right, though,’ said Maggie bitterly. ‘We’re up against powerful forces here, remember. They’re not going to just stand back and let us trash their life’s work.’
‘They’re used to it,’ Hilary said. ‘Monsanto particularly.’
‘Is this Monsanto, then?’ Karen asked.
‘Apparently not,’ Geraldine said. ‘Although it’s hard to be sure. They hide behind a host of different names these days. Not that it matters, really. They’re all as bad as each other. And with fickle public attention turned elsewhere, they think they can carry on just as they like.’
The meeting seemed to run out of steam at this point. Geraldine went off to make coffee, and conversation fragmented into twos and threes. Karen still wasn’t sure she’d grasped the central purpose, although she’d certainly learnt a great deal. She was impatient to get home and share the disclosures with Drew.
But nobody seemed inclined to leave just yet. Hilary put a hand on her arm, as if sensing her wish to get home. ‘It really does matter, you know,’ she said.
‘I’m sure it does.’ Karen felt guilty at her own deficiency in zeal.
‘It’s too easy just to assume everything’s going to be all right, you see. I was like that myself a few years ago, so I know how it is. You’ve got Drew and the kids to occupy you, and that wonderful garden you’re making. It’s always busy, with not much time for serious thought, let alone reading the reports that are coming out. But you must . We might not get a second chance.’
‘I don’t really understand what you’re asking me to do,’ Karen said.
Hilary glanced around the room, as if checking that nobody was listening. ‘Divert attention,’ she said in a whisper. ‘The police have been questioning you. You’ve been unlucky – in the wrong place at the wrong time. Like it or not, your name is going to pop up again and again on their computers. They might ask you for opinions on Peter. Just mind what you say. We’ve put so much work into this community …’ her voice rose, ‘… we can’t bear for it all to get ruined now.’
Karen stared at Hilary’s open country features. ‘But it would never even have occurred to mebefore this evening that Peter was killed because of food politics.’
Hilary grinned. ‘Well, we have been silly then, haven’t we?’
Den suspected that Hemsley was disappointed with the information he’d provided. When it came down to it, all he’d been able to offer was that he knew Karen Slocombe, chief witness to the shooting of Peter Grafton. ‘Is that it?’ Hemsley had demanded, after the all-too-brief explanation. ‘I thought you were going to give me something useful.’
Den shrugged. ‘It could be useful,’ he maintained. ‘I’m well positioned to get more background for you. Karen doesn’t much like the police. She’s not going to put herself out to help you.’
‘She likes you though, does she?’
They were meeting for the second time since Den had seen the Inspector giving his television interview. Taking an hour out from his Social Services tasks, Den had dropped into the Incident Room, in the hope of catching his friend. It was ten thirty on Friday morning.
Den paused at the question, bending his long head thoughtfully, staring at the formica table in front of him. ‘She’s not mad about me,’ he admitted. ‘It can be awkward sometimes. Thefour of us, all connected as we are. Drew gets caught up in the middle, and Karen feels left out. But so do I, on and off.’
Hemsley shook his head. ‘I’m not with you,’ he complained. ‘Drew and Karen are married, right? And your girlfriend works for him?’
‘Right. That’s it, basically.’
‘So there’s plenty of scope for jealousy,’ the Inspector noted shrewdly. ‘All these pairings, all these high emotions when there’s a messy funeral or one of the kids gets sick. D’you fancy her at all?’
‘Who? Karen? No!’ Den spoke robustly. ‘Absolutely
‘They’re used to it,’ Hilary said. ‘Monsanto particularly.’
‘Is this Monsanto, then?’ Karen asked.
‘Apparently not,’ Geraldine said. ‘Although it’s hard to be sure. They hide behind a host of different names these days. Not that it matters, really. They’re all as bad as each other. And with fickle public attention turned elsewhere, they think they can carry on just as they like.’
The meeting seemed to run out of steam at this point. Geraldine went off to make coffee, and conversation fragmented into twos and threes. Karen still wasn’t sure she’d grasped the central purpose, although she’d certainly learnt a great deal. She was impatient to get home and share the disclosures with Drew.
But nobody seemed inclined to leave just yet. Hilary put a hand on her arm, as if sensing her wish to get home. ‘It really does matter, you know,’ she said.
‘I’m sure it does.’ Karen felt guilty at her own deficiency in zeal.
‘It’s too easy just to assume everything’s going to be all right, you see. I was like that myself a few years ago, so I know how it is. You’ve got Drew and the kids to occupy you, and that wonderful garden you’re making. It’s always busy, with not much time for serious thought, let alone reading the reports that are coming out. But you must . We might not get a second chance.’
‘I don’t really understand what you’re asking me to do,’ Karen said.
Hilary glanced around the room, as if checking that nobody was listening. ‘Divert attention,’ she said in a whisper. ‘The police have been questioning you. You’ve been unlucky – in the wrong place at the wrong time. Like it or not, your name is going to pop up again and again on their computers. They might ask you for opinions on Peter. Just mind what you say. We’ve put so much work into this community …’ her voice rose, ‘… we can’t bear for it all to get ruined now.’
Karen stared at Hilary’s open country features. ‘But it would never even have occurred to mebefore this evening that Peter was killed because of food politics.’
Hilary grinned. ‘Well, we have been silly then, haven’t we?’
Den suspected that Hemsley was disappointed with the information he’d provided. When it came down to it, all he’d been able to offer was that he knew Karen Slocombe, chief witness to the shooting of Peter Grafton. ‘Is that it?’ Hemsley had demanded, after the all-too-brief explanation. ‘I thought you were going to give me something useful.’
Den shrugged. ‘It could be useful,’ he maintained. ‘I’m well positioned to get more background for you. Karen doesn’t much like the police. She’s not going to put herself out to help you.’
‘She likes you though, does she?’
They were meeting for the second time since Den had seen the Inspector giving his television interview. Taking an hour out from his Social Services tasks, Den had dropped into the Incident Room, in the hope of catching his friend. It was ten thirty on Friday morning.
Den paused at the question, bending his long head thoughtfully, staring at the formica table in front of him. ‘She’s not mad about me,’ he admitted. ‘It can be awkward sometimes. Thefour of us, all connected as we are. Drew gets caught up in the middle, and Karen feels left out. But so do I, on and off.’
Hemsley shook his head. ‘I’m not with you,’ he complained. ‘Drew and Karen are married, right? And your girlfriend works for him?’
‘Right. That’s it, basically.’
‘So there’s plenty of scope for jealousy,’ the Inspector noted shrewdly. ‘All these pairings, all these high emotions when there’s a messy funeral or one of the kids gets sick. D’you fancy her at all?’
‘Who? Karen? No!’ Den spoke robustly. ‘Absolutely
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