The Bursar's Wife Read Online Free PDF Page A

said, typing fast and looking at the screen. “Why are you so late?”
    “I’ve been getting some fresh air,” I said. “Do you know how long you have to wait for a bus in Cambridge?”
    “You should get a bicycle, boss.”
    I got the Booker file out of my desk, and removed Lucy’s photograph. “There’s a student at Emmanuel College I want you to get some info on.” He scooted over on the wheeled chair and looked at Lucy’s picture.
    “Let’s hope she’s got a big personality,” he said.
    “What does that mean?”
    “It means she’s not gonna win any beauty contests, is she?” I rolled my eyes. “What? It’s the truth, right?” I ignored him and gave him the low-down on Lucy and her mother’s worries. He shrugged and flicked his hair.
    “I’ve been out with this girl Rowena from Emma a couple of times, but I think she’s a year ahead of this Lucy. There’s a group of the posher ones who like to mix it with the real Cambridge, know what I mean?”
    “You mean they like a bit of rough?”
    He laughed and his smile and big brown eyes made him look like his mother. I could see why he had no problem attracting girls. “That’s right, boss. They want to experience the real thing before they have to get hitched with people who speak like them. This girl even plays bridge and polo. Right la-di-da she is. Get this, her work experience was at that advertising firm that did those cool car adverts, the ones where the cars turn into trainers. Her dad arranged it for her.” Jason’s work experience had been as a plumber’s mate.
    “You’re not saying Lucy is part of this group?”
    He looked at the photo and shook his head. “No chance.” Something that Jason had said earlier nagged at me.
    “Rewind, Jason, to what this Rowena does.” He shook his head. “Plays. You said she plays something.”
    “Bridge and polo.” I skimmed through the details on Lucy Booker provided by her mother. Lucy was a member of the university bridge club that met every Wednesday night.
    “Do you still see this Rowena?”
    He nodded. “Not regular like. She’s a bit loud, if you know what I mean. But she’s coming to a gig this weekend.” He started to tell me about how the band playing were mates of his but I wasn’t really listening. My plan was for Jason to follow Lucy around for a bit, in his free time, since he would be less conspicuous than me in a student setting, while I would check out her extra-curricular activities. But his connection with the college might provide a quicker way in. I asked Jason to see if Rowena knew Lucy through the bridge club, find out a bit about her, which crowd she mixed with etc.
    “Without arousing too much suspicion, that is,” I added. “I don’t want Rowena running to Lucy telling her someone is asking questions.”
    He picked up the photo, studied it and said, “Don’t worry, boss. I’ll tell Rowena I know someone who fancies Lucy, she’ll get a kick out of that.” I gave him fifty quid cash and sent him on his way. I wondered whether I should have a chat with Jason about the birds and the bees, and how condoms were cool. But I wasn’t his father, and knowing Sandra she’d probably terrified him into putting one on every time he phoned a girl, never mind touched one.
    * * *
    I put my feet on the desk and thought about Trisha Greene held up by the neck against her own headrest. I could not believe that I’d been so wrong about Al Greene, who only yesterday had been sitting opposite, exceeding his quota of office tissues. The whole thing bugged me. Did he drive up there with her to understand what it was she was looking for, maybe try it for himself, and then flip? Or did he follow her up there and catch her at it with someone else and
then
flip? Brampton seemed to have the whole thing sewn up already, although she was keeping her cards close to her chest. I knew I shouldn’t worry about something I couldn’t influence, especially since I hadn’t had my morning