Neil suddenly pointed to something over Aleksey’s shoulder, and although he knew it was only Ben standing behind him, Aleksey felt a chill prickle down his spine. If ever a man was haunted by the dead, it was this one, he reckoned. He felt Ben’s strong body press harder against him, and, out of sight, fingers tuck into his belt.
‘Said it would get us off the streets, like. ‘Nough money to get a bit of a flat, maybe. Deposit. Or rent for a tad, so I could get us a job. Seemed like a bloody Godsend. And it were right good to start. Didn’t hurt. Back home, great nosh. Then they took us to the—’ A scream made his eyes bulge and blood suffused his pale face. It was so sudden, so unexpected and surreal from a man tucked under blankets in a garden shed in Devon that Aleksey wasn’t prepared for it. Men in torment had been another world, a different life, and he thought he’d left that one behind. The strained throat rasped to silence, but Neil went on staring at some invisible tableau which was apparently playing out in his memory.
Harry tried to stand up, clearly couldn’t unaided, so Aleksey offered him his hand. As he did so, he saw his own palm was covered in blood, and once more felt his heart rate ratchet up, until he realised he’d just crushed the strawberry he’d been holding. For some reason, this simple explanation wasn’t especially reassuring, and as he eased Harry up and stood back to let him out, he glanced uneasily at Ben.
‘That’s what it’s like every time I ask him. He gets so far then… Well, as you saw.’
‘Where did you find him?’
‘Up by the old derelict warehouses on the canal. There’s a nun there who—’
‘Sister Agnes. Yes, we met her.’
‘He was floating in the water by the custom house when she saw him. She thought he might have been pushed in. It’s not unheard of. There were some young lads just out of the pub, getting some tea, and they jumped in and pulled him out for her. It was Sunday, and I was discussing the sermon with Snoddy by the lock after evensong, and they came and got me. Sister knows I help out a bit. Take an interest.’ He smiled shyly. ‘Get them to eat their five a day.’
‘And you brought him all the way here? Like that?’
‘Aye, I’ve got a sturdy wheelbarrow. I popped him in and just wheeled him along.’
‘Shouldn’t he be in a hospital, maybe?’
‘He can’t be moved. Can’t get him out of the shed—you heard that…noise. I tried to move him, got a bit of help, and between the two of us we got him to the dinghy, but it was like that the whole way. We thought his heart would stop, so we had to bring him back.’
‘What do you think happened to him?’
Harry was trying to prop the door shut once more, but it was out of alignment and just stayed open a crack. He gave it a thoughtful last push and then wandered along one of his beds, plucking at some things, straightening, stroking a few leaves lovingly. ‘I think he met Death himself, son. That’s what I think.’
Aleksey glanced at Ben. Ben was staring towards the arched doorway the other side of the garden. Aleksey looked over.
Squeezy was leaning on the ancient stones, watching them all.
* * *
Chapter Fourteen
When he saw that he’d been spotted, Squeezy levered nonchalantly off the wall and sauntered over, hands in his pockets. ‘This old fool bin telling you his tales of the Grim Reaper again?’ He tipped his head on one side, considering the old man and said to him coldly, ‘I told you not to involve them.’
Aleksey frowned and glanced at Harry. Harry was picking some raspberries, cupping the soft fruits in his large, weathered palm.
Ben was staring back at the shed and then he rounded on his friend. ‘You’ve been helping him? With Neil? Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you want our help?’
Harry held out the berries to Squeezy. ‘Hold these, son; I’ll pick some for all of us.’
Squeezy angrily hit at the old man’s hand, dashing the fruit to the ground. ‘Fuck you and your fucking garden, you old fuck, and don’t call me fucking son. I’ve told you.’
Harry bowed his head for a moment, considering the spoiled raspberries, then he knelt stiffly, with great difficultly, and began to pick them up delicately, one by one.
Aleksey watched this for a moment then beckoned the moron to follow him. He went out of the walled garden and down the steps to the river, and stood with his arms crossed, studying the dinghy.
Ben and Squeezy came out together. Ben wasn’t saying anything, and Aleksey gave him a very brief eye flick, before he took a breath, swung, and punched the moron a vicious uppercut to the jaw. This was so unexpected that Squeezy was completely taken unawares and went down, hard. He was actually stunned, and for a moment his eyes rolled back in his head. Aleksey rubbed his knuckles and glanced at Ben. He felt a spark of intense love for his other half when he saw nothing but approbation in Ben’s grim expression. But Ben did offer a hand to his friend, which is more than Aleksey would have done.
Not surprisingly, Squeezy was rubbing his jaw when Ben heaved him back to his feet. He closed his eyes, swayed for a moment, and looked as if he was going to vomit. Aleksey stood well back.
‘Didn’t see that coming. That’s just fucking embarrassing.’
‘You embarrassed yourself.’
Squeezy examined the ground, toeing it thoughtfully. ‘Don’t fucking tell me what to do.’
