The Impossible Dead by Rankin Ian

Author:Rankin, Ian [Rankin, Ian]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781409112143
Publisher: Orion
Published: 2011-10-12T22:00:00+00:00

Eight

26

Fox woke up early and went to see his father. There was a bench in the garden of Lauder Lodge, and Mitch fancied sitting there, so Fox got him wrapped up, and one of the staff provided a travel rug for his legs. But Mitch drew the line at a hat and scarf.

‘Any more swaddling and I’ll be fit for a pharaoh’s tomb.’

The garden’s high walls gave protection from the North Sea’s gusts. The gardener looked like he’d be checking in as a guest some time soon. He nodded a greeting, then carried on with his work.

‘I was never one for gardening,’ Mitch told his son.

‘Mum had the green fingers,’ Fox agreed.

‘If I’d had my way, I’d have turned the whole lot into a patio.’

‘Remember that time I was hanging from the clothes-rope? It snapped and I bounced off the nearest flagstone.’

‘Your mum phoned me from the hospital. Three stitches, was it?’

Fox rubbed at the crown of his head. ‘Five,’ he corrected his father.

Mitch smiled. ‘Know what your mum said when she called? She told me she’d have a job getting the blood out.’

Fox remembered: a striped bath towel wrapped around his head to staunch the wound. He hadn’t seen it again afterwards.

Mitch watched as his son tried stifling a yawn. ‘Late night?’

‘A bit.’

‘Business or pleasure?’

‘Take a guess.’

‘Work’s all well and good, Malcolm, but there’s got to be more to life. Still, it explains why I haven’t seen you in a few days.’

‘Jude’s been visiting, though?’

‘Saturday and Sunday – your absence was noted.’

‘I was busy.’

‘Not just avoiding us, then?’

‘No.’ Fox shifted on the bench. ‘We always seem to end up fighting, though.’

‘You and your sister?’ Mitch nodded slowly. ‘I think she’s annoyed that the money for this place is coming out of your pocket.’

‘I don’t begrudge it.’

‘They’ve hiked the fees again, though, haven’t they?’

‘It’s not an issue.’

‘Maybe Jude thinks it is.’

Fox offered nothing more than a shrug.

‘How’s Fife?’ Mitch asked after a lull.

‘I was in St Andrews.’

‘Went to a caravan there once – when your mum and me were winching. Had to make sure her dad never found out.’ Mitch looked at his son. ‘What’s so funny?’

‘I just don’t hear people say “winching” these days.’

‘What do they say?’

‘Dating, I suppose.’ Fox paused. ‘Did we ever go to St Andrews? As a family, I mean.’

‘Maybe for a day … Do you think you remember it?’

Fox shook his head. ‘I just seem to have forgotten quite a lot.’

‘Join the bloody club – I remember that the caravan was pale green, but I couldn’t tell you what I had for dinner last night.’ Mitch watched his son try to swallow back another yawn.

‘I’ve got pills in the bathroom – you should sneak a few out with you.’

‘I might do that,’ Fox said, only half-joking.

‘Jude was looking through the shoebox again. I don’t know if it’s for my benefit or hers.’

‘Both, maybe.’

‘Plenty memories in there. No photos of the caravan, though.’ He paused. ‘We had some good holidays. Could be that’s what Jude’s looking for – times when you and her were a team.

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