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Chapters (60)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. 54
  57. 55
  58. Acknowledgements
  59. About the author
  60. Copyright

‘You don’t have to. Just take the shirt and wear it. Call it a gift,’ said Chandler.

Gabriel took it. ‘I’ll shower first,’ he said as they reached the sparkling white police car.

4

Chandler pulled out of the station and into town. Immediately the afternoon sun set about cooking them from the outside in, the intense heat trying to glue them to the black plastic of the seat and stew them in their own bodily fluids.

As they drove past the family owned businesses and abandoned shops on the main drag, Chandler glanced across at his passenger. Gabriel was staring back at him, spread out on the seat, a calmness in his manner that matched his body language. Given that now he was under police protection Chandler hoped they wouldn’t let him down.

‘Are you sure you don’t need a doctor?’ he asked.

‘They’re only bruises I think. There’s nothing he could give me. At least the pain reminds me to stay alert.’

Chandler offered a smile. ‘Wait ’til you have an ex-wife.’

There was a stab of a smile from his passenger. ‘When did that happen?’

Even Gabriel’s voice had relaxed. The jittery squeak had been replaced by the soft, enticing glow of a late-night radio DJ. A warm voice playing doleful tunes to send listeners to sleep. It was like he was in the car with a different person entirely.

Chandler paused, calculating it in his head. ‘Seven . . . seven and a half years.’

‘Long time. You miss her?’

‘Not since she threatened to take my kids.’

‘Oh.’ Gabriel stared at him. ‘She got any grounds to take ’em?’

Chandler didn’t really want to get into this with a stranger but the voice was like a shoulder to cry on; Chandler the midnight caller, unable to drift off, sounding off about his fears and woes.

‘I don’t think so.’

‘How many kids do you have?’

‘Two. Maybe the one good thing I’ve done in my life.’ Chandler smiled and looked at his passenger. ‘Two good things.’

If discussing Teri taxed his nerves, he never wasted a chance to extol the virtues of his children, almost in compensation for not getting to see as much of them as he would have wanted. This job took its toll: long hours, odd hours, paperwork and procedure.

‘How old?’

‘Sarah’s nearly eleven, Jasper’s getting on towards nine.’

‘Sarah and Jasper. Nice names,’ said Gabriel. Chandler noticed little feeling in the declaration. ‘You have no one? Girlfriend? Brothers or sisters? Cousins? Uncles?’

A shake of the head. ‘No. None.’ The harsh, defensive tone from the station was back.

‘Sorry,’ said Chandler. He couldn’t imagine being without his family.

Gabriel stared at him and said nothing for a few seconds. The stare was unnerving. Finally he spoke, the voice resigned.

‘I’m used to it.’

‘You said earlier that family and religion let you down . . . ’