Read Online Thorn In My Side by Sheila Quigley - Free Book Online Page A

seeing him, Mike pointed back to his seat. 'Get over
there.'

CHAPTER
SEVENTEEN
    Smiler did as
Mike told him. Grabbing his newspaper, and the remains of the can
of Diet Coke that he’d nursed for the whole journey, he moved to
Mike’s table. Hesitant at first when he saw the huge dog looking up
at him, gently he patted the dog’s head as he eased into the seat.
Tiny rested his head on the seat next to Smiler and watched
him.
    'Shift,' Mike
said when he came back. 'I can’t bear to travel backwards. Bad for
the sinuses.'
    'Er, who told
you that?'
    'Move it.'
    'OK, OK.'
Smiler hastily changed seats. 'Is, er... is he all right?' He
jerked his head in the direction of Tiny, who had turned round and,
still watching Smiler out of one eye, was resting his head on the
other seat.
    When Smiler was
settled, Mike said, ' Actually, he’ll have your hand off as soon as
look at you. So don’t give him an excuse.' Smiler recoiled, and the
look on his face made Mike laugh.
    'Just kidding,
he’s a great chap. Say hello to Tiny.'
    'Tiny!!!' At the sound of his name, Tiny wagged his tail and
snaked his tongue out to lick Smiler’s hand. 'You never said you
had a dog.''Never said I didn’t… Anyhow, it’s a long story. OK, so
what do you have to say for yourself?'
    For a moment
Smiler just looked into Mike’s eyes, then he blurted quickly,
'First off, Mike, I’m sorry.' Smiler nodded. 'I didn’t think things
through before I blew. I should never have…' His voice trailed off
as he sighed.
    'So you came
all the way up here to say that?'
    When Smiler
didn’t answer, Mike went on, 'Well, for what it's worth, so am I.'
He touched the back of Smiler’s hand, the only contact Smiler would
allow from anyone. A nod and the hint of a smile let Mike know that
they were friends again.
    'I’m not going
to take the huff again, Mike, honest, I know you can’t help but say
whatever’s on your mind like you always do.' Smiler shrugged.
'You’re a good man Mike. I just wish… I wish I’d met you a few
years ago.'
    Mike swallowed
the lump in his throat, knowing how hard it was for Smiler to talk
about personal stuff, even though he could ramble on forever about
anything else.
    'I only did
what anyone el----'
    Smiler
stretched his hand across the table, his fingertips just touching
Mike’s hand. Interrupting him he said, 'No, Mike, if you hadn’t
helped me I would be worm food by now.'
    Mike sighed. He
believed that everyone deserved a fair chance in this life. The
trouble was, countless thousands, perhaps millions, never got it.
'All right, let's just let it drop now, eh, kid, and agree to
disagree on the mumbo jumbo stuff. '
    Smiler nodded,
sighed his relief. 'Yeah, OK… By the way, I had a dream.'
    'Oh, bloody
hell.' Mike tutted, looked at the ceiling, then back at Smiler.
'Not the voices again.'
    'No, listen,
Mike. You’re heading into danger, real, real danger, they told me.
It was black, all black, hard to see at first. There’s water
though, I know that much… A lot of water!'
    Mike frowned at
him. 'Well, it would be wouldn’t it?'
    'Sorry?’
    'Hard to bloody
well see, if it was all black! How many times have I told you, all
this crap is just your imagination working overtime… That and the
shit still rattling around in your brain… You should write flaming
fiction. Look.' He opened his newspaper and pointed at the woman in
red. 'She’s all over the friggin’ place. You couldn’t help but see
her… And the only water in Durham is the bloody River Wear, and I
can’t remember a time when it’s burst its banks.'
    Smiler looked
at the advert and shrugged. He’d seen the poster all over the place
this morning and had made the connection, thinking that the poster
must have been easy to spot from the place where Mike had been in
danger. It proved a point to him, but he knew Mike would see it
differently.
    Looking Mike in
the eye, he went on adamantly, 'Pretty soon you will be involved
with something way too dangerous. And it