me.
Talk turned to the past and our old friends. Tommy told me Alan Morris had become a scientist. “Quite a famous one too,” he said. “He’s a geneticist — big into cloning. A controversial area, but he’s convinced it’s the way forward.”
“As long as he doesn’t clone himself!” I laughed. “One Alan Morris is enough!”
Tommy laughed too. Alan had been a close friend of ours, but he could be a bit of a pain at times.
“I’ve no idea what Steve’s up to,” Tommy said, and the laughter died on my lips. “He left home at sixteen. Ran off without a word to anyone. I’ve spoken to him on the phone a few times, but I’ve only seen him once since then, about ten years ago. He returned home for a few months when his mother died.”
“I didn’t know she was dead,” I said. “I’m sorry. I liked Steve’s mom.”
“He sold off the house and all her effects. He shared an apartment with Alan for a while. That was before . . .” Tommy stopped and glanced at me oddly. “Have
you
seen Steve since you left?”
“No,” I lied.
“You don’t know anything about him?”
“No,” I lied again.
“Nothing at all?” Tommy pressed.
I forced a chuckle. “Why are you so concerned about Steve?”
Tommy shrugged. “He got into some trouble the last time he was here. I thought you might have heard about it from your parents.”
“We don’t discuss the past,” I said, elaborating on the lie I’d concocted. I leaned forward curiously. “What did Steve do?” I asked, wondering if it was in any way linked to his vampaneze activities.
“Oh, I don’t rightly remember,” Tommy said, shifting uncomfortably — he was lying. “It’s old history. Best not to bring it up. You know what Steve was like, always in one form of trouble or another.”
“That’s for sure,” I muttered. Then my eyes narrowed. “You said you’ve talked to him on the phone?”
“Yeah. He rings every so often, asks what I’m up to, says nothing about what he’s doing, then hangs up!”
“When was the last time he rang?”
Tommy thought about it. “Two, maybe three years ago. A long time.”
“Do you have a contact number for him?”
“No.”
Too bad. I’d thought for a moment that Tommy might be my path back to Steve, but it seemed he wasn’t.
“What’s the time?” Tommy asked. He looked at his watch and groaned. “If my manager finds out how late I’ve been out, I’ll catch hell! Sorry, Darren, but I really have to go.”
“That’s OK.” I smiled, standing to shake his hand. “Maybe we could meet up again after the match?”
“Yeah!” Tommy exclaimed. “I’m not traveling with the team — I’m staying here for the night, to see some relatives. You can come to the hotel after the game and . . . Actually, how’d you like to come see me play?”
“At the World Cup qualifier?” My eyes lit up. “I’d love to. But didn’t I hear you telling Jekkus the tickets were sold out?”
“Jekkus?” Tommy frowned.
“The guy with the knives — your number one fan.” “Oh.” Tommy grimaced. “I can’t give away tickets to all my fans. But family and friends are a different story.”
“I wouldn’t be sitting near anyone who knew me, would I?” I asked. “I don’t want the truth about me going any further — Annie might hear about it.”
“I’ll get you a seat away from the others,” Tommy promised. Then he paused. “You know, Annie’s not a girl anymore. I saw her a year ago, the last time I was here to visit family. She struck me as being very level-headed. Maybe it’s time to tell her the truth.”
“Maybe.” I smiled, knowing I wouldn’t.
“I really think you should,” Tommy pressed. “It would be a shock, like it was for me, but I’m sure she’d be delighted to know you’re alive and well.”
“We’ll see,” I said.
I walked Tommy out of the tent, through the campsite and stadium tunnels to where his car was parked. I bid him good night at the car, but
Talk turned to the past and our old friends. Tommy told me Alan Morris had become a scientist. “Quite a famous one too,” he said. “He’s a geneticist — big into cloning. A controversial area, but he’s convinced it’s the way forward.”
“As long as he doesn’t clone himself!” I laughed. “One Alan Morris is enough!”
Tommy laughed too. Alan had been a close friend of ours, but he could be a bit of a pain at times.
“I’ve no idea what Steve’s up to,” Tommy said, and the laughter died on my lips. “He left home at sixteen. Ran off without a word to anyone. I’ve spoken to him on the phone a few times, but I’ve only seen him once since then, about ten years ago. He returned home for a few months when his mother died.”
“I didn’t know she was dead,” I said. “I’m sorry. I liked Steve’s mom.”
“He sold off the house and all her effects. He shared an apartment with Alan for a while. That was before . . .” Tommy stopped and glanced at me oddly. “Have
you
seen Steve since you left?”
“No,” I lied.
“You don’t know anything about him?”
“No,” I lied again.
“Nothing at all?” Tommy pressed.
I forced a chuckle. “Why are you so concerned about Steve?”
Tommy shrugged. “He got into some trouble the last time he was here. I thought you might have heard about it from your parents.”
“We don’t discuss the past,” I said, elaborating on the lie I’d concocted. I leaned forward curiously. “What did Steve do?” I asked, wondering if it was in any way linked to his vampaneze activities.
“Oh, I don’t rightly remember,” Tommy said, shifting uncomfortably — he was lying. “It’s old history. Best not to bring it up. You know what Steve was like, always in one form of trouble or another.”
“That’s for sure,” I muttered. Then my eyes narrowed. “You said you’ve talked to him on the phone?”
“Yeah. He rings every so often, asks what I’m up to, says nothing about what he’s doing, then hangs up!”
“When was the last time he rang?”
Tommy thought about it. “Two, maybe three years ago. A long time.”
“Do you have a contact number for him?”
“No.”
Too bad. I’d thought for a moment that Tommy might be my path back to Steve, but it seemed he wasn’t.
“What’s the time?” Tommy asked. He looked at his watch and groaned. “If my manager finds out how late I’ve been out, I’ll catch hell! Sorry, Darren, but I really have to go.”
“That’s OK.” I smiled, standing to shake his hand. “Maybe we could meet up again after the match?”
“Yeah!” Tommy exclaimed. “I’m not traveling with the team — I’m staying here for the night, to see some relatives. You can come to the hotel after the game and . . . Actually, how’d you like to come see me play?”
“At the World Cup qualifier?” My eyes lit up. “I’d love to. But didn’t I hear you telling Jekkus the tickets were sold out?”
“Jekkus?” Tommy frowned.
“The guy with the knives — your number one fan.” “Oh.” Tommy grimaced. “I can’t give away tickets to all my fans. But family and friends are a different story.”
“I wouldn’t be sitting near anyone who knew me, would I?” I asked. “I don’t want the truth about me going any further — Annie might hear about it.”
“I’ll get you a seat away from the others,” Tommy promised. Then he paused. “You know, Annie’s not a girl anymore. I saw her a year ago, the last time I was here to visit family. She struck me as being very level-headed. Maybe it’s time to tell her the truth.”
“Maybe.” I smiled, knowing I wouldn’t.
“I really think you should,” Tommy pressed. “It would be a shock, like it was for me, but I’m sure she’d be delighted to know you’re alive and well.”
“We’ll see,” I said.
I walked Tommy out of the tent, through the campsite and stadium tunnels to where his car was parked. I bid him good night at the car, but
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