“Was that the only reason she scared you? Her size?”
Geraldine thought back.
“It was a sort of overall thing. I don’t know how to describe it. She was very quiet. You could be talking to someone and you’d turn round to find her standing right behind you, staring at you.”
“Did she bully people?”
“Only if they were nasty to Amber.”
“And did that happen often?”
“No. Everyone liked Amber.”
“OK.” Roz tapped her pencil against her teeth.
“You say you were the only one Olive spoke to. What sort of things did you talk about?”
Geraldine plucked at her skirt.
“Just things,” she said unhelpfully.
“I can’t remember now.”
“The sort of things all girls talk about at school.”
“Well, yes, I suppose so.”
Roz gritted her teeth.
“So you discussed sex, and boys, and clothes, and make-up?”
“Well, yes,” she said again.
“I find that hard to believe, Mrs. Wright. Not unless she’s changed a great deal in ten years. I’ve met her, you know. She’s not remotely interested in trivia and she doesn’t like talking about herself. She wants to know about me and what Ido.”
“That’s probably because she’s in prison and you’re her only visitor.”
“I’m not, in actual fact. Also, I am told that most prisoners do the exact opposite when someone visits them. They talk about themselves nineteen to the dozen because it’s the only time they get a sympathetic hearing.” She raised a speculative eyebrow.
“I think it’s Olive’s nature to quiz the person she’s talking to. I suspect she’s always done it, and that’s why none of you liked her very much. You probably thought she was nosy.”
Pray God, I’m right, she thought, because this one, who’s about as manipulable as putty, will say I am regardless.
“How funny,” said Geraldine.
“Now you mention it, she did ask a lot of questions. She was always wanting to know about my parents, whether they held hands and kissed, and whether I’d ever heard them making love.” She turned her mouth down.
“Yes, I remember now, that’s why I didn’t like her. She was forever trying to find out how often my parents had sex, and she used to push her face up close when she asked, and stare.” She gave a small shudder.
“I used to hate that. She had such greedy eyes.”
“Did you tell her?”
“About my parents?” Geraldine sniggered.
“Not the truth, certainly. I didn’t know myself. Whenever she asked, I always said, yes, they’d had sex the night before, just to get away from her. Everyone did. It became a silly sort of game in the end.”
“Why did she want to know?”
The woman shrugged.
“I always thought it was because she had a dirty mind. There’s a woman in the village who’s just the same. The first thing she says to anyone is, “Tell me all the gossip,” and her eyes light up. I hate that sort of thing. She’s the last person to hear what’s going on, of course.
She puts people’s backs up.”
Roz thought for a moment.
“Did Olive’s parents kiss and cuddle?”
“Lord, no!”
“You’re very certain.”
“Well, of course. They loathed each other. My mother said they only stayed together because he was too lazy to move out and she was too mercenary to let him.”
“So Olive was looking for reassurance?”
“I’m sorry?”
“When she asked you about your parents,” said Roz coolly, ‘she was looking for reassurance. The poor kid was trying to find out if hers were the only ones who didn’t get on.”
“Oh,” said Geraldine in surprise.
