‘H-hello,’ the big man said.
‘Hello? That it?’
The man searched for words, and suddenly found a whole avalanche of them. ‘Are you well? Have you just come from my flat, from 1204? Did my mum or dad tell you my name? It’s Daniel. Daniel Timpson. Did you want to sleep on our sofa? It’s comfy, isn’t it?’
It was then that Ronan realised the guy had been severely short-changed. After the stress of recent events, this light relief made Ronan smile.
‘I’m good, thanks.’
Daniel Timpson broke out a massive grin. ‘Would you like to be my friend now? We could watch Adam-9 together.’
‘Another time, maybe.’
Ronan squeezed past Daniel’s bulk and started down the next flight of stairs. He could feel the man’s eyes on his back. At several points he looked up the central tunnel of the stairwell and caught sight of Daniel way above. He was leaning over the metal bannister, just watching and grinning happily. Like a big soft kid.
25
Daniel practically fell up the stairs. He wasn’t built for speed, but he made it to his flat in record time. Too excited to find his key, he banged repeatedly on the door and called for his mother.
When she opened the door, consternation written all over her face, he wanted to dance with her.
‘Mum! You and Dad were right. I saw him. He’s all fine again.’
He entered the hallway, dropping his briefcase and shucking off his coat.
‘What are you talking about? Who did you see?’
‘Did he come here again, Mum? I saw him coming down the stairs. He smiled at me. I think we’re going to be friends now. He’s not upset with me.’
Daniel clomped into the living area. He needed a drink of water after his dash upstairs. In a pint glass. He always drank his water in pints. His dad preferred beer, but Daniel thought it was horrible stuff.
‘Daniel, what’s going on? Who did you see on the stairs? Who’s not upset with you?’
Daniel filled his glass and downed it in one long draught.
‘Daniel!’ his mother repeated. She sounded a bit annoyed now, and he wasn’t sure why, because this was such a good thing.
‘What?’ he asked.
‘Calm down and tell me who you’re talking about.’
‘The man. The one who was here on our sofa. Joseph Cobb.’
His mother flinched. She seemed strangely alarmed.
‘I don’t think it was him, Daniel.’
Daniel nodded vigorously. ‘It was! You made him all better. He had his sleep on the sofa, and now he’s good again. That means I didn’t hurt him. Not really.’
‘I know you didn’t really hurt him, but I’m sure this couldn’t have been the same man.’
‘It was. He walked right past me on the stairs. He smiled at me and spoke to me.’
‘What did he say?’
‘Well . . . I asked him if he wanted to watch Adam-9 with me, and he said he would another time.’
‘You shouldn’t be inviting people to do that, Daniel. What have we told you about talking to strangers?’
‘But he’s not a stranger. He’s the man we looked after, with the money and the gun. Joseph Cobb.’
‘STOP IT, DANIEL! STOP IT!’
Daniel blinked. Why was his mother so angry? What had he done wrong?
‘I don’t want to hear that name again, okay? I don’t care who you saw or who you spoke to, just never talk to me about that man again.’
Daniel could feel himself welling up. Everything was too confusing. He had thought his mother would be delighted by the news, and she was completely the opposite.
‘Sorry, Mum,’ he said.
She stared at him, then nodded. The doorbell rang.
‘That’ll be your father. I don’t want you to say anything about this to him, all right? You’ll only upset him.’
Daniel lowered his head. ‘Fine.’
His mother went out into the hallway. Daniel knew he would struggle to keep his amazing news to himself. He was no good with secrets. They always jumped out of his mouth even when he tried as hard as he could to keep them locked up inside.
