Free The Unbearable Lightness of Being in Aberystwyth by Malcolm Pryce

gentle puff.
    ‘I should have guessed you’d see through me. Can we go to my office?’
    Sister Cunégonde rested her elbows on the desk and made a steeple of her fingers. I stared past her shoulder through the schoolroom windows – the type you open with a hooked pole.
    ‘We have a girl here who has been sick for a while – German measles. She’s back in the dorm now and she says her locket has been stolen. Her name is Myfanwy Pritchard. Do you see what I am getting at?’
    ‘You think it’s her locket we found during the search?’
    ‘I’m very sorry to even mention it to you at a time like this. Lord knows what you must be going through.’
    ‘It’s not a problem, just tell me what’s on your mind.’
    ‘She claims Seren stole it.’
    ‘And then planted it on the dunes?’
    She looked at me and squirmed. ‘Yes.’
    ‘Why?’
    ‘So she could pretend to find it.’
    ‘Maybe she didn’t have to pretend.’
    ‘Any other girl and I might believe it. But not Seren. She did it to draw attention to herself. She’s that sort of girl.’
    ‘What sort is that?’
    ‘A show-off. She doesn’t get on too well with the other girls, doesn’t fit in. She lives in her own little dream world. She tells everyone she’s a foundling.’
    ‘And she’s not?’
    ‘She was brought here by the social services. It’s hardly the same thing is it?’
    I agreed that it wasn’t.
    ‘Do you think I should tell the police? I really don’t want to have a load of policemen walking around the grounds, it’s bad enough having an incident like this on our doorstep, exciting thegirls. I told them you were from the gas board, I hope you don’t mind. Goodness knows what they would do if they knew you were a private investigator. Do you think there will be a lot of trouble?’
    ‘Not too much,’ I said. ‘She’ll have to go to prison of course—’
    Sister Cunégonde gasped.
    ‘With a good lawyer she should be out in ten to fifteen. They may have to close the school down as well – probably put you all in the stocks.’
    Her face relaxed into a smile. ‘Oh I see, you’re pulling my leg. You don’t think it’s the end of the world, then?’
    ‘I’ve come across worse cases of wickedness. Have you spoken to Seren?’
    ‘Yes, she denies it, of course, but she’s not a very good liar.’
    ‘Leave it with me,’ I said as I prepared to leave. ‘I know Llunos, I’ll clear it with him.’
    As I stepped off the bus outside Aberystwyth railway station a paperboy moved out of the shadows and took up a position to my left. As I walked he kept step.
    ‘I’m not looking for a paper, thanks.’
    ‘You’d be out of luck if you were, Mac, these are props. Not for sale.’
    I recognised the voice and stopped. ‘Poxcrop!’
    ‘Keep walking if you don’t mind.’
    I started walking again.
    ‘Why the newspapers?’
    ‘Man in my position can’t hang around the station without any business being there.’
    ‘You could have come to the office.’
    ‘Nothing personal, but I wouldn’t like to be seen coming out of your office. I’m taking a risk as it is.’
    ‘You must know some scary people.’
    ‘Don’t joke about it. I got your message. What can I do for you?’
    ‘Does the name Myfanwy Montez mean anything to you?’
    ‘Sure, the night club singer. Disappeared from Ynyslas three days ago. You like night club singers? My sister can sing. Like a nightingale.’
    ‘The word is someone is trying to sell some stolen memorabilia – do you know what that is?’
    ‘Photos, signed albums, concert programmes … sure I’ve handled merchandise like that before.’
    ‘See what you can find out about it. I also need a ticket for the library, the big one on the hill.’
    ‘You want books? I’ve got plenty.’
    ‘These are special.’
    ‘Tell me what you need, maybe I can arrange something. Getting an actual ticket isn’t easy. Best way is to go to the cemetery and find the grave of someone who—’
    ‘Yeah I know.