The Half Truth(33)

Tina linked her arm through her mother’s. ‘Just having one of those days.’ She smiled at the older woman.

‘Nothing to do with the date you had last night?’

Tina stopped walking and turned to her mother. She issued her best innocent look. ‘Date? What do you mean?’

Pam laughed. ‘Dimitri was telling us all about John.’ She continued to walk along the concourse.

‘He did?’

‘He said you had a friend, called John, and that John played football with him.’

‘Is that all he said?’

‘More or less.’

Tina wasn’t sure she liked the ‘more or less’ bit. She was certain Pam was trying to suppress a smile.

‘It’s nothing serious,’ said Tina. They continued in silence, but the expectation of further enlightenment hung heavy between them. Tina felt compelled to expand. ‘He works in London. He’s a police officer.’

‘And is that where he is now? In London? Working?’

‘Yes, he is.’

Her mother might be getting old, but her brain was as agile as a teenager’s. There was no getting away with anything.

‘And that’s why you’re feeling fed up today,’ said her mother, with a certain amount of satisfaction.

Tina didn’t reply. This wasn’t the conversation she wanted to be having with her mother. She couldn’t tell Pam the truth about John, nor about the whole Porboski gang thing; it would only make her mother worry like mad.

‘If I’m honest,’ she balked at the hollowness of the expression, ‘I don’t know how much I’ll see of him. I’m not sure it’s going to be one of those sorts of relationships.’

Tina had thought about this after John had left that morning. John’s work didn’t lend itself to a long-term relationship and she wasn’t sure if that’s what she needed right now.

‘Don’t dismiss it so quickly,’ said Pam. ‘It’s about time you allowed yourself to start living again.’

‘Mum, please,’ said Tina. She’d heard this speech before about how she shouldn’t live in the past and had to move on. ‘Let’s not go there.’

Her mother made a humph noise. ‘Okay, I’ll say one thing, though.’

‘Mum!’ It appeared her mother’s selective hearing had kicked in.

‘If you can’t give yourself a chance, at least give your son one.’

It was like a punch to the rib cage. Pam hadn’t used that one before, a blindside comment. Tina sucked in a deep breath as she regained her composure.

‘Just because Dimitri hasn’t got a father, it doesn’t mean he’s missing out,’ she said in a measured tone. ‘Lots of women manage to bring their children up perfectly well single handed.’

‘I wasn’t saying for one moment that it wasn’t possible and it definitely wasn’t a criticism aimed at you.’ Pam tightened her grip on Tina’s hand, as it rested in the crook of her elbow. ‘You’re a wonderful mother.’

‘Thank you.’ The compliment softened the verbally bruised ribs.

‘Look at Dimitri with your father. See how thrilled they are to be together?’

Tina followed her mother’s gaze. Grandson and grandfather were deep in conversation, looking intently at a stone, knowing her father’s interest in geology, he’d probably found a fossil of some description. Tina watched them look up and out to sea. Judging by her father’s gestures and exaggerated facial expressions, Tina guessed he was telling one of his stories, which no doubt involved a dinosaur or a dragon and adventures at sea with pirates and sea- faring captains.

‘Dimitri isn’t missing out on anything or anyone,’ she said. ‘He has Dad.’

‘Not forever.’ Her mother’s voice was so soft, the sea breeze almost carried it away.

‘I know, Mum.’ Tina squeezed her mother’s arm. ‘Nothing is forever.’





Chapter 17


John arrived in London at the safe house where Martin had taken Baz.

‘Bloody hell, you look rough,’ said John as he set eyes on his informant.

‘So would you if you were living in a half-way home,’ said Baz. He held up a holdall. ‘This is all I’ve got right now, thanks to you.’

John exchanged a look with Martin. The latter shrugged in response.

‘What’s going on?’ asked John sitting down opposite Baz.

‘The Russians are on to you. They know you are looking for Pavel Bolotnikov. They are mighty pissed off that someone gave their fella an extra smile.’ Baz rubbed at the three-day- old bristles on his chin.

‘So why are you so jittery?’ asked John. ‘And what was it that you couldn’t tell Martin you had to tell me?’