This was news to me, but I was delighted to hear it. This was Paying It Forward on steroids. Because I had helped him, he was helping his junkie friends.
‘All right, Jason, that’s very good of you. Really it is. But I’m going to ask you something very import–’
He cut me off immediately, clever boy that he is. He already knew what I was going to ask, and shook his head with maximum prejudice. ‘No, Corinna. I’ve never let them into Insula. Because you can’t do that. They don’t want to screw you over, but they will if they see a chance to score. Cap’n, I know, ’cos I’ve been there. If I cook for them, I bring the food to them out on the street.’
Did I believe him? Yes. He is utterly transparent. And if I couldn’t trust my midshipman to tell me the truth, what chance did any of us have? He’d never lied to me. Not even when he stole a bottle of grog and got pissed. Even then he had confessed, repented, and never slipped again.
‘Okay, Jason, I believe you. So what do you know about Kilmarnock? You do know a lot of people, don’t you? Have you heard something on the streets about it?’
He shook his head. ‘I dunno why they’re coming here, but that’s not good. They’re bad men out there.’
‘Does Azerbaijan mean anything to you?’
‘Dunno, Cap’n. Never heard of him.’
‘Never mind. What sort of bad men?’
He clasped his hands on the table. ‘Corinna, they’re gangsters. Real gangsters. They deal. And they shoot people. If they really don’t like you, they’ll blow up your house. Everyone’s scared of ’em.’
‘They sound like bad men all right,’ I agreed. ‘Do you know if there’s more than one gang?’
He thought about this, closing his eyes and wrinkling his forehead.
‘Could be. ’Cos if there was only one gang they wouldn’t need to shoot people so much, would they?’
‘Jason, how much shooting are we talking about? How much blowing up of houses?’
He sat forward in his chair, his nostrils twitching. The sounds and smells of frying emanating from my kitchen were speaking volumes to his animal instincts. He inhaled deeply and shook his head, wrenching his attention back to the matter at hand. ‘At least one house. Early this year. You might have seen it on the news.’
I remembered it now. Police baffled; no one talking to anybody. But I expect the police knew more about it than they let on.
‘Go on. So just the one house?’
‘That’s one too many in my book. Shootings? At least three this year. I know they shot one of their own guys because he tried to go solo and they didn’t like it.’
‘I bet they didn’t.’ And that seemed to be that. Even if Jason had any more to tell me, it would have to wait, because Daniel appeared with enough food piled on a dinner platter to feed six people and the family dog. It was the same big breakfast Daniel had eaten, but with added hash browns. Jason fell on it ravenously and did not pause until the plate was swept clean down to the last crust of sourdough. I was impressed enough to venture a small handclap. He grinned. It was like the sun coming out from behind clouds.
‘Yeah, well, Corinna, I’ve got a lot of catching up to do.’ He looked at me expectantly. ‘Anything else I can help you with?’
‘Unless you can remember any snippets of conversation, no. Don’t try to force your memory. Just think about anything you may have heard about these creatures. We haven’t got much to go on here, and anything that sounds out of the usual run would be useful. And …’ I paused, not wanting to ask but unable to help myself. ‘Um, I don’t think I’ve ever asked you this, and it’s really none of my business, but I would love to know what you do on your days off. If you don’t mind telling me.’
‘Nah, no problem. ’Cos it’s Saturday I’ll be off to Anon.’
I raised my eyebrows in query and he explained, ‘It’s like AA, only for drugs. We meet once a week and tell each other how we’re going.’
‘Jason, that’s wonderful. I never knew you were still going.’
He nodded. ‘Yeah, well. I went there first up, but then I drifted away. I thought I could stay clean without help. Then one of me mates got off the stuff by going to Anon and he reminded me how helpful it was. And since then I’ve never even been tempted.’ He looked me straight in the eye. ‘I started going again when I nicked that bottle of grog from you, Cap’n. ’Cos I realised how much worse that coulda been. When you fall off, it’s a lot harder to get back on the bus.’
I could see it now. Hi, my name is Jason and I’m here to tell you about the wonders of bread, and how it changed my life. Bread of heaven indeed. ‘You intrigue me,’ I said. ‘That’s brilliant. And what do you do after that? What does Saturday night have in store for you?’
‘I stay in, Cap’n.’
What a great deal I was learning about Jason!
‘I stay in ’cos Mrs Dawson got me a subscription to Stan. So I stay in with a big bottle of Coke and some snacks and I catch up on all of the movies I missed when I was too busy trying to score every night. I’m not putting meself in harm’s way. City’s not safe after midnight. But that’s all right ’cos I’m asleep by then.’
‘Jason, you are a wonderful man,’ I told him with perfect conviction. ‘So you’re still happy living this life?’
He blinked at me in what looked like honest surprise. ‘Sure, Cap’n. I’m thinking about getting a cat. Or maybe a rabbit. Still tryin’ to decide which.’
News to me, but okay.
He gave me a shy look. ‘I never belonged anyplace before. I never knew who my dad was. He’s nothing to me. And all Mum cared about was getting the money she got for me until I turned sixteen and there wasn’t gonna be any more. But I’ve got a family now. My first.’
I did not know what to say, so I smiled encouragingly. Then Daniel came in to clear away the crockery and cutlery, and Jason rose to his feet.
‘Thanks, Cap’n. See you first thing Monday.’
And with that he was no longer with us.
Daniel took my hand and kissed me. ‘Well, now. Who would have thought it?’
I kissed him back. ‘Come back to bed and kiss me some more?’
He took my hand and led me back to my room.
Philomela: Today I am going to open my mouth and I really am going to speak. No doubt about it.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
I do begin to have bloody thoughts.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, THE TEMPEST, ACT 4, SCENE 1
I woke later, barely aware of Daniel kissing me again and letting himself out to go on his travels. My alarm clock told me it was eleven forty-eight am. I felt exalted. I always did after a night (and indeed a morning as well) of my beautiful Daniel. My toes tingled. I stretched them luxuriously. I felt as though I was swimming on clouds, effortlessly, like a dolphin. I admire dolphins, even though I can’t swim as well as they do. And a glow of delight had settled over me. I found Horatio lying next to me with his paws in the air, sleeping like a satisfied bunny. Whatever sensual delights I was currently exuding from my body were clearly pleasing my cat as well. His whiskers twitched. I found myself crinkling my nose in sympathy. So whither now for my day off? My phone informed me it was thirty degrees outside, expected maximum thirty-six. I dressed casually, in a light cotton caftan and sandals, and the hell with anyone who would be shocked by the sight of me in semi-undress. I examined myself in the mirror. My face was grinning uncontrollably. The white fabric hinted rather than revealed. The hand-embroidered flowers, trees and parrots (supplied by Therese Webb, whom I had employed to do this) looked wonderfully brazen. For brazen was what I felt, as who would not?