A Lovely Way to Burn (Louise Welsh) by Louise Welsh

Author:Louise Welsh
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Fiction
ISBN: 9781848546523
Publisher: John Murray
Published: 2014-03-20T07:00:00+00:00

Twenty-Six

The tables in the lounge were cluttered with a Manhattan skyline of wine goblets, tankards, tumblers and shot glasses. It was obvious that some time earlier it had been the scene of heavy drinking. Now it had become a chill-out room, where people could escape the chaos of the main bar and marshal their resources for their next bout. A couple of sleeping drunks were curled on the banquette, using their jackets as pillows. Another lay beached on the floor, next to the empty fireplace, his breaths raw and laboured, his brow slick with perspiration.

Django nodded towards the other side of the lounge where a man was slumped in a corner seat, his shaggy head resting on the table in front of him. ‘That’s Melvin. Come the future, he might be your only chance of root canal treatment.’ Django crossed the room, put a hand on the sleeper’s shoulder and gave it a rough shake. ‘Melvin . . . Melv . . .’

Melvin Summers’ head lay in the crook of his right elbow. His other arm was stretched across the table, his hand still curled around an almost-full tumbler of beer, the way a sleeping child might clutch a favourite toy. Django eased the glass from Summers’ grip and poured its contents over the dentist’s head. At first Summers reacted at the speed of a mollusc, then the liquid met its mark and he sprang to his feet, toppling the table.

‘Wha the fuck . . . wha the fuck . . . fucking . . .’

Django put a hand on the other man’s shoulder and pressed him gently back into his seat. He righted the table and set it back in place.

‘You woke me up.’ All the grimy wrinkles in Melvin Summers’ face creased. It looked like a fetish mask carved from some pale, moon-grown wood. ‘Do you know what it takes for me to fall asleep?’ His voice was too weary to hold a threat. ‘Christ Almighty.’

The dentist let out a groan and started to bang his forehead against the table.

Stevie leapt to stop him, but Django was quicker.

‘Fuck, Melv, don’t do that.’ He grabbed the collar of the dentist’s jacket, holding his head upright, like an executioner who had forgotten the formality of the guillotine. ‘I wouldn’t have woken you, mate, except that this lady here said she might be able to help with your little Joy.’

Summers bore no resemblance to the neat professional who had graced his company website. His shirt hung open, exposing chest hair matted with beer and sweat. Remnants of dried blood were jewelled around his nostrils and Stevie guessed this wasn’t the first time the dentist had pounded his head against the table.

‘Behave yourself.’ Django ruffled Summers’ already ruffled hair.

Melvin Summers’ mouth hung slackly open. He turned his eyes on Stevie and said, ‘Joy’s dead.’

It sounded like a verdict on the state of the world.

‘We know, mate, but . . .’ Django looked at Stevie as if suddenly realising he didn’t know her name.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.