He gave her an hour.
When he returned, the suitcase was standing in the hallway, locked and strapped. He repressed an urge to touch it. She called out to him from the sitting room. "I've a couple of drinks poured. Bourbon. You don't seem to have anything else."
He thought of Jenny's whisky.
He wished Jenny had packed the suitcase. Hers wouldn't look like this. It would be battered and bulging and everything in it would have been put away with love.
"Thanks. I'll be with you in a minute." He went into the bedroom and saw with irrational relief that the aeroplanes were still there. She followed him. "You'll need a large cardboard box for those. I didn't think of bringing one."
"I'll see to it."
She moved past him, slim and elegant in the white trouser suit she had changed into, and opened a bedside cupboard. "There's a microscope here. It looks a good one. Would you like me to sell it for you?"
"For Christ's sake!"
She couldn't understand why that should penetrate his armour when nothing else seemed to. It was a pity he had gone out while she had done the packing. She had imagined him sitting on the bed talking to her while she had done it.
She said equably, "The clothes will go to a children's charity. They could use the money from the microscope, too, if you agree."
He agreed. He wished she would stop talking about it.
"And there's a stamp collection. I don't know if that's valuable or not?"
"Not."
"The microscope – what was he going in for? Your line?"
"Scientific research – spelt with a u." And nobody knew what line.
He suggested they should have the drink. Dinner hadn't been planned, but under the circumstances it would be churlish not to invite her. She had been kind. She was representing him at the inquest. She was a friend of longstanding.
The thought flashed into his mind that he had known Jenny for two days.
Time was a clown that stood on its head and made rude gestures. He was offered the Paris posting – now. David had lived twelve years. Jenny's warm familiar flesh had been warm and familiar for a few hours only.
He needed her.
In the middle of his shock and grief he needed her.
He should have no thought for anyone but David, but he walked a behavioural maze and struggled through to her at the centre of it. If anyone could lead him out into sanity again, then she would lead him out.
Thirza said, "I found this in David's anorak pocket." She handed him a snap, dog-eared at the edges. It was of Ruth standing in a winter garden with snow on her boots. Boris, the red-setter puppy they were looking after for a neighbour, was pawing at her fawn mackintosh and leaving wet marks on it. On the back David had written in blue crayon, Mum cross with Boris. It wasn't a particularly attractive snap of Ruth, but it had caught the moment. Remembered laughter. David had been using up the last two snaps on the reel. The other one had been of him and Ruth together after Boris had been banished to the house. David had focussed it badly and it had come out blurred.
Thirza commented, "Not a good one of Ruth."
"A happy one."
"She's scowling at the dog."
"Afterwards she laughed."
"Talk about her to me, John. And about David, too. I need to know to understand You've given me facts – as you see them If you believe that David was unhappy, I've got to know more about him – about you – about his reaction to losing Ruth I think you may be making the school a scapegoat I've got to know more "
He looked at her helplessly "He was recovering Up to this last term – he was recovering Then something happened He drew that bloody sketch to show that it was happening "
"And gave it to the school matron ' It was dry "Who cared about him '
"As a mother substitute?"
Surely she was too young – even in David's eyes? "I don't know "
"But you might know by talking about it "
"I can't" It came out flatly Ruth David Jenny They were like three portraits in his mind A private room housed them and Thirza had no entry to that room She would have to represent him at the inquest as best she could He put the snap in his pocket "If the time is too short for you – or if you don't honestly feel you want to go on with it She interrupted him "I want to help you If the school is to blame we'll know soon enough and I'll take it further But if the school isn't to blame – then you must accept that, too Whichever way it goes, stop blaming yourself No father could have done more "
She refused the invitation to dine, saying she preferred something casual and easy at the pub on the corner The conversation had been casual and easy, too, and she had failed to break through to anything deeper Understanding her motives he had drunk lightly, making the drive back an excuse tor not over-indulging She was not enemy-territory, far from it, but he didn't want her kindly probing either She had the facts, but if she were hoping for an emotional outburst then she could sit here until closing time and not get it Jenny had seen his agony and his rage – and felt the brunt of both He couldn't let go with anyone else It was Thirza's suggestion that she should spend the following night at Marristone Port "Even though the inquest isn't until the afternoon, I don't feel like risking heavy traffic on Friday morning and being delayed "
He agreed "But The Lantern is hardly your style The Strand on the west side of the Port looks more comfortable "