Owning Jacob - SA by Simon Beckett Read Free Book Online Page A

down. Once, when Sarah had misguidedly taken him to another little boy's birthday party, he'd become hysterical when a bal oon burst behind him, rocking and screeching so violently with his hands clasped to his ears that he had set al the other children crying as wel , i That had been the last party she'd insisted he go to.
    He stopped himself from thinking about Sarah. Jacob had I begun banging himself about in the chair in frustration. Ben i went over and picked up the fal en pieces of jigsaw. Jacob I subsided as he dropped them back on the table, gathering I I
    them back into the pile as if nothing had happened. Ben stared down at the back of his head as he bowed over the puzzle. Normal y he would have ruffled his hair, made some sort of contact. This time he didn't touch him. He went back to where he'd been sitting without a word.
    What the fuck am I going to do? Jacob's head shot up as the doorbel rang. He looked in the direction of the hal way. 'Mummy?' Oh, Christ. 'No, Jacob,' Ben said. He felt ful of ashes.
    It isn't Mummy.'
    'Mummy.' It isn't bloody Mummy! 'No. It's someone else.' Jacob remained in the same attitude for a second or two, then went back to his jigsaw. When the doorbel rang again he took no notice. He didn't so much as glance up as Ben left the room to answer it.
    Colin stood on the steps. He had obviously come straight from work, although the slightly loosened tie indicated that he was now official y in his own time. 'Sorry I'm late.
    Last-minute crisis.' He broke off, gawping at Ben. 'What's happened to your hair?' Ben resisted the urge to touch the stubble on his scalp.
    He'd stopped off at the barber's on the way back from seeing Jessica. He'd remembered Sarah running her fingers through it as he told the man to take it off. 'I've had it cut.'
    'I can see that' Colin tore his eyes from it, looking at him with concern. 'Are you okay?'
    'Yeah.' Ben closed the door. 'Did Maggie mind you coming?' Naw, she's used to me being late. So long as I get back before it's time for Scott and Andrew to go to bed there's no problem.' Both Colin's sons were older than Jacob. On the few occasions when they 'played' together it was obvious they were under instructions from Maggie to be nice. It usual y ended with Jacob sitting by himself while the two brothers did whatever they wanted.
    'Let's go in the kitchen,' Ben said, as Colin started towards the lounge. Colin looked surprised but made no comment.
    Til just say hel o to Jacob first.' He always made an effort to treat Jacob normal y, and if he tried a little too hard it was stil better than Maggie's forced good humour.
    Stop being so hard on them. It isn't their fault.
    'Hi, Jake,' Colin said, striding over to the table. Jacob didn't look up from his jigsaw, but Ben could see him stiffen and knew what was coming next.
    'Hang on,' he began, but Colin had already bent down in front of the boy. Jacob tucked his head on to his chest and thrust his arms out at him in a pushing-away gesture.
    'No! Nono!' Startled, Colin slowly backed away. 'Okay, Jacob, sorry.' He raised his eyebrows at Ben.
    'He's been a bit edgy the past few days,' Ben told him.
    Jacob sat rigidly, head down, arms stil held out. 'It's al right, it's only Uncle Colin. You know him, don't be sil y.' The arms remained raised, warding off.
    'Come on, stop it, Jacob!' he snapped.
    'Easy, Ben,' Colin said, shocked.
    Ben took a hold on himself. He tried to say something to reassure Jacob, but it was like digging in a dry wel . He just stood there, unable to think of a single thing to do.
    Colin was looking from one of them to the other, worried.
    He came forward again, reaching into his pocket for a tube of Smarties. 'I've brought you some sweets, Jacob,' he said, giving it a little shake as he set it down on the table. Jacob's eyes flickered to it. After a moment he tentatively brought his arms down and picked it up.
    Ben felt some of the tension leave him as Jacob visibly relaxed. The boy turned the tube