“Having fun, I expect,” says Steve. “Sniffing trees. I’ve got a plan, though.”
“You’ve always got a plan.”
“When am I going to see you next? Margaret was asking after you. She’d like to see you.”
“Straight after this, there’s the Diamond Conference in Dubai,” says Amy. “I’m going to join Adam there; you should come out.”
“To Dubai? Never going to happen in a million years.”
“They’ve rented us a villa,” says Amy. “Pack your trunks and fly out.”
“I don’t have trunks,” says Steve.
“I think they sell them in shops,” says Amy.
“And I don’t fly,” says Steve. “Sitting next to people. What if they want to talk to me?”
“No one wants to talk to you, don’t worry.”
“And there’s the pub quiz on the Wednesday,” says Steve. “And I’ve got some shelves arriving. I have to sign for them. So no can do.”
“Margaret could sign for the shelves,” suggests Amy. He can hear that she knows it’s a losing battle, but, bless her, she always tries. “You could fly from Southampton Airport—I’ve looked into it.”
“Southampton?” says Steve. “There’s roadworks on the A31—how long’s that going to take me? How’s Adam?”
“You tell me? He said he rang you at the weekend?”
“Oh, yeah, yeah, of course he did,” says Steve. Another lie. He should honestly just answer “no comment” to everything Amy asks. It would save him a lot of trouble. “He’s very well. Enjoying himself. Missing you.”
“He didn’t ring you, did he?”
“Of course he didn’t,” says Steve. “What would we talk about?”
“Anything. You’re his dad. What do we talk about?”
“Dogs. Scotch eggs. Oxygen tents. My failings as a human being?”
“You could talk to him about that?”
“With Adam? Come on, Ames. Those are our things.”
“I’ll tell him to ring you,” says Amy. “He’s in Macau.”
“Is he?” says Steve, wondering where Macau might be. He’ll look it up; it’s exactly the sort of thing that comes up at the quiz. “No sign of the Russians, then? No hitmen?”
“We’re on a private island, Steve,” says Amy. “The only people who could kill me here are Rosie and an ex–Navy SEAL called Kevin. I promise I’m safe.”
“Eyes open, though?”
“Eyes open always,” says Amy. “Shall we talk again later?”
“Later is good,” says Steve. “Just got the dog thing, and a pub lunch, and someone’s nicking money from a shop.”
“Home in time for Stopping Point?”
“Tipping Point,” says Steve. “Don’t talk to strangers.”
“What was that thing Debbie used to say?” Amy asks. “A stranger’s just a friend you haven’t met yet?”
“She nicked that from a film,” says Steve.
“She’d fly out to Dubai,” says Amy.
“I wouldn’t stop her,” says Steve. “Let her sit in those roadworks.”
“You’d go with her, Steve,” says Amy. “You know you would.”
“Not with these shelves on their way, I wouldn’t,” says Steve. “Debbie or no Debbie.”
“You’d be powerless,” says Amy. “I’m going to raise a glass to her when I get off the phone. She’d have got on with Rosie.”
“She’d have loved a private island. If we ever got one of the private booths at Nando’s, she was beside herself.”
“Take care, Pops,” says Amy. “Talk later.”
“Love you, Ames. And you’re definitely safe?”
“Love you too, and, yes, I promise I’ve never been safer.”
