seems stupid now.?He’d told her more of the truth than he’d ever told any other girl, but even that wasn’t the whole story. How could he explain his need to stay away from Streatford? He couldn’t even explain it to himself.

  There was a moment of strangely comfortable silence before his eyes met Kelly’s thoughtful gaze as she spoke. ?It must have been tough on you when your father got ill. Especially in those days when people didn’t understand.?

  He almost laughed out loud at the words. Your father got ill. That was an understated way of putting it if ever there was one. For a moment his head was filled with the sight and smell of that mountain of food, maggots and flies.

  ?Yeah, it was.?He pushed the image away and concentrated on the far more attractive one in front of him. ?So what about you? Do you enjoy teaching? Most people would say it was a vocation rather than a job. Do you feel that way about it??

  She grinned. The first real one he’d seen all evening, and he was glad she was relaxing despite the seriousness of their conversation so far. Somehow, he wasn’t surprised by that. He had a feeling that with Kelly, what you saw was what you got. She wasn’t the type of woman for playing games. So just don’t fuck it up, Black, he told himself. If you know what’s good for you, you won’t piss this one up the wall.

  She rolled the tall glass around between her hands, wiping away the condensation. ?Yeah, I guess I do. The workload can be a pain, but every day brings something new. You couldn’t describe it as a dull job. And a school is somewhere that you can really make a difference to people. Corny, huh??

  He held his hands up as if in surrender. ?Hey, I think it sounds great. I’d love to be able to make someone’s life better with what I do. It’s a great gift you’ve got.?

  She shook her head, her face serious again. ?Writers do make people’s lives better. A good book can change the

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  way people think about the world and themselves. At least being a writer, you don’t have to face your failures close up. That’s the tough bit about teaching. The holidays are great, but when stuff like this rape comes up, terrible things involving kids you know, then you wonder if you’re letting down more than you’re lifting up.?

  Rob reached across the table and took her hand. ?That wasn’t your fault, you know. That was just one of those awful things that happen.?

  Chewing the inside of her lip, Kelly nodded. ?Yeah, I know that now. Apparently the kids didn’t even know they were going to do it until it happened. They tried to kill themselves afterwards. God, what had they been thinking?? Her voice had lowered in the relative quiet of the bar, and she left her hand in his as she talked. ?The whole thing has something weird about it.?

  She looked at him as if deciding whether he could be trusted or not. This time her voice was almost a whisper. ?The boys told the police that the house was unlocked, but it couldn’t have been. The keys were with the solicitors, and when the police went to check the scene out, all the doors were locked. How strange is that??

  Rob felt his heartbeat quickening, and wondered whether his palm was sweating into hers. Curious things happening at Syracousse. ?Pretty strange, but I bet there’s a logical explanation for it. There always is.?His voice sounded calm and reassuring, as inside, his mind turned somersaults. He didn’t need to be hearing this, he really didn’t.

  Kelly blushed slightly. ?Yeah, I’m sure you’re right. There’s probably a good explanation for the lights, too.?

  Not wanting to know the answer, Rob heard himself asking, ?What happened with the lights??

  ?Well, this is going to sound really silly, but the kids said they’d turned one of the lights on in the house. But they couldn’t have. The electricity was cut off ages ago. Freaky, huh??

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  His head was starting to hurt, but he forced a smile after taking several long gulps of the beer. ?Like I said, they’ll find an explanation. Just remember crop circles. There’s always a rational explanation for everything.? Dear God, let them change the conversation now.

  It seemed that Kelly felt the same way, as she almost visibly shook away her mood. ?Yes. I’m sure you’re right, although I’m a bit disappointed in your lack of imagination. Are you sure you wrote your books??

  He pulled his hand away and pretended to cuff her around the head with horror. ?My dear, you go too far.?His voice was pure Basil Rathbone, and she giggled happily.

  They were on their third drink, deep in a comfortable conversation about a mutual love for fiction, when Jason came in. Finally relaxed and at ease, all thoughts of Syracousse pushed to the furthest corner of his mind, Rob didn’t see him until the shadow falling across their table made them both look up. The woman standing behind Jason’s slim frame had probably once been very pretty underneath all that over-bleached hair and lipstick. Jason didn’t introduce her as Rob and Kelly politely nodded hello. He didn’t acknowledge Kelly either, but instead leaned down on the table, blocking Rob’s view of his date.

  ?I agree.?His voice was clipped and curt, not inviting conversation. ?We need to talk. I’ll see you on Tuesday. We can talk after.?Barely waiting for Rob’s agreement, he left them and went to the bar to order a drink.

  Watching him walk away, the unnamed woman behind him, Rob couldn’t help wondering whether they were both seeking distractions. Both out, both with women. Maybe they were still more similar than they were willing to admit. Jason finally ordered his date a drink almost as an afterthought. She didn’t seem to mind, though, as she stood there staring at him adoringly. She looked like someone who for years had admired from afar and then finally got her chance and couldn’t believe it. He wondered whether Jason even noticed the way she was looking at

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  him. Probably not. But then, Jason was another person who had never realized how good-looking he was. Jase had never really known his own goodness. Rob’s heart ached for his long ago friend.

  This time it was Kelly’s hand that reached for his. ?What happened to you guys? You two used to be so tight.?

  For a moment Rob was shaken, forgetting that Kelly had been there, an observer on the sidelines of his childhood. It felt strange. With everything that had gone on all that time ago, it had been easy to believe that no one else really existed. They’d been so caught up with what was happening around the four of them, the rest of the world had just been a gray, unimportant fog.

  He frowned into his beer. ?Just grew up I guess.?

  Kelly was gazing thoughtfully at the figure at the bar, shaking her head slightly. ?It was weird. I wasn’t the only one who noticed. You three were so close, and then Gina came along and by the start of the next school year, none of you wanted anything to do with each other.?

  Rob’s blood rushed defensively to his face. ?Yeah, well. That was a hell of a way to end a summer.?His features drew in on themselves, and he tried to relax them as he shrugged. Don’t take it out on her, Black, he counseled himself, but still the words came out barbed with sarcasm. ?Then I went off to boarding school, and Gina left town never to be heard of again. I guess when your friend’s mum stabs her dad to death it can change things. Life’s funny like that.?Especially when you were there, especially after Teacher, he wanted to add, but bit hard on his tongue to stop himself. Some secrets shouldn’t be shared. Not after so much time.

  His harsh tone seemed to run off Kelly, or perhaps she, was too busy thinking to notice it. ?I guess I just thought that something like that would have made your friendship stronger. Not with Gina; she wasn’t like you three were, you three had been close forever. No one ever saw you

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  when you came home on school holidays. The boys all thought you’d turned into a bit of a snob or something. I didn’t, though. I’d seen how Jason and Carrie ignored each other and figured you’d all had some kind of huge row.?

  Rob raised an eyebrow. ?I guess you could call it that.?He drained his pint. ?Anyway, to be honest I don’t really remember, so can we change the subject now??

  Kelly smiled, and the innocence in her gentle face almost made him weep.

  By the time they left at quarter to ten it was obvious that Jason was drunk, leaning precariously on the bar, laughing with the woman whose happy glow had revitalized a little of what beauty she must once have had. As Rob held the door open for Kelly, he wondered whether anyone else could hear the desperation in that over-loud sound. He pulled the door closed, embracing the cold air. He could think about Jason later. Jason was for Tuesday, not for now.

  Kelly slid her arm through his, an action that surprised him, but caused a warm glow to run through his body, as they crossed the road for the short walk back to her house. It was only minutes before they were standing on her doorstep. They grinned at each other like a pair of teenagers. It was Kelly who broke the silence. ?Thank you for a lovely evening. I really enjoyed it.?

  Rob gave a small bow. ?I aim to please. Anyway, it was great having someone intelligent to talk to. Intelligent and beautiful isn’t a combination I’ve come across much recently.? He watched her face for a moment before speaking, softly this time. ?So are you going to say goodnight and get into the warm, or am I allowed to kiss you first??

  Her small smile gave him his answer, and he moved forward, taking her face in his hands, kissing her gently and slowly, enjoying the feel of her warm body so close to his. He could feel himself becoming aroused, and no doubt she could too, but he resisted the urge to kiss her harder

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  and pull her closer, instead, gently breaking away. This wasn’t a situation he wanted to rush, and he had a feeling that if he pushed too hard, she’d run away and that was something he definitely didn’t want. From what little he knew of her, he’d bet that Kelly Hollingsworth had had her fair share of shit from men.

  Looking at her standing there on the doorstep, flushed and uncertain, he suddenly felt as if maybe spending the whole of your life with just one woman could be a pleasant possibility. The thought terrified and excited him. Not wanting to spoil the magical moment with unnecessary words or bad timing, he took a step backwards. ?You get back in the warm. Will I see you on Tuesday? Are you going to the funeral??

  Kelly nodded. ?I’ll be there. It’ll be the most original second date I’ve ever had.?

  Rob laughed and started walking away. ?Well, you can’t say I don’t know how to show a girl a good time!?He heard her laugh just before the door shutting silenced the sound. He was still smiling as he strolled up Dulverton Road toward his own house. She’d said second date. And that couldn’t be a bad thing. Maybe something good was going to emerge out of coming home, after all.

  Kelly left her shoes downstairs and padded upstairs in her bare feet, not wanting to wake her father. It was only just gone ten so he probably wasn’t quite asleep yet, but she didn’t want to take any chances. Tabby got them up early in the mornings and after a whole weekend of her, Jack was normally pretty exhausted. She’d be tired herself if her mind wasn’t racing with the memory of that kiss. It had been quite a while since her last one, but if memory served her correctly, Rob Black’s effort had to be pretty high on the list of best kisses ever. Still, she warned her racing heart, he’s had enough practice.

  Quietly pushing open Tabby’s door, she stepped into the pale, almost green glow of the small nightlight and sat

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  down on her daughter’s bed. ?Goodnight, baby,?she whispered, not expecting a reply.

  Tabby’s eyes blearily opened, still half asleep. ?What’s Granddad’s secret??she mumbled. ?Why does he have a secret from us??Her serious, sleep-scrunched face looked at Kelly for a moment before her eyes closed again, sinking her back to oblivion with a tiny sigh.

  Kelly watched her daughter for a few seconds, making sure she’d drifted off again, before standing up. What a curious thing to have said. Maybe she’d been having a bad dream or something. Children’s minds were such funny things. Carefully closing the door behind her, Kelly made her way to her own room and peeled off her clothes in the dark, before tumbling into bed.

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  By Monday morning, the chill in the previous night’s dark air had settled on the ground as a hard frost, and by eight forty-five it still wasn’t showing any signs of melting away into the bright sunlight.

  Standing outside Judge Matthews’s house, watching the locksmith work, Jason stamped his feet a little to ward away numbness as the cold worked its way through the canvas of his sneakers. He sniffed and watched his breath vanish in front of him. Christ, it was cold. Okay, so it was nearly November, but this kind of freezing weather was normally reserved for mid-January. The tops of his ears ached, which at least distracted him from the pain of his hangover, although the drilling wasn’t helping.

  After setting the shop up, he’d taken five minutes to go up to the Health Center and see what Social Services was going to do about the judge. The memory of their encounter had unsettled him for the whole weekend, and he wasn’t sure whether he was checking for his own peace of mind or out of concern for the crazy old guy, but

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  whichever it was, he needed to know if the situation had been resolved.

  Well, surprise, surprise, it turned out that Bob hadn’t bothered going there at all. He must have just gone off to vent his steam somewhere, probably over a pint of cider. Standing in the surgery, telling the overworked doctor that he’d go and check on Mr. Matthews himself and then call the authorities, Jason had cursed his ape of a workmate for being the selfish, ignorant fuck that he was, before realizing, with a sense of relief, that at least they were even now. Old man Green wouldn’t like to hear about this. He was old enough to have plenty of respect for the elderly, especially a man like the judge. He’d kick Bob’s fat arse from here to Old Streatford if he got wind of this fuckup.

  The door of the adjacent house swung open, and Daisy emerged with two steaming mugs of tea. Jason took one gratefully, his red hands for a moment in pain with the shock of sudden contact with heat, before the warmth started to seep through. He saw Daisy glance at his scars, but it didn’t bother him. They didn’t seem to bother her either as she turned her gaze to the locksmith, her gloved hands clutching her drink, her body wrapped up warm in a red, padded jacket.

  ?How much longer??Jason asked, as the man rifled through his tools.

  ?Nearly done now.?The man didn’t look up, probably eager to finish up and get back to the warmth of his van. Jason couldn’t blame him.

  Feeling Daisy’s arm brush against his, he looked down and gave her a small smile. She returned it, but Jason knew they weren’t fooling each other. Neither of them was keen to find out what had happened on the other side of the lock. Daisy had come outside when she’d heard Jason banging furiously on the door next to hers, and her face had been sad then. She said that she hadn’t seen Ernest— it felt weird to hear someone call the judge by his first

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  name—for days and had been thinking about calling Social Services today. He hadn’t been himself, she said, a phrase that endeared the old lady to Jason instantly. He hadn’t been himself. Oh no, he definitely hadn’t been himself. Jason had nodded and said that he’d seen Mr. Matthews last week and was worried. They had looked at each other and had a moment of complete understanding, before Daisy carried on.

  He’d stopped answering the door to her, she had said, her eyes averted so Jason couldn’t see the hurt there. But she hadn’t been too worried because she’d heard him pottering around on the other side of the walls, all hours of the day and night. But the past day or so, she’d heard nothing, no matter how hard she tried. She was silent for a moment, before shaking herself and declaring that they both needed a nice, sweet cup of tea. Jason had just nodded, pleased that the tough old lady hadn’t sought any reassurances. He didn’t have any to give.

  He had just taken the last swallow from his mug when the locksmith tapped the door open. ?There you go. It’s all yours. That’ll be thirty quid please.?He looked at the two of them, and Jason realized with rising embarrassment that he didn’t have any money.

  ?Thank you.?Looking down at Daisy, he saw she’d pulled her purse from her pocket and taken out three crisp ten-pound notes for the man who was now stuffing them into his back pocket and gathering his tools.

  Jason fought hard to swallow his shame. ?Look, I’ll drop that money to you this afternoon.?he started, before she shook her head firmly, her face adamant. ?Ernest Matthews is my friend. You’ve done enough by showing your concern. You’re a very good young man, and I thank you for that.? The sincerity and strength in her voice took Jason by surprise. It had been a long time since someone had anything that nice to say about him, and it choked him for a second. A very good young man.

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  He squeezed her arm. ?Some people may not agree with you on that one, but thank you anyway.?

  They both stared at the door that now stood ajar, waiting for someone to enter, and Jason knew who that person should be. ?You stay here.?His own voice was firm, and when he moved away, she didn’t follow. Well, here goes, he thought, as he gently pushed the door wide, his stomach filled with trepidation, and for a moment, as he stepped into the glare of the hallway, the lights bright above him, what he expected to see was an enormous, stinking pyramid of food, life oozing from its edges.

  But of course, that day was long past, and the first thing he noticed in the judge’s house, was the fine layer of dust that seemed to cover the carpet and stairs in front of him. He frowned a little with distaste. Jesus, how long would you have to leave your house for this much dirt to accumulate?

  Tilting his head up the stairway, he saw that all the lights were blazing on the landing there, too. ?Judge Matthews??he called, his voice sounding strange in the quiet. Maybe he’d slipped in the shower or something. Unsure of whether to go up and look, he decided to check down here first. There was something too personal about the upstairs of strangers’ houses. Even when he’d taken up burglary for that short spell—Old Daisy wouldn’t think you were such a good young man if she knew about that, would she?—he’d always stayed downstairs. He guessed it didn’t feel so much like someone else’s house and possessions that way. Standing here now he wondered who he’d been trying to kid.