Page 58 of The Good Boy

“We don’t have to follow him,” Rory says. “At least not right away. If you have something on you that smells of him, give me a whiff of it, then I can track him like I did Miles.”

“Oh yeah!” Kelly exclaims. “Good one, Roar. I forgot you can smell like, seven million times better than humans.

“Well, I could,” Rory says, his face falling. “Every day my dogness seems to fade a little bit, and I’m not as good at things asI was the day before.” He dips his head for a second, but then straightens his shoulders and grins. “I think I still have enough scent to follow Dave, though, so don’t worry, Kelly.”

“Thanks, babe.” Kelly reaches into her jeans pocket and produces a sock. “That’ll stink of him.”

“I’m not going to ask why you have one of Dave’s dirty socks in your pocket,” I say. “But why do you?”

“I picked it up off the bathroom floor to put in the washing machine and keep forgetting it’s there until I get a whiff.”

“Mmm, pungent,” Rory says as he inhales the sock.

“Never ever think you have lived through the oddest moment of your life,” I reflect. “Because you never have.”

We wait until Dave is completely out of sight, then get out of the car. I ditch my wig in the boot.

“We might still need that,” Kelly says. “If we need to go incognito.”

“I think I’m safe, and anyway I prefer it when I look like me,” I say primly.

“Yeah, he’s got a very distinctive smell,” Rory says, holding the sock to his nose with the authority of an expert.

“Paco Rabanne?” Kelly asks.

“Grease and smoke,” Rory replies.

“I love that bloody smell,” Kelly says with a sob, turning into my shoulder to hide her tears. “What if I never get to smell that smell again, Genie?”

“Come on, Kelly, it’s going to be all right,” I tell her soothingly. “Whatever it is that’s happening, it’s best to face it. Once you know what you are dealing with, then you can handle it. And we’ve got your back. Rory, have you got his scent?”

“Got it.” Rory nods. He strides ahead and we follow on.

The walk takes us right through the heart of town, past the faded glory of the Grand Hotel, which stands against the bright blue sea like an ornate birthday cake decorated in gilt.

As Rory leads us over the elegant ironwork of the Spa Bridge, I am suddenly caught off guard by how beautiful my hometown is: the gentle curve of the coastline, the sparkling promise of the sea, the evening song of the birds in the trees that lead down the pretty footpath toward what used to be a Victorian bathing spa. Bright wildflowers nod their heads to the rhythm of the gentle breeze. At this exact moment there is not another more beautiful place in the whole world. How lucky I am to have all this as my home.

“He’s gone into that building,” Rory says, pointing at the spa complex.

“What’s he doing in there?” Kelly asks, hands on hips as she stares at posters for an all-girl Queen tribute act called Yas Kween playing the venue tonight. “He never liked Queen!”

“Well, lots of things happen in there,” I say, not mentioning the bar, which is kind of out of the way and pretty perfect for secret liaisons. “Let’s go in and have a recce.”

Kelly stares up at the spa building, her lip wobbling. She shakes her head.

“I don’t think I can,” she says unhappily. “Now that we’re here I don’t know if I can actually stand to see him with someone else, Genie. Maybe I’m better off not knowing. Maybe if I just pretend everything is fine, it will be.”

“Take it from me, sticking your head in the sand never works out. You can’t go on like this. It’s not fair on you or the kids.” I think for a moment, glancing back at the building.

“You wait here. Rory and I will go and have a look. We’ll find out what he’s up to.”

Kelly nods and leans against the low wall that looks out over the wilder part of South Bay, turning her face toward the sea.

As we head inside I cross my fingers and pray to the mystic forces that turn dogs into people that everything is going to be all right. Me, I can take all the crap that the universe throws at me. But Kelly and her little family, they need to be okay. Because I am only just realizing they are the reason I sometimes half dare to hope that one day I might have a little family too.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Rory doesn’t lead me toward the bar, which takes me by surprise. Instead he takes a once-grand central staircase up to the first floor and a landing that is lined with function rooms. He stops outside a door at the top of the stairs. Leaning against the wall outside is a stiff handmade cardboard sign that readsFred’s Man Club.

---