work, nowhere to sell anything. Are there any fairs around?”
“Not that I know of.”
He shook his head. “It’s not even much of a site.”
“Maybe there’s some work around that we don’t know about. There’s plenty of farms…”
“It’s all sheep and cattle. Gypsies don’t work with sheep and cattle.”
“Maybe they’re stealing them?”
“No one steals sheep anymore. It’s not worth the effort. Do you know how much you get for a sheep these days?”
“Well, maybe they’re here to look after us?”
“What?”
“Like angels.”
“Angels?”
I grinned at him. “Guardian angels.”
He didn’t even bother telling me I was an idiot, he just shook his head and started putting on his shoes. “Anyway,” he said, “I might go up and talk to them later if I’ve got time.”
“Do you think they’ll want to talk to us? You know what some of them think of Dad.”
“They can think what they like.” He looked at me. “You won’t be there, anyway.”
“Why not?”
“You’re staying here.”
“What?”
“I want you to stay here—”
“No way,” I said. “I’m coming with you. I’m not letting you—”
“Listen to me,” he said, holding up his hand. “Just listen a minute.” He looked over at the door, then spoke quietly. “There’s something going on here, isn’t there?”
“Yeah, but—”
“We need to find out what it is.” He looked at me. “Right?”
“Yeah, I suppose…”
“There’s no suppose about it, Rube. We need to know what’s going on. One of us has to stay here.”
“All right—but why does it have to be me?”
“Because if you go into the village and meet up with Red and Big Davy and whoever else is there, they’ll scare the shit out of you.” He paused, looking me in the eye. “And if you stay here you can take a look at the place where Rachel’s body was found.”
I knew what he meant, and I knew he was right. It made sense for him to go to the village, and it made sense for me to stay here. I still didn’t like it, but then we weren’t here to like things, were we?
“OK?” said Cole.
“Yeah, OK. I’ll ask Abbie to tell me where Rachel was found. She can draw me a map or something—”
“No, get her to take you there. Don’t go on your own. If Abbie doesn’t want to take you, or if she’s out all day or something, wait for me to get back and we’ll go together.”
“Why?”
“Because I said so.”
I looked at him. His face said— Don’t argue . So I didn’t.
“All right,” I said. “Is there anything else you want me to do?”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know…I mean, how am I supposed to find out what’s going on? What should I do?”
“Nothing—just hang around, see how it feels.” He almost smiled. “See if anything comes to you.”
Not much happened at the breakfast table. Vince was quiet, concentrating on his food, and Abbie didn’t even sit down. She just pottered around making coffee and toast and keeping out of the way. Her eyes looked a bit red from crying, but then I expect mine probably did, too.
Outside, the sky looked clear and bright, and a pale white sun was beginning to warm the air.
When Vince had finished eating, he wiped his plate with a slice of bread, popped the bread in his mouth, then washed it all down with a big slurp of tea. “You need a lift anywhere?” he said to Cole. “I’m heading off to Plymouth in a minute.”
“Could you drop me off in the village?”
“No trouble.” He drained the tea from his mug. “Going anywhere in particular?”
“Not really.” Cole looked at him. “Anywhere in particular you’d recommend?”
“Not really.” Vince put his mug down and stood up. “I’ll be ready in about five minutes—OK?”
Cole nodded. As Vince left the room and went upstairs, Abbie came over and started clearing the table.
“Are you going anywhere today?” I asked her.
She shrugged. “I shouldn’t think so.”
“Do you mind if I stay
“Not that I know of.”
He shook his head. “It’s not even much of a site.”
“Maybe there’s some work around that we don’t know about. There’s plenty of farms…”
“It’s all sheep and cattle. Gypsies don’t work with sheep and cattle.”
“Maybe they’re stealing them?”
“No one steals sheep anymore. It’s not worth the effort. Do you know how much you get for a sheep these days?”
“Well, maybe they’re here to look after us?”
“What?”
“Like angels.”
“Angels?”
I grinned at him. “Guardian angels.”
He didn’t even bother telling me I was an idiot, he just shook his head and started putting on his shoes. “Anyway,” he said, “I might go up and talk to them later if I’ve got time.”
“Do you think they’ll want to talk to us? You know what some of them think of Dad.”
“They can think what they like.” He looked at me. “You won’t be there, anyway.”
“Why not?”
“You’re staying here.”
“What?”
“I want you to stay here—”
“No way,” I said. “I’m coming with you. I’m not letting you—”
“Listen to me,” he said, holding up his hand. “Just listen a minute.” He looked over at the door, then spoke quietly. “There’s something going on here, isn’t there?”
“Yeah, but—”
“We need to find out what it is.” He looked at me. “Right?”
“Yeah, I suppose…”
“There’s no suppose about it, Rube. We need to know what’s going on. One of us has to stay here.”
“All right—but why does it have to be me?”
“Because if you go into the village and meet up with Red and Big Davy and whoever else is there, they’ll scare the shit out of you.” He paused, looking me in the eye. “And if you stay here you can take a look at the place where Rachel’s body was found.”
I knew what he meant, and I knew he was right. It made sense for him to go to the village, and it made sense for me to stay here. I still didn’t like it, but then we weren’t here to like things, were we?
“OK?” said Cole.
“Yeah, OK. I’ll ask Abbie to tell me where Rachel was found. She can draw me a map or something—”
“No, get her to take you there. Don’t go on your own. If Abbie doesn’t want to take you, or if she’s out all day or something, wait for me to get back and we’ll go together.”
“Why?”
“Because I said so.”
I looked at him. His face said— Don’t argue . So I didn’t.
“All right,” I said. “Is there anything else you want me to do?”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know…I mean, how am I supposed to find out what’s going on? What should I do?”
“Nothing—just hang around, see how it feels.” He almost smiled. “See if anything comes to you.”
Not much happened at the breakfast table. Vince was quiet, concentrating on his food, and Abbie didn’t even sit down. She just pottered around making coffee and toast and keeping out of the way. Her eyes looked a bit red from crying, but then I expect mine probably did, too.
Outside, the sky looked clear and bright, and a pale white sun was beginning to warm the air.
When Vince had finished eating, he wiped his plate with a slice of bread, popped the bread in his mouth, then washed it all down with a big slurp of tea. “You need a lift anywhere?” he said to Cole. “I’m heading off to Plymouth in a minute.”
“Could you drop me off in the village?”
“No trouble.” He drained the tea from his mug. “Going anywhere in particular?”
“Not really.” Cole looked at him. “Anywhere in particular you’d recommend?”
“Not really.” Vince put his mug down and stood up. “I’ll be ready in about five minutes—OK?”
Cole nodded. As Vince left the room and went upstairs, Abbie came over and started clearing the table.
“Are you going anywhere today?” I asked her.
She shrugged. “I shouldn’t think so.”
“Do you mind if I stay
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