Masters & Lovers Box Set Three

Michael

James rolls the razor over the line of jaw to neck, angling in the mirror to see the result.

“You’ve got it all,” I say. “Bloody nuisance for you having to shave as often as you do.”

He harrumphs, then, “Maybe I should grow a beard.” He looks himself left then right in the mirror. “What do you think?”

“It’s not my opinion you should ask.” I cock my head towards the door.

“Mmmm.” He runs a finger from chin to ear, sucking in his cheeks. “How is she?”

“Pretty hyper. I’m beginning to wish I’d not told her about the address; checked it out first myself. I could easily have found a different Christmas gift if I tried… If we get there and don’t find anything. If her mother’s moved or died…”

“Worst scenario…” says James, “No-one’s heard of her at all. No-one knows anything. Anything else is at least a step forward.”

“Yes, but that’s really why I wanted you to come along too. If it’s bad news, I can’t drive and hold her hand too…”

Charlotte bounces into the room. “I’m ready when you are.”

I look her up and down. “Have you just changed your clothes?”

“Er… yes. First, I thought I should go dressed in my best. Then I thought it might look a bit odd, wandering around a strange neighbourhood like that. So I changed into jeans, then I thought, if we find my mother, I should look nice and then…”

I step forward, tug her to me by the waist. “Charlotte, you would look ‘nice’ if you dressed in an old carpet. If we find your mother, how you’re dressed is the least of what will be happening.”

Her eyes fall. “If…”

“Yes, it’s still ‘if’. The address was old. Even the police file made it clear that they didn’t know what had happened or where she might have gone from there.”

“I know.” Her words are tight, constricted. “But I’m just hoping that…”

I tilt up her chin. “I know what you’re hoping, but with the best will in the world, this is almost certainly just a fact-finding mission. I did a lot of searching through old files just to get as far as I did.”

She nods against the pressure of my finger then, “Michael?”

“Mmmm?”

“Whatever happens, whatever we find, thank you.”

I press my lips to hers. “My pleasure.”

*****

“My car?”

“If that’s alright with you.” James pats his thigh. “Given the distance, it would be easier if you were driving.”

“Fine.” I turn to check Charlotte’s not in earshot. “The pair of you sit in the back seat. I don’t need a navigator and I’d rather her be close by you.”

They sit together, he with an arm wrapped around her while she just stares out of the window. Occasionally our eyes meet in the mirror.

*****

“This is it?” Charlotte stands, staring around, looking lost.

To one side; a car park, huge, able to take hundreds, perhaps thousands of cars. To the other; a hypermarket, DIY and white goods stores, acres of sheet glass displaying computers, TVs, household goods, clothes…

The acreage is vast. The retail park perhaps ten years old. No trace remains of what it replaced.

James stands beside her, a hand on her shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Charlotte,” I say. “But we won’t give up. We’ll keep looking.”

She nods, her face screwing up with suppressed tears, then she gets back in the car.

*****

in scarves and gloves, Ben and I seat ourselves

Order…?

Ben not be permitted to visit our home any more after charging in and ruining Charlotte’s birthday, since he chose to

need

of brush, scrub, weeds and brambles awaits the bonfire, vibrating in the slight

do noses go red

how to turn out the right meal for the weather. Ben sniffs at steam fragrant with

Sally

one.” He nods out over the area we just cleared, now hacked down to a few inches clear of the ground. His patchwork of a mongrel terrier, Scruffy, digs with industrial-grade ferocity

area’s going to be grass, so it just needs mowing. But the old out-buildings on the far side…” I wave across the stubbled earth… “… Some need demolishing. Some I want to fix up. Now I

and ramshackle stables by eye. “Any

on a farm when she was younger. I know she was happy there. I thought she might like to keep some

of a stable-door hanging by a single hinge, then twists to look up. “Stonework’s sound, but the roof timbers have had it. And the shingles.” He digs a thumbnail into the door-frame. “Woodworm have had most of

the hotchpotch of buildings. “It reminds me of that old place at McAlister’s. You know, where

apples from his orchard, you

did, didn’t we. Hey… you remember that day when he spotted us and he was

I forget it? It was me he threw

me that had to explain to Mom why I’d brought you home covered in white-wash.” He

sure why it was you that got the seat of your

and I was supposed to

I chuckle. Cold air gusts over me and I down another mouthful of soup. “Wonder

this.” Ben jerks a thumb at the sheds. “I went back there one day a few months ago. Even the house is falling apart. The old man died. The kids had moved on

maybe? Like this place. Convert the outbuilding to holiday

the family. So it’s just standing there, falling to pieces a

Shame…

you

new to walk Scruffy.” He sucks down more soup. I do likewise. Then, “And… I just wanted to take a

What’s going on?

earth-moving changes direction and a shower

up, his stub of a tail wags furiously as

sucks in his cheeks. “Rats maybe. Could easily be a burrow

Mmmm….

have a dog or

He trots over, sits by me and

*sigh*

snout, and the mole-hill now attached to the top, at Ben’s mug. He turns soft eyes on his junk-heap mutt, squatting

good, just sharing time with my bother. Nothing

Family…

I wanted to say thank you for apologising to Charlotte and James. It means a lot. She’s… she’s going through a tough time right now. I appreciate what you

crooked, turning sour. “How else was I going to hang on to my brother? Since it was clear you were going to side with

“She's my wife, Ben.”

Change the subject…

it going

girl. Everything I ever looked for...” Despite the words, his tone is gloomy. “… at least I thought so.” And there’s an edge to

Now what…?

push it too far,

empty mug. “I won't,

Here it comes…

bit boring. Needy. Always wants to ask me what she should

failed ‘Ben

feeling you wanted the kind of girl

what I

of woman you thought you

doesn’t reply. The mug revolves between

Am I being dense?

Missing the sub-text…?

“So, what’s going wrong?”

... this time...

face tightens,