The Last Man by Robert McNeil

Author:Robert McNeil [McNeil, Robert]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-03-16T16:00:00+00:00

41

Croft had waited to the last minute before going down for breakfast. He’d decided to lie-in as long as he could to try to recover from jet lag. He’d enjoyed a full English and was on his second cup of coffee, thinking what he was going to say to his mother. Would she recognise him? Would he be able to get any sense out of her?

His thoughts then turned to the friend he’d phoned yesterday. Was that a good idea? Could he rely on him to keep quiet about his return to England? Too late now. It’s done. Croft finally convinced himself it would be okay. He intended to check out of the hotel after breakfast, go and see his mother, meet his friend at the pub later and then get the train back to London and on to Heathrow. I’ll be gone before anyone else finds out I’m here, he told himself.

Croft checked out and asked if he could leave his bag there until later, then took a taxi to the Ridgeway Manor Care Home. He paid the driver and walked into the reception area. There wasn’t anyone there so he waited, looking furtively around him. Eventually, Makena Kibet came through a door leading to a day room. ‘Excuse me,’ Croft said, ‘I’m here to see my mother, Ethel Croft.’

Makena looked at Croft as though in amazement. He was tall, stocky and wearing jeans and a red polo shirt. Although in his fifties, Croft had his hair cut in a Mohican style. His head was shaved on the sides and a strip of brown – probably dyed – hair lined the top of his head. The brown goatee beard completed the image of a man who looked like someone you would not want to get on the wrong side of. But it wasn’t Croft’s appearance that made Makena’s mouth drop open. It was the fact he’d turned up with no prior warning. He’d told Mrs Boudreaux he couldn’t get back to see his mother.

‘It’s Garry – Garry Croft.’

‘Yes… yes of course. It’s just we weren’t expecting you. I’ll take you round to Mrs Boudreaux’s office. I think she’ll want to talk to you before you see your mother.’

Croft stuffed his hands in his pockets and shrugged. ‘Okay, but if she’s busy I’ll go and see my mother if you show me where her room is.’

Makena led Croft past the day room and down a corridor to Boudreaux’s office. The door was open as usual. Boudreaux liked to keep an open-door policy. Makena knocked anyway and Boudreaux looked up from her desk. ‘Mr Croft has arrived to see his mother,’ Makena announced. ‘I thought you might like to see him first.’

Boudreaux looked as surprised as Makena had. No doubt it was the appearance as well as the fact that he was here despite saying he couldn’t come. ‘Mr Croft, I’m so glad you could make it after all,’ she said, rising from her desk. ‘You should have let us know you were coming.

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