Deadly Business by Quintin Jardine Read Free Book Online Page B

he should never use it against anyone who isn’t trained in it himself.’
    I smiled; that’s my boy. An adult attacked him, he decked him and he felt guilty about it. ‘What happened when Duncan did get up?’
    ‘Nothing. Duncan didn’t go near him again. Janet got him a beer, and he sat down and drank it.’
    ‘Did neither of you tell your mum what had happened?’
    ‘No. Tom wouldn’t let us. He said Duncan wouldn’t bother any of us again, and he didn’t. I was glad when he went away, Auntie Primavera; I didn’t want him to come back. I don’t want Mummy to see him.’ His eyes filled with tears again, and finally, they flowed. ‘I just want my daddy back,’ he cried.
    I hugged him to me. ‘I know, wee man,’ I whispered, ‘I know. You’re far too young to have learned how tough the world can be.’
    I thought of Susie as I spoke, Susie and her precarious future. I hoped that wee Jonathan had been wrong about what he said he’d seen in Casino Square, but he’s a very bright wee chap and not given to flights of imagination or extravagant statements.
    ‘Auntie Primavera,’ he murmured, as he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, ‘am I really grounded till Monday?’
    ‘I can’t overrule Conrad,’ I told him. ‘He’s your guardian while you’re here. But I can tell him what’s worrying you, and if you tell him that you’re very sorry for using that word and promise not to use it again, you might find that he gives you a suspended sentence.’
    ‘What’s that?’ His eyes widened. ‘You mean he’ll hang me?’
    I couldn’t stop myself from laughing. ‘No, love, I mean he might let you off. Now, go on with you, get yourself out of that beach stuff and into clean clothes before they all get back.’
    As I spoke, there was a loud bang or small explosion, from somewhere not too far away. Wee Jonathan jumped. ‘What was that?’ he gasped.
    ‘That was the start of the San Juan celebrations. Fireworks don’t scare you, do they?’
    ‘No!’ He said the word as if I’d insulted him.
    ‘Good, in that case we can all watch them from my bedroom terrace. Go on, now, get yourself ready.’
    I shooed him upstairs then went along to the sitting room. I checked the time and worked out that it would be around midday in Arizona, then picked up the landline phone and punched in Susie’s mobile number.
    ‘Primavera,’ she answered … number recognition is a very useful tool, ‘how are you? Is everything okay? Are the kids okay?’
    ‘The kids are fine, Susie; the two older ones and I are all going to a reggae concert tonight.’ As I spoke, another firework exploded.
    ‘What was that?’ Susie asked, sounding as anxious as had her son. She sounded tired, too, wearier than I’d ever heard her; I knew that the treatment had been tough, but I’d hoped against hope that she was on an upward curve.
    ‘Relax,’ I laughed, ‘it’s a fiesta tonight. Big celebration in Spain. There’s music on the beach from around midnight; I’m taking the two older ones.’
    ‘Sounds like fun. How’s my daughter?’ I guessed what was behind the question. Janet’s periods had started in the month before Susie went for her third treatment.
    ‘Timely,’ I advised her, ‘and perfectly normal. She’s coping fine.’ I smiled. ‘I had to take her for some new bras last week, and a couple of bikinis.’
    ‘My God, she’s growing fast. I hope she knows when to stop.’
    ‘Like mother like daughter, I reckon.’ Susie’s not very tall, but she’s a big girl.
    ‘And Tom?’
    ‘Next time you call, and he picks up, you will get a shock.’
    ‘Oh dear,’ she sighed. ‘Does he sound like …’
    ‘Put it this way, the vocal register’s still a little bit higher, but he’s on the way there. He said something to me the other day when I had my back to him. He sounded so like his dad it made me shiver.’
    ‘Primavera, they’re so young. Or is it us that’s old?’
    ‘Hell no! It’s life; it’s