Read Online Walking with Ghosts by John Baker - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: John Baker
Ads: Link
Geordie.
’Ready when you are, partner,’ he said. ‘I just have to shake the dew from my lily.’ He made his way to the door, and along the corridor to the lavatory.
Geordie looked at Marie, and she hit him with a quick smile and a shrug of the shoulders. ‘Yeah, he’s a bit naff,’ she said. ‘But he knows how to treat a girl.’
’I like him,’ Geordie told her. ‘And I’m glad for you.’
’Yeah, yeah,’ said Marie, embarrassed. ‘I’ve shelved all plans to join a convent for the time being. Jesus’s got enough brides to be going on with. I don’t think he’ll miss this one.’
‘I could do without him for today. J.D., I mean. If you’d rather he went with you?’
‘No, Geordie. You take him. I want space. I mean, I really like him, but I need to breathe as well.’
J.D. returned and went to Marie. He put his arm around her waist and looked at Geordie. ‘Son,’ he said, ‘I’ve been stabbed with a white wench’s black eye, and shot through the ear with a love song.’
Marie pushed him away, clasped her hand to her breast. ‘Be still, my beating heart.’ She turned to Geordie. ‘Mercy,’ she said. ‘Get him out of here.’
‘Where we goin’?’ J.D. asked.
Geordie waited for the car in front to peel off into Lord Mayor’s Walk, then accelerated along Clarence Street. ‘Wiggington,’ he said.
‘It’s not going to be dangerous, is it? I’m not a coward, but dead men sell no tales.’
It took a while for Geordie to get the joke. And when he got it he didn’t think it was funny. Still laughed though, to be polite.
J.D. turned his head towards Geordie, as if expecting more. But Geordie concentrated on the driving. It was true what he’d told Marie, he did like J.D. Or at least he had liked him when they first met. But now that the guy was having a steamy affair with Marie, Geordie was having to reorganize all his preconceptions. And that took time.
Geordie didn’t have any claims on Marie. He didn’t like her like that, anyway. She was thirteen years older than him, and even if they’d been the same age it wouldn’t have made any difference. She wasn’t his type, and he was sure that he wasn’t her type either. They were friends. And that was the problem.
Marie lived alone, and had done since her husband, Gus, had been blown away by a particularly nasty psychopath. After that episode Geordie didn’t think she’d ever have anything to do with another man. But over the past months he’d had a couple of dates. Nothing serious. The odd night 0n the town. She might’ve gone to bed with one of the guys. The soft one, whatever he was called. Stuart? Yeah, Stuart.
All of that Geordie had taken in his stride. Marie deserved a few breaks. A woman living alone, not out of choice, but because she’d been made a widow far too early. That was not something you’d wish on anyone.
‘I like her,’ J.D. said, as if he’d been reading Geordie’s thoughts. ‘I like her, and she likes me. Neither of us have got anybody else. We both want this, for Christ’s sake. What’s wrong with that?’
‘Nothing,’ said Geordie. ‘It’s great.’
‘So what’s with all the downcast looks and the long silences? Shit, as soon as you saw us together you brought out the morgue atmosphere. I’m telling you, friend, something’s bothering you, and if it isn’t me and Marie, what is it?’
‘Yeah, OK,’ Geordie admitted. ‘I don’t know how to explain it, though. It’s like Marie’s been a friend of mine for ages. And I knew Gus as well, her husband. She tell you about that?’
‘How he bought it? Yes.’
‘Well, what it is, I don’t want her to get hurt.’
‘Why should I hurt her?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘D’you think everybody’s gonna hurt her? I mean guys. You think her other boyfriends are gonna hurt her?’
No.’ Geordie took his eyes off the road and looked over at J.D. ‘I’m sorry. I can’t explain it.’
OK, I’ll tell you, Geordie. What
’Ready when you are, partner,’ he said. ‘I just have to shake the dew from my lily.’ He made his way to the door, and along the corridor to the lavatory.
Geordie looked at Marie, and she hit him with a quick smile and a shrug of the shoulders. ‘Yeah, he’s a bit naff,’ she said. ‘But he knows how to treat a girl.’
’I like him,’ Geordie told her. ‘And I’m glad for you.’
’Yeah, yeah,’ said Marie, embarrassed. ‘I’ve shelved all plans to join a convent for the time being. Jesus’s got enough brides to be going on with. I don’t think he’ll miss this one.’
‘I could do without him for today. J.D., I mean. If you’d rather he went with you?’
‘No, Geordie. You take him. I want space. I mean, I really like him, but I need to breathe as well.’
J.D. returned and went to Marie. He put his arm around her waist and looked at Geordie. ‘Son,’ he said, ‘I’ve been stabbed with a white wench’s black eye, and shot through the ear with a love song.’
Marie pushed him away, clasped her hand to her breast. ‘Be still, my beating heart.’ She turned to Geordie. ‘Mercy,’ she said. ‘Get him out of here.’
‘Where we goin’?’ J.D. asked.
Geordie waited for the car in front to peel off into Lord Mayor’s Walk, then accelerated along Clarence Street. ‘Wiggington,’ he said.
‘It’s not going to be dangerous, is it? I’m not a coward, but dead men sell no tales.’
It took a while for Geordie to get the joke. And when he got it he didn’t think it was funny. Still laughed though, to be polite.
J.D. turned his head towards Geordie, as if expecting more. But Geordie concentrated on the driving. It was true what he’d told Marie, he did like J.D. Or at least he had liked him when they first met. But now that the guy was having a steamy affair with Marie, Geordie was having to reorganize all his preconceptions. And that took time.
Geordie didn’t have any claims on Marie. He didn’t like her like that, anyway. She was thirteen years older than him, and even if they’d been the same age it wouldn’t have made any difference. She wasn’t his type, and he was sure that he wasn’t her type either. They were friends. And that was the problem.
Marie lived alone, and had done since her husband, Gus, had been blown away by a particularly nasty psychopath. After that episode Geordie didn’t think she’d ever have anything to do with another man. But over the past months he’d had a couple of dates. Nothing serious. The odd night 0n the town. She might’ve gone to bed with one of the guys. The soft one, whatever he was called. Stuart? Yeah, Stuart.
All of that Geordie had taken in his stride. Marie deserved a few breaks. A woman living alone, not out of choice, but because she’d been made a widow far too early. That was not something you’d wish on anyone.
‘I like her,’ J.D. said, as if he’d been reading Geordie’s thoughts. ‘I like her, and she likes me. Neither of us have got anybody else. We both want this, for Christ’s sake. What’s wrong with that?’
‘Nothing,’ said Geordie. ‘It’s great.’
‘So what’s with all the downcast looks and the long silences? Shit, as soon as you saw us together you brought out the morgue atmosphere. I’m telling you, friend, something’s bothering you, and if it isn’t me and Marie, what is it?’
‘Yeah, OK,’ Geordie admitted. ‘I don’t know how to explain it, though. It’s like Marie’s been a friend of mine for ages. And I knew Gus as well, her husband. She tell you about that?’
‘How he bought it? Yes.’
‘Well, what it is, I don’t want her to get hurt.’
‘Why should I hurt her?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘D’you think everybody’s gonna hurt her? I mean guys. You think her other boyfriends are gonna hurt her?’
No.’ Geordie took his eyes off the road and looked over at J.D. ‘I’m sorry. I can’t explain it.’
OK, I’ll tell you, Geordie. What
Similar Books
