Читать книгу Draca - Geoffrey Gudgion - Страница 21

Harry Ahlquist found it strange that Old Eddie had finally gone. It wasn ’ t like they ’ d been bosom buddies, not like some blokes are with their fathers, but it was still, well, strange. It made Harry think of an apple tree that used to grow in his garden. It was there before the house was built, and it was old and twisted and a bit ugly. Nice blossom, though. Then a branch dropped off in a storm and it was even uglier, all lopsided, until one autumn there was a bit of a blow and the whole thing fell over. Harry hadn ’ t even liked it very much, but then when he ’ d cleared up the mess the place was different. A bit emptier.

Old Eddie had dropped a branch or two over the years. That sounded kinder than saying he ’ d lost his marbles. The wife always called him Old Eddie, usually in a tight-lipped, I-could-say-more-but-won ’ t tone of voice. Never ‘ Dad ’ or ‘ Pa ’ , nothing so chummy, and over time Harry had fallen into the same habit. That note to Jack was typical, going on as if Eddie was some latter-day Viking. There was a whole shelf full of books about Nordic stuff over the desk. Harry pulled one down that was bristling with bookmarks : a great, fat, leather-bound thing called ‘ Heimskringla ’ . It wasn ’ t even in English, so he doubted that it was worth much.

It had been a shock to see Jack at the hospice. There was something about the boy that always put Harry on the back foot, so things came out wrong. Two years since he ’ d seen him, what with the latest deployment, and Jack had aged more than that. You could see it round his eyes. And he was hiding something, too, like he was hunched over a hurt. It reminded Harry of when Jack was a boy, when the other kids were bullying him but he wouldn ’ t let on. He was bright, always had his nose in a book, like Old Eddie, and it wasn ’ t the sort of school that tolerated a smart- arse. Jack didn ’ t say anything , he just bottled it up inside him and asked for boxing lessons for Christmas and birthday, and worked a paper round to pay for more. Harry always thought it was unfair that Jack was the one who got expelled after he beat the crap out of the ringleader. When Harry saw him at the hospice he ’ d got that same, hunted look. That stupid dive across the carpet was worrying.

Jack should never have joined the marines . He always tried to act the hard man but there was a softness inside him, like he was still weak even if his body was fit. He always had to be different, did Jack. Always had to go one better. Harry had known it would end badly.

Maybe he should have gone down to see the boy after he got back. Would have done, if it weren ’ t for that stuck-up bitch he married. Harry just wasn ’ t welcome down there, and Jack obviously wasn ’ t bothered to come and see them. At least he came back to the cottage after Old Eddie died. Not that he needed much persuading. Had a key, it seemed . And there was some of his stuff in the small bedroom , so he ’ d slept there before. That should have warned him.

Not that Jack was any help. He just sat in the garden, drinking, and it wasn ’ t even six o ’ clock.