Ani was behind the bar of the Cock & Bull as Zig turned up, whistling, for work.He flashed her a smile, cos she was one of the decent ones.“All right, Ans?”
Dark, troubled eyes met his.“Eh.Surviving.There’s been a bloke looking for you.”
“What can I say?I’m in demand.”Zig winked.“What kind of bloke?The sort I’d want to find me?”
Her expression didn’t lift.“Doubt it.He said you owe him.You been messing with loan sharks or something?”
“What?No.”Unease sent icy fingers along Zig’s ribs.He darted a glance around the pub, but all he could see was the usual sort of drinkers.“When was he here?”
“Couple of hours ago.Are you in trouble?”
Maybe.“Did this bloke give a name?What did he look like?”
Ani shook her head.“No name.He wasn’t anyone you might’ve hooked up with, put it that way.Maybe their dad.His hair was grey, ’cept he’d shaved it so it was just stubble.Tall like you, but broader.More muscley.Had a gold tooth next to a chipped one, I remember that—I mean, if you can afford the gold, why not get the other one seen to?”
Zig’s whole body went cold.Shit.
He should have known it would happen—should have made plans—but he’d told himself Dad would leave him alone.He’d told himself Dad couldn’t know what he’d done.Idiot.“What did he say?Exactly?”Zig’s mouth was dry, and it came out as a rasp.
Ani’s brow furrowed.“Like I said.He asked when you might be in.Said you owe him.I told him you weren’t working till tomorrow.”
Thank God for that, but he needed to get out of town, and do it now.
“Cheers, Ans.”Zig’s face felt weird when he spoke, like his smile had frozen stiff.“Gotta go.I’ll see you, yeah?”
He legged it out of the pub to the sound of her calling him astupid arseand, as he slipped out the door, yelling at him totake care,okay?
Yeah, she was one of the decent ones.Zig didn’t like leaving her in the lurch.But weeknights weren’t the busiest at the Cock & Bull, and face it, it was just as well he was getting out of her life.
He darted his gaze all around as he hurried down the street.Just in case Dad hadn’t believed Ani, who wasn’t exactly the world’s greatest liar.No sign of him, thank God.Or of Trent, thank all the bloody gods and the devil too.
Jesus, where the hell was he gonna go?He couldn’t stay in south London, that was for sure.If they’d found him here, they’d find him anywhere.But Zig had spent his whole life here, only leaving it for trips up west for clubbing and that.Well, apart from the years he’d been away.
He’d have to go a lot farther west than Soho to slip off the radar.
A memory stole into his head—Si, too many bloody years ago to count, his thick country accent warm.“The West End?You callthatgoing up west?That’s like saying you’re going abroad when you take a day trip to the Isle of Wight.”
The pain the memory brought was familiar, almost comforting.Si had been the one that got away.Probably always would be.Zig hadn’t understood, when it’d ended between them.Well, in his defence, he’d been all of eighteen, give or take a week or two.
Si had been decent, through and through.If he’d seen an old man get his head bashed in, he wouldn’t have just set off an alarm and trusted the emergency services to get there in time.He’d have stayed with the bloke.Done first aid.He’d havehelped.The Si Zig had known would have helped anyone, and he didn’t reckon that would’ve changed over the years.
A crazy burst of hope crashed through his chest.Anyone?Even a shitty ex-boyfriend on the lam?
Maybe.
Course, Zig would have to find him first.Zig laughed despairingly, then glared at a passing couple who looked at him funny.Think.Si had gone back to Glastonbury, but had he stayed there?It’d been five years, nearly six.He could be anywhere by now, and how the hell was Zig gonna find out?
He could start by asking around, maybe.Stick his head in the Dog and Duck in Peckham, see if Si’s mate Adam still drank there.He’d know where Si was, for sure.Adam had plenty of reason not to piss on Zig if he was on fire...but then, if he’d known the truth, the police would’ve been knocking on Zig’s door years ago, wouldn’t they?
Zig had been walking blind, desperate to get some distance between him and the Cock & Bull, but now he realised he wasn’t far from the Peckham bus route.Only a couple more streets and he’d be there.Right.Positive action.That had to be better than running around like a headless bloody chicken.He’d look for a lead on Si, and if it didn’t pan out...He’d just have to think of something, that was all.
Hanging around at the bus stop gave Zig time to feel bad about leaving Ani short-staffed with no explanation and no apology, so he gave her a call.
“Are you all right?”she asked, without bothering withhello.“Where the hell are you?”
“Right now?Waiting for a bus to Peckham.Sorry about the shift, but call Tim, yeah?He’s always up for some extra work.”
“Already done.He’s on his way.”He could picture her eye roll as she said it.
