Page 117 of A Good Heart is Hard to Find
‘Goodbye, lad,’ he said genially. ‘Sorry for the kerfuffle, but all’s well that ends well, eh?’
Dante seemed a bit lost for words, but took the offered hand. Reg started down the steps and as he drew level with me I put a hand on his arm and whispered on impulse: ‘Mr Bangs – Reg – just what exactlydidyou do when you were on the stage?’
He twinkled and said: ‘You’re a sharp one! I think you’veguessed, though.’
‘Ventriloquism?’ I suggested.
‘Reg!’ shrilled his wife from the open taxi window, and he winked conspiratorially, gave me a friendly buffet on the arm, and strolled off to the taxi, whistling.
‘Off with a Bang,’ I said, waving after them and feeling suddenly much cheerier. Presumably Ma and Pa had also leftyesterday, and were on their way home – and if they hadn’t they wouldby now be leaving in high dudgeon over the disappearance of their hostess.
‘Oh Jason,’ Rosetta said, ‘there was a phone call from your son – Tom, is it? He said could you go home urgently, something’s come up.’
Jason sighed. ‘He’s probably had a rave and wrecked the house. I was going to call in on my way to open the shop for the afternoon.’
‘I hope he hasn’t done anything dreadful,’ Orla saidapprehensively.
He smiled at her. ‘I don’t think I care any more. But I’ll just get my things from my room, and then I can drop you at home on the way.’
‘I’ll come round to the shop later … or you could come round to my house when you’ve closed?’ she suggested, and they exchanged one of those very private smiles.
Looked like our nightly Singles Club was about to be reduced to Single Club ofone:me.
I went back to my room and caught up on my sleep while Dante dealt with the police and the insurance company, and then later we went for a walk together, not saying very much, and I for one strangely weary but content.
While we were out Jason had left a message asking us to go down to the pub tonight.
What on earth had Tom done?
We found Jason and Orla already there and, despite thenight being young, pretty well oiled.
‘Are you celebrating?’ I asked. ‘What? Tom’s left home for ever or something?’
‘Tanya’s turned up!’ Jason announced.
‘Well, not so much turned up as made contact: she’s written through a solicitor, asking for a divorce!’ Orla explained.‘Tom, being that kind of boy, opened Jason’s letters and read it.’
‘But where’s she been? Did she say?’
‘Spain. Nowshe wants to get married again and she says she just wants a quickie divorce, and no maintenance or anything. Suits me,’ Jason said, ‘but Tom’s a bit upset, because she didn’t mention him at all, not even to ask how he was.’
‘Poor boy,’ I said charitably.
‘Yes,’ Orla agreed. ‘Of course, now he insists that he wants to go out there and see his mother, so Jason is giving him the money.’
‘Servesher right.’
‘I’ve never met this repellent-sounding youth, but I’m beginning to feel sorry for him,’ Dante commented.
‘He’s not that bad,’ Jason said automatically. ‘In fact, he’s taken this better than I expected: he seemed to have had some silly idea that I’d killed her, because he overheard our argument and her telling me I wasn’t his father. He was afraid if it was true I’d throw him out,but I’ve said I’ll never do that – he’s my son, whatever happens.’
‘He doesn’t deserve you!’ Orla said warmly.
‘He deserves better than he’s got,’ Jason said. ‘And I hope he can make some sort of peace with Tanya, though she can never make up for deserting him like that.’
‘Have another drink?’ suggested Orla happily. ‘After all, there’s more to celebrate than not.’
‘Not for us, I’m afraidwe’ll have to get back,’ Dante said. ‘We’ve got a heavy night’s haunting ahead of us before the Spectrologists depart, hopefully with a lot of hazy shots of Cass. Luckily the moon is far from full tonight, it’ll make it easier.’
