plenty of money, James, but we’re not standing on the street corner with our hands out, you know.’
‘And, James, the thing is, Daddy couldn’t possibly leave his house. And especially his garden. He just couldn’t!’ Meredith’s eyes were full again, her mouth quivering.
‘Well. I know, I know. But Silver just wanted me to pass that on…’ James looked at his older sister unhappily. Deborah was stony-faced. Robert picked up his briefcase and fussed with the clasp.
‘Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,’ he said. ‘I’ll find out about the assessment and we’ll take it from there. Hopefully any changes in Dad’s domestic situation are a long way down the track. Hopefully there won’t be any need for any changes at all.’
After farewelling the group, Angus had headed purposefully to the car, swung his gym bag onto the back seat and backed out of the drive. As he turned onto the road he saw the faint shadow cast by Robert on the curtains of the bay window as he stood to address his siblings. If there is something wrong with Alex’s health, that’ll make Deb even more … But Angus didn’t allow himself to finish the thought, fixing his attention on the road, the busy intersection on Queens Parade. Once through that he turned into a side street, parked, and reached awkwardly under his seat. He pulled out a small bag witha velcro closure, and from that a mobile phone. He had to turn it on and key in a PIN. There were only two phone numbers in its memory; he pressed one.
‘Hi,’ he said in a soft, warm voice when it answered. ‘I’ve just left, I’ll be there soon. Under ten minutes. Okay. Me too. Bye.’
He was smiling as he tucked the phone back into its hiding place. Then he drove on, pulling up, yes, just under ten minutes later outside a small block of flats in Heidelberg. He took the stairs two at a time up to a flat on the third and topmost floor.
Just on three hours later, he parked the car again back in the driveway at his home.
‘Hello-o!’ he called out.
‘I’m in the study,’ Deborah called back.
‘Hi,’ Angus said, standing in the doorway. His wife was peering intently at the computer screen. ‘How did it go?’
‘Oh, okay. Considering. I’ll tell you about it later. I’m just finishing the agenda for this meeting tomorrow, then I’m coming to bed. Won’t be long.’
‘Want anything?’
‘Nup.’
Deborah wasn’t long, maybe fifteen minutes. But by the time she climbed into bed beside Angus, he was already asleep.
‘Angus?’ she said, placing the palm of her hand on his shoulder blade. He was wearing a soft old T-shirt, and smelt of the shower gel he always took to the gym. She stroked his back several times. ‘Darling?’ But there was no response. She sighed, and leaned forward to kiss the nape of his neck gently. Then she lay quietly on her back, hands folded behind her head, looking into the darkness. They hardly ever seemed to coordinate their bedtimes any more. And how long was it since they’d had sex in the morning? God, she couldn’t even remember. It would have to be months. They used to do that often. She sighed again, a long, sad sigh.
CHAPTER 5
The phone rang in James’s studio, and he left off doodling in his sketchbook to answer it.
‘Hello, James, Robert here,’ his brother said heartily. ‘Just wanted to check a couple of things with you about the party. Is this a good time for you, or are you busy?’
‘No, fine, fire away,’ said James, wandering around the perimeter of his big work table with the phone to his ear. ‘Hey, thanks for that message, by the way, about Dad’s assessment. When is it, next Thursday?’
‘Correct. But I very much doubt I’ll have anything to report by the weekend; I expect it’ll take some time to get the results of whatever tests they do.’
‘Yeah, I suppose. But thanks for organising it so soon and everything.’
‘Well, having made the commitment, I felt I should attend to it promptly. The
‘And, James, the thing is, Daddy couldn’t possibly leave his house. And especially his garden. He just couldn’t!’ Meredith’s eyes were full again, her mouth quivering.
‘Well. I know, I know. But Silver just wanted me to pass that on…’ James looked at his older sister unhappily. Deborah was stony-faced. Robert picked up his briefcase and fussed with the clasp.
‘Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,’ he said. ‘I’ll find out about the assessment and we’ll take it from there. Hopefully any changes in Dad’s domestic situation are a long way down the track. Hopefully there won’t be any need for any changes at all.’
After farewelling the group, Angus had headed purposefully to the car, swung his gym bag onto the back seat and backed out of the drive. As he turned onto the road he saw the faint shadow cast by Robert on the curtains of the bay window as he stood to address his siblings. If there is something wrong with Alex’s health, that’ll make Deb even more … But Angus didn’t allow himself to finish the thought, fixing his attention on the road, the busy intersection on Queens Parade. Once through that he turned into a side street, parked, and reached awkwardly under his seat. He pulled out a small bag witha velcro closure, and from that a mobile phone. He had to turn it on and key in a PIN. There were only two phone numbers in its memory; he pressed one.
‘Hi,’ he said in a soft, warm voice when it answered. ‘I’ve just left, I’ll be there soon. Under ten minutes. Okay. Me too. Bye.’
He was smiling as he tucked the phone back into its hiding place. Then he drove on, pulling up, yes, just under ten minutes later outside a small block of flats in Heidelberg. He took the stairs two at a time up to a flat on the third and topmost floor.
Just on three hours later, he parked the car again back in the driveway at his home.
‘Hello-o!’ he called out.
‘I’m in the study,’ Deborah called back.
‘Hi,’ Angus said, standing in the doorway. His wife was peering intently at the computer screen. ‘How did it go?’
‘Oh, okay. Considering. I’ll tell you about it later. I’m just finishing the agenda for this meeting tomorrow, then I’m coming to bed. Won’t be long.’
‘Want anything?’
‘Nup.’
Deborah wasn’t long, maybe fifteen minutes. But by the time she climbed into bed beside Angus, he was already asleep.
‘Angus?’ she said, placing the palm of her hand on his shoulder blade. He was wearing a soft old T-shirt, and smelt of the shower gel he always took to the gym. She stroked his back several times. ‘Darling?’ But there was no response. She sighed, and leaned forward to kiss the nape of his neck gently. Then she lay quietly on her back, hands folded behind her head, looking into the darkness. They hardly ever seemed to coordinate their bedtimes any more. And how long was it since they’d had sex in the morning? God, she couldn’t even remember. It would have to be months. They used to do that often. She sighed again, a long, sad sigh.
CHAPTER 5
The phone rang in James’s studio, and he left off doodling in his sketchbook to answer it.
‘Hello, James, Robert here,’ his brother said heartily. ‘Just wanted to check a couple of things with you about the party. Is this a good time for you, or are you busy?’
‘No, fine, fire away,’ said James, wandering around the perimeter of his big work table with the phone to his ear. ‘Hey, thanks for that message, by the way, about Dad’s assessment. When is it, next Thursday?’
‘Correct. But I very much doubt I’ll have anything to report by the weekend; I expect it’ll take some time to get the results of whatever tests they do.’
‘Yeah, I suppose. But thanks for organising it so soon and everything.’
‘Well, having made the commitment, I felt I should attend to it promptly. The
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