Free The Drowners by Jennie Finch Page A

across the narrative. ‘Did they say what for?’ she asked. There was a scuffling soundand the phone went down with a loud clunk. Alex pulled the receiver away from her ear, pulling a face as a jolt of pain shot through her head. She tried to avoid Sue’s anxious look and focus on her mother who was back on the line.
    ‘Let me see, it says I’ve been arrested and cautioned, well yes I know that. How patronizing this all is … Ah yes, it says something about the Public Order Act 1986. Does that make any sense to you?’ There was a pause as Alex digested this information, then her mother added, ‘I don’t suppose you could come home for a few days could you? It would be a comfort to have you here. To be honest, your father’s not much use at the moment. He’s spent most of the day out in that shed of his, smoking that dreadful pipe.’
    ‘Don’t even think about it,’ muttered Sue, eyes fixed on her book.
    Alex flapped her hand at her and searched for the right words. ‘Actually I can’t at the moment,’ she said. ‘I’ve been a bit ill …’
    Sue snorted, abandoning all pretence of reading. ‘A bit ill? You’ve been very ill and you still are,’ she said loud enough to be heard down the phone.
    ‘Is that Sue? Hello dear, how are you?’ called Alex’s mother.
    ‘Fine, thank you, Mrs Hastings!’ Sue replied.
    Alex held the receiver out towards her but Sue waved it away, turning her attention to the fire that was beginning to burn down in the grate.
    ‘Why does she always call me Mrs Hastings?’ asked Alex’s mother. Alex scowled at Sue’s startled look and covered the receiver with her hand for a moment.
    ‘And don’t you even think about asking!’ she hissed.
    As Sue went out to the yard to get more coal, Alex explained about the meningitis, trying to avoid emotive words like ‘fever’, ‘hospital’ or even ‘meningitis’ itself. The whole business left her exhausted and she put up little resistance when Sue hustled her back to bed.
    ‘I’m so sick of this,’ she grumbled as she sank back into her pillows.
    ‘Think yourself lucky,’ said Sue. ‘I’d love a chance to stay off work for a week or two. It’s all getting very odd and rather strained at times. I think Garry is finally losing it, the day centre’s almost ground to a halt and the new bloke is as much use as a chocolate teapot. I’d make the most of it if I was you.’ She turned to leave and then said, ‘Oh, I forgot – I thought you might like a copy of this.’
    She reached into her pocket and pulled out a rather crumpled photocopy of a letter on County Hall paper. Alex peered at it in the dim light, struggling to make sense of what it said, then suddenly burst out laughing.
    ‘That is wonderful,’ she said. ‘I’m going to have it framed and stuck up by my desk when I get back.’ She grinned broadly as she put the letter on her bedside table. ‘There can’t be many people who have an official notice saying they’re not a health hazard to their co-workers!’

    Going out with a policeman wasn’t quite what Lauren had expected. She had visions of evenings spent by the fire whilst he shared stories of the dark secrets at the heart of life on the Levels. She’d thought she would have someone to take to parties or go out for a meal with, but actually, nice as Dave Brown was, he worked ridiculous hours. She’d been worried he maybe had another girlfriend, someone a bit more conventional tucked away, but she was beginning to realize he put his job before everything else. He didn’t have time for one girlfriend let alone two. So, once more she found herself stuck at home staring at the television after a hurried apology delivered over the phone. Something important had come up, he said, and he had to work overtime again. He was genuinely sorry but still there was that quiver of excitement in his voice, a sense that he was rather looking forward to whatever it was that was so important. Not that she’d find out