‘It’s a bit noisy in here,’ Neville said, as if telling her something she didn’t know. ‘Fancy a walk?’
Tm waiting for someone,’ she told him. ‘Thanks all the same.’
‘What’s his name?’ asked Neville, looking quite hurt.
‘I’m waiting for a girlfriend actually,’ Kelly lied.
Neville seemed to perk up. He nudged Baz in the ribs, momentarily interrupting his appraisal of Kelly’s shapely body.
‘That’s even better. We can make it a foursome when she gets here.’
Kelly smiled again.
‘You don’t understand,’ she said, flashing her green eyes at him. ‘She’s more than just a friend.’
Neville looked blank.
Baz looked even blanker.
‘We’re very close,’ Kelly continued, barely able to keep a straight face.
It was Baz who spoke the revelatory words.
‘She’s a fucking lesbian,’ he gaped, already pulling his colleague away as if Kelly had just announced she had bubonic plague. She chuckled as she saw them leave, casting anxious glances at her as if they thought she was going to follow them. Kelly took another sip of her drink and checked her watch.
9.58.
Where the hell was Fraser?
Another ten minutes, she decided, and she would drive to his house.
She finished her shandy and ordered an orange juice instead.
She had her back to the door when Fraser walked in.
He strode to the far end of the bar where he was engulfed by his usual drinking companions. Kelly turned her attention back to the door, occasionally checking the faces in the bar.
Almost by accident she spotted who she sought.
She slid down off the stool and walked across to him, tugging at his arm.
‘Fraser.’
He turned and saw her, a mixture of surprise and distaste in his expression.
‘Who’s your friend, John?’ one of the other men asked, admiringly.
Fraser ignored the remark, addressing himself to Kelly.
‘How did you know where to find me?’ he wanted to know.
Kelly told him.
‘I need to talk to you,’ she added. ‘It’s important.’
‘I’m not sure I’ve got anything to say to you, Kelly. You or anyone else concerned with the bloody Institute.’
“I need your help.’
‘How can / help you? Is Vernon looking for more human guinea pigs?’
“It’s Vernon I want to talk to you about.’
Fraser relaxed slightly, more intrigued now than annoyed. He picked up his glass and motioned to an empty table close by. They sat down, watched by the group of men standing at the bar.
‘So what’s suddenly important about the good doctor?’ he said, sarcastically.
‘Listen,’ said Kelly, leaning close to him to make herself heard over the blare of the jukebox. ‘When Vernon dismissed you, it wasn’t because you protested about the research was it?’
Fraser sipped at his drink.
‘You tell me.’
‘I’m not playing games, Fraser,’ snapped Kelly, angrily. ‘I came here tonight because I thought you could help me.’
He raised a hand in supplication.
‘OK, what are you talking about?’ he asked.
‘You mentioned something to Vernon about the research, about it being of benefit to one person in particular.’
Fraser shook his head slowly.
‘Did you mean Vernon himself?’ she continued.
He didn’t answer.
‘And there was something else,’ she persisted. ‘About what Vernon was hiding that he’d been hiding for a time. What did you mean?’
Fraser downed what was left in his glass.
‘Have you ever heard Vernon talk about his wife?’ he asked.
‘I didn’t even know he was married.’
it’s not something he likes to broadcast, at least not any more.”
Kelly leaned closer as the jukebox launched another high decibel assault.
‘For all I know, his wife could be dead now,’ Fraser continued. ‘Something happened to her about six years ago. No one knows what it was and, so far, no one’s found out. Vernon’s too clever for that. But, whatever it was his wife disappeared and nobody knows where she is now.’
‘How do you know this?’ Kelly demanded.
‘Vernon’s quite a respected figure in our little community. When the wife of a prominent man goes missing there’s always the odd rumour floating about.’
‘Could he have killed her?’ asked Kelly, warily.
i doubt it. Perhaps she left him. Upped and walked out. The intriguing thing is, what made her leave? Whatever happened to her he’s certainly managed to keep it quiet.’
Kelly ran her index finger around the rim of her glass, gazing reflectively into the orange fluid.
‘And you think he’s using the research to help his wife. Indirectly?” she said, finally.
it’s a possibility.’
‘But how is our work on the unconscious mind going to help his wife?’ she mused aloud.
‘You won’t know that until you know what’s wrong with her. Or what happened to her anyway.’
Kelly sipped at her drink, thoughts tumbling through her mind. The sounds of the jukebox, the pool table and the electronic games seemed to diminish as she considered what she had heard.
‘What could have happened that was so bad Vernon would keep it secret for six years?’ she pondered.
Fraser could only shrug his shoulders. He started to rise.
‘Where are you going?’ she wanted to know.
‘To get another,’ he said, indicating his empty glass. ‘What about you?’
‘No thanks. I’d better get going. Look, thanks for the help. I appreciate it.’
He nodded.
“You can contact me at home if you want to,’ he began. ‘My address …”
She smiled.
‘Anderson gave me that too,’ she confessed.
‘Frank always was thorough.’
They exchanged brief farewells and Kelly left.
As she emerged from the pub she found that the rain which had merely been spotting earlier had now been transformed into a fully-fledged downpour. She ran to her car, fumbling for her keys as the warm rain drenched her. She slid behind the wheel and sat there, gazing out through the rivulets of water which coursed down the windscreen. Kelly ran a hand through her hair and then wiped her palm on her jeans. Through the cascade of rain she could see Fraser’s Datsun.
Fraser.
Could he be right about Vernon’s wife? Kelly wondered.
She started her engine and guided the Mini out onto the road.
High above her, a soundless flash of lightning split the clouds, reaching earthward as it lit the heavens with cold white light.
