Beneath The Skin Episode 40

Mouse was all belted up in the blue coat. “What are you doing out here?” He struggled to his feet. “What are you doing out here?” he countered. “Bit early for work, isn’t it?”

“I just got a call from my father’s care home. He’s gone missing. Just walked out, sometime in the night.” Her voice was shaky. He went to reach out a hand to touch her hunched shoulders, then thought better of it.

“Could you stay with William? He’s playing in his room.” She looked guilty. “I just have to go down and see what’s going on. I left a note. I thought you were in bed.”

Walt felt his throat tighten. “Don’t do this to me. I’m not your babysitter. I won’t always be here.”

“I know! I’m sorry. But call Mrs Petrauska.”

“Don’t ask me.” He grabbed his pack and headed down the steps.

“Don’t do this to me!” Her anguish flowed after him. He paused, looked up. She was crying; standing at the top of the steps. He sighed and turned back.

“Go on. Do what you have to do. I’ll look after him.” He trudged back up the steps as she ran down. She grasped his arm briefly as she passed. He rested his brow once against the clammy door before letting himself back in. When he looked back, she was running down the street.

Missing

“Your father’s gone missing from the care home.”

Walt thought he’d better say something. Mouse’s note still sat on the table, but he doubted if Alys had read it. She was in her pyjamas, staring into one of the freezer drawers. She looked up at him, frowning. “Really?”

“I said I’d stay with William.” “Cool.” She turned back to the freezer. He pulled a chair from under the table and sat down. No one had the right to be that neutral. He wanted to provoke a reaction, prod her with an imaginary stick until her scorpion tail revealed itself.

He had sat down at her place setting. He hadn’t intended to, but there was a perverse enjoyment in it. He ran a finger round the rim of her mug. “Want a coffee?” he asked. “Ugh. Can’t stand coffee. Never drink it.” Walt thought of the unexplained coffee it’s too early to he’d found before, but now wasn’t the time to try and get answers from her. “I expect he’s wandering around in his PJs right now, your dad,” he said. “He’ll be confused, in shock. Lost. And I think it’s going to rain.”

Alys got up, balancing two wrapped packages in the crook of her wrist as she slammed the freezer door shut. “I thought I had a waxwing,” she said, “but I wasn’t sure. They’re quite hard to get, because they only winter here, on the east coast. I’m going to dress it as a highwayman.”

“Did you hear what I said, Alys? Your father is missing.”

“I heard you.” She approached the table. Her mouth had gone sullen, all tucked in, the bottom lip pouting. “You’re sitting in my seat. That’s my mat and my mug.”

“For Christ’s sake!” He scraped the chair back and got up. They were very close. He loomed over her, and it frightened him a bit, because he could feel his temper flaring. She’s damaged, she’s ill, he kept repeating to himself. But she didn’t look ill. He wanted to shake her like a cereal box until her flaws fell out, and then he might understand her better. She was looking up at him, and her eyes were cold.

“You don’t know,” she said. “You don’t know what I’ve been through. My father was never there for me.”

And then she turned away. He grabbed her elbow, and one of the packages fell to the floor and burst open. A brittle, broken wing fanned out across the tiles. He picked it up, gently folding away the needle-like bones, the frozen feathers. When he straightened up, she was right there. He could smell peaches.

“No,” he said. “No. It’s not that find you attractive but...”

Did he find her attractive? She scared him. Maybe the thrill was no more than that. She didn’t say anything. Her lip curled. She snatched the parcel and stalked off.

Free toys

I don’t

Walt upended the cereal box, shaking a generous portion of cornflakes into William’s bowl. Had they always been bright yellow like that? “When I was a kid we got free toys in our cornflakes,” he said.

God, he sounded like his dad. William was watching him intently, kneeling on the chair in his dressing gown.

“Didn’t you choke on them?”

“Nah, we didn’t choke on anything in those days – it was before Health and Safety.” He plonked the bowl in front of the kid, steered the milk carton towards him.

“So don’t I have to go to school today then?” William reached for his spoon. Walt shrugged. “Nothing was said. I’d wing it. Tell them there was a family emergency.” “Well, it is an emergency, isn’t it?” “It’s only an emergency if he’s not found.” Walt wiped around the sink. “He’s probably sitting in the park.”

“It’s raining.”

“So he’ll get wet. He’ll be fine, kid. Eat your flakes.”

“I can’t.” William pushed away the bowl. “I think we should go out and look for him.”

“That’s not part of my remit.”

“I don’t know what that means. I just want to go and look for my granddad. He’ll be scared.”

Walt threw down the cloth. Jesus, this was exhausting. The phone rang and he picked up on the third ring. It was Mouse.

“They’ve called the police now. I insisted they call the police,” she said. “You know, he’s been missing since the middle of the night.”

“The police are involved?”

“Yeah, they came and asked loads of questions. I said he’s a lost man in pyjamas, what else do you need to know?” “What sort of questions?”

“Just about... What does it matter? What’s wrong with you? Is William okay?”

“What do you mean what’s wrong with me?”

“You sound weird.”

“You sound angry.”

“I am angry!” Her sigh gusted over the static. “I knew this would happen. He’s been agitated for days and the staff just don’t take it seriously. Anyway, I’ve got to go. Is William okay? And where’s Alys?”

“He’s fine. Just having his breakfast, and Alys is away with the birds down in the basement. Maura, everything’s fine. I’ll ask Mrs Petrauska to stay with William.”

“That would be great.” Her voice softened.

More on Monday.

He wanted to shake her like a cereal box until her flaws fell out, and then he might understand her better

Beneath The Skin, by Sandra Ireland, is published by Polygon, £8.99. Her latest book, Sight Unseen, is out now.