Too Many Crooks - Paul D Brazill by Near To The Knuckle

Author:Near To The Knuckle [Knuckle, Near To The]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Close To The Bone
Published: 2017-01-27T23:00:00+00:00

Family Misfortunes

Warsaw, Poland

Despite his impatience, John McGuffin’s world had fallen into quite a comfortable routine. After struggling out of bed and taking a shower, he would dress in the endless supply of black sweaters and jeans that Anna had left him and go to sit on the balcony. Pani Maria would bring him hot coffee or tea with rum. Sometimes a small bottle of fruit flavoured vodka. Between sips, McGuffin watched the neighbours come and go. Where possible, he would glean whatever apartment gossip he could from Pani Maria, using the dictionary to help. He knew that the lines between his memories and dreams were blurring these days but he was happy for the consistency his life now had. He had the sense of a storm having passed.

Every morning, at six o’clock on the dot, a tall man with long black hair stepped out onto the balcony opposite and played the flute. This morning it was a wildly improvised version of A Bridge Over Troubled Water.

“He is musician. Famous composer,” said Pani Maria, with a disapproving grin. “He is… ” she flicked through her battered Polish–English dictionary. “He is genius. Crazy.”

“Well, he certainly looks the part,” said McGuffin, with a smile.

The man bowed to no one in particular and went back into his flat. He closed his curtains and for a moment McGuffin thought he saw the flash of a camera.

McGuffin drummed his fingers on the arm of the wheelchair. He tried to pull himself out of the chair but pain sliced through his legs and he collapsed back down into it.

Panni Maria frowned.

“You must wait for the doctors,” she said.

She patted his shoulder.

“I know,” said McGuffin.

Anna had phoned to say she would be heading back from London a little earlier than expected and McGuffin was surprised how elated he had felt when she’d told him.

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