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“You have to tell me.”
“You misunderstand. It’s not that I’m withholding the information. I genuinely do not know. Imelda will have given him a new identity while we tidy up all the loose ends.”
“While you tidy up? That suggests he might come back. Is he coming back, Morgan? Please, I need to know.”
“I doubt it. There’s nothing for him here now.”
“What about Sophie? She doesn’t count for anything?”
“You told him you didn’t want him in your life, said he’d be a bad influence on her. You wanted this, didn’t you? Him gone and you able to move on?”
“I don’t know. I just thought…”
“You thought he’d fight for you and you’d both waltz off into the sunset together? Sorry to disappoint you, but the world isn’t like that. There ain’t no warmth in life but what you make yourself. That’s why computer games are so good. Good and bad, plain and simple. You’re the hero and you kill the baddies and it’s that easy. Look at real life. You had a kid with a hitman. Sorry, my girl, but that’s on you. He would never sit down and play happy families, not after everything he’s been through.”
“But I just thought that he’d, I don’t know, that he wouldn’t walk out on his daughter at least. She’s only just met him and now he’s gone and you say he might never come back. What am I supposed to do?”
He clicks his fingers, crossing to a drawer and pulling it open. “This is for you,” he says, bringing out a wad of banknotes. “Now I’m not supposed to keep this so you better not tell me you won’t touch it. Use it to pay for a ticket home and get yourself into a nicer place. Keep the kindergarten open. Jack’s words, not mine.”
“So that’s it? It’s all over? Goodnight Jack, farewell, so long?”
“What did you want, really? Did you want him to stay? You called him a killer. You told him he couldn’t change. You really want him around your kid?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know what to think.”
“It’s for the best, you know? No relationship ever lasts, not really. Should have seen the state of mine after a couple of years. Never takes long for the shine to come off, then all you’ve got left is the bickering and you were doing plenty enough of that last night. Would only have gotten worse if he’d stayed. Trust the one who’s already been through it. You’re better off not going through it. Go home, raise your kid right. Forget all this. And when she’s old enough, promise me you’ll get her a Playstation.”
“Can I borrow your phone?”
“Sure. I’ve got a multiplayer tournament about to start, anyway. Got to show those kids who’s boss, right?” He walks out of the kitchen, taking his whiskey bottle with him.
I cross over to the phone and pick it up, dialing Maddy’s number.
It connects at once. “Hello?” she asks, presumably confused by the unknown number.
“Maddy, it’s me.”
“Clarissa? Oh my God, how are you?”
“I’m fine, I think.”
“You think?”
“Yeah. Listen, I’ll be booking a flight back for this afternoon. We’ll be home later on tonight. Can you meet us back at the house?”
“You mean it’s safe to go back there?”
“It’s all over. We’re safe.”
“Well, that’s great news. But what happened?”
“I’ll tell you everything when I get back, but can you make sure there’s milk in the fridge for Sophie?”
“Sure thing. But are you all right, really?”
“Yeah. I’m okay. I’ll see you soon.”
“Let me know your flight and I’ll come pick you up from the airport.”
