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games. I glanced at the scrabble board on the shelf.
    ‘I like to play
occasionally, but I’m more a Puzzle person.’
    ‘What kind of
puzzles?’
    ‘Any sort of
puzzles. As long as they are not the same ones I’ve done
before.’
    ‘A
variety?’
    ‘A choice.’
    ‘Ah!’ It
couldn’t be more relevant than that. He was certainly not giving
anything way about himself on any deeper level. And he was
gathering a lot of information about us.
    ‘Why are you
here?’ I asked him.
    He was smart
enough not to try to fob me off: ‘I want to spend time with Karis.
She is one unusual person.’
    ‘Do you like
art?’ I asked him. I hoped to illicit something that was relevant
to the world as I knew it.
    ‘Only when I
can understand it.’ He said.
    ‘I see…’ I
thought I was beginning to realise where he was coming from.
    ‘What else do
you want to know?’ he asked me. He was drinking a cup of coffee. I
not seen him touch any alcoholic stuff this evening so far.
    ‘You are asking
me to pry?’
    ‘Just assuage
your curiosity.’ He replied.
    ‘As you wish.’
I said, ‘I just would really like to know who my sister is dating.’
I wasn’t at all what I had intended to say. But he seemed more
interested than irritated.
    ‘Observant….and
direct. I’ll tell you what you want to know.’ He sipped more
coffee.
    ‘You’re a
policeman.’ I said suddenly.
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘And you’re
dating my sister. Why?’
    ‘Because she
asked me to.’
    ‘She did?’ I
must have looked flustered, because my mother leaned over and
tapped me on the wrist. ‘Calm down Jared.’ she said in a level
voice. She had used this often when I was still a child. She could
see something I couldn’t. I leaned back and searched round in my
casual jacket for my lighter. I wouldn’t normally smoke in my
parents’ house; but his seemed the time to let it out in the open.
Sam caught my eye. I was having trouble with the lighter. He passed
me his. I lit the black stick with trembling hands. I looked back
up. I saw Morel watching me.
    ‘You know,’ I
said in a growly voice, ‘you are a considerable nuisance.’
    ‘That’s what I
do.’ He replied, ‘It’s hard to switch off from the job.’
    ‘I think I will
have to hear more about this job of yours.’
    ‘I solve
crimes. Detective class, plain clothes division. I’m very good at
it.’
    ‘You can tell
me who nearly crashed my car last summer then.’ I laughed sort of
bitterly and took another swig of the rum and black.
    ‘If you like.’
he said, ‘I would need to see the case files though.’
    I looked into
his eyes. He wasn’t joking. I felt deflated and just smoked and
stared into space for a while.
     
    Everyone
drifted into the lounge eventually. The light was beginning to fade
from the sky. Mother was looking at me; she came across to me.
    ‘Hello Laura.’
I said.
    ‘Don’t be
facetious.’ She replied.
    ‘I’m not.’
    ‘Jared…. just
take it easy. Please.’
    ‘I’m fine.’ I
said shortly. I was starting to wish Davey was here. And Jules.
Adam was fast becoming one of the people I could be normal with.
They didn’t leave sentences hanging in the air. They just accepted
each other, and me.
    I decided I’d
had enough of being sociable and got up and left the room without
saying anything. I stood behind the door just outside,
listening.
    ‘Is he
alright?’ I heard Karis say.
    ‘He’s fine,’ my
mother was slightly dismissive… playing down what she felt as
ever.
    ‘Will you
please go up and find him then.’ said Karis.
    ‘No,’ said Leo,
‘Just let him alone. Don’t push it. No one push it.’
    They all went
quiet. I felt really odd, and quickly left the space I was hiding
in and scrambled up the stairs to my old room. I slammed the door
and lay down on top of the bed. I rolled over onto my stomach.
There were flowers in a small vase on the window sill. Purple and
gold….my colours. I knew my mother had put them there for me. I
felt