Free Disturbing Ground by Priscilla Masters Page A

streets short of a city”. If she had been a normal woman your investigation would have been more intense, more detailed. Because she was a schizophrenic you’re hardly bothering.”
    “No - it isn’t because of that. It’s because if Bianca had been any normal woman we could probably have worked out what she was up to. But with her anything is possible. Her voices might have told her to throw herself in - or go up there late at night. It was always the voices she blamed for shoplifting. All we care is that she wasn’t deliberately pushed in or drowned. And think about it, Meggie. There wouldn’t be any point to it besides it being a useless way to try and murder someone. She might have climbed out. You couldn’t predict the fact that she would die of shock the minute she hit the water. If new evidence came to light we’dlook at her case again. But as it is there’s no justification for further investigation.”
    “You’re not searching for new evidence, are you?”
    “We’ve done the necessary. We’ve carried out house to house. We’ve examined the ground beside the Slaggy Pool.”
    “After half the population of Llancloudy had marked the area with their own footprints.”
    “Hang on a minute. We came as soon as we were called.” Native honesty compelled him to add, “Well - within the ten minute deadline anyway. We couldn’t help it if people had already trampled around the pool destroyingtrace evidence.” He lifted his beerglass, his eyes never leaving her face all the time he drank. “I wouldn’t have thought your life was so lacking in drama you’d have to go searching for it in this sad accident to a pathetic old mad thing.”
    She wanted him to understand. “It’s because she was a sad, pathetic old mad thing.”
    He always had struggled to understand her commitment, her attitude, her responsibilites.
    “And her daughter isn’t happy.”
    Alun snorted. “Her daughter’s never happy. Carole Symmonds is the sort who’d always say her family was being discriminated against.”
    There was an element of truth in the statement.
    “Don’t bother turning over stones,” he advised.
    “Because there might be toads underneath them?”
    “No - because there’s nothing and I wouldn’t want you to waste your time and energy. It’s not worth it.”
    She sensed his anger was rising and so she was silent, disagreeing but not wanting a confrontation. She was enjoying his company - even the sparring. They always had been a quarrelsome couple. After they had parted Megan had realised that half of their quarrels had been encouraged for the passionate reconciliation.
    Alun drained his beerglass and put it back on the table with sudden firmness.
    She waited for the storm to break.
    “How could you be such a …” he burst out. “You were the prize catch of the sixth form. You could have had anyone. We all had the hots for you. How could you have married that …? Why the hell did you, Meggie? It was obvious from the start what he was.”
    She felt as though she’d been kicked in the solar plexus. “Not to me it wasn’t obvious.”
    Alun looked incredulous. “I don’t believe you. You must have known.”
    She gave a dismissive shake of her head. “Don’t - please - don’t.” She stuck a bright smile on her face and touched his hand briefly. “I went on holiday. The sun shone. I was away from work and the dullness and the stifling closeness of here. We lay on the beach and talked and talked. We made love. We swam, we ate, we slept. It seemed an idyllic existence. I couldn’t know things would be so different when we came back here. He changed.”
    “Rather a lot as I understand.”
    She closed her eyes for a moment and nodded.
    He hadn’t finished. “I couldn’t believe it when I heard - falling for an Italian waiter like some cheap holiday romance.”
    “He wasn’t a waiter,” she said, stung. “He owned the restaurant. He is a cultured and intelligent man with a huge appreciation