A Line of Blood. Ben McPherson

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СКАЧАТЬ upper floor. Millicent’s eyes darted. ‘Whoah,’ she said. ‘That was a little …’

      ‘… unexpected,’ I said.

      ‘Unexpected.’ She composed herself. ‘Yeah.’

      ‘He’s from Ghana,’ I said, ‘and he’s a nice guy.’

      ‘Only since he found out we were married. Before that he kind of sucked. And by the way, he has strong opinions about Nigeria.’

      ‘Love,’ I said, and took her hand. ‘Are you OK?’

      ‘Why would you think I wouldn’t be?’

      I drew her to me, and she smiled weakly up at me. Because suicide terrifies you, I thought. Because you hate the idea that someone’s pain might be unreachable. Because you once told me someone you knew …

      Voices from the neighbour’s house. Millicent’s eyes crossed to the wall.

      ‘So … This is all a little freaky,’ she said. ‘Why would they not take the body last night?’

      ‘Being thorough,’ I said. ‘I mean, that would be my guess. I don’t know.’

      ‘Gross. Maybe I’m not completely OK with it.’ She ran her tongue along the inside of her lips.

      Why would you be, I thought? How could anybody be OK with this? I put my hand on her cheek and she held it there for a moment and looked me in the eye. Then she looked away and a shiver seemed to pass through her body.

      ‘Hey,’ I said. ‘I’m here. You can tell me what you’re feeling.’

      ‘I think I just did.’

      You didn’t, I thought. Not really.

      ‘The guy was OK. A little buttoned-up, but OK. I guess I liked him.’ A troubled look clouded her eyes. ‘I guess I’m a little freaked out also. That he would still be in there.’

      ‘You knew him?’

      ‘Kind of an over-the-fence thing …’

      A shadow across the curtain in the front window; three knocks at the front door.

      I looked at Millicent. She was shaking her head at me. Police, she mouthed. She looked small again, hunched. No, she mouthed. Not now, Alex. Defensive eyes, like an animal that was past the fight-or-flight stage. I’d almost forgotten that look.

      ‘What else are we going to do?’ I said, under my breath. ‘They must have heard us in here.’ I walked towards the front door; Millicent slipped into the kitchen.

      The man was small and thin, in white t-shirt and long shorts, and covered in a light dust. Muscular though. A builder, I thought. A builder carrying a clipboard.

      ‘Mr Bryce?’ he said. ‘Hello. Continent Containers.’

      He looked at me as if I should know what he meant. I didn’t.

      ‘Skip-hire provider.’ He extended a hand. His smile was warm, professional.

      ‘Sorry,’ I said. ‘Not Mr Bryce.’

      ‘Could I speak to Mr Bryce?’

      ‘There’s no Mr Bryce,’ I said. ‘I’m Alex Mercer. And I’ve never hired a skip in my life.’

      ‘Strange,’ said the man. He looked down at his clipboard. ‘All right.’ He took out a mobile phone.

      ‘You’ll have to excuse me,’ I said. ‘We’ve a lot on.’

      ‘OK, sir. Thanks, anyway.’

      I closed the door. Millicent returned from the kitchen.

      ‘I’m sorry,’ she said, ‘I get that you’re being brave for me, and for Max. And I hate that you guys had to see what you saw.’

      ‘I could have stopped him from seeing and I didn’t.’

      ‘I know, honey, but I’m guessing you were in shock.’

      ‘I laughed. I actually laughed.’

      ‘That would be a classic shock reaction, right there. You’re a good father, Alex. Your instinct is to protect. I know it. Max knows it.’

      ‘I failed. Max saw everything.’

      ‘OK, Alex. Yes, we do need to discuss that.’ She breathed out heavily.

      ‘My honest guess? Max is going to fall apart a little.’

      I sat on the sofa, bit hard into my knuckle.

       What have I done?

      ‘Alex, honey, he’s going to need to do this. It isn’t the end of the world. We have the summer.’ Millicent sat down beside me.

      ‘To let our son fall apart? We sit and watch while our son has a breakdown? Have him back on his feet and ready for school by September?’

      ‘We break his fall, Alex. There’s a logic to these things. We listen to him when he needs to talk, and we help him to pick up the pieces when – if – he falls apart. It’s a process. He’ll be OK. We’re good parents. We’ll find him a good shrink.’

      ‘That’s our summer?’

      ‘That’s our summer.’

      ‘What about work?’

      Seventy hours of footage on my laptop. Another shoot to plan.

      ‘You can still go,’ she said.

      ‘I can’t. You’re going to need me here.’

      Two weeks in America. An eight-week edit. How was that going to work?

      ‘Sure you can, Alex. Max and I always manage.’

      Voices through the wall again. I could see the sinews in Millicent’s neck stiffen. ‘Huh,’ she said. ‘I thought they left already. I guess I’m still a little jumpy.’

      ‘Who wouldn’t be?’

      ‘Why are you so sweet to me?’ she said, her eyes searching my face.

      ‘I’m not,’ I said.

      ‘You are.’ She pushed me gently backwards and down on to the sofa. Then she lay down and folded herself into me, her back to my chest, legs entangling mine.

      ‘Max will be OK, Alex. With the right support he’s going to be just fine.’

      ‘How can you know?’

      ‘Children are resilient.’

      ‘I should be here,’ I said.

      She СКАЧАТЬ