Thicker Than Water

He went back to his chair and sat down, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. His expression had come back to something like calm, although it was a calm of balanced forces: the stillness of a man whose limbs are tied to horses pulling in opposite directions.

‘Don’t let her come here,’ he said, and I guessed “ anctihe was talking about Mum.

‘I’m not making you any promises,’ I said grimly. ‘Not unless you let me in on this. What did Kenny want with you, Matt? And what did you want with him? What’s this really about? Gwillam? Did Gwillam set this up?’

‘I’m not with Gwillam,’ Matt muttered, and I could see from his face that he was telling the truth.

‘They approached me once. That’s how I knew Feld, and how I was able to call him off when he attacked you. But the Anathemata only wanted me because of my name. Your name. They thought I might have the same - skills - that you have. When they found out that wasn’t the case, they lost interest. This was years ago. I haven’t seen any of those people since. ’

‘Then why—?’ I began, but Matt made a brusque gesture and cut across me.

‘No more questions, Felix. I appreciate you coming here. I - was glad to see your face, and you’ve given me strength to bear this. But you can’t help me now.’

He put the matter beyond debate by banging on the glass and summoning PC Dennison to take him back to his cell. Matt went without looking at me again, or saying goodbye. I don’t think he trusted himself to do either of those things with dignity.

Coldwood waited until Dennison was clear and then let himself back into the room.

‘How did that go?’ he asked.

‘Like a bastard picnic, Gary. Why wouldn’t it?’

He blew out his cheeks, shrugged. ‘His faith will be a comfort to him. And believe it or not, he does have a guardian angel.’

‘Meaning you?’

‘He lamped a copper. Priest or no priest, he would have had it a lot harder if I hadn’t put the tupp nicht out on him.’

He was right. I knew that. But I still couldn’t bring myself to thank him right then.

‘Drop you anywhere?’ he asked as we walked together up the badly lit stairs to the ground floor and the reception area.

‘I’ll walk,’ I said. Just bravado, of course, but I didn’t feel like taking Gary’s charity right then.

‘I’m not your enemy, Fix,’ he told me.

‘You said.’

‘And I’m still here if you need anything I’m in a position to give.’

I walked out into the night without bothering to answer.

There was no point going back to the hospital.