The Tar Man by Linda Buckley-Archer

Author:Linda Buckley-Archer [Linda Buckley-Archer]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon and Schuster

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The Six Conspirators

In which the six conspirators make plans

in the Derbyshire farmhouse and

Dr Pirretti makes a confession

Dr Dyer kept the promise he had made to Mr Schock in Middle Harpenden. He immediately contacted Mrs Schock to explain that both her husband and his daughter were currently in the mid-eighteenth century attempting to track down Peter. Unsurprisingly, Mrs Schock was outraged that Dr Dyer would taunt her in this ludicrous manner and questioned whether the balance of his mind had been disturbed by the stress both families had been under. She had slammed the receiver down and burst into tears. But when her husband still had not contacted her after twelve hours Mrs Schock had telephoned the Dyers. Kate’s mother had confirmed the story and also arranged for Mrs Schock to speak with Dr Pirretti in the States. There had been a short delay while Dr Pirretti located a secure landline for she was concerned that her telephone might have been bugged.

Now Peter’s mother stood at her sitting-room window, gripping the receiver and staring out at a sunny Richmond Green, as Dr Pirretti repeated the same story. Mrs Schock doubted neither her sincerity nor the feelings of sympathy and professional regret which she expressed. And even under such devastating circumstances she warmed to the Californian scientist.

Dr Pirretti was honest enough to admit that she had been against revealing the truth to her. She also spoke of her dismay at the unexpected side effect of their anti-gravity experiment and her determination, one way or another, to kick over all traces of the existence of a machine capable of time travel.

‘I’m so sorry that you’ve been burdened with this knowledge when you’ve already got so much to deal with, but please,’ urged Dr Pirretti, ‘I’m begging you to be discreet. It will be a catastrophe for the world if this gets out.’

When Mrs Schock put the receiver down she felt curiously detached from the world. Her gaze followed the progress of a group of children and their small dog along the diagonal path that crosses Richmond Green until they reached the red postbox on the opposite side. She had never felt more alone.

Megan had promised Kate to keep an eye on Sam. She was visiting him the following day after school when, unannounced, Mrs Schock arrived at the farm. She had driven up to Derbyshire to speak with Dr and Mrs Dyer in person. Megan and Sam were sitting around the kitchen table munching on peanut butter biscuits when Kate’s mum brought in a pretty woman with dark, bobbed hair to say hello.

‘This is Peter’s mother,’ she said.

The grown-ups shut themselves up in the dining room where they talked for three hours without a break. Megan gingerly opened the dining-room door to say goodbye when it was time for her to go home. Mrs Schock immediately got up and asked Megan if she would be coming again soon because she wanted to hear all about Kate and what, if anything, she had told her about the time she spent with Peter in the eighteenth century.

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