Crossing the Lines by Melvyn Bragg

Author:Melvyn Bragg [Bragg, Melvyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-61145-346-1
Publisher: Arcade Publishing
Published: 2011-03-13T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

‘So why would he want to do a thing like that, Mr. Hawesley?’

William did not want to be drawn. Sadie’s energy always felt like an assault. He had hoped for a few minutes alone with Ellen which is why he had plumped for a Saturday afternoon when he knew Sam was away at the hound trails. Sadie, though, had been called in to help over the last hour while Ellen fitted in a hair appointment. She had stayed to clear up and enjoy being alone, the chatelaine of the pub. William’s visit had spoiled that and besides she had never been easy with him, always glancing at Ellen.

‘I really don’t know, Sadie.’ William looked at his watch. He would give it ten more minutes.

‘He comes in,’ she lit a cigarette from the live butt of the other, the sole charge of the pub led her to extravagant gestures, On one of them Sunday trips from Scotland because the pubs is closed over there and he plays the piano. Nothing wrong with that. Then he starts to tip folks who sing! One pound, two pounds, five pounds to one woman! Everybody crowds in. He tips everybody. Off they go back to Scotland full of drink. Then we get the police and they say he’d pinched all that money, but why does he give it away, Mr. Hawesley? It’s all psychology, I know that - Ellen says you’re very clever at talking in the car. And I’ve heard you myself once or twice after closing time. So where’s the psychology in that?’

Her sparely fleshed face, brown already though midsummer had not yet brought much sun, her bony nose - something of the sparrowhawk about her, William thought, black eyes fixed on the prey.

‘Perhaps,’ he struggled to oblige: it was his habit, it was, he thought, his duty, ‘he felt so guilty at stealing it that he gave it away to get rid of the guilt.’

‘So what did he pinch it for in the first place?’

‘There are hundreds of explanations for that, Sadie: poverty, overwhelming desire, an illness …’

‘There isn’t hundreds of reasons, Mr. Hawesley. He was a thief. Why does he give it away, though?’

‘Well, as I said, his guilt may have got the better of his greed.’

‘You’ll have to say that again, Mr. Hawesley.’

He did, and explained more fully. Sadie thought on it.

‘I can see that,’ she said, eventually. ‘Guilt’s the worst thing. Catholics knows all about guilt.’

She was impressed.

There was a clatter outside the kitchen door as Joe hustled downstairs on his way to the Baths.

‘See you later, Alligator!’ Sadie shouted.

‘In a while, Crocodile!’ Then the outside door slammed.

Sadie nodded, rather proudly.

‘Me and Joe.’ She crossed the index and middle finger of her left hand, illustrating intimacy.

‘Ellen tells me he’s working very hard for these exams.’

‘Too hard.’ Sadie tossed her stub into the empty grate. ‘He’s like a ghost.’ She stared at William, who shifted uneasily. ‘What was it…?

His guilt got the better of his greed? That’s a good one, Mr.

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