Anyway, Ash: have a think and let me know if you want that guy s number, OK? In the meantime Weber flipped through his clipboard again. I ve got you down to accompany Dr McDonald today. She wants to do some follow-ups on the door-to-doors.
Great. A day dicking about outside in the cold. Are you sure someone else wouldn t be
Absolutely positive. Dr McDonald tells me you re the man for the job, and apparently everyone else scares her, so
She coughed. I m standing right here.
Weber patted me on the shoulder. Off you go.
The patrol car dropped us off on Lochview Road. Down at the far end of the street, Ethan s house was all lit up. Must have decided not to take his shattered hand into work today. Couldn t blame him.
I unlocked the rusty Renault and climbed in. Put on my seatbelt. Sighed. After driving his nearly new Merc it really wasn t the same.
Dr McDonald got into the passenger seat. She reeked of extra-strong mints and stale booze, a happy-hour sweat shining on her forehead and top lip as the alcohol oozed out of her.
What happened to you?
Henry phoned at nine this morning, wanting to go over the profile again before I presented it. I m really glad he s decided to help out, but I can t do this any more. She leaned forwards until her head rested on the dusty dashboard. Urgh
A taxi pulled up outside Ethan s house. Beeped its horn twice.
Sod it, why not? I ll be back in a minute. I climbed out and marched down the street.
Ethan s front door opened and there he was, his left arm encased in plaster from the tips of his fingers all the way to the elbow. He turned on the top step and fumbled with his keys, then stomped down the stairs and froze staring at me. I didn t do anything! I was up at the hospital: I haven t been anywhere near them!
Good. I unfolded the ticket from Little Mike s Pawn Shop. Held it out.
Ethan flinched back.
It s the receipt for your things. Pawnbroker s name and address is on there. You can redeem them.
He picked at the cast on his smashed hand. Why?
Because you know what ll happen if you fuck with my family again. I ve won. Don t need to rub your nose in it.
Ethan didn t move.
I pinned the ticket under the windscreen wiper of a Porsche parked at the kerb. Your car s at K amp;B Motors in Cowskillin. Probably haven t sold it on yet. I turned and walked back towards the Renault. Do yourself a favour and think about leaving town. Next time you don t get another chance.
I climbed in behind the wheel again.
He was still standing there, staring after me. Then he crept over to the Porsche, grabbed the pawn ticket, and got in the taxi.
As it drove past he kept his gaze fixed out the other window.
Maybe this time the little shite would take a telling.
Dr McDonald hadn t moved since I d left head resting on the dashboard, arms dangling by her sides. Urgh
You ready?
Can you go really fast and crash into something, please?
I eased out of the parking space, bearings making that wonky squealing noise every time I put the wheel on full lock. Get your seatbelt on.
I want to curl up and die
You re the one who wanted to go traipsing round town in the cold. Now get your bloody seatbelt on.
Groan. She did, then slumped back in her seat as if someone had removed all her bones. He keeps making me drink whisky, I don t even like whisky
You re a grown-up. If you don t like it, don t drink it. Elegant Georgian houses slid past as we headed for Dundas Bridge.
But then he won t like me, and he won t help me, and
Henry was on the phone. You could ve been drinking camomile tea: how would he know?
She put her hands over her face. He d know.
You can t let people pressure you into doing things, just so they ll like you. It For fuck s sake, it was like talking to an eight-year-old. Not my responsibility if she wanted to rot her liver with Henry it was her problem, not mine.
Dundas Bridge stretched over Kings River in a gentle arc of white-painted steel held up by two sets of pylons and thick black suspension cables.
Dr McDonald grabbed the dashboard. Pull over.
What? Did you see something
Oh God, pull over, pull over right now!
I stomped on the brakes and she fumbled open the passenger door, then retched. And heaved. Her back hunched and convulsed, arse rising out of the seat with each contraction.
Then she sagged, one hand holding on to the door handle as she spat into the gutter. Urgh
You sure you want to go door-to-door?
Urgh, bile
What did I tell you about not having breakfast?
More spitting. Then she hauled herself back into the car. Had a big fry-up on the boat. Stayed down till about half eight.
I pulled out again, taking us up onto the bridge. The Kings River was a gunmetal ribbon below us. Do you really need a lecture about matching drink for drink with an alcoholic?
I don t feel well
There s a bloody shock.
