We Shall Not Sleep_ A Novel - Anne Perry [100]
Judith was stunned. “Barshey Gee? Don’t be ridiculous, Joseph. Barshey wouldn’t do that to anyone.” She felt the blood burning up her face. She had lied to protect Wil Sloan, saying that she’d been working on her ambulance and he’d been there with her. Actually she had finished it early and gone to sit inside, out of the wind and rain. Barshey had brought her a mug of hot tea. She had watched him shorten the flame and wait until the water boiled. It had taken a long time. After that he had walked back to the ambulance with her and they had talked.
“I don’t believe he did it, either,” Joseph said grimly. “But he lied, Judith.”
“Did he?” The words stuck on her tongue. “What did he say?”
“That he’d made you a mug of tea in the walking wounded tent, then gone out with you to your ambulance. He said Wil Sloan wasn’t there. You said he was, and you didn’t mention Barshey.”
Matthew looked unhappy. “That’s a stupid lie, Joe. Why would Barshey say anything that could be disproved so easily? He had to know we’d all talk together. Why Judith? Any other V.A.D. we might not have believed, but to say it was her was idiotic!”
Quick, ugly thoughts raced through Judith’s mind: memories of how frightened Wil had been, his words about men afraid of the violence within themselves, the rage that betrayed their control. No, that was nonsense! She knew Wil too well to allow that, even as overtired imagination.
Joseph was staring at her. She had told others to tell the truth. She had despised Allie for lying to protect Cavan, and seen his pity and guilt for her.
She lifted her eyes to meet Joseph’s. It had to be now. “Barshey didn’t lie. I did. I’m sorry.” She swallowed. “I wanted to protect Wil because I knew they would suspect him. He has a temper. Barshey made the tea inside, and then came out with me to the ambulance, just as he said.” She saw Joseph’s face. “I know! I’m sorry!” She was tangled in lies as if in the arms of an octopus. As soon as she freed herself from one she was gripped by another. Now she had had to betray Wil when she had said she would not.
“And could it have been Wil?” Matthew said gravely. “This time the truth, please?”
“We all have our debts, Matthew.” Joseph shook his head. “We can’t choose when they come due.” He touched Judith’s arm in a moment’s warmth, then leaned away again.
“I suppose so,” Judith whispered.
“So Cavan, Benbow, or Wil Sloan.” Joseph looked from one to the other of them questioningly.
“Benbow,” Judith answered. “I refuse to believe it was Cavan or Wil. So do you. We’ve known them for four years. Cavan has saved more lives than any other doctor on this part of the front. He’d have had the V.C. if it weren’t for that idiot Northrup. Even then he put his man before himself and stayed behind to answer the charge.”
“That doesn’t mean he wouldn’t rape a woman,” Matthew pointed out. “Of course it doesn’t!” Judith shouted at him, her voice rising in a kind of desperate denial. “But it was Benbow. It has to have been.”
“Probably,” Joseph agreed. “But we haven’t proved it.”
Matthew’s response was cut short by Mason banging on the makeshift lintel and pulling open the curtain.
“Come in,” Joseph invited, although Mason was already down the first step. As he came into the full lamplight, they saw that his face was haggard, his wide mouth pulled into a tight line. He looked briefly from one to the other.
“It’s a hell of a lot worse,” he said without waiting for any of them to speak. “Someone above Hook has ordered Jacobson off the case and put a military policeman in charge. Hook’s furious, but there’s nothing he can do. This bloke’s already arrived, fellow called Onslow. He’s ordered all investigation to cease; Schenckendorff is to be shipped out tomorrow after all. He doesn’t give a damn whether he’s medically fit or not.”
“The case is not proved,” Matthew protested. “It’s only a charge; there’s far too little evidence to bring it to trial.”
Judith looked at Joseph, and saw in his eyes that he was more accustomed to military police and the needs of war than his brother. There was no