shrugged off her coat. 'Isn't Nina
here?'
'No.' He paused on the threshold to the lounge. 'Do you want a
plate? Cutlery?'
'Nah. And I insist on sharing.'
She sat beside him on the sofa, dragged the coffee table closer and
opened the box. She tore out a thick cheesy wedge and thrust it at
him. 'Eat.'
He took a desultory bite. Chewed, swallowed, winced. It felt like
cardboard in his gullet, but at least it would help soak up the alcohol.
'Bad news, I take it?' Abby said, hooking a long strand of cheese
from her chin.
He nodded. He went to tell her his father was dead and found
himself speechless. He'd assembled all the right words in his head but
his mouth just wouldn't let them out.
It should have been Nina who comforted him, not Abby, but right
now that didn't matter. This was grief so raw and unexpected that it
couldn't be suppressed. Its ferocity shocked him. He cried for practically
the first time since his children were born, without once feeling
self-conscious or stepping back to scrutinise his feelings in the way he
was usually given to doing.
To her credit, Abby was up to the task. She didn't shirk from holding
him close. Didn't complain when his tears ran down her neck and
dampened her shirt. She smelt warm and wonderful, thrillingly unfamiliar,
and when that thought filtered into his head he knew it was
time to break apart.
'Sorry,' he said. 'And thank you.'
'You'd do the same for me. Albeit with an erection.'
It was such a frivolous comment, and yet so true, it surprised a
laugh from him. He felt briefly guilty, then much better. Better than
he'd felt all through this long and dreadful day.
'I'll warm the pizza up,' he said.
'Good idea. Cup of tea would be bliss.'
Accompanying him into the kitchen, she spent a few seconds
admiring the units, and then said, 'So where's Nina?'
'No idea. She doesn't even know about Dad yet.' He stopped short,
felt another pang of guilt. 'She's been seeing someone else, and today
wasn't exactly the ideal time to find out.'
'You're kidding me?'
He shook his head.
'Is it serious?'
He dropped the pizza on to a baking tray and turned to face her.
'Does it matter?'
'Yes. It doesn't have to destroy your marriage. Not if you don't want
it to.'
'Would you say that if Nigel slept around?'
'We split up last year.'
'Did you? Oh God, I didn't realise. Was there anyone else
involved . . . ?'
'Sort of.' Now she blushed slightly, something he'd never seen her
do.
'Are you with someone now?'
She nodded. Studied him and laughed. 'Don't look so disappointed.'
'I wasn't.'
She narrowed her eyes. 'I was just teasing.'
'I know.' He busied himself filling the kettle. After a respectable
pause, he said, 'What's he like?'
'Very nice, thanks. Only it's a she .'
'Oh.' He was suitably gobsmacked.
'I don't broadcast it. Early days. But we're very happy.'
He nodded, thinking back over all the years he'd known her,
wondering if she'd ever given any hint.
Reading his mind, she said, 'It was just about the last thing I
expected. As much a surprise to me as anyone else.'
'How has Nigel reacted?'
A snort. 'He doesn't know whether to challenge her to a fight or
suggest a threesome.'
They took the pizza back into the lounge, and he went over what the
police had said. He'd been told to expect a long and detailed investigation,
but off the record the facts were pretty clear: a young man
had gone on a killing spree. In the next day or two he'd have to make
a formal identification of his father's body. An inquest would be opened
and adjourned, and the body released for burial. Every affected family
had a police liaison officer assigned to them, available for information,
guidance and support over the coming weeks.
Abby listened solemnly and then ran through her own experience.
The police had held their first full press conference at two o'clock,
hosted by the detective chief superintendent in overall command of
the operation. By that time all the injured had been conveyed to
hospital.
'How
here?'
'No.' He paused on the threshold to the lounge. 'Do you want a
plate? Cutlery?'
'Nah. And I insist on sharing.'
She sat beside him on the sofa, dragged the coffee table closer and
opened the box. She tore out a thick cheesy wedge and thrust it at
him. 'Eat.'
He took a desultory bite. Chewed, swallowed, winced. It felt like
cardboard in his gullet, but at least it would help soak up the alcohol.
'Bad news, I take it?' Abby said, hooking a long strand of cheese
from her chin.
He nodded. He went to tell her his father was dead and found
himself speechless. He'd assembled all the right words in his head but
his mouth just wouldn't let them out.
It should have been Nina who comforted him, not Abby, but right
now that didn't matter. This was grief so raw and unexpected that it
couldn't be suppressed. Its ferocity shocked him. He cried for practically
the first time since his children were born, without once feeling
self-conscious or stepping back to scrutinise his feelings in the way he
was usually given to doing.
To her credit, Abby was up to the task. She didn't shirk from holding
him close. Didn't complain when his tears ran down her neck and
dampened her shirt. She smelt warm and wonderful, thrillingly unfamiliar,
and when that thought filtered into his head he knew it was
time to break apart.
'Sorry,' he said. 'And thank you.'
'You'd do the same for me. Albeit with an erection.'
It was such a frivolous comment, and yet so true, it surprised a
laugh from him. He felt briefly guilty, then much better. Better than
he'd felt all through this long and dreadful day.
'I'll warm the pizza up,' he said.
'Good idea. Cup of tea would be bliss.'
Accompanying him into the kitchen, she spent a few seconds
admiring the units, and then said, 'So where's Nina?'
'No idea. She doesn't even know about Dad yet.' He stopped short,
felt another pang of guilt. 'She's been seeing someone else, and today
wasn't exactly the ideal time to find out.'
'You're kidding me?'
He shook his head.
'Is it serious?'
He dropped the pizza on to a baking tray and turned to face her.
'Does it matter?'
'Yes. It doesn't have to destroy your marriage. Not if you don't want
it to.'
'Would you say that if Nigel slept around?'
'We split up last year.'
'Did you? Oh God, I didn't realise. Was there anyone else
involved . . . ?'
'Sort of.' Now she blushed slightly, something he'd never seen her
do.
'Are you with someone now?'
She nodded. Studied him and laughed. 'Don't look so disappointed.'
'I wasn't.'
She narrowed her eyes. 'I was just teasing.'
'I know.' He busied himself filling the kettle. After a respectable
pause, he said, 'What's he like?'
'Very nice, thanks. Only it's a she .'
'Oh.' He was suitably gobsmacked.
'I don't broadcast it. Early days. But we're very happy.'
He nodded, thinking back over all the years he'd known her,
wondering if she'd ever given any hint.
Reading his mind, she said, 'It was just about the last thing I
expected. As much a surprise to me as anyone else.'
'How has Nigel reacted?'
A snort. 'He doesn't know whether to challenge her to a fight or
suggest a threesome.'
They took the pizza back into the lounge, and he went over what the
police had said. He'd been told to expect a long and detailed investigation,
but off the record the facts were pretty clear: a young man
had gone on a killing spree. In the next day or two he'd have to make
a formal identification of his father's body. An inquest would be opened
and adjourned, and the body released for burial. Every affected family
had a police liaison officer assigned to them, available for information,
guidance and support over the coming weeks.
Abby listened solemnly and then ran through her own experience.
The police had held their first full press conference at two o'clock,
hosted by the detective chief superintendent in overall command of
the operation. By that time all the injured had been conveyed to
hospital.
'How
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