saw my three mates standing near one of the skylights. There should have been four.’
A split second later, there’d been a muffled thud from deep inside the building. ‘I knew even before I looked through the hole that John would be dead. We all did. We ran back to the roof hatch and down the stairs. He was lying very still, and we just scarpered.’
‘Did the police come?’
‘There were police swarming all around the flats the next day, but we made sure we all told the same story. We thought we were murderers. I’d never felt so scared.’
Kelly looked up at me. ‘Do you ever get scared now?’
‘All the time.’ I chanced a smile. ‘And before you ask, I have absolutely no plans to die until I’m very old.’
‘But no guarantees, right?’
‘Whoa, that’s one for Josh and his Bible college.’
She winced. ‘Not funny, Nick. I know you don’t care what happens to you, but I do. It really matters, you know? I mean, what if people come after you like they came after Dad? What happens to me then?’
I squatted down in front of her, our faces now level. ‘There’d be Josh. They all love you.’
‘I know that. But it’s you I need, Nick. Like I said, Mom used to call you and Dad her two strong men. Now there’s only one of you left.’ She let go of the ropes and touched my cheeks with surprisingly cold hands. ‘Will you be my strong man, Nick? Will you?’ There were tears in her eyes.
She took her hands out of mine and looked down at her trainers again before I could answer, which was just as well because I didn’t have a clue what to say. ‘There aren’t many places I’ve felt safe since . . . well, since I was on my own. I listed them to myself once. There’s the house in Norfolk. Remember, we put up that tent in the bedroom? You nailed it to the floor instead of pegs and I thought that was so cool. I loved that. Then there’s here – sometimes. And . . .’ She looked away. ‘That place you took me to . . .’
I gave her shoulder a squeeze. ‘Dr Hughes?’
She nodded. ‘She understood.’
In the silence that followed, I realized it was time for me to start being her strong man. Josh was right. ‘Would you like to talk things over with her again?’
Her face lit up as if I’d thrown a switch. ‘Could I? I mean, how?’
‘The twin miracles of flight and Mastercard. We could be there tomorrow if we wanted.’
‘I’m supposed to be going to Josh’s Bible college on Friday and—’
I waved my hand. ‘Not a problem. Let’s go to England instead. I’m sure he’ll understand. We can go and see your grandparents, spend some time with Dr Hughes, spend some time together, just you and me.’
Practically falling off the tyre, she threw her arms round my neck and planted a huge kiss on my cheek. Her face was radiant. ‘I feel better already.’ Then she frowned. ‘How did you get here? Did Josh bring you?’
‘Yeah. He’s gone down to the stores for a coffee.’
‘He doesn’t know about Disneyland, does he?’
‘Our secret.’ I gave her a grin. ‘How do you get in anyway?’
‘I borrowed the key way back and got one cut, stupid.’ She couldn’t stop smiling about it. ‘OK, let’s go.’
We walked around the backyard a bit as Kelly looked at the swing and then we locked up. A bird swooped across the grass and up into the sky, and I called Josh on my cell as we headed out of the driveway.
11
Bromley, UK
Thursday 8 May, 09:10 hrs
Kelly’s grandparents stood outside their 1980s bungalow, beneath a small wooden sign saying ‘The Sycamores’. Carmen was still fussing. ‘Have you got your key? We’re going to Safeway’s later.’
I dangled it at her as Kelly put on her seat-belt, the expression on her face as dull as the day outside. I started the engine and they waved us off as if we were leaving for ever, not just for the day. Carmen always got anxious when it came to departures. Apparently she hadn’t been the same since her sister, her
A split second later, there’d been a muffled thud from deep inside the building. ‘I knew even before I looked through the hole that John would be dead. We all did. We ran back to the roof hatch and down the stairs. He was lying very still, and we just scarpered.’
‘Did the police come?’
‘There were police swarming all around the flats the next day, but we made sure we all told the same story. We thought we were murderers. I’d never felt so scared.’
Kelly looked up at me. ‘Do you ever get scared now?’
‘All the time.’ I chanced a smile. ‘And before you ask, I have absolutely no plans to die until I’m very old.’
‘But no guarantees, right?’
‘Whoa, that’s one for Josh and his Bible college.’
She winced. ‘Not funny, Nick. I know you don’t care what happens to you, but I do. It really matters, you know? I mean, what if people come after you like they came after Dad? What happens to me then?’
I squatted down in front of her, our faces now level. ‘There’d be Josh. They all love you.’
‘I know that. But it’s you I need, Nick. Like I said, Mom used to call you and Dad her two strong men. Now there’s only one of you left.’ She let go of the ropes and touched my cheeks with surprisingly cold hands. ‘Will you be my strong man, Nick? Will you?’ There were tears in her eyes.
She took her hands out of mine and looked down at her trainers again before I could answer, which was just as well because I didn’t have a clue what to say. ‘There aren’t many places I’ve felt safe since . . . well, since I was on my own. I listed them to myself once. There’s the house in Norfolk. Remember, we put up that tent in the bedroom? You nailed it to the floor instead of pegs and I thought that was so cool. I loved that. Then there’s here – sometimes. And . . .’ She looked away. ‘That place you took me to . . .’
I gave her shoulder a squeeze. ‘Dr Hughes?’
She nodded. ‘She understood.’
In the silence that followed, I realized it was time for me to start being her strong man. Josh was right. ‘Would you like to talk things over with her again?’
Her face lit up as if I’d thrown a switch. ‘Could I? I mean, how?’
‘The twin miracles of flight and Mastercard. We could be there tomorrow if we wanted.’
‘I’m supposed to be going to Josh’s Bible college on Friday and—’
I waved my hand. ‘Not a problem. Let’s go to England instead. I’m sure he’ll understand. We can go and see your grandparents, spend some time with Dr Hughes, spend some time together, just you and me.’
Practically falling off the tyre, she threw her arms round my neck and planted a huge kiss on my cheek. Her face was radiant. ‘I feel better already.’ Then she frowned. ‘How did you get here? Did Josh bring you?’
‘Yeah. He’s gone down to the stores for a coffee.’
‘He doesn’t know about Disneyland, does he?’
‘Our secret.’ I gave her a grin. ‘How do you get in anyway?’
‘I borrowed the key way back and got one cut, stupid.’ She couldn’t stop smiling about it. ‘OK, let’s go.’
We walked around the backyard a bit as Kelly looked at the swing and then we locked up. A bird swooped across the grass and up into the sky, and I called Josh on my cell as we headed out of the driveway.
11
Bromley, UK
Thursday 8 May, 09:10 hrs
Kelly’s grandparents stood outside their 1980s bungalow, beneath a small wooden sign saying ‘The Sycamores’. Carmen was still fussing. ‘Have you got your key? We’re going to Safeway’s later.’
I dangled it at her as Kelly put on her seat-belt, the expression on her face as dull as the day outside. I started the engine and they waved us off as if we were leaving for ever, not just for the day. Carmen always got anxious when it came to departures. Apparently she hadn’t been the same since her sister, her
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