Warhol's Prophecy (17 page)

He continued to gently stroke the white dog-collar.

‘Do you think He still cares?’ Adam asked flatly, turning his eyes skyward briefly. ‘Do you think He cares about
any
of the things you did?’

Fingers plucking at mottled flesh.

‘He would have seen everything, wouldn’t He – over the years?’ Adam continued. ‘All the good and the bad. I wonder what He thinks about you now.’

They sat in silence, only the ticking of the clock interrupting their solitude.

When Adam finally got up to leave, the hour hand of the clock had shifted more than once.

‘I’ll see you again soon,’ he said, one hand on the door handle.

His father stared blankly at him.

‘When those flowers are dead,’ Adam murmured.

And he was gone.

H
AILEY HEARD THE
key in the front door and sat up.

The magazine she’d been reading slipped from her lap as she got to her feet. She padded across to the sitting-room door.

It opened a moment or two before she could reach it.

Rob stood and smiled at her.

She took a step towards him and they embraced.

‘I thought you might have been here earlier,’ she said, kissing him lightly on the lips.

‘Traffic was bad on the M6,’ he told her. ‘I spoke to Frank on the way back and he said there’d been some problems at work, so I nipped in there before I came home. Otherwise I’d have been earlier.’

‘Well, work has to come first, doesn’t it?’ she said, trying to control the irritation in her voice.

Rob exhaled but said nothing.

‘Becky in bed?’ he wanted to know.

‘She’s looking forward to seeing you in the morning. As we didn’t know what time you were getting in, I didn’t want her sitting up until all hours.’

‘You’ve made your point, Hailey,’ he said, slumping into an armchair.

‘I’m just
telling
you, Rob. I’m not looking for a fight.’

He ran appraising eyes over her. Freshly washed hair, baggy sweater, tight black leggings tucked into a pair of floppy white socks. She looked great, but he noticed there were dark smudges beneath her eyes.

‘You look tired,’ he told her.

‘I haven’t been sleeping too well,’ she confessed.

‘Worried about me?’ He smiled.

She nodded, and sat down beside him on the arm of the chair.

He snaked an arm around her slender waist.

‘So, how did the show go?’ she asked.

‘It went well. It was a worthwhile trip.’

And I got to fuck Sandy again.

‘Did you see anyone you know there?’

‘Like who?’

Take it easy. Don’t be too defensive.

‘Other reps. You’ve been to quite a few of these shows now, so I just wondered if you knew anybody else there.’

‘You usually do see the same faces. I can’t always remember their names, though. That’s one good thing about everyone wearing a name badge. You just read their badge, call them by their name, and they all think you’re a long-lost mate.’

‘Just part of the bullshit, eh?’

‘You know me, babe: king of the bullshit.’

‘And everyone falls for it, don’t they?’

‘Everyone except you.’

‘Did you fuck anyone while you were there?’

‘Hailey, please . . .’

‘Did you?’ she insisted.

‘I told you before I was going on my own, and I’m sure you checked up on me, didn’t you?’

‘I only asked you a simple question, Rob. You could have met someone in the hotel bar or something. I know what you’re like.’

‘I didn’t fuck anyone,’ he lied. ‘Jesus, I’ve been back home for five minutes and you’ve started already.’

Take it easy.

‘Listen, Rob. I’ve been thinking while you were away, and I’ve decided to go back to work for Jim Marsh.’

He opened his mouth to say something.

‘Just part-time,’ she assured him. ‘I start tomorrow.’

‘So that’s it. You’ve decided. We don’t discuss things any more?’

‘I’ve been talking about doing it for ages now – you know that. It would only be for three or four hours a day, when he needs me.’

‘And what about Becky – how does
she
fit into your plans?’

‘Caroline said she’ll pick her up and drop her off at school, if it comes to that.’

‘I’m glad to hear you’ve got it all sorted out. It’s a good job I
did
go away for a couple of days, isn’t it? I mean, you might not have been able to arrange all this with me here in the way.’

‘What
is
the big deal?’

‘You could at least have had the decency to tell me before you made up your mind you were going back to work.’

‘Sorry, Rob, did I betray your trust? Is that what this is? Because if it is, you’re the last one to start handing out lectures about honesty, aren’t you?’

‘Fuck it. Go back to work. I don’t care.’

‘I’m trying to help,’ she snarled. ‘Why can’t you see that? You never used to object to the money I brought in working for Jim before. I know you didn’t like me being away from home, but you never complained about the money, did you?’

‘I told you, if you want to do it, then do it.’

‘I intend to, Rob. We’ll all benefit: especially Becky. That’s what
you
usually say, isn’t it – if
you
have to work late or work seven days a week? It’s for Becky’s sake in the long run, isn’t it?’

‘I suppose Caroline thinks it’s a great idea, doesn’t she?’ he rasped.

‘What the hell’s Caroline got to do with this?’

‘She gets to look after Becky even more. I bet she was over the fucking moon.’

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘She treats Becky as if she were
her
child.’

‘At least she cares about her. I’d have thought you’d be pleased about that.’

‘She
uses
her because she can’t have kids of her own.’

‘That’s not
her
fault, Rob.’

‘Three abortions before she was nineteen,
that’s
why she can’t have kids of her own. If she hadn’t been such a fucking slag when she was younger, she wouldn’t be paying for it now, would she?’

‘You bastard,’ said Hailey quietly, her eyes boring into Rob. He could see the anger there. ‘Perhaps you should have stayed in Manchester. At least until you were back in a better frame of mind.’

He nodded. ‘Perhaps you’re right,’ he snapped. ‘I wish I had.’

Hailey was about to say something else when she heard the doorbell.

F
OR INTERMINABLE SECONDS
, neither of them moved, although both had heard the two-tone chime.

They continued to glare at one another until it sounded again.

‘Who the hell is that?’ said Rob wearily.

‘I can’t see through walls,’ Hailey hissed. ‘But I’ll go and see before they wake Becky.’

She headed for the hall, running a hand through her hair.

Her mind was spinning. The argument with Rob. Wondering who was at the door. She looked at her watch and saw that it was 8.15 p.m. Who would be calling now?

She slipped the bolt at the top of the door, but left the security chain attached.

The hinges squealed as she opened it.

‘Twice in one day,’ said Adam Walker, smiling at her.

She smiled thinly, almost asked him sharply what he wanted.

‘I was driving back this way,’ he said, answering her unspoken question, ‘and I saw your husband’s car outside. You said that he might want to speak to me, so I thought I’d call in.’

Oh, not now. Please!

She hesitated for a second, her fingers on the chain.

‘If it’s not convenient . . .’ he said quickly. ‘I know it’s a bit late. I nearly didn’t call. I was worried about waking Becky. She
is
in bed, isn’t she?’

Hailey nodded and slid the chain free, opening the front door to allow him access.

‘Come in, please,’ she said. ‘I’m sorry. You took me by surprise, that’s all.’ She managed to smile again, ushering him towards the sitting-room door.

Rob was still slumped in the armchair when she walked in, urging Walker to join them.

He hesitated, but she put one hand tenderly on his shoulder: a gesture for him to follow.

‘Rob, I’d like you to meet Adam Walker,’ Hailey said.

She watched as her husband stared in bewilderment at the newcomer – then at her.

‘He’s the one who found Becky when she got lost in the shopping centre,’ Hailey continued.

Rob stood up and extended his right hand, which Walker shook warmly.

‘It’s good to meet you,’ Rob said.

‘You, too,’ Walker replied.

Rob felt the strength in his handshake.

He had always felt you could tell a lot about a man by his handshake. If he encountered a feeble grip, that usually tainted his opinion of the man. It was surely a sign of weakness. Not so with Walker: there was power in that grip.

‘We’ve got a lot to thank you for, Mr Walker,’ Rob said.

‘Adam,’ the other man insisted.

Rob nodded. ‘It’s a good job you were around that day,’ he said. ‘Christ knows what would have happened to Becky otherwise.’ He shot an almost accusatory glance at Hailey, who was not slow to notice the underlying vehemence of it.

‘Would you like a drink?’ Hailey asked, smiling at Walker.

‘No, I’m fine. I won’t disturb you any longer,’ he said. Then, looking at Rob: ‘Hailey asked me to call in, so I did. But I’m sure you’ve got other things to do.’

‘Hailey forgot to tell me you might call in,’ Rob said, his eyes narrowing slightly. ‘I much appreciate what you did for Becky. Thank you.’

‘Anyone else would have done the same,’ Walker insisted.

‘Not everyone,’ Rob interjected.

There was an awkward silence.

‘Are you sure you won’t have a drink?’ Hailey said, becoming aware of the wordless interlude.

‘No, honestly,’ Walker said. ‘I’ll get off now.’

Walker, too, was anxious to get away from this oppressive atmosphere. He looked briefly at Hailey, who forced a smile.

‘I’ll see you out,’ she said.

As Walker stepped out into the hall, Hailey glared over at Rob, then she followed the other man to the front door, opening it for him.

‘I’m sorry if I caused any trouble,’ Walker said quietly. ‘I should have realized this was too late for social calls.’

‘
You
didn’t cause any trouble, Adam,’ she answered softly. ‘How was your father?

He shrugged.

‘The same as ever,’ he told her. ‘Like I said, you get used to it after a while.’

She nodded.

‘You get used to anything after long enough, Hailey,’ he said cryptically. ‘Don’t you?’

He turned and headed down the path.

‘I’ll see you,’ he added gently. ‘Take care.’

‘Adam?’ she said, taking a step out into the porch.

He turned.

‘Call me again,’ she asked, touching his hand lightly before she backed away.

He nodded.

Hailey stepped back into the house.

B
Y THE TIME
Hailey wandered into the living room again, Rob had changed into a pair of jeans and a denim shirt.

She carefully carried two mugs of tea, and set his down on the table beside him.

There was already a glass there, and she could smell the whiskey it contained.

‘I needed it – before you ask,’ he said.

She sat down at the opposite end of the sofa from him, legs tucked up beneath her.

Rob took a sip of the spirit, wincing slightly as it burned its way to his stomach.

‘Adam,’ he said, without inflection.

She looked at him.

‘Adam Walker.’ His eyes were still fixed on the TV screen.

‘I said I wanted him to meet you,’ Hailey told him. ‘I
said
you’d like to thank him.’

‘Oh, I
did
want to thank him. He seems like a nice enough bloke. Is he? You probably know more about him than I do.’

‘He rang me later to see how Becky was.’

No need to mention their lunch.

Rob nodded. ‘You invited a complete stranger to our house,’ he muttered, still without looking at her.

‘I invited the man who
saved
our daughter to meet you.’ Her voice was heavy with scorn. ‘After all, it was me who fucked up, wasn’t it? I let her get lost, didn’t I, Rob? I mean, you’re never going to let me forget
that
, are you?’