Page 85 of The Impossible Fortune

Kendrick has always been aware of trouble – loud noises, late-night phone calls, raised voices – but he has always felt that the trouble was on the other side of a wall. On his side of the wall were his mum and his grandad, and school, and stickers, and lists you could learn, like all the countries of the world. If you concentrated on any of those things for long enough, the trouble on the other side of the wall went away, and everything was quiet again.

But now the wall is gone.

Uncle Ibrahim is there to meet them. Normally there is a smile and a hug, but he looks frightened too. He rushes the three of them in and closes the door behind them.

‘I need to warn you, Ron,’ says Ibrahim. ‘I have guests.’

They go into Ibrahim’s sitting room and there is a lady with blonde hair who looks like maybe a model or a wrestler, it’s hard to say, and another lady who is much younger, with her feet tucked up beneath her on a chair like his mum does sometimes.

‘You know Connie, of course?’ Ibrahim says to his grandad. It’s the blonde lady. Maybe she looks like a racing driver or someone onBritain’s Got Talent? Or maybe like a supply teacher you never see again. Kendrick is usually very good at working out what people look like, but this ‘Connie’ is proving elusive. What hecansee is that she has been crying. A lot of adults are very upset at the moment, and Kendrick doesn’t like it one bit.

‘Connie,’ says his grandad. Kendrick senses that his grandad doesn’t like Connie.

‘Ron,’ says Connie. Kendrick senses that Connie doesn’t like his grandad.

‘Connie,’ says Uncle Jason. He doesn’t like her either.

‘Jason,’ says Connie. And now we have the full set. Kendrick needs some information.

‘Everyone is being a bit rude to each other, Uncle Ibrahim,’ says Kendrick.

‘Well, your grandad helped to put Connie in prison,’ says Ibrahim. ‘And then Connie threatened to kill him.’

Okay. This is stuff Kendrick can work with, but there arestill a few gaps. He looks at Connie. ‘Perhaps you deserved to be in prison? I’m Kendrick, by the way. This is my grandad.’

‘Nice to meet you, Kendrick,’ says Connie. ‘And, yes, you’re right, I probably did.’

‘And you shouldn’t say you’ll kill someone –’

‘It’s okay, Kenny,’ says his grandad.

‘No, he’s right,’ says Connie. ‘I was probably angry, Kenny. I’m Connie. Can I call you Kenny?’

‘Kendrick is better,’ says Kendrick. ‘It just flows better, doesn’t it?’

‘I was probably angry, Kendrick,’ she says. ‘I didn’t like going to prison.’

‘No,’ says Kendrick. ‘I’ve seen pictures about it.’

His grandad walks over to Ibrahim. ‘What’s she doing here?’

‘Meet Tia,’ says Ibrahim, and the other woman stands up. His grandad shakes her hand.

‘Nice to meet you, Tia,’ he says. ‘You a friend of Connie?’

‘More a student,’ says Tia. ‘I’m sorry someone shot at your grandson.’

‘I appreciate that, Tia,’ says Ron. ‘Nice sentiment.’

Tia then holds her hand out to him, and Kendrick shakes it. She smiles. ‘I love your name.’

Kendrick doesn’t know what to say to this new woman with the soft voice. He always knows what to say, but his brain is currently a complete blank. It must be the shock. Diving through the window, running across the garden, hiding in the woods.

‘Thank you too,’ says Kendrick. Thank you too?Thank you too?What doesthatmean?

‘Can I make everyone a cup of tea?’ says Ibrahim. Tia is back on her armchair. Her hair is so shiny. Kendrick is sure she uses conditioner. Sure of it. His mum does, so he knows.

‘Depends if Connie still wants to kill me,’ says Ron.