27

Mum asked everyone if they wanted a tea or a coffee. It was less a request than a command. She needed to be doing something. And if she couldn’t go out into the street and start looking she’d fall back onto routine.

Everyone gave her their order. She responded to each with a grim nod.

‘Give you a help, Mum?’ I asked.

‘Sure, son.’

I got up, Pat came with me and the three of us walked into the kitchen.

‘Why don’t you go up to your room, Pat,’ I said, fretting at the need in his face.

‘The boy needs to be with his dad, Andy,’ Mum said with a soft smile.

‘Course you do, son.’ I sat down on one of the kitchen chairs and pulled him on to my lap, regretting my impulse to remove him from my line of sight. Once in position, he rested his head on my shoulder as if trying to draw strength from me.

‘Hey, buddy,’ I said. ‘Everything will be fine. Ryan will be back here before you know it.’ Sent that prayer to whatever God was in situ.

Mum busied herself with the kettle and the cups, repeating the drinks orders like it might save her sanity. To the music of spoon on clay, I stroked the silk of Pat’s hair and tried to make reassuring noises. Both of his mums dead and now his brother missing. How would his young mind translate all of this?

Hunter, you will pay for this, I promise you.

I heard the reassuring sound of water being poured into mugs and looked over at Mum. She stopped what she was doing when she sensed my focus on her.

‘Sorry to ask this son, but is there any chance that Ryan is this man’s son?’

‘Mum,’ I warned, looking pointedly at Pat.

‘He’s gone through a lot, Andy. This is no time to pile secrets on to this mess as well.’

‘Ryan is my son. You just need to look at him,’ I said. My assertion was weakened by the fact that Ryan looked nothing like me and was one hundred per cent his mother’s son. ‘Anyway, what does that lunatic want with a child?’

I saw Anna in front of Hunter, eyes blazing, words wounding, fists a blur. For her to use this against him there must have been an outside chance for it to have happened.

Folk had warned me Anna was having an affair.

A memory of her at the birthing suite when Ryan was born, asserting that the child was late while the nurses tried to say he was early. It had bypassed me at the time. What had been going on in her head then? Was there something about the dates that might actually put Ryan’s parentage into question?

‘And what have you ever done to him to make him hate you so much?’ Mum asked, interrupting my thoughts.

I shrugged. ‘He was just one of those kids that were on the periphery at school. Didn’t join in. Maybe he saw me – good at sport and relaxed with girls – and his dislike started there?’

Then there was Anna. And I even became friends with his ex-wife, Sheila, after they split up. Perhaps, in his mind I got the women, the happy family life, and he was on his own with his version of the truth. Twisting my perceived good fortune into a reason to hate.

‘You know, until the man explains himself – if he’s able to – this is all just guesswork,’ I said.

Bairden walked in. ‘Sorry to interrupt.’ He looked at the row of mugs and smiled. ‘Just to let you know that Jim has been released.’

Mum put a hand on the worktop to steady herself and allowed a small smile. ‘Good. What will happen to him?’

‘It’s up to the Procurator Fiscal.’ Bairden made a face of apology. ‘He might be charged with wasting police time. Or even perverting the course of justice.’

‘Really?’ Mum blanched.

‘Worst-case scenario?’ I asked.

‘I’d rather not speculate,’ he said. ‘Let’s wait until we get Ryan back and worry about it then.’

‘I should go get him.’ I eased Pat off my knee and got to my feet.

Bairden held a hand out. ‘His flat is easy walking distance from the police station, aye?’

I nodded.

‘Word we got was that he was going to go there and sit under the shower for a few hours.’

I managed a smile at that. Sounded like Jim. He was so fastidious the thought of being in the same clothes for too long and in a jail cell would have him wanting to scour his skin.

The house phone rang. Mum jumped to her feet, a weak smile of anticipation on her face. ‘That will be Jim.’ She all but ran into the hall.

‘Did Uncle Jim get out of prison then?’ asked Pat and it seemed to be from a need to hear some good news on repeat.

‘He did, son.’ I patted his head and winked. ‘Let me hear what Gran says, eh?’ I walked to the door and looked at Mum, who had the receiver to her ear.

‘Jim, son,’ she said, her face pink with relief. ‘But you’re okay? You sure you’re okay?’ She listened for a moment, turned to me and nodded. ‘He wants to speak to you.’ She held the phone out to me.

I was by her side in three strides.

‘Hey, bro. It’s me.’

‘I know it’s you, ya chump. I heard about Ryan. Fuck. What’s happening? We need to find this bastard and get him back.’ His voice filled my ear and everything seemed to settle just a little. It had always been Jim and me against the world; whenever he was nearby I could face almost anything. It was just a shame I forgot that while I was with Anna.

‘The police have got everyone on overtime and they’ve got the CCTV team on it as well.’ As I said this I forced enthusiasm into my tone. For Bairden’s benefit. Just the slightest encouragement from Jim and I’d be out there, ignoring the police advice to stay away and driving down every street in the town.

‘Aye,’ barked Jim. ‘That’s the police. What are we doing? I can’t just stay here scratching my arse.’

‘The police are here at the moment, Jim.’ I warned. ‘They’re doing everything they can.’

‘Course they are. That’s great. But they’re not family.’

I heard some static from a police radio in the living room and held the phone away from my head, the better to hear what was going on.

Bairden appeared at my side. ‘A CCTV operator has seen a boy of Ryan’s description in the High Street. He’s with a solitary male. Slim. Early thirties.’ Hunter. Has to be. ‘They think he has gone into the Early Learning Centre.’

Ryan’s favourite toyshop. How did Hunter know that?

‘I have to go to him,’ I said to Bairden.

‘I understand,’ he said. ‘But please don’t. Let the police do their job. We have a much better chance of a positive outcome if you stay out of the way, Andy.’

‘But he’s my son,’ I pleaded. I had to do something.

‘From what your mum reported, your presence is likely to inflame Hunter. Best to stay away. You have another son. Being with him is you doing something.’

‘He’s right, son,’ said Mum as she put a hand on my shoulder. I nodded, but was thinking, to hell with this, I need to get out there. Then I remembered that Jim was still on the phone. I held it back up to my ear.

‘Jim?’ I said.

Nothing. He was gone.