Chapters (46)
‘Are you all right, mate? I’m sorry if I was a bit short with you. My wife always says, Danny, I do love you, but you’re a terrible arsehole. Says it most days.’ He grinned – magnificent teeth, like a poster for whitening which would make you google it and then gawp at the price. Then his face went serious again. ‘But seriously. You don’t look too good. What’s up?’
The kindness, the concern in his voice were almost worse than when he’d been a bastard. Or what Karl thought was a bastard. That seemed unfair, now. He was starting to wish he hadn’t fantasized about maiming the guy. Karl swallowed, failing to dislodge the sorrow that was rising through him, wanting to get out. With mounting shame he saw his eyes film over with tears as he began to speak. ‘My mate – my mate’s missing and it’s my fault.’
The DJ had his hand on Karl’s arm. Karl felt hot and ashamed and he tried to prevent the tears from getting any further with a sort of choking motion which made a weird, even more embarrassing sound, like a duck. ‘What’s his name, mate? I’ll put it out there, yeah? I got a lot of people following me, man.’
‘That would be kind,’ said Karl, turning his eyes away, as if there was still something of his dignity to be kept. He caught sight of his face in the next mirror along, his face tatty and blotchy, almost unfamiliar to himself. ‘His name’s James – James Chiltern. I’ll give you a picture.’
‘It’s going to be all right, dude.’ The stranger squeezed Karl’s shoulder and Karl, used to being the more powerful person in any embrace, gasped; the guy could knock down a wall with an arm like that. ‘What do you need? Like, apart from me telling people. What do you need right now?’
Karl swiped his eyes clear and filled his lungs with a shaky breath. Copying the DJ, he went to the sink, pushed the tap down and wetted his face. It felt good, the cold water, and he did it a couple more times.
‘I need to make a phone call,’ he said, ‘and I need to drive in a way that’s totally illegal, and I need to pray to God, and if you’re into praying maybe you could do that, too?’
‘I’m into it if you want me to be, dude.’ The DJ had his phone out as Karl went towards the hand-dryer. ‘Just in case God isn’t there, though, maybe give me the guy’s details now?’