2015
‘Hi, Doug, how’re you doing?’
‘Great thanks, you got time to chat?’
‘Yeah, no worries, I’m driving but I’ve got you on speaker phone. What’s new in Glenisla?’
‘I’ve just had a phone call, Fiona. Had to let you know. It was kind of to do with the restaurant review from the weekend Pete disappeared.’
Fiona glanced at herself in the mirror. She was frowning, those increasingly obvious lines in her forehead furrowed.
‘Restaurant been busy since, I presume?’
‘Yes, it’s really helped, though without Pete it’s been tricky to keep the food as good. Tom had to really raise his game – and fast.’
‘Well, let’s hope they keep flocking to Glenisla. I miss it. We both do.’
‘And we miss you, Fiona.’ Doug coughed. ‘Anyway, it was a phone call from somebody with an Australian accent.’
‘Who from?’
‘A woman, didn’t give her name. But she said she’d been trying to find Pete for years and his name came up in the review on a Google search. When I said he’d upped sticks and left, she said something funny.’
Fiona turned into a lay-by on the ring road. She couldn’t concentrate while she was driving. ‘What?’
‘She said, “Oh, so he’s gone and done it again, has he?”’
Fiona felt her stomach tighten.
‘What else did she say?’ Her voice was now a whisper.
‘Nothing, she hung up. When I told Mrs C, she said I should have dialled 1471 and phoned her straight back, but the butcher phoned right afterwards about an order.’
‘Did she sound young or old?’
‘No idea. You think that was maybe his mum?’
‘Maybe.’ Fiona looked at the clock on the dashboard. ‘I’ve got to get going, I’m picking up Jamie.’
She told him about Jamie’s football lessons and about his new best friend Jack next door.
‘And how about you, Fiona? How’re you doing?’
‘I was doing okay till just now.’
‘I’m sorry, but Mrs C thought I should tell you and…’
‘God, no, Doug, thanks for telling me. Really, I’m glad you did.’ She turned the key in the ignition.
* * *
‘Is there any more soup, Granny?’
‘Jamie, I love feeding you. You have such a good appetite. Of course there’s more soup. About a gallon.’
‘What’s a gallon?’ Jamie held out his bowl.
‘A lot!’ Dorothy took the bowl and went to the cooker and picked up the ladle.
‘So, tell us more about the football then. What position are you playing?’
‘Well, I started off at centre midfield but now I’m playing centre forward and I’ve got to run even faster. I scored a goal.’
‘What about Jack?’
Jamie giggled. ‘They started him off in goal, he hated it.’
‘But he’s only a wee boy, what’s that about?’ Dorothy pushed the bread basket over the table.
Jamie helped himself to another roll. ‘He’s smaller than me but he’s only ten and a quarter. I’m ten and a half. Anyway, they moved him to left back and he’s cool with that.’
‘Remember that day Pete and you played football all day long, the Easter weekend when I was doing a shift for Mrs C at the hotel?’ asked Fiona.
‘Yeah, he was ace at keepy-uppy.’ Jamie rammed the roll into his mouth.
‘And that training exercise you used to play too, what was it called again?’
Jamie swallowed. ‘Dribbling Dingo Drills, Pete said he played it a lot at home. I loved playing that with him.’
Fiona grinned. ‘Sounds a bit of a made-up name to me.’
‘Said Sam taught him.’
‘Who’s Sam?’
Jamie shrugged then pushed his chair back. ‘Pa and me fixed the chairs well, didn’t we, Granny?’
‘You certainly did, sweetheart.’ Dorothy tickled the nape of his neck. ‘Now, would you like a banana or an apple?’
‘Can I take it outside? Said I’d meet Jack on the Green after lunch.’
‘Okay,’ said Fiona. ‘You can play outside all afternoon, but don’t forget to tell him we won’t be around tomorrow morning. We’re off to the museum, Martha’s going to show you the pictures of the Tay Bridge disaster.’
‘Cool.’ Jamie went to the door and picked up the football. ‘Oh, I’ve just remembered the other exercise Pete and I did. Starfish jumps. Look!’
Jamie threw the ball down and stood with his legs apart then stretched his arms out at his sides. He counted to three then jumped high in the air, arms wide. He did three then grinned and picked up the ball.
‘Did Sam do those too?’ Fiona asked.
‘Yeah,’ he said skipping out the door.