In Guilty Night by Alison Taylor Page A

Caernarfon. She said he was a decent boy. And I,’ Elis added fiercely, ‘never found anything to prove her wrong. He was that rare person without fear of horses. They seemed to liberate him. He loved and respected them, and they responded in kind.’
    ‘You taught him to ride?’
    ‘And to groom and feed and muck out, to recognize injury and sickness.’ Elis tossed his cigarette in the hearth. ‘He was gifted with horses, Mr McKenna. Almost fey.’
    ‘Did you take him out?’
    ‘We went to Chester Races in early July, to Newmarket later that month, to Valley Air Show in August, to the first National Hunt meeting at Bangor on Dee last month, then to Aintree for the day, because he wanted to see the Grand National course.’ Elis smiled, pain forgotten. ‘I think he decided to be a jump jockey the first time he galloped a horse.’ Pain returned to rampage through his composure. ‘That was the last time I saw him.’
    ‘Did you pay him?’
    ‘Children in care aren’t allowed to earn. I sent Hogg a cheque for a hundred pounds each month, to be put in Arwel’s savings account. He deserved much more, but Hogg said he was spoilt already, the others would be jealous, and boys like him didn’t deserve privileges in any case. I gave him cash every so often, and told him to keep quiet.’
    ‘Did he ever discuss his family? Or Blodwel? His friends? His hopes and dreams and fears?’ McKenna sipped his coffee.
    ‘He was quite reserved, even shy, except with the horses, but I never expected his confidence in any case, because I’m forty-one, and to Arwel’s generation, that’s almost inconceivably old. Like most youngsters, he was a little secretive, but never devious, and he liked quietness, and privacy. He read quite a lot, too.’ Elis looked at the bookshelves, frowning. ‘I’msure he left one of his books here. Mari should know where it is. He talked to her a lot and I often heard them giggling in the kitchen. I think she took a fancy to him.’
    ‘Hardly surprising. He was a very beautiful boy. His sister is equally beautiful.’
    ‘Yes, I know.’ The voice was quiet, the eyes downcast, the hands trembling violently as if in the throes of delirium.
    ‘You know the family?’
    ‘In his greater wisdom, Hogg banned family contact. Arwel was desperate to see them, so I took him one Sunday afternoon. I don’t think I’d recognize the parents if I fell over them.’ Elis paused, to light another cigarette. ‘Carol was in that horrible back parlour, standing in front of the window. The sun was behind her, and I thought she must be made of light.’
    ‘According to her parents, she’s wholly of the flesh.’
    Elis stared at the painting over the mantel. ‘To see them all together was like witnessing a law of nature; Carol and Arwel the light to their parents’ darkness, each necessary to the other, neither able to vanquish the other. At least, I thought so. How else could I believe there may be justice and reason in the world?’
    ‘Nature is prone to accidents of beauty as much as to those of genius and idiocy.’ McKenna stood up, pain cavorting from neck to knee. ‘Would it be possible to see Mari now?’
    Elis glanced at his watch. ‘She’ll have gone shopping, but I’ll give you her number. Don’t look so astounded! She has a self-contained flat in the house, because this is her home for as long as she wishes. The only relative is an aged grandmother in Caernarfon, whom Mari visits from time to time.’
     
    Dewi leaned on the wall by the gate, watching the grazing horses. ‘That ginger one looks like she’ll drop her foal any minute.’
    ‘Chestnut, not ginger.’
    ‘Whatever you say, sir. Who’s the girl? She drove out about ten minutes ago.’
    ‘What was she driving?’
    ‘A grey Peugeot 305.’
    McKenna climbed into the car, fumbling for the seat belt. ‘She must have a car as well as her own flat and telephone number.’
    ‘Who must?’
    ‘Mari from Caernarfon. Elis’s maid, or