Chapter 41

Once he’d taken a long pull from the drink,Craig gestured with the half-empty glass,“This is Harry,”he pointed to the kid who Andy had labelled the squealer.“And Toby.”Craig indicated a smaller,more thickly-set teen.

“Pleased to meet you,though I’ve already met Harry.”

Returning to his table,Andy found Luke holding court with another group of friends.Sitting,he felt a pang of guilt that he’d be taking Luke away from all this.There,undoubtably,were gay pubs in Yorkshire,but he’d never visited any of them.

Eventually they decided it was time to hail a cab and go back to Luke’s flat for a final night.The taxi ride was filled with an exhuberant Craig telling Luke and Andy all about Harry and especially Toby.The latter had given Craig his email address and phone number.

“I gave him my email address,but I thought it’d be better to give him your phone number.”

“What am I,a bloody gay dating service?”But Andy was smiling.From what little he’d seen of Toby,he approved.

“If mum got him on the phone,she’d ask him too many questions;it’d be dead embarrassing.”

Andy had to agree with that.It was a pity Toby lived so far away.He was a definite improvement on Dennis.

****

Much of Thursday was spent by Luke tying up loose ends with his landlord,organising final readings for the electricity and gas meters,and,of course,packing.Andy knew if he never sawanother cardboard box for the rest of the year,he’d be glad.

Though as Craig so helpfully pointed out,“It’s all got to be unloaded at the other end.”

After Andy had dumped Luke’s bed at the Council tip,Craig still protesting they should auction it,the packing of the van began in earnest.

“God,I’ve missed this arse,”a gravely voice said.

“Roger!”Luke said.

Andy,who had been rearranging boxes inside the van,straightened and hit his head on the van’s roof.“Fuck!”He took a couple of steps backward and stood up.Turning,he saw Roger pawing at Luke,who was doing his best to fend him off.Without thinking,Andy raised a fist andadvanced.

“No,Andy!”Luke said,putting himself between the pair of them.“It’s all right,I can deal with this.”Spinning round,Luke faced a grinning Roger.“What are you doing here?”

“I thought I’d give you another chance.”

“What?”Both Luke and Andy said at the same time.

“Well,I knew you’d be missing me,so I—”

“What the fuck!”Andy tried to move Luke out of the way so he could get at the bastard.

Luke shot Andy a determined look and stood firm.Andy wasn’t happy,but decided to let Luke deal with it,for now.

Turning back to Roger,Luke sighed.“Where can I begin?First off,I’m not missing you.I mean,why should I?”Luke stood there,hands on hips,staring down the gangly,twitching,overly-thin guy.Despite his anger,Andy couldn’t help admire his man.

“But Lukie.”

“No,Roger,stop,before you make a fool of yourself.I’ve moved on.You need to as well.”

“You don’t mean that.I know you don’t.We used to be good together,me and you.”

“Good?”Luke raised his voice.Andy took a quick look around and saw that one or two people were starting to show an interest.Craig stood there,packing box in hand,looking gobsmacked.“What was good about you cheating on me,stealing money from me,lying to me?I remember times when you said you were just going out somewhere,you said you’d only be a few minutes.Only I didn’t see you for hours.I’d get worried that you were hurt,had been in an accident or something,and all the time you were off shooting up with your druggy mates.Yeah,they were such good times.”

Andy laid a hand on Luke’s shoulder to offer support.God,he was proud of his man.

“It wasn’t like that,”Roger whined.Where had the confident,strutting man of a few secondsearlier gone?

“Wasn’t it?So you never cheated on me,never took drugs while we were together?”

“Look at me.I swear I never took drugs.”He pushed his face at Luke,who stepped back.Andy crossed his arms over Luke’s chest and pulled him into him.

“You’re lying,”Luke said.“I can tell you’re high.Just look at you.You’re shaking.Your eyes,they’re dilated.”

“No,Luke,you’re wrong.”

“You’re sweating,too.”

“I’ve been running.”

Luke laughed.“Yeah,right.You were always quick with the excuses.Good to see that hasn’t changed.We’re done,Roger.Just go.”Luke waved his hand dismissing him,broke out of Andy’s embrace,and turned to go down the steps into his flat.

Roger reached out and grabbed hold of Luke’s sleeve.That was enough for Andy,who took hold of Roger’s thin wrist and twisted it behind the guy’s back.“Ouch.Let go,you bastard.”

“You heard him.He has nothing else to say to you.But I do.”

“Andy,don’t.He’s not worth it,”Luke said.“Roger,just go.”

“I’ve nowhere to go,thanks to you kicking me out.I’ve been sleeping rough.”Judging by the smell,and the state of Roger’s clothing,Andy could believe it“It’s all your fault.”

“What?”Luke stared at him,and Andy tightened his grip on Roger’s arm.

“Let fucking go!”Roger struggled ineffectually.

“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t break your fucking arm,”Andy growled.

“What are you on now?Is it crack?Meth?Or just anything you can get your hands on?”Luke’s voice was getting louder;more people were stopping what they were doing to watch.

“We were good together,you and me.Remember?We’d go out,have a meal,go to a club,then come back here and I’d love you and—”

“Stop it.”

“I love you,Lukie.You gotta believe me.”The man stopped struggling,so Andy let go of him,but stood nearby,in case he tried anything.

“Just go.”Luke waved a dismissive hand at him again.“I’m with Andy now.”

Roger started to cry great racking sobs.“What’s he got,”he sniffed,and wiped his runny nose on his sleeve,“that I haven’t?”

“Don’t do this,”Luke said,sounding compassionate.

“I’ll be everything you need.”

“I’m not interested,not any more.Go and book yourself into a hospital or something;you need to get clean.”

“All I need is you.”Roger’s sobs increased.

“Don’t do this to yourself.Look,get well,and then maybe we can talk.But we can’t get backtogether.I’m moving away.Going to go live with Andy.”

“What?”Roger suddenly stopped crying and seemed to see the van and all the boxes on the pavement for the first time.“Some of this stuff is mine.You’re trying to steal it.”

“What?”Luke said.“None of this is yours.You never bought anything for the house.Or me.”

“I did.Look.”Roger knelt and started rummaging through the boxes,scattering clothes,CDs.“Look,this sweater is mine.”

“Is it?”Luke didn’t seem to believe him.

“Yes.And this,and this too.You’re not taking them,they’re mine.

Luke shook his head.“Okay,fine.Just take them and go.”

Roger looked as though he was about to start going through another box when they heard the siren of a police car somewhere off in the distance.That seemed to get through to him;he stoodand advanced on Luke.

Andy grabbed the bastard by the scruff of his neck.“That’s it,shit-head.”He turned to hisnephew.“Take Luke inside and call that Detective Inspector Summers.”

“Right.Come on,Luke,mate.”

“You’ve not heard the last of this!”Roger spat at Luke,who just stood,frozen.“You were nothing but a fucking prostitute,getting paid for guys to fuck you.”He laughed mirthlessly.“Only I got to fuck you for free.”

“Shut up!”Andy had got an arm around Roger’s neck and gave serious consideration to crushing the low-life’s windpipe.“Craig.”

“Don’t bother.I’m going.”Roger said.Andy loosened his grip,but stood ready.“You can have him.But don’t come crying to me when you realise you’re just the latest in a long line of pricks he’s had up him.”