A Room Full of Bones: A Ruth Galloway Investigation

the books, not that Ruth believes in any of that nonsense.
    It is not until they are in the car and driving towards the university that Ruth says, ‘So what’s going on between you and Judy?’
    ‘Going on?’ Cathbad is looking out of the window, a half smile on his face.
    ‘For God’s sake, Cathbad,’ explodes Ruth. ‘Just give me a straight answer for once. Are you having an affair with her?’
    Cathbad sighs. ‘You remember in April, when Nelson asked Judy to go over to your house and check that Kate was OK? You couldn’t get home because it was snowing and Nelson wasn’t sure about the babysitter?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘Well, I was there too. I got this feeling that I ought to check on Kate and you know I always trust my instincts.’
    There is more that Ruth could say on this theme but she keeps quiet.
    ‘I met Judy on the way there. It was late at night, snowing, very receptive conditions.’
    ‘Whatever that means.’
    ‘I’m sure you can guess. It was dark, it was cold, we felt cut off from the rest of the world. We ended up in bed together.’
    In my house, thinks Ruth. Probably in my bed. Aloudshe says, ‘But she’s married. She only got married a few months ago.’
    ‘I know. She loves Darren. She didn’t want to hurt him by calling off the wedding. They’ve known each other since they were children.’
    ‘But isn’t she hurting him now?’
    ‘We tried to break it off but the connection was too strong. We started seeing each other again in September.’
    Four months after Judy’s May wedding, thinks Ruth. She remembers Judy, radiant in her white dress. The perfect wedding, the couple who had known each other so long, the families already united. But, come to think of it, wasn’t there something odd at the reception? Ruth had come across Judy, all on her own, in a darkened room. Ruth had said that she was sure Judy and Darren would be happy. ‘Are you?’ Judy had answered. ‘I’m not.’ Was Judy already in love with Cathbad? Did she already know that her marriage was doomed?
    Ruth is surprised at how shaken she feels. She would never have imagined that Judy and Cathbad could be drawn to each other. Judy is so capable and efficient, her feelings kept well in check. Cathbad … well, Cathbad is a druid, a man of violent passions and opinions. She remembers him being at her house the morning after the snowstorm, but she had been so preoccupied with seeing Kate again that she had failed to notice any erotic undercurrents. She
had
thought that it was odd that Cathbad was there, and Judy had seemed particularly distant and professional. To think that only a few hours earlier …
    And that’s another thing. Though she doesn’t like to admit it, even to herself, Ruth’s predominant emotion is one of jealousy. She isn’t attracted to Cathbad. She doesn’t want to go to bed with him but she does want to go to bed with
somebody
. This particular need is not covered by the baby books. Single mothers are meant to be single
mothers
, not really women any more. A single mother with a boyfriend is something else altogether, a case for social services in fact. And Ruth feels rather aggrieved that Judy can forget her marriage vows while Nelson’s are, apparently, indestructible.
    There are so many things she wants to say. She wants to know what the hell Judy and Cathbad are going to do. Is Judy going to divorce Darren and marry Cathbad? She can’t imagine Cathbad getting married somehow. But none of that’s her business. She settles for asking about the one issue that
has
become her business. Why was Cathbad ‘helping with enquiries’ today? Why did he think that he might be under arrest?
    ‘Well,’ says Cathbad, settling himself more comfortably in the passenger seat. ‘You know that Lord Smith is dead.’
    ‘What?’
    ‘Oh, you didn’t know. Yes, he died in the night.’
    ‘But how? I saw him yesterday, when we opened the coffin, and he seemed in perfect health.’
    ‘They don’t know. I assume there’ll be tests and things.’
    ‘How are you involved?’
    ‘The police are investigating. Judy went to check on the CCTV footage and she saw that I’d visited Slaughter Hill Stables last night.’
    ‘You did?’ This must have been after Cathbad left her house, after the fireworks and the brandy, after Bob offered to drive him as far as Snettisham.
    ‘I went to see Caroline,’ Cathbad is saying.
    ‘Who?’
    ‘Smith’s daughter. She’s a friend of mine.’
    ‘Why didn’t