Free A Cry from the Dark by Robert Barnard Page A

Because of the drought, and having to sell the property?”
    â€œYes, I suppose so. And Mum dying. I knew that hit him hard because I was there, and I thought maybe he wouldn’t ever really recover. Because though he pretended to be happy, working out at Wilgandra—”
    â€œHe was happy,” insisted Ollie. “I never saw him so contented as when he was managing for Bill Cheveley. And you know what? I don’t think he’d ever really believed in running his own property. I think he saw through those soldier-settler schemes early on. They were too timid, too penny-pinching. None of the properties was really viable, not when the crunch came. And that drought was the crunch for a lot of them.” There was the sound of the phone ringing, but Bettina was fascinated and let Katie answer it. “He was happy with Bill because they worshiped each other, and because it was a weight off his own shoulders. Dad had faith in himself, but he couldn’t carry through a project he never really believed in.”
    Katie’s head appeared around the door, and she looked at Oliver.
    â€œIt’s for you,” she said. Oliver appeared mystified and hurried out to the hall. Bettina looked at Sylvia.
    â€œWho on earth knows he’s here, apart from Mark?” she asked.
    â€œI can’t think,” Sylvia replied, wrinkling her forehead. “We’ve both been fast asleep all day. Though I suppose Judy could have guessed, particularly if she tried Mark’s number first.”
    â€œOh, that’ll be it,” said Bettina. But as she spoke Oliver came back into the room, still looking bewildered.
    â€œIt was the police,” he said.
    â€œThe police!” both women said.
    â€œI don’t understand. They say they’ve got Mark in custody…Can you be arrested for driving too slowly in this country?”
    â€œWell, not as a rule,” said Bettina. “What exactly did they say?”
    â€œIt was a phrase I didn’t really understand. They said he’d been arrested on suspicion of curb-crawling.”

Chapter 6
Concerted Action
    The next half hour was quite hectic. Bettina rang Peter Seddon, made sure he hadn’t been drinking, then asked him if he would drive her brother to the West Kensington Police Station, where Mark was being detained, and offer support and know-how while Oliver went through the necessary formalities to get his son released on bail. While they waited for him she explained to Ollie what curb-crawling consisted of: pestering women to have sex in the car. He was quiet for a time, trying to take it in.
    â€œI expect he was just trying to be friendly,” he said at last. “Chatting them up and that.”
    â€œYes, that’s what curb-crawlers do for starters,” said Bettina. Then, not wanting her brother’s first evening to be more spoiled than it already was, she added, “But you could save Mark’s face by saying you’re sure that that’s all it was, and that he doesn’t understand the British laws.”
    â€œYes…Yes, that might help…I’m sure he didn’t mean any harm. Mark’s always been a bit of a problem—the comedian of the family—but there’s no harm in him.”
    â€œNo, no, I’m sure there isn’t,” said Bettina, speaking against her better judgment. “Ah, that’ll be Peter.”
    When they had got Ollie off, Bettina came back into the flat and raised her eyebrows at Sylvia.
    â€œWell, I don’t know what you’d feel about a sorbet. Maybe we do need cooling down a bit.”
    â€œNo, that’s Mark,” said Sylvia, and they both laughed. When Katie brought it in it was clear she had been listening.
    â€œWell, I won’t say a word about what’s going on—” she began.
    â€œGood,” said Bettina.
    â€œâ€”but Mr. Mark is the last person I’d’ve thought would need to go