how you had the nerve to come here, Col McCann. After what you did.’
‘Col didn’t do anything,’ Dominic almost shouted. ‘I’m going to tell Dad you said that!’
‘Shut up!’ Ella said it so fiercely, Dominic did just that. ‘I won’t get a chance to talk to you again. I hope I never set eyes on you, but I just want you to know how much I hate you. Why can’t you admit it was your brother? How could he do those things? We’ve only ever been nice to you – and your horrible family.’
‘It wasn’t Mungo—’ Col didn’t sound convincing, even to himself.
‘You know it was him. Just admit that. That’s all I’m asking, and maybe then I wouldn’t hate you so much.’
She glared at him, her teeth clenched tight. ‘Just say it!’ There were tears in her eyes. Tears of anger.
Col couldn’t hold that tearful, angry gaze. ‘It wasn’t him,’ was all he could say.
She pushed her chair back, threw her napkin on the table and stormed off.
‘She doesn’t like you, Col,’ Dominic said it so innocently that Col almost smiled. ‘But she’s the only one. My mum and dad think you’re brilliant. And you’re still my hero.’
He wasn’t anybody’s hero, Col thought bitterly. Maybe he never had been.
Mr Sampson got him a taxi home, and as he watched them through the driving rain he wondered if this really was the last time he would see them.
The storm was growing worse by the minute. Rain bounced off the pavements, and every few minutes the sky was lit up by the lightning. The wildest storm he had seen in a long time.
But there was even more of a storm waiting for him when he got home.
Chapter Nineteen
Mungo stood in front of the roaring fire, his hands on his hips, legs apart, looking fierce. He reminded Col of a photo of the Colossus of Rhodes he’d once seen in a school text book.
Col stood at the living-room door, staring right back at his brother. It was clear that somehow he had found out where Col had been.
It was Mungo who broke the silence. ‘Did you tell them anythin’?’
‘You mean like, “My brother had a great time at your place the other night. He really hopes you liked his redecorations.”?’
Mungo took a threatening step towards him and Col stepped back.
For the first time, apart from in his dream, he was afraid of his brother. Afraid he’d … what? Did he reallybelieve Mungo would hurt him?
‘You never should have went with them!’
‘Do you know what they asked me for? To show people they trusted me. They know you did it – everybody knows you did it – but they wanted to show they still trusted me ! They’re nice people, Mungo. And you … you should never have done what you did!’
Mungo’s voice was a sneer. ‘They’re nice people … wi’ money!’
‘They work hard for it,’ Col snapped back.
‘Ach well, they can work harder then.’
Col realised he could never make Mungo understand. ‘What would you know about work? You’ve never worked in your life.’
Mungo’s eyes flashed with rage. ‘Don’t you dare talk to me like that. You better show me some respect.’
‘Respect for you!’ Col was every bit as angry. ‘What respect did you show me? Look at the position you’ve put me in!’
‘What position?’ Mungo threw the words at him. ‘You’re my brother. You don’t tell on a brother. End of story. You stick to that and you’ve not got a problem.’
In that second Col hated his brother, and all he stood for. Mostly because he knew he was right. He couldnever betray him. ‘Don’t worry yourself. I’m never going to see them again anyway.’ And he knew this time it was true. He’d known it since Mrs Sampson had hugged him so tightly outside the restaurant. She was saying goodbye .
Mungo relaxed. ‘Good. That’s what I wanted to hear.’ He said it as if he’d won, as if Col had done exactly what he wanted.
‘I hate you, Mungo!’ Col yelled at him.
But Mungo only laughed and called after him as he pounded upstairs
‘Col didn’t do anything,’ Dominic almost shouted. ‘I’m going to tell Dad you said that!’
‘Shut up!’ Ella said it so fiercely, Dominic did just that. ‘I won’t get a chance to talk to you again. I hope I never set eyes on you, but I just want you to know how much I hate you. Why can’t you admit it was your brother? How could he do those things? We’ve only ever been nice to you – and your horrible family.’
‘It wasn’t Mungo—’ Col didn’t sound convincing, even to himself.
‘You know it was him. Just admit that. That’s all I’m asking, and maybe then I wouldn’t hate you so much.’
She glared at him, her teeth clenched tight. ‘Just say it!’ There were tears in her eyes. Tears of anger.
Col couldn’t hold that tearful, angry gaze. ‘It wasn’t him,’ was all he could say.
She pushed her chair back, threw her napkin on the table and stormed off.
‘She doesn’t like you, Col,’ Dominic said it so innocently that Col almost smiled. ‘But she’s the only one. My mum and dad think you’re brilliant. And you’re still my hero.’
He wasn’t anybody’s hero, Col thought bitterly. Maybe he never had been.
Mr Sampson got him a taxi home, and as he watched them through the driving rain he wondered if this really was the last time he would see them.
The storm was growing worse by the minute. Rain bounced off the pavements, and every few minutes the sky was lit up by the lightning. The wildest storm he had seen in a long time.
But there was even more of a storm waiting for him when he got home.
Chapter Nineteen
Mungo stood in front of the roaring fire, his hands on his hips, legs apart, looking fierce. He reminded Col of a photo of the Colossus of Rhodes he’d once seen in a school text book.
Col stood at the living-room door, staring right back at his brother. It was clear that somehow he had found out where Col had been.
It was Mungo who broke the silence. ‘Did you tell them anythin’?’
‘You mean like, “My brother had a great time at your place the other night. He really hopes you liked his redecorations.”?’
Mungo took a threatening step towards him and Col stepped back.
For the first time, apart from in his dream, he was afraid of his brother. Afraid he’d … what? Did he reallybelieve Mungo would hurt him?
‘You never should have went with them!’
‘Do you know what they asked me for? To show people they trusted me. They know you did it – everybody knows you did it – but they wanted to show they still trusted me ! They’re nice people, Mungo. And you … you should never have done what you did!’
Mungo’s voice was a sneer. ‘They’re nice people … wi’ money!’
‘They work hard for it,’ Col snapped back.
‘Ach well, they can work harder then.’
Col realised he could never make Mungo understand. ‘What would you know about work? You’ve never worked in your life.’
Mungo’s eyes flashed with rage. ‘Don’t you dare talk to me like that. You better show me some respect.’
‘Respect for you!’ Col was every bit as angry. ‘What respect did you show me? Look at the position you’ve put me in!’
‘What position?’ Mungo threw the words at him. ‘You’re my brother. You don’t tell on a brother. End of story. You stick to that and you’ve not got a problem.’
In that second Col hated his brother, and all he stood for. Mostly because he knew he was right. He couldnever betray him. ‘Don’t worry yourself. I’m never going to see them again anyway.’ And he knew this time it was true. He’d known it since Mrs Sampson had hugged him so tightly outside the restaurant. She was saying goodbye .
Mungo relaxed. ‘Good. That’s what I wanted to hear.’ He said it as if he’d won, as if Col had done exactly what he wanted.
‘I hate you, Mungo!’ Col yelled at him.
But Mungo only laughed and called after him as he pounded upstairs
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