Savage Night - Allan Guthrie [30]
"No need to bother," Park said.
"It's no bother." She stood there staring at him.
"Lovely," he said.
She went off to make the tea.
"Nice, eh?" Park said to Liz, leading her to a chair.
Flecks of spit gathered between her lips. She sat down.
"You'll like it here," he said.
When Mrs Yardie returned with the tea—pot, milk jug, sugar bowl, fancy cups, all on a brass tray—Park got to his feet to take it from her.
"I can manage," she said.
Park took it anyway and placed it on the coffee table.
Old Mrs Yardie took a seat on the settee, leaned forward. "How does she like it?" she asked, nodding towards Liz.
Park wasn't sure. He never made tea. Liz never drank it. "White, no sugar," he said.
"And yourself?
"Same," he said. Then, "No, I'll have some sugar, too."
They chatted for a while, Park commiserating with her on Yardie's return to jail. She said he deserved it, didn't know where he'd got the drug habit from. And that he was in her bad books from the day he'd asked Park to leave.
She said, "If I hadn't been away at Maud's at the time—"
"What would you think about me moving back in?"
She looked at him, cup frozen mid-route to her lips.
"Just temporary," he said. "Couple of months. No more than that."
"Well," she said. "Well, I have your old room upstairs still. I don't see why not."
"And Liz," he said.
Old Mrs Yardie turned to look at her. "Goodness," she said. "She's no trouble. Such an angel."
"Isn't she?" Park said. "Is that a yes, then? We'll pay twice what I was paying before."
"Oh, no need," Old Mrs Yardie said. "Just pay the same. You keep your money. You young folks need it."
Park stood up, bent over and took her hand. "I wish I could do something for you," he said. "To say thanks."
"Maybe you can. I was just thinking … If you didn't mind looking after the house for two or three weeks, I could go see Maud down in Kent. She's not well at the moment. But I hate to leave the house empty."
"Just let us know when," Park said. "We'd be delighted."
"As long as you promise you won't throw any wild parties."
***
FOUR DAYS LATER and they'd settled into their new home. Old Mrs Yardie was off visiting her sick sister. Took the train, left her car keys with Park. Which made it easy for Park to take Liz with him when he went to Florida Al's.
Park had never been to the tanning studio. In fact, he'd never been to any tanning studio. He was happy with his skin the way it was.
The guy behind the desk, blonde hair streaked blue, said, "Can I help you?"
He didn't look Spanish and he didn't sound Spanish. Park said, "Where's Carlos?"
"Out back, smoking." He motioned Park to the rear of the salon. "Door's open."
"My wife needs somewhere to sit," Park said.
"Only got the seat I'm sitting on," the guy said.
"That'll do," Park told him.
In the alleyway at the back, a small bronzed guy, looked about twenty, was taking a long drag on a cigarette. "Who are you?" the guy said.
"You Carlos?"
"I ask first."
"You're too young to be Carlos."
He smiled. "I have the face of the youth."
"My son's a bit like that," Park said. "Not the one you worked with. The other one, his little brother."
"And you are?"
"The Expurgator's dad."
Carlos didn't react. "What do you want?"
"I want your gun."
The Spaniard stared at him. "I do not know no Expurgator."
"Name's Park."
Carlos shrugged. "I know no Park either." He paused. "Only where I walk my dog." He grinned.
Park smacked the cigarette out of his hand. Grabbed his throat, pinned him against the wall. "I'll pay you," he said. "Cash." He squeezed. "Lots of it." He squeezed harder. "Just give me your gun."
Blame Effie. She'd pointed him in the right direction.
She'd said, "You should get yourself a weapon, Dad."
And he'd said, "Where would I get one of them?"
"Carlos has a gun."
"But I can't use a gun," he'd told her.
"You know that. But the guy you're pointing it at won't."
"And why would Carlos give me his gun?"
"Cause you're Richie's dad.