The Sting of Death by Rebecca Tope Read Free Book Online

assertion of her unconventional ideas so often brought her face-to-face with other people’s contempt. And contempt was very wounding, all the more so because it was generally what she herself felt towards the world at large. The ongoing restless unfocussed power struggle that she waged against authority and institutions was exhausting and, Laurie felt, quite unnecessary.
    The protracted battle against dismissal from her teaching job had badly shaken her, but hadn’t noticeably altered her general attitude. Laurie had been as supportive as he knew how to be, but he knew he’d been disappointing. They had only been married a year when the business started and the shock to him had been very nearly as bad as it had to her. They both knew she was effectively on her own in this and other crises, not least because of her prickly reaction to his clumsy attempts to help.
    She wasn’t always like this, of course. Absorbed with her bees or her fruit bushes, on long companionable walks, reminiscing about her early years, she was the best possible partner. Funny, shrewd, uninhibited – Laurie knew how to appreciate her good qualities and to turn his face away from the flipside of her nature. If there were taboo areas between them, well, he’d just have to live with that. Nobody was perfect, after all.
    ‘It’s turning out nice,’ he commented. ‘They said it’d clear up.’
    ‘Hmmm,’ was her unconvinced reply. ‘We’ve seen the best of the summer, all the same. There’s rain forecast for tomorrow. It all goes by so quickly. The creeper’ll be turning red any day now.’
    ‘Nonsense,’ he protested. ‘It’s got three weeks yet, at least.’
    ‘Well see,’ was all she said, leaving Laurie with a feeling that she wasn’t just talking about the changing seasons.
     
    That afternoon, with the sun making a poor effort at breaking up the persistent cloud layer, Laurie heard the phone ringing from where he was making a new rock garden, some distance from the house. Ten minutes later, Roma came out looking for him.
    ‘Did you hear the phone?’ she asked, her voice unnaturally tight.
    He nodded. ‘Anything interesting?’
    ‘It was Penn. She’s been getting herself in a state about Justine …’ The name emerged with trails of emotion attached to it. Laurie could almost see it floating over the lawn. He knew from the constriction in his own chest that they were about to embark on something that any sensible person would work hard to avoid.
    ‘Oh?’ he said.
    ‘Some story about the wretched girl being missing. It sounds quite odd, but then I don’t know any of the background. Why has she come to me about it? Especially now, when she could have said something yesterday. You know, I had a feeling she was keeping something back. Even more than usual, I mean.’
    ‘Justine’s missing?’ he echoed. ‘It sounds as if Penn’s very worried. Who else would she turn to for help?’
    ‘She’s not turning to me. She wanted to tell me she’s asked Drew to help find her. As if she needs my blessing.’ Roma frowned, a hand on her throat. ‘There’s obviously much more to it than she’s told me.’
    ‘Drew?’
    ‘You know – that boy with the burial ground. Married to Penn’s cousin. She went to see him after leaving us yesterday.’
    ‘But why tell him about Justine?’
    ‘Oh, he’s got a bit of a name for solving mysteries like this. In the right line of business for it, I suppose. He more or less offered, the moment Penn let drop that … Justine … was missing.’ It didn’t seem to be getting any easier to articulate her daughter’s name.
    Laurie cocked his head sideways, as if hoping to catch some omitted piece of data. ‘Am I beingvery dense? I don’t seem to be following this very well. How long has Justine been missing, and did you know about it before today?’
    Roma moved unsteadily to a slatted garden table, and leant on it. Laurie experienced a surge of anxiety. ‘Are you all right, my