'1 suppose he would, yes.'
'Was Matthew fairly easily influenced by his frienc would you say?'
'No, I wouldn't.'
The answers elicited from Mrs. Rodway hardly appeart to Lewis exciting; or even informative, for that matter. B Morse appeared content to keep his interlocution at lc key.
'Do you blame anyone? About the dmgs T' 'I'm in no position to blame anyone.'
'Do you blame yourself?.'
'Don't we all blame ourselves?'
'What about Dr. Mc Clure--where did he put ti blame?'
'He did say once... I remember...' But the vol, Wailed off as she lit another cigarette. 'It was very odd ally. He was talking about all the pressures on young pe pie these days--you know, about youth culture and all son of thing, about whether standards were declining in well, in everything, I suppose.'
'What exactly did he say?' prompted Morse gently. But Mary Rodway was not listening. 'You know, if or Matthew hadn't... killed himself that night, whatever reason was--reason or reasons he'd probably have be perfectly happy with life a few days later, a week later That's what I can't... I can't get over.' Tears were dropping now. And Lewis looked away. But not Morse.
'What exactly did he say?' he repeated.
Mrs. Rodway wiped her tears and blew her nose noisi 'He said it was always difficult to apportion blame in Ii But he said.., he said if he had to blame anybody it wot be the students.'
'Is that all?'
'Yes.'
'Why was that an 'odd' thing to say, though?'
'Because, you see, he was always on the students' side. Always. So it was a bit like hearing a trade-union boss sud-denly siding with the Conservative Party.'
'Thank you. You've been very kind, Mrs. Rodway.' Clearly (as Lewis could see) it was time to depart; and he closed his notebook with what might have passed for a slight flourish--had anyone been interested enough to ob- serve the gesture.
But equally clearly (as Lewis could also see) Morse was momentarily transfixed, the blue eyes gleaming with that strangely distanced, almost ethereal gaze, which Lewis had observed so often before a gaze which usually betokened a breakthrough in a major case.
As now?
The three of them rose to their feet.
'Did you get to university yourself?.' asked Morse. 'No. I left school at sixteen--went to a posh secretarial college---did well--got a good job---met a nice boss--became his PA--and he married me.... As I told you, In- spector, he's got a weakness for his PAs.'
Morse nodded. 'Just one last question. When did your husband leave you?'
'I told you, don't you remember? Four years ago.' Sud-denly her voice sounded sharp.
'When exactly, Mrs. Rodway?' Suddenly Morse's voice? too, sounded sharp.
'November the fifth Bonfire Night. Not likely to forget the date, am IT'
'Not quite four years ago then?'
Mrs. Rodway made no further reply.
Chapter Fourteen
Everyone can master a grief but he fiaat has it (SH^v. ESP pounds P. E, Much Ado About Nothing)
'Big thing you've got to remember is that it's a great healer--time. Just give it a while, you'll see.'
It was just before lunchtime that same day, in his office at Kidlington Police HQ, that Chief Superintendent Strange thus sought to convey his commiserations to Detective Chief Inspector Phillotson--going on to suggest that an ex-tended period of furlough might well be a good thing after ... well, after things were oven And if anyone could help in any way, Phillotson only had to mention it.
'Frouble with things like this,' continued Strange, as he rose from behind his desk and walked round to place a kindly hand on his colleague's shoulder, 'is that nothing re-ally helps much at all, does it?'
'I don't know about that, sir. People are being very kind.'
'I know, yes. I know.' And Strange resumed his seat, contemplating his own kindliness with some gratification.
'You know, sir, I've heard from people I never expected to show much sympathy.'
'You have?'
'People like Morse, for instance.'
'Morse? When did you see Morse? He told me he was off to Leicester this morning.'
'No. He put a note through the letter-box, that's all.
Must have been latish last night it wasn't there when I put the milk-tokens out...'
