Driving Force Part 27

Heshookhisheadmiserably.

'Whataccentdidshehave?'

Heseemedmerelypuzzledbythequestion.'ShewasEnglish,'hesaid,'notforeign.'

'Whatdidshesay?'

'LikeIsaid,shesaidtopickupthisman...'

'Howwereyoutoknowhim?'

'Shesaidhewouldbenearthedieselpumpsandhe'dseeuspullupandhewouldspeaktome...andhedid.'

'Whothoughtupthediarrhoea?'

'Like,shedid.See,shesaidIhadtohavesomewayofgettingBretttostopatSouthMimms.SoItoldBrettifhedidn'tstop,I'dhavetodropmytrousersinthecabandhewouldhavetocleanitup.'Helaugheduneasily.'Brettsaidhewouldrubmyfaceinit.Butanyway,hestopped.'

'SoBrettwasn'tinthescheme?'

Davelookedfurious.'Brett'sas.h.i.+t.'

'Why,exactly?'

Dave'ssenseofinjusticeovercamecaution.'Hesaidhewouldn'ttakethemanunlesshepaidus.SoIaskedthisOgden,buthesaidhehadn'tanymoney.Hemusthavehadsome,buthesaidthatwasn'tinthebargain,Iwouldbegettingpaidlater,andIsaidBrettwouldn'tagreetoitwithoutbeingpaidfirst,andthisOgdengotsortofpurple,hewa.s.soupset,andhefoundsomemoneyafterall,butnotalot,andBrettsaiditwasn'tenoughandsoIgaveBrettsomemoneyandIhadtotellhimI'dbegettingitback,sothenhesaidhe'dbewantingsomeofthatifIdidn'twanthimtotellyouthatI'dfixedupahitchhikerformoney.Andnotonlythat?Dave'sfuryincreased,'butBrettcametothepubonSat.u.r.dayeveningandmademepayforhisbeerandhewaseffinggloating,andItoldhimthepayenvelopehadn'tturnedupbutallhesaidwas,'Toobad,mate,that'syourbadluck'andwentondrinking.'

'AndyoutookaswipeatJogger,'Isaid.

'Well,hewouldn'tshutupandIwasragingaboutBrett,andJoggerwasgoingonandonaboutthingsstuckonthebottomofthehorseboxes,onandonaboutthecashboxinyoursitting-room,thatfilthyoldcashbox,onandonaboutthingsbeingcarriedunderthelorries...'

'Didyouunderstandwhathewastalkingabout?'Iasked,surprised.

'Yes,ofcourse.'

'Aboutlonerangers?'

'Yeah,ofcourse.Strangers.'

'WhataboutnunsandPoland?'

'Eh?'

Hisfacewasblank.NunsandPolandmeantnothing.

'DidJogger,'Iasked'knowaboutyourprivateenterprise?'

'What?DoyoumeanthatOgden?OfcourseJoggerknewhe'ddied,like.Ididn'ttellhimtheridehadbeenfixedinadvance.I'mnotloony,see,he'dhavebeenroundtoyouinfiveminutestellingonme.Alwaysonyourside,wasJogger.'

'Ithoughtyouwere,too,'Iobserved.

'Yeah.'Helookedveryfaintlyashamed.'Well,like,there'snoharminabitofbeermoneyontheside.'

'Therewas,thistime.'

'HowwasItoknowhe'ddie?'Daveaskedaggrievedly.

'Whatwashecarrying?'Iasked.

'Carrying?'Hisforeheadwrinkled.'Abag.Oneofthembriefcases.And,um,asortofcarrier-bagwithsandwichesandaflask.Ihelpedhimputthemallupinthecab.'

'Whatdidhedowiththesandwiches?'

'Atethem,Isuppose.Idon'tknow.'

'DidyouandBrettbuysandwiches?'

Helookedpuzzledbythequestionsbutfoundthemeasiertoanswerthanearlierones.'Brettdid,'hesaidreadily,thoughsourly.'Hewentofflaughingandboughtsomewithmymoney,thet.u.r.d.'

'Brettsaidyou'dpickeduphitchhikersonotheroccasions.'

'He'sas.h.i.+t'

'Well,didyou?Andweretheyarrangedinadvance?'

'No,theywerecasual,like.Brettneverminded,ifhegotsomeofthedosh.'

'Whatabouttheotherdrivers?Havetheydonethesame?''I'mnotsnitchingonanyone,'hesaidvirtuously.'Meaningthattheyhave?''No.'Hephysicallysquirmed.

Ileft.i.t.InsteadIasked,'HowlongbeforeyouwenttoNewmarketwasthestopatSouthMimmsarranged?'

'Thenightbefore.'

'Time?'

'AfterIgotbackfromtheFolkestoneraces.'

'Thatmeanslate.'

Henodded.'Mywifedidn'tlikeit.'

'Hadthewomantriedtoreachyoubeforeyougotback?'

Mywifewouldhavegoneonabout.i.tifshehad.'

Heseemedtobewellunderhiswife'sthumb,anditdidn'tseemtohaveoccurredtohimtoaskhowthewomanonthetelephonehadknownhewouldn'tbehomeuntillate,andhadalsoknownhewouldbegoingtoNewmarketthenextday.Shehadknown,moreover,thathecouldbebribedtopickupahitchhiker.

Shehadknownagooddealtoomuch.

Who,forG.o.d'ssake,hadtoldher?

CHAPTER10.

DaveandAzizsetoffforIreland,Davelookingonlymoderatelychastened,apparentlyconfidentthatIwouldn'tactuallysackhim.Hewasprobablyright,ashedidn'tappeartohavebrokenanylaws.e.xceptmyownandcouldgoofftoanindustrialtribunalmutteringaboutwrongfuldismissalifIgavehimgroundsandhehadamindto.Therewasnothingnewinhisirresponsibility.Hewa.s.stillverygoodandreliablewithhorsesandanadequatedriver.Ihopedhewouldthinktwiceinfutureabouttakingmoneyforlifts,butIwouldn'tbethe'dneverdoit.Themainchange,asfarasIcouldsee,wasinmyownatt.i.tudetowards.h.i.+m,myindulgentlikinghavingfadedtowardsirritation.

OutinthefarmyardLewiswa.s.showingphotographsofhisbabytoNinawhohadarrivedinherworkingpersonaandherworkingcar.

'He'sarightlittleraver,'Lewissaid,lookingadoringlyathisoffspring.'Youknowwhat,helikessocceronthetelly,hewatchesitallthetime.'

'Howoldishe?'Ninaasked,dutifullyadmiring.

'Eightmonths.Lookatthisone,inthebath,suckinghisyellowduck.'

'He'slovely,'Ninasaid.

Lewisbeamedandsaid,'Nothing'stoogoodforhim.WemightsendhimtoEton,whynot?'Hetuckedthephotosawayinanenvelope.'BetterbeofftoLingfield,Iguess,'hesaid.'TwoforBenjyUsher.LasttimeIwenttothatyard,'hetoldNina,'theyledoutthewronghorse,andnotforthefirsttime,either.I'dloadedupandwasdrivingoutofthegatewhenoneoftheladscametearingalongyellingandscreaming.Iaskyou!Thewronghorse!Andthere'sMrUsheryellingoutofhisupstairswindowasifitwasmyfault,nothisheadlad's,thestupidgit.'

Ninalistened,fascinated,andaskedme,'Isiteasytopickupthewronghorse?'

'Wetakethehorsestheygiveus,'Isaid.'Ifthey'rethewrongones,it'snotourfault.Asyouknow,ourdrivershaveworksheetswithtimes,pick-uppoints,destinations,andthenamesofthehorses,but.i.t'snottheirjobtocheckident.i.ties.'

'WetooktwoofMrUsher'sallthewaytothewrongraces,lastyear,'Lewissaid,enjoyingit.

Ienlarged.'WeweretakingonefromUsher'stoLeicesterandonetoPlumpton,andalthoughLewisandtheotherdrivereachsaidclearlywhichboxwasgoingtowhichdestination,theUsherheadladmixedthemup.Theydidn'tfindoutuntilthefirstonearrivedatthewrongplace.Therewasquiteafracas.'

'Frack-a.s.s,'Lewissaid,grinning.I'llsay.'

'Lookinanewspaperandcheckyou'vegottherightnamesoftheUsherrunners,'ItoldLewis,'sowehavenomoremixupstoday.'

'OK.'.

Hewalkedofftothecanteenwherehecouldbeseenconsultingtheracingprogrammes,thenwithawavetookhimselfovertohissuper-sixtosetoffonhisjourney.

'Whenhecameherefirst,'ItoldNina,'Lewishadringlets.Nowhehasthebabyinstead.He'shandywithhisfistsifyoueverneeddefending.Therewon'tbemanypeoplemessingwithhisboy.'

'Schoolbulliesbeware?'

'Andtheirdads.'

'They'reallverydifferentfromeachotherwhenyougettoknowthem,'Ninasaid.

'Thedrivers,doyoumean?Yes,theyare.'Shecamewithmeintomyoffice.'TellmeaboutNigel.'

ShesettledherselfcomfortablyintothesecondchairwhileIperchedontheedgeofthedesk.

'Hedrovenearlyalltheway,thereandback,regardlessofhours,butwewroteupthelogbooksasifwe'dshareditmoreevenly.'

'Tut.'

Shesmiled.'HesaidIcouldlookafterthehorse.He'snottoofondofhorses,didyouknow?Hesaidsomedrivershetalkstoatracemeetingsaredownrightscaredofthem.'

'SoI'veheard.'

'Nigelthinksyouaren'ttoobadtoworkfor.Abitfussy,like,hesaid.'

'Oh,really?'

'He'sproudofhisbody.Hegavemearun-downofthestateofhismuscles,practicallyeachofthemseparately.Hetoldmehowtodevelopmypectorals.'

Ilaughedinmythroat.'Howuseful.'

'IhaveamessageforyoufromPatrickVenables.'

Abruptchangeofsubject.'Whatisit?'Iasked.

'Thosetubesyougavemefora.n.a.lysis.Hesays,'shefrownedindecisively,'hesaystheyheldsomethingcalledviraltransportmedium.'

Imadenoimmediatecomment,soshewenton,'It'saliquidapparentlymadeupofsterilewater,sucrose-itsoundsoddb.u.t.that'swhathesaid-andbovinealb.u.minwhichiswhatkeepsthevirusgoing,andglutamicacid,that'sanaminoacidorsomething,andanantibioticcalledgeranium...er,no...Gentamicin...whichkillsoffinvadingbacteria,butwon'tactonavirus.Thewholestuff'susedfortransportingavirusfromplacetoplace.'

'Didtheyfindavirusinit?'

'No.Theysaidaviruswouldn'tlastverylongoutofabody.Theyapparentlydon'tusetheword'live'withviruses,asvirusescan'tgoonworkingorreproducing,orwhateveritistheydo,oncethey'reawayfromalivinghostcell.It'sallabitcomplicated,itseemstome.Anyway,Patrickwantstoknowwherethetubescamefrom.'

'FromPontefractservicestationinYorks.h.i.+re.Beforethat,Idon'tknow.'

ItoldherwhatI'dlearnedfromLynnMelissaOgden,relictofKevinKeith.

Poorwoman,'Isaid.'Theyledawretchedexistence.'Therearesomanyawfullives.Andyouneverexpect.i.twhenyou'restarting.'

ItoldheraboutmyconfrontationwithDave,earlierthatmorning.

'Soyouwereright!'sheexclaimed.'Yousaidhehadtohavearrangedthathitchhikerinadvance.'

'Mm.Buthedidn'treactwhenIaskedhimwhatKevinKeithwascarrying.I'msurehedidn'tknow.'

'Soitcouldn'thavebeenhimwhocameintheblackbalaclavatosearchthecab.'

'I'mcertainitwasn't.Hewouldn'thaveneededtodisguisehimself.Hecouldhavecomebackopenly.Hewashopingforhispaytobeleftinthecab,but,notsurprisingly,itwasn't.Thepersonwhocamedisguisedwa.s.searching,notleavinganenvelope.'

'Sowhowasit?'

'Goodquestion.'Ithoughtabit.'Therearetwomindsatworkhere.Twoatleast,'Isaid.'Oneislogicalbutdestructive.Theother'sasillogicalasapoltergeist.'

'Twoatleast?Youmean,morethantwo?'