It抯 dark by the time Ruth and Kate get home but, as Ruth approaches the cottages, the security light comes on and she sees a familiar battered Mercedes outside her gate. How long has Nelson had that car? Ever since she抯 known him, which is over twelve years now.
慏ad!?shouts Kate in delight.
慡o it is,?says Ruth. Her own emotions are rather more complicated. She hasn抰 seen much of Nelson since he was injured last year. In the emotional aftermath of that day, both had revealed rather too much of their true feelings for each other. Now Ruth thinks that Nelson is worried that she expects him to leave Michelle for her. But she doesn抰; she never expects that to happen. Besides, Nelson抯 mother visited him for Christmas and was sure to have been preaching the virtues of Christian marriage.
Kate rushes over to the car and is soon dragging Nelson towards the house. Ruth follows more slowly. From the window she can see Flint regarding Nelson with disapproval.
慖 saw the woman next door,?says Nelson. 慡he said you抎 be home soon. I didn抰 know you had a new neighbour.?
慡he only moved in on Sunday. Why didn抰 you ring to say you were coming??
慖 tried to,?says Nelson, 慴ut your phone was switched off. At the university they said you抎 left early.?
Guiltily, Ruth realises that she switched her phone off during Jacquie抯 homily. And she did not leave work early. She arrived at eight and left at four. She wonders who said she did? Her PA, Prisha, is far too discreet.
慖 was at a Lean Zone meeting,?she says. Why be embarrassed about it, she tells herself.
慉 what??
慉 meeting about losing weight.?
Nelson looks positively appalled. 慦hy would you want to lose weight??
Ruth has no answer to this. She lets Nelson into the house and makes tea while Kate describes the Year 6 trip in exhaustive detail.
慦here is this activity centre??asks Nelson. 慔ave the school done health and safety checks??
慖抦 sure they have,?says Ruth. It抯 a good thing that Nelson is so annoying sometimes. It stops her fantasising about them living together.
慦hat about coronavirus??Nelson asks Kate. 慔ave the school been telling you about hand sanitiser??
慖 never thought I抎 hear you talking about hand sanitiser,?says Ruth.
慪es,?says Kate. 慣hey tell us to sing 揋od Save the Queen?while we抮e washing our hands.?
慦hat if you抮e a republican??asks Ruth.
慖 don抰 suppose many eleven-year-olds are republicans,?says Nelson.
慣hat抯 what抯 wrong with this country,?says Ruth, only half joking.
Kate decides that Nelson needs to see every piece of artwork she has produced in school this term and goes to collect them. Ruth takes advantage of her absence to ask Nelson why he has been ringing her at work. And why he抯 driven all the way out to the Saltmarsh to see her.
慖 wanted to know about the body in Tombland,?says Nelson. 慏ead bodies are my business, after all.?
慣his one has been dead a long time. I think it抯 medieval. I抳e sent samples for carbon-14 testing.?
慦as it a plague victim??
慣hat抯 what everyone asks. It抯 possible but it may just be a body that was buried at St George抯。 The graveyard probably stretched all the way to the roundabout.?
慔ow was your weekend in London??
慜K,?says Ruth. 慖 went to a school reunion. I saw my ex-boyfriend. He抯 completely bald.?
Nelson laughs but Ruth notices that, unconsciously, he raises a hand to his hair which, while greying, is still thick. Kate reappears and Nelson settles down to admire paintings, pottery owls and pieces of slightly grubby cross-stitch.
慏o you want to stay for supper??asks Ruth. 慖t抯 just pasta. Or something.?