Page 11 of Calling Frank O'Hare

Frank glared at Finn. He might be a cleaner version of himself but he still didn’t know when to keep his mouth shut. ‘I know you did. Let’s get back on the road.’

‘Keep an eye out for a yellow campervan with renegade written large on its side. Or an orange one with rebel without a clause on the back. Not such big writing. They’ve both posted sightings in our WhatsApp group,’ said Finn.

‘Rebel without a cause?’

‘No, clause. He’s a retired solicitor.’

‘I see. It’s a joke only solicitors would find funny.’

Finn smiled. ‘Yeah. He’s a good guy though. The other guy’s a scientist of some kind. It’s a diverse community.’

‘And what do you do these days?’ Back when Frank saw more of him, Finn was always in and out of jobs. More out than in, it had to be said.

‘I have my own business. Personal training, yoga, wellness.’

Well that explained a lot. ‘Wasn’t it difficult to drop this trip on your clients?’

‘A bit, but I don’t do so much teaching these days. I have a team I can fall back on. There’s Rebel.’

Up ahead of them a bright orange campervan was parked on a dirt patch at the side of the road. As they turned into it, Frank spotted rebel without a clause written under the back window. A little man in a loose fitting T-shirt and baggy chinos appeared from the other side of the van. This, presumably, was Rebel.

Finn jumped out to greet Rebel. Frank got out too, more to stretch than anything. He was still travelling with his knees close to his ears and was beginning to feel it. He caught a whiff of something meaty cooking and his stomach rumbled.

Rebel nodded in his direction. ‘I’ve got the barbie on. Can I interest you guys in a steak?’ It wasn’t the Scottish accent Frank had been expecting but very much English home counties.

Frank was so hungry his mouth was watering by the time Rebel served them up juicy pink steaks with barbecued peppers and thick crusty bread, washed down with a beer.

Rebel tore at a piece of bread and mopped up the meat juices on his plate. ‘Picked up some supplies earlier from Fort William. Stayed there last night, which is where I saw your man. I recognised your van, Finn. He said you’d lent it to him.’

‘He borrowed it,’ said Finn.

‘Yes, I see the difference. I did think there was something unreliable about him. I was going to message you but then I saw your post.’ Rebel turned to Frank. ‘Apologies, I know you’re all related.’

Finn shook his head. ‘Don’t worry about it. You called it right. Martin is definitely unreliable. Did he say where he was going?’

‘All the way up north. He mentioned Durness. I wrote down the best overnight stop off points for him. I photographed it before I gave it to him. Let me send it on to you.’

Finn stood up and shook Rebel’s hand. ‘We’d better get on. Thanks, man. I appreciate it.’

‘Not at all. I’m going up that way myself so we may bump into each other. Good to meet you, Frank.’ Rebel shot his hand towards Frank.

Frank shook it, half-expecting some kind of secret signal, as if he’d been initiated into some private organisation, but it was just a normal handshake. Firm but friendly. ‘Good to meet you, Rebel.’

‘Actually, it’s Duncan. Rebel is just a joke name someone in our group gave me because I’m the least rebellious person you could meet.’

Frank pointed to the phrase on the back of the campervan. ‘You don’t mind it though?’

‘Not at all. Something to live up to. Besides, all the best gangs have nicknames for each other, don’t they?’

Frank eased himself back into the Mini. He turned to wave to Rebel but he’d already gone back to his chair and was opening another can of beer. He’d have liked to have stayed there with him, shooting the breeze, or just taking in the scenery rather than driving north to look for his idiot brother and a stolen campervan.

‘What did you think of Rebel?’ said Finn.

‘I liked him. So what’s your nickname then?’

Finn winked and shook his head. ‘That would be telling.’

‘You’re part of the club though?’ Rebel had called them a gang, but Frank had stopped short at that. It didn’t seem right somehow.

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