‘Takes all sorts. Louise, Mark, Anabel and Claud would not kill their mother, only want to.’

‘Poor Matilda.’

‘She has the goose.’ Mr Jones had begun to look sleepy. Hugh got up.

‘I will bring the money tomorrow in cash.’

‘I will have the currency ready for you in a few days.’

I bet he has it stashed around the bungalow thought Hugh. He said goodnight and walked back to the cottage.

Gus, recognizing his step, gave a token honk from the scullery. As he climbed the stairs Hugh heard Matilda’s snores. By morning, he thought, she will have forgotten her unease, have buried the discoveries about Tom in her unconscious.

He stood in the dark, looking out of his window at the moonlit countryside, thinking of his mother, remembering her face looking up at him in terror and hearing her voice – ‘Oh Hugh, quick, please.’ Her eyes large, stone grey, fringed with, for an old woman, ridiculously long lashes, haunted him. He recollected how, as a boy at school, homesick, unable to sleep, he had tried to bring her face and voice to mind for comfort in the alien environment of his dormitory. He had had trouble in those days to see her clearly; now he both saw her and heard her voice. ‘Oh Hugh, quick, please.’ She would travel with him whether he willed it or not.

25

HUGH MADE HIS arrangements without consulting Matilda. While she was shopping he tried on Tom’s clothes, looking at himself in the glass, wearing various garments. Tom’s taste in dress was unlike his own. He felt unnatural in most of the clothes. From a store of trousers, jeans, suits, shirts, jerseys, he made a final choice of pale corduroy trousers, a tweed jacket, red socks. He hesitated whether to wear a polo neck jersey or a shirt, settling for the shirt as more respectable. He put aside, for packing, jeans, T-shirts, spare pants, a shirt or two, swimming trunks and sweaters. Ranging round the house he found several pairs of black glasses.

He dressed himself and waited for Matilda, listening for her car, standing out of sight in the hall. When the car drew up Gus honked from the back door and slapped his feet as he ran to meet her. Listening to her voice greeting the bird Hugh thought she sounded younger, happier, altogether more cheerful and full of confidence.

She dumped her parcels on the kitchen table. ‘Wait, Gus, wait,’ she said to the bird. ‘I’ll get you some maize.’ She kicked off her espadrilles. Her feet were barely audible on the stone floor. ‘Here,’ she said, ‘here, Gus, my love, eat this.’ She put the bowl on the step and straightened up. Catching sight of Hugh in the doorway she gasped.