The Long Midnight Of Barney Thomson by Douglas Lindsay

Author:Douglas Lindsay [Lindsay, Douglas]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781908688064
Publisher: Blasted Heath
Published: 2011-10-22T00:32:22+00:00

*

Two hours later, Barney and his elder brother Allan sat and blankly stared at the carpet. They didn't see each other much, had never got on particularly well. And here they sat, sharing something for the first time in over twenty years.

Allan lived a moderately opulent existence on the periphery of Perth, in a house which Barney envied, with a wife that Barney yearned for. Three children and a dog completed the picture-perfect life and Barney would never know that Allan was even more miserable than he was himself.

'Well, my brother, I'd better be getting back. Barbara will be wondering what's happened to me. I didn't leave much of a note.'

Barney's grief was marginally pushed aside for a second. He hated it when Allan called him 'my brother', which he always did, and the mention of Barbara – attractive, intelligent, delicious Barbara, who had never watched a stupid soap in her puff – had pangs of jealousy thumping loudly at the doors of his grief, demanding entry.

'I'll be back early tomorrow morning to get on with the arrangements.'

'You can stay the night with Agnes and me, why don't you?' said Barney. Something within him wanted Allan to say yes, some basic fraternal thing which made him want to hang on to his brother, even though he knew that there was no way he would accept. And would he not be ashamed to take his brother back to his flat in any case?

'No, that's all right, Barney, thanks. I'd better be getting back. Thanks all the same.' He stood up, started to put his jacket on. 'Will you be going to your work tomorrow? You know, it's all right if you do, because I can take care of everything.'

Like the unwanted belch of curry back into your mouth, four days after you've eaten a vindaloo, reality kicked Barney stoutly in the balls.

His work. The shop. Wullie. The corpse. The freezer.

Shit.

He cleared the image from his head and looked at Allan. Maybe he could tell him everything. Allan, the older brother. The sensible older brother. He'd know what to do.

Phone the polis and get him locked up, probably.

'Aye, aye, I've got to go to work,' he said. He wasn't telling Allan anything. 'There's one of the other lads off at the moment, so there's only the two of us the now, you know. I'd really better go in.'

Allan nodded. 'No problem. Don't you worry, I'll see to everything.'

They said their farewells, Barney saw his brother to the door. Returned to the sitting room, hesitated. He had to go and look in the freezer, but he desperately didn't want to. Tried to persuade himself that he could postpone it until morning, but he knew he might as well get it over with.

His mother had a huge freezer, he knew that. Plenty of space for a body. He and Allan had always asked her why she bothered; now it had been of use. Had she known all this time that she might one day have need of concealing a corpse? Of course not, Barney, don't be so bloody stupid, he muttered.

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