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t　be　able　to　think　of　something　to　protect　her　before　she　had　to　go　back　in。　Or　she　could　walk　in　front　of　a　car。　She　imagined　it　slamming　into　her　body　and　her　bones　shattering。　How　quickly　would　she　die；　broken　in　the　road？　She　still　preferred　the　thought　of　drowning；　of　cool　clean　water　putting　her　to　sleep　for　ever：　a　sleep　without　dreams　…

‘Sukhvinder？　Sukhvinder！’

Her　stomach　turned　over。　Tessa　Wall　was　hurrying　towards　her　across　the　car　park。　For　one　mad　moment　Sukhvinder　considered　running；　but　then　the　futility　of　it　overwhelmed　her；　and　she　stood　waiting　for　Tessa　to　reach　her；　hating　her；　with　her　stupid　plain　face　and　her　evil　son。

‘Sukhvinder；　what　are　you　doing？　Where　are　you　going？’

She　could　not　even　think　of　a　lie。　With　a　hopeless　gesture　of　her　shoulders；　she　surrendered。

Tessa　had　no　appointments　until　three。　She　ought　to　have　taken　Sukhvinder　to　the　office　and　reported　her　attempted　flight；　instead；　she　took　Sukhvinder　upstairs　to　the　guidance　room；　with　its　Nepalese　wall…hanging　and　the　posters　for　ChildLine。　Sukhvinder　had　never　been　there　before。

Tessa　spoke；　and　left　inviting　little　pauses；　then　spoke　again；　and　Sukhvinder　sat　with　sweaty　palms；　her　gaze　fixed　on　her　shoes。　Tessa　knew　her　mother　–　Tessa　would　tell　Parminder　that　she　had　tried　to　truant　–　but　if　she　explained　why？　Would　Tessa；　could　Tessa；　intercede？　Not　with　her　son；　she　could　not　control　Fats；　that　was　mon　knowledge。　But　with　Krystal？　Krystal　came　to　guidance　…

How　bad　would　the　beating　be；　if　she　told？　But　there　would　be　a　beating　even　if　she　did　not　tell。　Krystal　had　been　ready　to　set　her　whole　gang　on　her　…

‘…　anything　happened；　Sukhvinder？’

She　nodded。　Tessa　said　encouragingly；　‘Can　you　tell　me　what　it　was？’

So　Sukhvinder　told。

She　was　sure　she　could　read；　in　the　minute　contraction　of　Tessa’s　brow　as　she　listened；　something　other　than　sympathy　for　herself。　Perhaps　Tessa　was　thinking　about　how　Parminder　might　react　to　the　news　that　her　treatment　of　Mrs　Catherine　Weedon　was　being　screamed　about　in　the　street。　Sukhvinder　had　not　forgotten　to　worry　about　that　as　she　had　sat　in　the　bathroom　cubicle；　wishing　for　death。　Or　perhaps　Tessa’s　look　of　unease　was　reluctance　to　tackle　Krystal　Weedon；　doubtless　Krystal　was　her　favourite　too；　as　she　had　been　Mr　Fairbrother’s。

A　fierce；　stinging　sense　of　injustice　burst　through　Sukhvinder’s　misery；　her　fear　and　her　self…loathing；　it　swept　aside　that　tangle　of　worries　and　terrors　that　encased　her　daily；　she　thought　of　Krystal　and　her　mates；　waiting　to　charge；　she　thought　of　Fats；　whispering　poisonous　words　from　behind　her　in　every　maths　lesson；　and　of　the　message　that　she　had　wiped　off　her　Facebook　page　the　previous　evening：

Les…bian…ism　n。　Sexual　orientation　of　women　to　women。　Also　called　Sapphism。　A　native　or　inhabitant　of　Lesbos。

‘I　don’t　know　how　she　knows；’　said　Sukhvinder；　with　the　blood　thrumming　in　her　ears。

‘Knows　…？’　asked　Tessa；　her　expression　still　troubled。

‘That　there’s　been　a　plaint　about　Mum　and　her　great…gran。　Krystal　and　her　mum　don’t　talk　to　the　rest　of　the　family。　Maybe；’　said　Sukhvinder；　‘Fats　told　her？’

‘Fats？’　Tessa　repeated　unprehendingly。

‘You　know；　because　they’re　seeing　each　other；’　said　Sukhvinder。　‘Him　and　Krystal？　Going　out　together？　So　maybe　he　told　her。’

It　gave　her　some　bitter　satisfaction　to　see　every　vestige　of　professional　calm　drain　from　Tessa’s　face。

IX
Kay　Bawden　never　wanted　to　set　foot　in　Miles　and　Samantha’s　house　again。　She　could　not　forgive　them　for　witnessing　Gavin’s　parade　of　indifference；　nor　could　she　forget　Miles’　patronizing　laughter；　his　attitude　to　Bellchapel；　or　the　sneery　way　that　he　and　Samantha　had　spoken　about　Krystal　Weedon。

In　spite　of　Gavin’s　apology　and　his　tepid　assurances　of　affection；　Kay　could　not　stop　picturing　him　nose　to　nose　with　Mary　on　the　sofa；　jumping　up　to　help　her　with　the　plates；　walking　her　home　in　the　dark。　When　Gavin　told　her；　a　few　days　later；　that　he　had　had　dinner　at　Mary’s　house；　she　had　to　fight　down　an　angry　response；　because　he　had　never　eaten　more　than　toast　at　her　house　in　Hope　Street。

She　might　not　be　allowed　to　say　anything　bad　about　The　Widow；　about　whom　Gavin　spoke　as　though　she　were　the　Holy　Mother；　but　the　Mollisons　were　different。

‘I　can’t　say　I　like　Miles　very　much。’

‘He’s　not　exactly　my　best　mate。’

‘If　you　ask　me；　it’ll　be　a　catastrophe　for　the　addiction　clinic　if　he　gets　elected。’

‘I　doubt　it’ll　make　any　difference。’

Gavin’s　apathy；　his　indifference　to　other　people’s　pain；　always　infuriated　Kay。

‘Isn’t　there　anyone　who’ll　stick　up　for　Bellchapel？’

‘Colin　Wall；　I　suppose；’　said　Gavin。

So；　at　eight　o’clock　on　Monday　evening；　Kay　walked　up　the　Walls’　drive　and　rang　their　doorbell。　From　the　front　step；　she　could　make　out　Samantha　Mollison’s　red　Ford　Fiesta；　parked　in　the　drive　three　houses　along。　The　sight　added　a　little　extra　zest　to　her　desire　for　a　fight。

The　Walls’　door　was　opened　by　a　short　plain　dumpy　woman　in　a　tie…dyed　skirt。

‘Hello；’　said　Kay。　‘My　name’s　Kay　Bawden；　and　I　was　wondering　whether　I　could　speak　to　Colin　Wall？’

For　a　split　second；　Tessa　simply　stared　at　the　attractive　young　woman　on　the　doorstep　whom　she　had　never　seen　before。　The　strangest　idea　flashed　across　her　mind：　that　Colin　was　having　an　affair　and　that　his　lover　had　e　to　tell　her　so。

‘Oh　–　yes　–　e　in。　I’m　Tessa。’

Kay　wiped　her　feet　conscientiously　on　the　doormat　and　followed　Tessa　into　a　sitting　room　that　was　smaller；　shabbier　but　cosier　than　the　Mollisons’。　A　tall；　balding　man　with　a　high　forehead　was　sitting　in　an　armchair　with　a　notebook　in　his　lap　and　a　pen　in　his　hand。

‘Colin；　this　is　Kay　Bawden；’　said　Tessa。　‘She’d　like　to　speak　to　you。’

Tessa　saw　Colin’s　startled　and　wary　expression；　and　knew　at　once　that　the　woman　was　a　stranger　to　him。　Really；　she　thought；　a　little　ashamed；　what　were　you　thinking？

‘I’m　sorry　to　barge　in　on　you　like　this；　unannounced；’　said　Kay；　as　Colin　stood　up　to　shake　her　hand。　‘I　would　have　telephoned；　but　you’re—’

‘We’re　ex…directory；　yes；’　said　Colin。　He　towered　over　Kay；　his　eyes　tiny　behind　the　lenses　of　his　glasses。　‘Please；　sit　down。’

‘Thank　you。　It’s　about　the　election；’　said　Kay。　‘This　Parish　Council　election。　You’re　standing；　aren’t　you；　against　Miles　Mollison？’

‘That’s　right；’　said　Colin　nervously。　He　knew　who　she　must　be：　the　reporter　who　had　wanted　to　talk　to　Krystal。　They　had　tracked　him　down　–　Tessa　ought　not　to　have　let　her　in。

‘I　was　wondering　whether　I　could　help　in　any　way；’　said　Kay。　‘I’m　a　social　worker；　mostly　working　in　the　Fields。　There　are　some　facts　and　figures　I　could　give　you　about　the　Bellchapel　Addiction　Clinic；　which　Mollison　seems　quite　keen　on　closing。　I’ve　been　told　that　you’re　for　the　clinic？　That　you’d　like　to　keep　it　open？’

The　onrush　of　relief　and　pleasure　made　him　almost　giddy。

‘Oh；　yes；’　said　Colin；　‘yes；　I　would。　Yes；　that　was　my　predecessor’s　–　that’s　to　say；　the　previous　holder　of　the　seat　–　Barry　Fairbrother　–　was　certainly　opposed　to　closing　the　clinic。　And　I　am；　too。’

‘Well；　I’ve　had　a　conversation　with　Miles　Mollison；　and　he　made　it　quite　clear　that　he　doesn’t　think　the　clinic’s　worth　keeping　open。　Frankly；　I　think　he’s　rather　ignorant　and　naive　about　the　causes　and　treatment　of　addiction；　and　about　the　very　real　difference　Bellchapel　is　making。　If　the　Parish　refuses　to　renew　the　lease　on　the　building；　and　the　District　cuts　funding；　then　there’s　a　danger　that　some　very　vulnerable　people　will　be　left　without　support。’

‘Yes；　yes；　I　see；’　said　Colin。　‘Oh；　yes；　I　agree。’

He　was　astonished　and　flattered　that　this　attractive　young　woman　would　have　walked　through　the　evening　to　find　him　and　offer　herself　as　an　ally。

‘Would　you　like　a　cup　of　tea　or　coffee；　Kay？’　asked　Tessa。

‘Oh；　thanks　very　much；’　said　Kay。　‘Tea；　please；　Tessa。　No　sugar。’

Fats　was　in　the　kitchen；　helping　himself　from　the　fridge。　He　ate　copiously　and　continually；　but　remained　scrawny；　never　putting　on　an　ounce　of　weight。　In　spite　of　his　openly　declared　disgust　for　them；　he　seemed　unaffected　by　Tessa’s　pack　of　ready…filled　syringes；　which　sat　in　a　clinical　white　box　next　to　the　cheese。

Tessa　moved　to　the　kettle；　and　her　thoughts　returned　to　the　subject　that　had　consumed　her　ever　since　Sukhvinder　had　suggested　it　earlier：　that　Fats　and　Krystal　were　‘seeing　each　other’。　She　had　not　questioned　Fats；　and　she　had　not　told　Colin。

The　more　that　Tessa　thought　about　it；　the　more　certain　she　was　that　it　could　not　be　true。　She　was　sure　that　Fats　held　himself　in　such　high　regard　that　no　girl　would　be　good　enough；　especially　a　girl　like　Krystal。　Surely　he　would　not　…

Demean　himself？　Is　that　it？　Is　that　what　you　think？

‘Who’s　here？’　Fats　asked　Tessa；　through　a　mouthful　of　cold　chicken；　as　she　put　on　the　kettle。

‘A　woman　who　wants　to　help　Dad　get　elected　to　the　council；’　replied　Tessa；　foraging　in　the　cupboard　for　biscuits。

‘Why？　Does　she　fancy　him？’

‘Grow　up；　Stu；’　said　Tessa　crossly。

He　plucked　several　slices　of　thin　ham　out　of　an　open　pack　and　poked　them；　bit　by　bit；　into　his　crammed　mouth；　like　a　magician　inserting　silk　handkerchiefs　into　his　fist。　Fats　sometimes　stood　for　ten　minutes　at　a　time　at　the　open　fridge；　ripping　open　clingfilm　and　packets　and　putting　chunks　of　food　directly　into　his　mouth。　It　was　a　habit　Colin　deprecated；　along　with　almost　every　other　aspect　of　Fats’　behaviour。

‘Why’s　she　want　to　help　him；　seriously？’　he　asked；　having　swallowed　his　mouthful　of　meat。

‘She　wants　the　Bellchapel　Addiction　Clinic　to　stay　open。’

‘What；　a　junkie；　is　she？’

‘No；　she　isn’t　a　junkie；’　said　Tessa；　noting　with　annoyance　that　Fats　had　finished　the　last　three　chocolate　biscuits　and　left　the　empty　wrappings　on　the　shelf。　‘She’s　a　social　worker；　and　she　thinks　the　clinic　is　doing　a　good　job。　Dad　wants　to　keep　it　open；　but　Miles　Mollison　doesn’t　think　it’s　very　effective。’

‘It　can’t　be　doing　that　well。　The　Fields　are　full　of　glue…sniffers　and　smackheads。’

Tessa　knew　that　if　she　had　said　that　Colin　wanted　to　close　the　clinic；　Fats　would　have　instantly　produced　an　argument　for　its　continuation。

‘You　ought　to　be　a　barrister；　Stu；’　she　said　as　the　kettle　lid　started　to　rattle。

When　Tessa　returned　to　the　sitting　room　with　her　tray；　she　found　Kay　talking　Colin　through　a　sheaf　of　printed　material　she　had　brought　out　of　her　big　tote　bag。

‘…　two　drugs　workers　part…funded　by　the　council；　and　partly　by　Action　on　Addiction；　which　is　a　really　good　charity。　Then　there’s　a　social　worker　attached　to　the　clinic；　Nina；　she’s　the　one　who　gave　me　all　this　–　oh；　thanks　very　much；’　said　Kay；　beaming　up　at　Tessa；　who　had　set　down　a　mug　of　tea　on　the　table　beside　her。

Kay　had　taken　to　the　Walls；　in　just　a　few　minutes；　as　she　had　not　taken　to　anybody　else　in　Pagford。　There　had　been　no　sweeping　up…and…down　glance　from　Tessa　as　she　walked　in；　no　gimlet…eyed　assessment　of　her　physical　imperfections　and　dress　sense。　Her　husband；　though　nervous；　seemed　decent　and　earnest　in　his　determination　to　obstruct　the　abandonment　of　the　Fields。

‘Is　that　a　London　accent；　Kay？’　asked　Tessa；　dunking　a　plain　biscuit　in　her　tea。　Kay　nodded。

‘What　brings　you　to　Pagford？’

‘A　relationship；’　said　Kay。　She　took　no　pleasure　saying　it；　even　though　she　and　Gavin　were　officially　reconciled。　She　turned　back　to　Colin。

‘I　don’t　quite　understand　the　situation　with　regards　to　the　Parish　Council　and　the　clinic。’

‘Oh；　it　owns　the　building；’　said　Colin。　‘It’s　an　old　church。　The　lease　is　ing　up　for　renewal。’

‘So　that　would　be　an　easy　way　to　force　them　out。’

‘Exactly。　When　did　you　say　you’d　spoken　to　Miles　Mollison？’　asked　Colin；　both　hoping　and　dreading　to　hear　that　Miles　had　mentioned　him。

‘We　had　dinner；　Friday　before　last；’　Kay　explained；　‘Gavin　and　I—’

‘Oh；　you’re　Gavin’s　girlfriend！’　interjected　Tessa。

‘Yes；　and；　anyway；　the　subject　of　the　Fields　came　up—’

‘It　would；’　said　Tessa。

‘—and　Miles　mentioned　Bellchapel；　and　I　was　quite　–　quite　dismayed　by　the　way　he　talked　about　the　issues　involved。　I　told　him　I’m　dealing　with　a　family　at　the　moment；’