could see, however, that he was already lost in though. “Don’t,” she said finally.
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t wind yourself up over this.” She patted his chest before slipping past him. “I’m a good judge of these things, remember? I’m a cop, for God’s sake. Trust me, your brother is harmless.” She made her way into the bedroom, before leaning back through the doorway to look at him again. “ Mostly harmless,” she added, before going inside for the night.
“Yeah,” he muttered, looking over at the window and seeing that there was a small crack in one corner. “Well, you didn’t know him when we were kids. You didn’t see what Beth and I saw.”
***
She didn’t say anything when the front door opened. She just sat in the darkness and waited, listening to the sound of Bob dropping his briefcase on the chair in the hallway, and then to the sound of him sighing as he hung his coat on a hook, and then to the sound of him making his way through to the kitchen. As he headed to the sink, he even didn’t notice her, until some sixth sense seemed to flick the back of his ear and he spun around.
“Beth? Jesus, what the hell are you doing up?”
“I couldn’t sleep,” she replied, keeping her eyes fixed on him. “How was work?”
He hit the light-switch. “Is Lucy okay?”
“She’s fine. I’ve got to get her up in a minute for school.” She watched as he hit the button on the side of the kettle. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“Um, what question was that?” He grabbed a teabag and dropped it into a clean cup.
“How was work?”
He glanced at her, and for a moment he seemed a little wary of the question, as if he was worried it might be a trap. “Fine.”
“Fine?”
He nodded. “Yeah, fine. Why?”
“So what did you do all night?”
“What did I do ?” He paused. “The same thing I do on every night-shift. Talked to the guys, filed some paperwork, watched a few cameras and made sure I was ready in case the phone rang. Which it didn’t, by the way. It was a really dead night, but I guess that’s how things go sometimes when you’re just keeping things ticking over for the man upstairs.”
She watched as he took a box of cereal from one of the cupboards.
“Oh,” he added with a smile, turning to her, “but you’ll never guess what happened.” He chuckled to himself. “You know Aaron? Aaron Giles? I think you met him once, he’s kinda new to the place.”
“I know who you mean.”
“The poor guy spilled coffee all over his trousers. I mean, all over. He had to put ‘em up to dry, so he spent most of the night working in just his shirt and a pair of boxers. At least the coffee wasn’t hot, eh?”
“That’s a funny story,” she said calmly.
“Yeah, we all got a kick out of it.”
“Almost hard to believe it really happened.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
She paused. Every morning, Bob had one ‘funny’ story from his night-shift. Just one. It was almost as if he thought them up on his way home. “How was Candy?” she asked finally.
“Who?”
“Candy. The younger woman who joined the office recently. Woman, girl, whatever.”
“Oh, her.” He poured some cereal into a bowl, and then he sniffed. “She wasn’t there.”
“Not her shift?”
“Not her shift.”
“Maybe she’ll be on tonight. You are working tonight, aren’t you?”
“Um…” He grabbed some milk from the fridge as the kettle finished boiling. “Yes,” he said after a moment, as if he’d had to take a moment to get his story straight. “Yes, yes I am. Working tonight. Another long slog. I swear, Lanegan must have shares in the company that makes those little espresso pods in the office, ‘cause we go through those fucking things like there’s no tomorrow. It’s the only thing that keeps us from turning into total zombies by around four each morning.” He turned to her. “So how come you couldn’t sleep?”
“I guess I was just running
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t wind yourself up over this.” She patted his chest before slipping past him. “I’m a good judge of these things, remember? I’m a cop, for God’s sake. Trust me, your brother is harmless.” She made her way into the bedroom, before leaning back through the doorway to look at him again. “ Mostly harmless,” she added, before going inside for the night.
“Yeah,” he muttered, looking over at the window and seeing that there was a small crack in one corner. “Well, you didn’t know him when we were kids. You didn’t see what Beth and I saw.”
***
She didn’t say anything when the front door opened. She just sat in the darkness and waited, listening to the sound of Bob dropping his briefcase on the chair in the hallway, and then to the sound of him sighing as he hung his coat on a hook, and then to the sound of him making his way through to the kitchen. As he headed to the sink, he even didn’t notice her, until some sixth sense seemed to flick the back of his ear and he spun around.
“Beth? Jesus, what the hell are you doing up?”
“I couldn’t sleep,” she replied, keeping her eyes fixed on him. “How was work?”
He hit the light-switch. “Is Lucy okay?”
“She’s fine. I’ve got to get her up in a minute for school.” She watched as he hit the button on the side of the kettle. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“Um, what question was that?” He grabbed a teabag and dropped it into a clean cup.
“How was work?”
He glanced at her, and for a moment he seemed a little wary of the question, as if he was worried it might be a trap. “Fine.”
“Fine?”
He nodded. “Yeah, fine. Why?”
“So what did you do all night?”
“What did I do ?” He paused. “The same thing I do on every night-shift. Talked to the guys, filed some paperwork, watched a few cameras and made sure I was ready in case the phone rang. Which it didn’t, by the way. It was a really dead night, but I guess that’s how things go sometimes when you’re just keeping things ticking over for the man upstairs.”
She watched as he took a box of cereal from one of the cupboards.
“Oh,” he added with a smile, turning to her, “but you’ll never guess what happened.” He chuckled to himself. “You know Aaron? Aaron Giles? I think you met him once, he’s kinda new to the place.”
“I know who you mean.”
“The poor guy spilled coffee all over his trousers. I mean, all over. He had to put ‘em up to dry, so he spent most of the night working in just his shirt and a pair of boxers. At least the coffee wasn’t hot, eh?”
“That’s a funny story,” she said calmly.
“Yeah, we all got a kick out of it.”
“Almost hard to believe it really happened.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
She paused. Every morning, Bob had one ‘funny’ story from his night-shift. Just one. It was almost as if he thought them up on his way home. “How was Candy?” she asked finally.
“Who?”
“Candy. The younger woman who joined the office recently. Woman, girl, whatever.”
“Oh, her.” He poured some cereal into a bowl, and then he sniffed. “She wasn’t there.”
“Not her shift?”
“Not her shift.”
“Maybe she’ll be on tonight. You are working tonight, aren’t you?”
“Um…” He grabbed some milk from the fridge as the kettle finished boiling. “Yes,” he said after a moment, as if he’d had to take a moment to get his story straight. “Yes, yes I am. Working tonight. Another long slog. I swear, Lanegan must have shares in the company that makes those little espresso pods in the office, ‘cause we go through those fucking things like there’s no tomorrow. It’s the only thing that keeps us from turning into total zombies by around four each morning.” He turned to her. “So how come you couldn’t sleep?”
“I guess I was just running
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