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Chapters (90)
  1. Cover
  2. By the same author
  3. SUZY SUZY
  4. Copyright
  5. Contents
  6. Glossary of Dialect Terms
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. 67
  74. 68
  75. 69
  76. 70
  77. 71
  78. 72
  79. 73
  80. 74
  81. 75
  82. 76
  83. 77
  84. 78
  85. 79
  86. 80
  87. 81
  88. 82
  89. About William Wall
  90. An Invitation from the Publisher

What did you bid?

One point seven. That was just an opener and that fucker Kelleher knew it too.

What did the English guy bid?

He won’t say. But he says starting at one point seven it would take me ten years to get up as far as the English guy and Miss Corry wants a quick sale. He consulted with her and she just said take it. What kind of a way to sell a house is that?

What do you think he bid?

By the sound of it he was easily over two mill. Maybe two point two.

He’ll probably turn out to be a relation of the Kellehers.

I could see my dad thinking about that.

They have relations in Birmingham all right. But I’d say they’re not up to it.

The kettle boiled. It has a whistle thingy up its arse. Or down its throat, whichever way round it is. I made him a pot of tea. We still had Christmas cake. He likes the cake and I like the icing. He was doing something on his phone all the time, taptapping, swiping, taptapping. He looked like a blackbird, the way they stab things. A blackbird is a violent bird never mind his song. His song is beautiful.

Dad, I said, Dad.

He shook his head.

It’s just gone, he said. Some fucker bought it out from under me. I can’t believe it. They have sold on it on their site.

Dad, drink your tea.

He looked up at me. Squinting a little. How come I never noticed that his eyes were slightly off, the left one not exactly in line with the right?

Kelleher is putting the Castlemartin package together. I saw what he’s at. It’ll be big. Three, four hundred units, executive-style houses, a block of apartments, more maybe. Over my dead body. Over. My. Dead. Body, Suzy.

Dad, just let it go.

He finished his tea in one gulp. It must have burned his throat. He looked a bit stunned for a few seconds then he got a glass of water and drank it all. He stood in front of the window. It was raining. One of those sharp winter showers like someone throwing gravel at glass. Pins and needles for houses. He was going grey at the back and around the edges. Thinning too, a light circle in the middle of his head right at the top. Like a monk. Well, a monk starting out before he got the whole thing shaved. If that’s what they do. Or do they just wear hats? Maybe hats make you bald, or else bald men wear hats. Old bald men do.

Ah Jesus, he said.