BooksBarbecue
Back Found Save as PDF
Chapters (62)
  1. Title
  2. Copyright
  3. Contents
  4. About the Author
  5. About the Book
  6. Dedication
  7. Your Worst Nightmare
  8. ONE
  9. TWO
  10. THREE
  11. FOUR
  12. FIVE
  13. SIX
  14. SEVEN
  15. EIGHT
  16. NINE
  17. The Answer to All Your Prayers
  18. TEN
  19. ELEVEN
  20. TWELVE
  21. THIRTEEN
  22. FOURTEEN
  23. FIFTEEN
  24. SIXTEEN
  25. SEVENTEEN
  26. EIGHTEEN
  27. NINETEEN
  28. TWENTY
  29. TWENTY-ONE
  30. TWENTY-TWO
  31. TWENTY-THREE
  32. TWENTY-FOUR
  33. TWENTY-FIVE
  34. TWENTY-SIX
  35. TWENTY-SEVEN
  36. TWENTY-EIGHT
  37. TWENTY-NINE
  38. THIRTY
  39. THIRTY-ONE
  40. Somebody Else’s Child
  41. THIRTY-TWO
  42. THIRTY-THREE
  43. THIRTY-FOUR
  44. THIRTY-FIVE
  45. THIRTY-SIX
  46. THIRTY-SEVEN
  47. THIRTY-EIGHT
  48. THIRTY-NINE
  49. FORTY
  50. FORTY-ONE
  51. FORTY-TWO
  52. FORTY-THREE
  53. FORTY-FOUR
  54. FORTY-FIVE
  55. FORTY-SIX
  56. FORTY-SEVEN
  57. FORTY-EIGHT
  58. FORTY-NINE
  59. Sunlight on Water
  60. July
  61. September
  62. Acknowledgements

As he parks across the bungalow’s driveway, there’s a view of the city centre in the distance, marked by a scatter of tower blocks and a grime-blackened church tower. The gate squeals as he pushes it open, and a hand lifts a corner of the net curtains. Naylor’s taught Hagen to ignore doorbells, so he raps on the glass door, which is opened promptly by a woman he puts in her forties. She’s made an attempt at urban glamour – her hair’s home-dyed a shade of burgundy and her glasses are sixties-style and cherry red – but grey roots are showing through the hair dye, and there’s no on-trend logo on her hoody or sweatpants. Hagen picks up the stink of cigarettes, so potent she must have just put one out.

‘Yes?’

She looks quite amenable, until Hagen flips open his wallet and shows his warrant card.

‘What, again?’ she protests. ‘Why can’t you leave us alone? It’s like living in an episode of The Bill.’

Her accent to his ears is pure Brummie, though he knows that’s the same ignorance as people not knowing the difference between Geordie and Mackem or Smoggy.

‘I’m looking for Robert Gillard. Is he in?’

‘He’s not in, no, but he’s entitled to be out. Seven till seven, that’s his curfew hours.’

‘And you are . . .?’

‘I’m Madge, his sister. Marjorie to you. What are you doing back here? We had a probation visit only last week. He’s keeping to his terms and conditions. Ask the neighbours if you don’t believe me.’

‘Do you know where I might find him, Marjorie?’

‘Do I have to tell you?’

‘I can come in and wait if you’d rather.’

She gives a pantomime sigh.

‘He’s at the library, studying for his qualification. Why won’t you people even give him a chance? He had a rotten start in life which you would know if you could be bothered to find out. We both had rotten starts, and you ought to give him breathing space to do something with his life instead of coming round here drawing attention all the time. We’ve Mum to think of, haven’t we? It’s no bloody picnic being uprooted at her age. It’ll all be down to you if we have to move again.’

‘I hope it won’t come to that,’ says Hagen. ‘But with the kind of offences your brother committed, by law people have a right to know – if they choose to find out – that he might pose a danger. How do I get to the library?’