She'd been smiling, but her smile faltered at his tone. She said, "What nonsense, Gordon.
Of course they do, if they want to. They expose themselves to their fear in increments till they're no longer afraid. Like getting over a fear of heights by slowly exposing oneself to progressively higher and higher places. Or getting over a fear of flying by getting used to the aeroplane jetway first, and then going to the doorway of the plane, and then just inside with the doors open, and then to the seats. Haven't you heard of that?"
"What's that have to do with being in the paddock? And carrying a map with you. What the hell are you doing with a map?"
She frowned outright then. She shifted her weight in that womanly way, one hip jutted out. She said, "Gordon, are you accusing me of something?"
"Answer the question."
She looked as startled as she'd looked when he first called out her name. Only this time, he knew, it was because of how sharply he spoke to her.
She said quietly, "I just explained it to you. I'm trying to get used to them by being in the paddock with them. Not close to them, but not on the other side of the fence either. I was going to stay there until they didn't make me so nervous. Then I was going to take a step or two closer to them. That's all."
"The map," he said. "I want to know about the map."
"Good grief. I took it from my car, Gordon. It's something to wave at them, to frighten them off if they got too close."
He said nothing in reply to this. She looked at him so closely that he turned his head to keep her from reading his expression. He felt his blood pulsing in his temples and he knew his face must be red and revealing.
She said with what sounded like great care, "Are you aware that you're acting like you suspect me of something?"
Again, he made no reply. He wanted out of the paddock. He wanted her out of the paddock as well. He went to the gate and she followed him, saying, "What's wrong, Gordon?
Has something happened? Something else?"
"What d'you mean?" he demanded, swinging to her. "What's supposed to have happened?"
"Well, heavens, I don't know. But first that strange man came to speak with you. Then those detectives from Scotland Yard to tell you that Jemima - "
"This isn't about Jemima!" he cried.
She gaped at him, then closed her mouth. She said, "All right. It's not about Jemima. But you're clearly upset and I can't think it's just that I went into the paddock to get used to the horses. Because that doesn't make sense."
He forced out the words because he had to say something. "They've talked to Ringo. He phoned me about it."
"Ringo?" Clearly, she was nonplussed.
"He gave them letters, and the letters are false. He didn't know that, but they'll suss it out. Then they'll be back here at the double. Cliff lied like I asked him to, but he'll break if they press him. They'll force the issue and he won't hold out."
"Does any of that matter?"
"Of course it matters!" He jerked the gate open. He'd forgotten about the dog. Tess raced inside and greeted Gina ecstatically. Seeing this, Gordon told himself that it had to mean something if Tess liked Gina. Tess read people well, and if she read Gina as decent and good, what else mattered?
Gina knelt to rub the dog's head. Tess wagged her tail and bumped closer to her for more.
Gina looked up at him and said, "But you went to Holland. That's all it was. If it comes to it, you can tell the police you lied because you don't have the paperwork. And what does it matter anyway if you don't have the itinerary or the ticket or whatever? You went to Holland, and you can prove it some way. Hotel records. Internet searches. The person you talked to about the reeds. Really, how difficult can it actually be?" And when he didn't answer, "Gordon, wasn't that the case? You were in Holland, weren't you?"
"Why d'you want to know?" He spoke explosively. It was the very last thing he intended, but he wouldn't be pressed.
She'd risen from the dog as she spoke, and she took a step away from him now. Her gaze drifted beyond him and he swung round to see who was there, but it was only her car she was looking