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Back The Man With No Face
Chapters (45)
  1. The Man With No Face
  2. Also by
  3. Title
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. Epigraph
  7. Contents
  8. INTRODUCTION
  9. CHAPTER ONE
  10. CHAPTER TWO
  11. CHAPTER THREE
  12. CHAPTER FOUR
  13. CHAPTER FIVE
  14. CHAPTER SIX
  15. CHAPTER SEVEN
  16. CHAPTER EIGHT
  17. CHAPTER NINE
  18. CHAPTER TEN
  19. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  20. CHAPTER TWELVE
  21. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  22. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  23. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  24. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  25. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  26. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  27. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  34. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  35. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  36. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  37. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  44. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  45. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

‘Somewhere,’ he said, ‘there’s a little girl . . . Just three or four years older than you. My . . .’ He couldn’t even bring himself to say it. ‘I’m her father. Never even seen her. I’d pass her in the street and not know it. She probably thinks someone else is her daddy. I don’t know. All I know is that somehow she’s the part of me that’s missing.’ He turned his head a little and saw that she was asleep. She hadn’t heard any of it. As no one else had, or ever would. And probably that was best.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

The morning had almost gone when Bannerman turned over and opened his eyes to the sunlight that filled his room. He craned his neck around to see Tania standing by the window staring out across the rooftops. She turned and smiled.

‘Good morning,’ Bannerman said, returning her smile.

She looked vastly improved from the previous evening. He checked his watch. It was nearly midday.

‘Jesus! I’ve been asleep for hours!’ He sat upright. ‘Have you been awake long?’ She shook her head and held up one finger. ‘An hour?’

She nodded. She was dressed and there was a little colour in her cheeks.

‘You must be starving.’ She grinned and walked, almost ran, to the door, then stopped and beckoned him to follow. ‘I’ll be with you in a minute,’ he said. ‘I need to get dressed.’ But she just shrugged and stood her ground. He felt the pleasure of unaccustomed laughter. ‘On you go. I’m not a pretty sight first thing in the morning.’ She smiled and nodded her agreement. He threw his pillow at her and it hit the door with a thud as she closed it quickly behind her.

There was still a stiffness in his limbs as he climbed out of bed and felt the cold air brush his skin. When he had dressed he went through to the living room and saw a lump of bread and a piece of crumbling cheese set out for him on the coffee table, with the last half-litre of wine and a glass. A plate of crumbs next to it betrayed her hunger. She had been unable to wait for him.

‘Well, thank you, Tania.’ He stooped to tear off a hunk of bread with his fingers and pop it in his mouth. He looked at the wine and smiled reproachfully. ‘The wine was a nice thought, but not first thing in the morning. Would you like coffee?’ She nodded and followed him eagerly into the kitchen.