Guns in the Gallery by Simon Brett Read Free Book Online

snort from Carole. Jude smiled wearily at her neighbour as she tried to explain. ‘Healing is a kind of gift. When I do it, it takes an enormous amount of energy out of me. And it doesn’t work unless I believe totally that the person with whom I’m working is in genuine need of my services.’
    â€˜Oh.’ But Chervil was only cast down for a moment. ‘Well, some of the people who come here might be in genuine need of your services.’
    â€˜Yes. And when you have some that you think genuinely are, then give me a call and I’ll come and make an assessment.’
    â€˜Right.’ The girl still seemed upset that anyone could want to resist taking their share of the Whittaker millions. ‘Are you sure you don’t want us to put you on a retainer?’
    â€˜Positive.’ There was a silence while Chervil seemed to turn something over in her mind. Then she said, ‘So you think my sister is in genuine need?’
    â€˜What do you mean?’
    â€˜I know Fennel’s been coming to you.’
    â€˜Yes.’
    â€˜And her need is genuine?’
    â€˜As opposed to what?’
    â€˜As opposed to her just play-acting, doing the prima donna routine, trying to monopolize our parents’ attention?’
    Aware of the underscoring of bitterness in the words, Jude replied gently, ‘I think her need is genuine.’
    â€˜And do you think you can help her?’
    â€˜I hope so.’
    â€˜I hope so too. I’ve been living with her throwing hysterical fits all the time ever since I was born.’
    â€˜Well, as I say, let’s hope I can help her.’
    â€˜Hm.’
    Carole decided that a new direction in the conversation might be timely. ‘I gather you used to work in the City, Chervil?’
    â€˜Yes.’
    â€˜But you decided to get out of the rat race?’
    â€˜A bit of that, yes. And I really got excited about this Walden project. Now my boyfriend’s living down here too, so that’s fine.’
    â€˜Giles Green.’
    â€˜Yes.’ The girl looked curiously at Carole. ‘Do you know him?’
    â€˜I’ve met him briefly. I was in his mother’s shop; you know, the gallery.’
    â€˜Oh yes? And did she mention that I was his girlfriend?’
    Carole realized she had got herself into something of a social cleft-stick. She hadn’t heard about the relationship between Giles and Chervil in the Cornelian Gallery. It had been Jude who’d mentioned it. And now she was in danger of looking as if she’d been gossiping about the girl behind her back. (Which of course she had. Gossiping behind people’s backs was the principal pastime of the Fethering community.)
    â€˜No, no. Bonita didn’t mention it.’
    â€˜No surprise there,’ said Chervil.
    â€˜Oh?’
    â€˜Bonita Green doesn’t approve of my relationship with Giles.’
    â€˜Why not?’
    The girl shrugged. ‘I think she got on rather dangerously well with his wife. Soon to be ex-wife, I’m glad to say. Or then again, maybe she’s just one of those mothers who think no girl is good enough for her son.’
    On the way back to Fethering in her prim Renault, Carole said, ‘You missed a trick there, Jude.’
    â€˜Oh?’
    â€˜Turning down that retainer Chervil was offering. It would have been very nice for you to have a regular income coming in.’
    Jude sighed. ‘You just don’t get it, Carole, do you?’
    And it was true. Carole didn’t.

SIX
    N either of them had mentioned it when they met at Butterwyke House, but Fennel Whittaker had a session booked with Jude at Woodside Cottage for the Monday morning. The girl arrived on the dot of ten – she was obsessive about timekeeping – and Jude could tell from her expression and body language that her mood was bad.
    But initially nothing was said beyond greetings and conventional pleasantries, as Jude uncovered the massage