Yin Yang Tattoo by Ron McMillan

Author:Ron McMillan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sandstone Press Ltd

Chapter Twenty-one

The taxi driver launched his cab into traffic like somebody’s life depended on it. Maybe it did. Bobby slouched low in the back seat, strain written all over his face. He sucked distractedly at weeping gashes that sliced through the first two knuckles of his right hand, wounds so deep they would need stitches to close them. If Joss still had two front teeth to call his own I would be surprised. I dipped into my pocket for a clean handkerchief, and Bobby wrapped it around his fist without comment.

We sat captive to our own thoughts, the car filled by a fizzing silence. Bobby’s expression told of an explosive mix of anger and despair. I was angry too, but mostly I felt paralysed with guilt. Being a screw-up was something I had long since accepted, but now I was taking it to new heights. If Min-tae was harmed, it would be down to me. Somewhere in the middle of all this stood Ben Schwartz. Right now, fooling around with his wife didn’t seem like such a smart move. I was screwing up on multiple fronts.

Fifteen-storey apartment towers stood at neat angles like hotels on a high-stakes monopoly board, rigid lines defined by crowded car parks, primary colour play areas and grey-green rectangles of worn turf and stubborn shrubbery. The entrance to the block was marked by a tight group of mothers, some still in aprons and kitchen slippers, talking behind their hands, faces lined with a mixture of concern and that thinly disguised look of schadenfreude humans wear when the unthinkable bypasses them to befall others. They turned together to watch two kids dragged towards the elevators by a mother terrified that whatever happened to Min-tae might be contagious. This was no time for rational thought.

Bobby jumped out of the taxi in a slick movement that belied his bulk, and a little security guard in crumpled navy uniform shuffled forward to meet him. I stood a few feet away as they talked in Korean that most of the time was too fast for me to catch, even if I was trying my hardest. Nor was I alone. Without a hint of shame the local wives edged closer, necks and ears straining, like extras in a pantomime. Bobby left the security man and walked over. The women looked galled when he spoke in a low voice, in English.

‘Myong-hee is still out looking. I didn’t tell her about the phone call this morning because I didn’t want her to panic. One of her sister’s kids was unwell so they came home early. Min-hong always looks out for Min-tae, but he got wrapped up in some game with his mates, took his eye off the little guy for a couple of minutes and lost him. Another kid says he saw Min-tae going with two men to a ‘big’ car that drove off.’

The security man was at Bobby’s elbow. He broke in with a question, something about the police. Bobby thought for a moment, then nodded his assent.

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.