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‘If we’re going to look at information on the clinic’s work； I think it’s very important that we get a balanced picture；’ said Parminder。
‘I’m terribly sorry；’ said Shirley； blinking down the table at Parminder； ‘but could you try not to interrupt the Chair； Dr Jawanda？ It’s awfully difficult to take notes if people talk over other people。 And now I’ve interrupted；’ she added with a smile。 ‘Sorry！’
‘I presume the Parish wants to keep getting revenue from the building；’ said Parminder； ignoring Shirley。 ‘And we have no other potential tenant lined up； as far as I know。 So I’m wondering why we are even considering terminating the clinic’s lease。’
‘They don’t cure them；’ said Betty。 ‘They just give them more drugs。 I’d be very happy to see them out。’
‘We’re having to make some very difficult decisions at District Council level；’ said Aubrey Fawley。 ‘The government’s looking for more than a billion in savings from local government。 We cannot continue to provide services the way we have done。 That’s the reality。’
Parminder hated the way that her fellow councillors acted around Aubrey； drinking in his deep modulated voice； nodding gently as he talked。 She was well aware that some of them called her ‘Bends…Your…Ear’。
‘Research indicates that illegal drug use increases during recessions；’ said Parminder。
‘It’s their choice；’ said Betty。 ‘Nobody makes them take drugs。’
She looked around the table for support。 Shirley smiled at her。
‘We’re having to make some tough choices；’ said Aubrey。
‘So you’ve got together with Howard；’ Parminder talked over him； ‘and decided that you can give the clinic a little push by forcing them out of the building。’
‘I can think of better ways to spend money than on a bunch of criminals；’ said the accountant。
‘I’d cut off all their benefits； personally；’ said Betty。
‘I was invited to this meeting to put you all in the picture about what’s happening at District level；’ said Aubrey calmly。 ‘Nothing more than that； Dr Jawanda。’
‘Helen；’ said Howard loudly； pointing to another councillor； whose hand was raised； and who had been trying to make her views heard for a minute。
Parminder heard nothing of what the woman said。 She had quite forgotten about the stack of papers lying underneath her agenda； on which Kay Bawden had spent so much time： the statistics； the profiles of successful cases； the explanation of the benefits of methadone as against heroin； studies showing the cost； financial and social； of heroin addiction。 Everything around her had bee slightly liquid； unreal； she knew that she was going to erupt as she had never erupted in her life； and there was no room to regret it； or to prevent it； or do anything except watch it happen； it was too late； far too late …
‘… culture of entitlement；’ said Aubrey Fawley。 ‘People who have literally not worked a day in their lives。’
‘And； let’s face it；’ said Howard； ‘this is a problem with a simple solution。 Stop taking the drugs。’
He turned； smiling and conciliating； to Parminder。 ‘They call it “cold turkey”； isn’t that right； Dr Jawanda？’
‘Oh； you think that they should take responsibility for their addiction and change their behaviour？’ said Parminder。
‘In a nutshell； yes。’
‘Before they cost the state any more money。’
‘Exact—’
‘And you；’ said Parminder loudly； as the silent eruption engulfed her； ‘do you know how many tens of thousands of pounds you； Howard Mollison； have cost the health service； because of your total inability to stop gorging yourself？’
A rich； red claret stain was spreading up Howard’s neck into his cheeks。
‘Do you know how much your bypass cost； and your drugs； and your long stay in hospital？ And the doctor’s appointments you take up with your asthma and your blood pressure and the nasty skin rash； which are all caused by your refusal to lose weight？’
As Parminder’s voice became a scream； other councillors began to protest on Howard’s behalf； Shirley was on her feet； Parminder was still shouting； clawing together the papers that had somehow been scattered as she gesticulated。
‘What about patient confidentiality？’ shouted Shirley。 ‘Outrageous！ Absolutely outrageous！’
Parminder was at the door of the hall and striding through it； and she heard； over her own furious sobs； Betty calling for her immediate expulsion from the council； she was half running away from the hall； and she knew that she had done something cataclysmic； and she wanted nothing more than to be swallowed up by the darkness and to disappear for ever。
IX
The Yarvil and District Gazette erred on the side of caution in reporting what had been said during the most acrimonious Pagford Parish Council meeting in living memory。 It made little difference； the bowdlerized report； augmented by the vivid eye…witness descriptions offered by all who had attended； still created widespread gossip。 To make matters worse； a front…page story detailed the anonymous inter attacks in the dead man’s name that had； to quote Alison Jenkins； ‘caused considerable speculation and anger。 See page four for full report。’ While the names of the accused and the details of their supposed misdemeanours were not given； the sight of ‘serious allegations’ and ‘criminal activity’ in newsprint disturbed Howard even more than the original posts。
‘We should have beefed up security on the site as soon as that first post appeared；’ he said； addressing his wife and business partner from in front of his gas fire。
Silent spring rain sprinkled the window； and the back lawn glistened with tiny red pinpricks of light。 Howard was feeling shivery； and was hogging all the heat emanating from the fake coal。 For several days； nearly every visitor to the delicatessen and the café had been gossiping about the anonymous posts； about the Ghost of Barry Fairbrother and about Parminder Jawanda’s outburst at the council meeting。 Howard hated the things that she had shouted being bandied about in public。 For the first time in his life； he felt unfortable in his own shop； and concerned about his previously unassailable position in Pagford。 The election for the replacement of Barry Fairbrother would take place the following day； and where Howard had felt sanguine and excited； he was worried and twitchy。
‘This has done a lot of damage。 A lot of damage；’ he repeated。
His hand strayed to his belly to scratch； but he pulled it away； enduring the itch with a martyr’s expression。 He would not soon forget what Dr Jawanda had screamed to the council and the press。 He and Shirley had already checked the details of the General Medical Council； gone to see Dr Crawford； and made a formal plaint。 Parminder had not been seen at work since； so no doubt she was already regretting her outburst。 Nevertheless； Howard could not rid himself of the sight of her expression as she screamed at him。 It had shaken him to see such hatred on another human’s face。
‘It’ll all blow over；’ said Shirley reassuringly。
‘I’m not so sure；’ said Howard。 ‘I’m not so sure。 It doesn’t make us look good。 The council。 Rows in front of the press。 We look divided。 Aubrey says they’re not happy； at District level。 This whole thing’s undermined our statement about the Fields。 Squabbling in public； everything getting dirty … it doesn’t look like the council’s speaking for the town。’
‘But we are；’ said Shirley； with a little laugh。 ‘Nobody in Pagford wants the Fields – hardly anyone。’
‘The article makes it look like our side went after pro…Fielders。 Tried to intimidate them；’ said Howard； succumbing to the temptation to scratch； and doing it fiercely。 ‘All right； Aubrey knows it wasn’t any of our side； but that’s not how that journalist made it look。 And I’ll tell you this： if Yarvil makes us look inept or dirty … they’ve been looking for a chance to take us over for years。’
‘That won’t happen；’ said Shirley at once。 ‘That couldn’t happen。’
‘I thought it was over；’ said Howard； ignoring his wife； and thinking of the Fields。 ‘I thought we’d done it。 I thought we’d got rid of them。’
The article over which he had spent so much time