Tragedy at Two Read Free

foreigners.”
    “They’d be Italians, wouldn’t they?” Derek said. They gave up, and an apprehensive silence fell as the older of the two men came over to the locals’ table.
    “G’day,” he said in a deep voice. “D’you know of any work goin’ round here?”
    Derek and the others looked at each other. Finally Derek said, “What kind of work?”
    “Anything, we can do anything. We’re not afraid of hard work.”
    “Not what I’ve heard,” muttered Sam under his breath.
    Derek saw the man’s hands clench into fists, and answered swiftly. “I reckon there’ll be some work on Thornbull’s farm soon. If we ever see the sun again, that is. The rain’s holding them up somethin’ shockin’.”
    The man asked where the farm was, and Derek gave him directions. “You stand a good chance there,” he said. “The Poles and them don’t come over as much as they used to do. Get better wages at home, they reckon.”
    “Where’re you from, mate?” Sam said.
    “Up the road,” the man said.
    “Campin’ on Alf Smith’s land, are you?” Sam’s voice was hostile.
    “Yeah, but we’ll be moving on to Appleby.”
    “Sooner the better,” said Sam, getting up to go. “A bit stuffy in here,” he said, turning to his friends. “See ya, boy,” he grunted to Derek, and without looking at either of the strangers, he stalked out.
    “He’s not feeling too well,” Derek answered in as loud a voice as he could manage. The message had been only too clear, as he could see from the gypsies’ faces.
    The conversation at the table resumed, but this time on a hot village topic. “How’s Rob, then?” one of the locals said. Derek shook his head. “Dunno,” he said. “Josie’s still keeping vigil, poor gel, and Lois has gone to sit with her. I’m excused, as Lois says I can’t sit still for five minutes an’ am not much use, anyway.”
    “Is he conscious yet?” one of the others said. They all knew Josie from the shop, and were genuinely sorry as well as curious. “Can he tell them anything about who attacked him?”
    Once again Derek shook his head. “Don’t know” he said. “He was still out for the count, last I heard. I’ll know more when Lois gets home.” He looked at his watch and drained his glass. “Better be going,” he said.
    “Watch y’ back, boy!” chorused his friends.
     
     
    LOIS DID NOT LEAVE THE HOSPITAL UNTIL LATE EVENING, AND now, nearly home, slowed down at the thirty limit sign. She was in very low spirits. There had been no change in Rob’s condition, and Josie had looked half dead herself. The nurse had promised to insist that Josie have some sleep in a side room, and Lois had left the hospital reluctantly. She was worried about Rob, of course, but her main concern was Josie. She had mentioned to her that between them she and Gran were keeping the shop going, but Josie had hardly seemed to listen. The only thing she repeated in the hours that Lois was with her was that it was all her fault.
    The lights of the van picked up a moving shape, and Lois braked hard. It was a dog, and it vanished through the hedge into the field where Lois knew there were gypsies. She could see dim lights coming from the caravans, and wondered if she should go and make sure the dog was not hurt.
    She drew into a gateway and stopped the engine. It was muddy as she got out, and she cursed. Before she got to the caravans, a tall man came towards her, silhouetted against the moonlit sky.
    “What d’ya want?” he said.
    She could see he had a dog on a leash. It was growling and showing its teeth.
    Lois explained, and the man shook his head. “It’d be the whippet,” he said. “Fast as the wind. That’d be all right. You on yer own?” He sounded concerned as he asked the question, and Lois answered quickly that she was on her way home and her husband would be expecting her. She was later than planned, she explained. Then she wondered if saying that was a good idea. Either he was suspicious