kind of remorseless logic that Calum usually used on people. ‘You could feel the sun and the breeze
then.’
‘It wasn’t the same.’ He took a breath. This was important to him. ‘
Then
, I was out in the open for about ten seconds between the door to the apartment and the
car, and I was in a wheelchair. The same at the other end. I want to be able to walk there, in the open air, somewhere with grass around me, and just . . . soak it in. Be in the moment.’
Tara stared at him for a few seconds. ‘OK, then – let’s go and get an ice cream. There’s a community park a little way down the road.’
‘I didn’t know that,’ Calum said in a small voice, and it was true – he hadn’t known. He’d moved in here after his parents died. He didn’t know the
area. He’d chosen it because the warehouse had belonged to his great-grandfather. In fact, his great-grandfather’s stuff was still stored in the basement, along with ARLENE. But he
would have known that if he’d been able to go out.
Shutting the apartment door behind him and activating the security systems, Calum turned and headed for the stairs.
‘Don’t you want to use the lift?’ Tara asked, standing by the lift doors.
‘I’ve got legs and I’m going to use them,’ he said stubbornly.
Tara frowned. ‘That sounds like an old ZZ Top song,’ she mused. She looked up at him. ‘Are you sure you’re allowed to use those legs on stairs? Have they been cleared as
safe?’
He nodded. ‘I’m meant to use them whenever and however I can,’ he said, fingers crossed behind his back again.
She looked dubious. ‘OK, then.
He took the stairs carefully, with Tara in front of him in case he fell forward. The steps were concrete, and had eroded edges, and cracks running through them. They dated from the time the
warehouse was built, back when his great-grandfather was exploring the world. He moved gingerly, but the legs coped well with the challenge. He was amazed at how natural it felt to be walking
again.
Outside, he luxuriated in the feel of the sun on his skin. He looked left and right along the narrow road where the warehouse and apartment were located. ‘Which way now?’
Tara pointed left. ‘That way.’
They walked along the road, to all intents and purposes like a couple of ordinary teenagers wandering around London. Tara led Calum to the park, and while he stood there and watched the pigeons
pecking for food, the grey squirrels eyeing up the sunbathers cautiously and the dogs jumping in the fountains she bought two ice-cream cones from the cafe.
They sat on a park bench and ate their ice creams. Calum couldn’t remember anything ever tasting as delicious.
‘This,’ he said quietly, ‘is paradise.’
Tara was distracted. ‘Sorry?’
‘I said, this is paradise.’
‘Oh.’
He glanced at her. She was looking off to one side. He followed her gaze, to see two men with close-cropped hair wearing leather jackets leaving the park through a different gate to the one he
and Tara had used. ‘Seen someone you recognize?’ he asked.
‘Kind of,’ she said, frowning. ‘I think I’ve seen those two men before. I just can’t remember where or when.’
Calum felt a sudden chill run through him. ‘Nemor Incorporated?’ he asked quietly.
‘It could be,’ she said, just as quietly, ‘but which one of us are they interested in?’
CHAPTER six
W ith Rhino, Gecko and Natalie on their way to Hong Kong, and Calum in his apartment resting after the strain of trying out his new legs, Tara found
herself at a loose end once she’d seen him home. She drifted from coffee shop to bookshop and bookshop to coffee shop, wasting time. She realized now that she had thought that suddenly having
so many friends would mean she’d never be lonely again, but that wasn’t the case. Ultimately, she was still by herself.
It occurred to her, somewhere between one latte and the next, that she could easily go and get her passport from her
then.’
‘It wasn’t the same.’ He took a breath. This was important to him. ‘
Then
, I was out in the open for about ten seconds between the door to the apartment and the
car, and I was in a wheelchair. The same at the other end. I want to be able to walk there, in the open air, somewhere with grass around me, and just . . . soak it in. Be in the moment.’
Tara stared at him for a few seconds. ‘OK, then – let’s go and get an ice cream. There’s a community park a little way down the road.’
‘I didn’t know that,’ Calum said in a small voice, and it was true – he hadn’t known. He’d moved in here after his parents died. He didn’t know the
area. He’d chosen it because the warehouse had belonged to his great-grandfather. In fact, his great-grandfather’s stuff was still stored in the basement, along with ARLENE. But he
would have known that if he’d been able to go out.
Shutting the apartment door behind him and activating the security systems, Calum turned and headed for the stairs.
‘Don’t you want to use the lift?’ Tara asked, standing by the lift doors.
‘I’ve got legs and I’m going to use them,’ he said stubbornly.
Tara frowned. ‘That sounds like an old ZZ Top song,’ she mused. She looked up at him. ‘Are you sure you’re allowed to use those legs on stairs? Have they been cleared as
safe?’
He nodded. ‘I’m meant to use them whenever and however I can,’ he said, fingers crossed behind his back again.
She looked dubious. ‘OK, then.
He took the stairs carefully, with Tara in front of him in case he fell forward. The steps were concrete, and had eroded edges, and cracks running through them. They dated from the time the
warehouse was built, back when his great-grandfather was exploring the world. He moved gingerly, but the legs coped well with the challenge. He was amazed at how natural it felt to be walking
again.
Outside, he luxuriated in the feel of the sun on his skin. He looked left and right along the narrow road where the warehouse and apartment were located. ‘Which way now?’
Tara pointed left. ‘That way.’
They walked along the road, to all intents and purposes like a couple of ordinary teenagers wandering around London. Tara led Calum to the park, and while he stood there and watched the pigeons
pecking for food, the grey squirrels eyeing up the sunbathers cautiously and the dogs jumping in the fountains she bought two ice-cream cones from the cafe.
They sat on a park bench and ate their ice creams. Calum couldn’t remember anything ever tasting as delicious.
‘This,’ he said quietly, ‘is paradise.’
Tara was distracted. ‘Sorry?’
‘I said, this is paradise.’
‘Oh.’
He glanced at her. She was looking off to one side. He followed her gaze, to see two men with close-cropped hair wearing leather jackets leaving the park through a different gate to the one he
and Tara had used. ‘Seen someone you recognize?’ he asked.
‘Kind of,’ she said, frowning. ‘I think I’ve seen those two men before. I just can’t remember where or when.’
Calum felt a sudden chill run through him. ‘Nemor Incorporated?’ he asked quietly.
‘It could be,’ she said, just as quietly, ‘but which one of us are they interested in?’
CHAPTER six
W ith Rhino, Gecko and Natalie on their way to Hong Kong, and Calum in his apartment resting after the strain of trying out his new legs, Tara found
herself at a loose end once she’d seen him home. She drifted from coffee shop to bookshop and bookshop to coffee shop, wasting time. She realized now that she had thought that suddenly having
so many friends would mean she’d never be lonely again, but that wasn’t the case. Ultimately, she was still by herself.
It occurred to her, somewhere between one latte and the next, that she could easily go and get her passport from her
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