Page 93 of The Impossible Fortune

‘I can’t,’ says Bogdan. ‘Stephen is still sitting there.’

Elizabeth nods. ‘I’m glad you see him too. How ridiculous, Bogdan. A chair is just some pieces of wood covered in cloth, isn’t it?’

Bogdan weighs up his next words, and thinks they are important.

‘Well, it’s often galvanized steel these days, but, yes, this one is wood.’

Bogdan’s phone buzzes. He glances at the name and ignores it.

‘Who’s that, Bogdan?’ Elizabeth asks.

‘Is no one,’ says Bogdan.

‘It wouldn’t make a noise if it was no one,’ says Elizabeth.

‘A friend,’ says Bogdan.

‘Which friend?’ Elizabeth asks.

‘Okay, it was Ron,’ says Bogdan.

‘I see,’ says Elizabeth. ‘Read it.’

‘No, is okay.’

‘Read it.’

Bogdan reads the message.

‘And what does Ron want with you?’

‘Just to see me,’ says Bogdan.

‘Come on, then,’ says Elizabeth.

‘He says, “No Elizabeth.”’

Elizabeth places a hand on Bogdan’s shoulder.

‘And what do you imagine I’m going to say to that?’

51

Ron is back at his flat, with some thinking to do. Jason has come clean about the whole thing, and it is worse than Ron could possibly have imagined.

His daughter beaten by her husband. Suzi pulling a gun on Danny, and Danny running. And now Danny sending someone to shoot Jason. He feels powerless.

But Ron has felt powerless before in his life. It’s a vacuum he has always filled with anger. If Danny Lloyd were in front of him now, Ron would kill him. Kill him, bury him and never look back.

And Ron knows that it might yet come to that.

‘I’m going to need a new door,’ says Jason, sitting down. The two men sit across from each other. Father and son, of course, but in the emotion of the moment, two men above everything else.

What is to be done? And is it to be done with fists and guns, or with brains? Ron hopes it is with fists and guns.

To business. Kendrick is staying with Ibrahim and Tia. Ron felt guilty about asking, but Kendrick seemed quite happy. Ron has also made another call. Someone else who could help.

‘But Suzi’s safe?’ Ron asks his son.