Part 10 (1/2)

Edge. Thomas Blackthorne 32650K 2022-07-22

”You need another coffee, Ms Gleason? I mean Kath.”

Lightning cracked somewhere in the distance.

”Jesus.”

”Are you all right?” asked Josh.

”Electric storms worry me. Do you know we've had more this month already than the whole of last year? Which was more than the whole decade before that.”

”Really?”

”Yes, and II'm sorry. Did you see Sophie last night?”

”This morning.” He had driven from London before dawn. ”Still the same.”

”I'm so sorry.”

”Drinks,” said Josh. ”I'll just be a minute.”

This was such a bad idea.

Twenty minutes later, in Kath's car, they drove into a plain residential street, and pulled up before a house coated in pink pebbledash, the front door inset with amber gla.s.s. No sign of an alarm system; trusting to the high-mounted neighbourhood watchcams.

”Don't worry about what to say.” Kath switched off the engine. ”I'm sure they'll be nervous too.”

The doorbell had no fingerprint recognition, but the door opened straightaway, pulled back by a blank-faced man.

”This is Carl, Marek's father.” Kath gestured. ”This is Josh.”

Entering the front room, Josh scanned from near to far, and above, checking the overstuffed furniture and cluttered ornaments, the photographs on shelves. Then a thick-waisted woman came through from the rear, holding out her hand.

”h.e.l.lo, I'm Irina. Good to meet you.” She looked at her husband. ”Carl, you want to offer our guests drinks?”

”Um, would you like something? Beer, vodka, tea?”

”I just made a pot,” said Irina.

Josh and Kath chose tea; Carl, head down, went out back.

”I'm sorry about Carl.” Irina gestured. ”Please sit.”

The placement was not tactical, but ordinary people had no thought of preventing clear shots in through their living-room window. Not liking it, Josh sat down. Kath blinked at him, then turned back to Irina.

”Marek's at home, I presume.”

”In his bedroom. He spends his time there.”

”Is he seeing someone?”

”The GP, every Thursday.” Irina turned to Josh. ”I'm sorry about your daughter. So sorry.”

”Thank you.”

Kath said, ”Everyone's devastated. And our safety record is good, had been so good.”

”So.” Irina's expression closed in. ”The boy who started it, from St Joseph's, not even the same school, but he was hanging around and no one cared.”

”The pupils have siblings who attend other schools. At the start or end of a day, it's not unusual”

Carl came in with a laden tea tray: mugs, teapot, milk in an open carton, a packet of plain chocolate McVities. Irina shook her head. Perhaps she had expected a milk jug and nicer cups. After Carl handed around the mugs, he stood looking down at his own tea, then walked out saying nothing, closing the door behind him. A clink sounded, and everyone waited, Josh expecting the crash of shattered crockery or gla.s.s; instead, there was nothing.

”Would you like to meet Marek?” said Irina finally. ”I mean, if it would help.”

”Sure.” Josh put down his mug. ”Are you going to call him down or?”

”You could go up.” Irina pointed to the hallway. ”Upstairs on the right. You'll see.”

”Just me?”

”Better than all of us.” Kath tucked in her lower lip. ”Don't want to look like a delegation.”

Josh breathed with conscious control, getting ready.

”Upstairs. Right.”

He felt disengaged from his body, almost floating on automatic up the stairs, not knowing how he felt about meeting the boy the other victim of the incident that turned Sophie, his beautiful Sophie, into a small warm body with no mind. Beneath a bright graffiti notice Marek's Room he knocked.

”Hey, my name's Josh. Can I come in?”

Nothing.

”I'm Sophie c.u.mberland's father.”

There was a reply that sounded like ”Ugh”, which was enough. He turned the handle.

Inside, on the wall behind the boy's chair was a poster of Fireman Carlsen in half armour, blade in hand. A white blanket covered the boy's lap. These were the things Josh noticed first, before he processed the too-pale, almost blue complexion, the bruise-purple hollowness of the eyes.

”Hi, Marek.”

It took a second, but then Marek nodded, then he pushed PAUSE on the unfolded control pad attached to his phone, freezing the wallscreen display.

”What are you watching?”