‘Nothin’ wrong with me. I’m not going to some nursing home.’

‘Never said—’

‘You did.’

‘If.’

‘No,’ and he turned to her. ‘Cos I got in that car and—’

‘You wanna know? I got responsibility for everything. The kids, you, this place. So someone’s gotta think logically.’

‘Just cos you couldn’t see the point of going.’

‘I couldn’t give a shit about your little trip. If this thing progresses, Dad, I’ll be left to …’

He seemed to calm. ‘Even if … that’s years away.’

She touched his arm, and settled. ‘That’s all I was thinking, Dad. It comes quick, doesn’t it?’ She looked at me. ‘You … little while ago I was changing your nappy.’

Life has a way of making you live it. Not the one you wanted, since you were a kid, but the one that needs doing. The potatoes that need peeling. I looked out, and Les and Wendy had gone in, leaving their coffee cups on the little glass table. Wendy’s knitting, too.

‘Bit of a dweep,’ Vicky said.

‘How’s that?’

‘Um cumnia probus. I mean, who’s he trying to impress?’

‘Told me he likes the sound of the words.’

‘Or his own voice. He said to me, Miss White’s number three on my list. I said, What list? And he said, my enemies.’

I pulled the first seat from the Jag, placed it on the ground and examined it. The leather had been shredded by cat paws, bleached by piss.

‘Making a list doesn’t seem very well-adjusted. He looked at me like, You’ve just moved up a few slots.’

‘He feels threatened,’ I said.

‘Why?’

‘Cos of … you know, us.’ At last, I was worth fighting over. ‘He just overthinks things.’

‘And John’s at the top of the list.’

‘Well, he’s earned his spot.’

‘I used to like him.’

‘Used to. He turned into an arse.’

‘I like a bita that. Bad boys.’

‘Me?’

‘No, you’re a mummy’s boy.’

‘Fuck off.’ I tried to release the latch on the other side, but it had seized. ‘Gis a hand, will yer?’

Vicky came over, squeezed beside me, and we shook the seat until it came loose. This close, I could smell something nice. I wanted to turn, kiss her, lay her across the shitty leather. Instead, I removed the seat and placed it beside the other one. ‘Maybe I could get them re-covered.’

‘With whose money?’

‘I got money, thanks.’

Next, I opened the bonnet and examined the engine. She said, ‘How long since he drove it?’

‘I can’t remember seeing it on the road.’

Pop walked in and said, ‘You can forget about that.’

I wasn’t about to argue. He’d come around, I guessed. ‘These plugs have seized. What do you reckon I should do?’

He shrugged, determined to keep his distance.

‘Don’t wanna break ’em off.’