Over the years they had been to many such functions. They were neither profession, had never been, but they had more money than anyone could spend in ten lifetimes, so both the politician and the lawyer tripped over themselves to chit-chat.
No one had actually tried to sell their mothers to them.
There was still plenty of evening left, however.
They were not going to stay long. They had been in no mood to come at all. However, they were sticklers for good manners and had accepted the invitation to the event long before they could have known they would be in bereavement.
Some knew. The wily politicians seeking campaign contributions made sure to pass on their condolences and tutted from afar at those who had not done their homework and flattered shamelessly.
They were known to respond well to flattery. Not that they were vain, but they enjoyed watching those with power reduced to begging courtiers.
Such cruelty could generate no fun tonight.
She said, ‘I want to leave.’
He nodded.
Exiting took its own time because there were still many beggars who had been waiting for their chance all night long and now saw it slipping away. It took a whole twenty minutes to cross the hotel lobby alone.
Outside, they ignored the driver who held open the limousine door for them as they climbed inside. It was a slow process because they were both beset by many ailments of old age and further burdened by the exhausting pain of grief.
Neither spoke for a while as they were driven out of the city, until he said, ‘I’m becoming concerned.’
She was too, of course, although she was also made of sterner stuff. To voice worry was to show weakness. He had always been weaker than her.
‘He said we would never hear from him again. We would know only when it was done.’
‘How long does such a thing take?’
‘If I knew that, why would we need to employ him in the first place?’
Silence for a moment.
She said, ‘We will give him a few more days.’
He said, ‘A few more days.’
‘It’s not as if we’re in a hurry to wipe up any more drool than we need to, is it?’
She rested a hand over his because for all his weakness, all his faults, he had always been loyal, and in their son he had given her the only joy she had ever known.
A grandson could never replace that joy, least not such a problematic creature, but even if a sliver of her unbearable sadness could be taken away then it would be worth the otherwise unpleasantness.
Anger rising, she stabbed a finger at the button for the intercom.
‘You missed the turning,’ she snapped at the agency driver. ‘Are you blind as well as a cripple?’
He had a problem with his left leg, she had noticed. An awkward gait.
No response.
Another turn. Another wrong turn.
She didn’t like him. He was too quiet. She never liked such men. A quiet man is a patient man. He chooses his words with care and speaks only when there is something worth saying. He is a watcher, a listener. He pays attention without seeking it and knows far more about you than you do him. That quiet man is a dangerous man.
‘Answer me,’ she demanded, buzzing down the privacy panel so she could meet his eyes in the mirror. ‘You’re going in completely the opposite direction. What is this? Where are you taking us?’
Those eyes that met her own were dark, almost black.
They held her gaze in a way she had never before been looked at in all the days of her long life.
Those eyes sent a terrible chill right through her.
‘Try and relax,’ the driver said. ‘It’ll all be over soon enough.’
EIGHTY-EIGHT
It wasn’t Lake Huron. That would have been foolish. Foolish even for a man who had already acted as such more times in the space of a few days than perhaps in his entire life before that. So, another lake. Far, far away. With bright blue water beneath a cloudless sky. Busy with pleasure craft but calm at the point he had chosen. Where he deemed it would be safest.
The vessel was a beautiful rowing boat fifteen feet in length. Wood, not fibreglass or plastic. Handcrafted by a master boatwright. A work of art.
Because it was made of wood it was heavier, and therefore harder work to operate. The rower had been very strong and very fit yet had weakened through long weeks of convalescing. Each pull of the oars was tiring and caused him pain in many places, yet he kept the suffering from his face for the benefit of his passenger.
His eyes were wide and his head was in constant motion, gazing out at the other boats, the jet skis and paragliders, the yachts and the dinghies. Even the lake itself held almost irresistible wonder, but he knew – had been told by his mother many, many times – not to lean over the side for a closer look at the water.
The passenger wore a life preserver so big and bulbous his arms could not hang at his sides and instead protruded out at forty-five degrees. He kind of liked it. He felt huge. Powerful. Like a superhero.
The rower stopped where he deemed it best and withdrew the oars into the vessel, and the passenger’s excitement shot up to even greater heights. The rower wiped sweat from his brow and spent a moment catching his breath and managing his pain before he set about preparing the equipment.
They had discussed what would follow and had practised the intricacies on land. But now this was it.
Finally.
The overjoyed passenger took the rod into his little hands.
‘The most important thing is keeping quiet,’ Victor whispered to Joshua as he helped the boy cast out his first line.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This book would not exist without the kindness and encouragement of Liz Barnsley, Bodo Pfündl, Lidia Teasca, and Graham Wall. Thank you all.
Table of Contents
Also by Tom Wood
Copyright
Contents
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Three Days Earlier
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Chapter Forty-Eight
Chapter Forty-Nine
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty-One
Chapter Fifty-Two
Chapter Fifty-Three
Chapter Fifty-Four
Chapter Fifty-Five
Chapter Fifty-Six
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Chapter Sixt
y
Chapter Sixty-One
Chapter Sixty-Two
Chapter Sixty-Three
Chapter Sixty-Four
Chapter Sixty-Five
Chapter Sixty-Six
Chapter Sixty-Seven
Chapter Sixty-Eight
Chapter Sixty-Nine
Chapter Seventy
Chapter Seventy-One
Chapter Seventy-Two
Chapter Seventy-Three
Chapter Seventy-Four
Chapter Seventy-Five
Chapter Seventy-Six
Chapter Seventy-Seven
Chapter Seventy-Eight
Chapter Seventy-Nine
Chapter Eighty
Chapter Eighty-One
Chapter Eighty-Two
Chapter Eighty-Three
Chapter Eighty-Four
Chapter Eighty-Five
Chapter Eighty-Six
Chapter Eighty-Seven
Chapter Eighty-Eight
Acknowledgements