The North of England Home Service (28 page)

Jackie crouched down and put his arms around Telfer, one arm under his chest and the other arm around his hind legs, then straightened up and put him in the car. When he had settled, Jackie smoothed the creases out of an old jumper that had once been Ray’s and which had risen to the top of the jumble of layers he had put there to keep the dog comfortable.

Before he started the car, Jackie reached over and straightened Ray’s hair, which had gone a bit skew-whiff.

‘Jackie‚’ Ray said.

‘I know. You love me but you wouldn’t tell me.’

‘No, no‚’ Ray said. ‘I just wanted to ask you what day it was. Where are we?’

‘Come on.’ Jackie released Ray’s shirt collar which had got caught under the seat belt. He undid his bow-tie. ‘Let’s be getting you home.’

Gordon Burn was the author of four novels,
Alma Cogan
(winner of the Whitbread First Novel Prize),
Fullalove, The North of England Home Service
and
Born Yesterday.
He was also the author of the non-fiction titles
Somebody’s Husband, Somebody’s Son, Pocket Money, Happy Like Murderers, On The Way to Work
(with Damien Hirst) and
Best and Edwards.
His last book,
Sex & Violence, Death and Silence,
was a collection of his essays on art. Gordon Burn was the author of four novels,
Alma Cogan
(winner of the Whitbread First Novel Prize),
Fullalove, The North of England Home Service
and
Born Yesterday.
He was also the author of the non-fiction titles
Somebody’s Husband, Somebody’s Son
, Pocket Money, Happy Like Murderers, On The Way to Work
(with Damien Hirst) and
Best and Edwards.
His last book,
Sex & Violence, Death and Silence,
was a collection of his essays on art.