dirt you can get。 And on his son； if you hear anything。’
‘All right；’ said Andrew。
‘And I’ll put it up on the fucking website for them；’ said Simon； and he walked back into the sitting room。 ‘Barry Fairbrother’s fucking ghost。’
As he scavenged an assortment of food that might not be missed； skimming off slices here； handfuls there； a jubilant jingle ran through Andrew’s mind： I stopped you； you bastard。 I stopped you。
He had done exactly what he had set out to do： Simon had no idea who had brought his ambitions to dust。 The silly sod was even demanding Andrew’s help in getting his revenge； a plete about…turn； because when Andrew had first told his parents that he had a job at the delicatessen； Simon had been furious。
‘You stupid little tit。 What about your fucking allergy？’
‘I thought I’d try not eating any of the nuts；’ said Andrew。
‘Don’t get smart with me； Pizza Face。 What if you eat one accidentally； like at St Thomas’s？ D’you think we want to go through that crap again？’
But Ruth had supported Andrew； telling Simon that Andrew was old enough to take care； to know better。 When Simon had left the room； she had tried to tell Andrew that