Page 24

12

Jacob

‘Here you are, lad,’ Pete said, handing a paper cup of coffee to Jacob as he stood huddled beneath the van’s open serving door. ‘That’ll sort you out. And this morning, your bacon roll is on the house.’ He held out a wrapped-up sandwich, the heat immediately warming Jacob’s hands as he took it.

‘I didn’t—’

‘Lad, you always greet me with a smile. This morning … well, your face was smiling but your eyes weren’t. Would that be a fair assumption?’

‘You’re astute, Pete.’

‘You want to talk about it?’

‘I’m not quite sure what there is to say,’ Jacob said. ‘There’s not enough time to do everything, is there, Pete?’

‘Absolutely not, but there’s a lot more time than you’d think, if you’re careful not to waste it, and you use it well. What ten things are you trying to fit into space for just one?’

Jacob sighed. ‘There’s an old woman, and a boy … and there’s a girl … and then there’s a big, dark shadow.’

‘Getting a little literary on me, are you?’

‘I’m not sure how to explain it.’

‘One jigsaw piece at a time, that’s how the puzzle gets made. How about you tell me about the girl first? That’s always the hardest part, isn’t it? But, heavens, eat that before it goes cold.’

‘The girl … I saw a girl, and I felt….’ Jacob shrugged. ‘I felt … I don’t know. Weird. Like I suddenly didn’t know how to speak.’

Pete grinned. ‘Oh, boy. When will you next get a chance to see this girl?’

‘This afternoon. We’re holding a wake for her grandmother at Marjorie’s.’

Pete’s smile turned into a grimace. ‘Well, that’s not ideal … best option would be a friend’s wedding, but you have to make do, don’t you?’

‘Right.’

‘Just be kind and nice and don’t make any jokes about dead people. Ask her if the undertaker tied her grandmother’s shoelaces when he put her in the coffin.’

‘Why?’

‘Well, if there’s a zombie apocalypse, there would be one less to worry about.’

Jacob spat out a piece of bacon sandwich. ‘Jesus, Pete.’

‘I’m sorry, lad. And remember to say that at a funeral. “I apologise” has a totally different meaning.’

Jacob grinned. ‘I’ll try. Thanks for cheering me up, Pete. I’d better get on.’

‘If I’m still here later on, we can work through the rest. Remember, cut a problem into enough pieces, and it stops being a problem.’

‘I hope you’re right.’

Before going to work, Jacob headed across Brentwell to Nora Shapton’s place. He went inside, the Christmas card, faithfully resealed and flattened out, inside his coat pocket. As he reached the line of letterboxes and took it out, he paused before pushing it back inside. What if Nora didn’t check inside?

He glanced at the stairs. Would it hurt to deliver it in person? At the very least, he could slide it under her door. He had to hurry though because Aunt Marjorie needed his help dealing with the morning’s customers and then dealing with the wake preparations for the afternoon. It would only take a minute—

Nora’s place was on the third floor, down a tatty corridor with a threadbare carpet that disputed the building’s outwardly modern appearance. A strip light was cracked and some of the wallpaper was peeling. Jacob walked to the number that corresponded with Nora’s letterbox and lifted a hand to knock.

Just as he did, his phone buzzed in his pocket, a message from Aunt Marjorie.