Dark Waters(16)

Dominic’s parents would have let it rest, understanding Col’s reluctance, but Dominic just wouldn’t take no for an answer.

‘Just this once,’ he pleaded on the phone. ‘I’ll never ask you again, I promise. But I want to show you my PlayStation. I’ve got brilliant games. We could play them.’

In the end, it was curiosity as well as Dominic’s pleas that made him change his mind. ‘Just this once,’ Col told a jubilant Dominic. That was what he told his mother too. ‘Just this once.’

She declined the invite. It was her favourite bingo night, she said, but the truth was she didn’t want to annoy Mungo. She did buy Col a new sweater for the visit though. ‘Nobody’s goin’ to say my boy’s not well dressed.’

He walked across town to Dominic’s house despite Dominic’s frantic insistence that ‘My dad’ll come and get you’.

But Col had been just as insistent. He’d walk. March had burst into life with a warm temperature and a promised early spring.

‘I’ve just seen my first crocus,’ his mother had said as he was leaving. ‘That means we’ll have a good summer.’

Which was probably the kiss of death to any good weather. Mam, they had discovered long ago, was totally rubbish at predicting the weather. Whatever she said, they usually ended up with the opposite.

It was a crisp, dry afternoon as he walked through the town centre and up into the west end where Dominic lived. The Sampsons’ house was situated in a quiet tree-lined terrace with fancy cars in all the driveways, and well-tended gardens.

Dominic was watching for him and came leaping down the front steps and whizzing towards him. ‘You’re just in time. Everybody’s here.’ He lowered his voice. ‘Even Miserella. Bet you 10p you can’t make her smile.’

He was pulling at Col’s sleeve, hurrying him into the house. ‘Come on! Come on!’

Mrs Sampson appeared at the door. ‘Dominic. Leave Col be for a minute.’ She flicked at his backside with a dishcloth, and Dominic yelped. Just what Col’s mother did to him. Maybe they weren’t so different after all. The thought cheered him up. He smiled as Mrs Sampson led him in to meet the rest of the family. The hallway was almost as big as his front room, with an ornate winding staircase leading up to the floors above. A dark wood unit took up all of one wall and it was filled with expensive-looking china and silver and crystal. Col tried to take it all in so he could describe it to Mam later. The Chinese rug, the crystal chandelier, the paintings. In the dining room, Mr Sampson was opening a bottle of wine. He turned and smiled, a genuine smile. This family really seemed to like him.

And, of course, he knew why. He had saved their son’s life. Col glanced at Dominic. He was gazing at Col as if he were some kind of superhero. Yet, if it hadn’t been for Col he would be deep down in the dark waters of the loch. He could almost picture his white face, bloated, floating …

Too scary! Too much like being back down there himself.

‘Are you OK, Col?’ Mrs Sampson asked. ‘You’ve gone quite pale.’

He shook the memory away, though it continued to cling around the corners of his mind like a spider’s web.

Mrs Sampson led him into the living room. ‘You haven’t met our daughter yet, Col. This is Ella.’ And she pulled a reluctant female into view.

Ella was slightly taller than Col, with long hair, the same nutty colour as Dominic’s, and eyes as icy as the loch. Miserella matched her name perfectly, Col thought. She looked as if she were smelling something awful … and it was probably him.

‘Now, you three get to know each other and I’ll call you when dinner’s ready.’

Mrs Sampson flashed a warning look at Ella as she passed her on the way to the kitchen. Col didn’t miss it. It was a you-be-nice-to-him-or-else kind of look. And, as soon as the door of the kitchen was closed, Ella ignored it.

‘Before we go any further,’ she said, ‘the furniture has been screwed down and we’ve counted the silver.’

Dominic jumped at her. ‘You said you’d be nice to Col. You promised. I’m going to tell Mum and Dad on you.’

Col held him back from rushing from the room. ‘Don’t bother with her, Dominic. She’s just jealous.’

He decided to look at her the same way she was looking at him, as if she were the bad smell.

‘What made you save his life? Think there would be a reward?’

She was trying to rile him, to make him angry. She thought it was going to be easy. Col decided he wasn’t going to let her.

‘Meeting you is reward enough for me.’