Page 49 of We Chase Shadows

‘Okay,’ says Steve. Trouble is turning his head between the two of them as if watching a tennis match. ‘Would you like to join our quiz team tonight?’

‘No, thank you,’ says Amy.

‘Okay,’ says Steve. Phew.

‘But thank you for asking,’ says Amy.

Steve nods towards Trouble. ‘You let me know if he gets too heavy for you. I can take him.’

‘Steve,’ says Amy, ‘I can leg press over 300 kilos, I’ll be okay.’

Steve nods. ‘He looks restless, that’s all.’

‘Well, I’d love to quiz,’ says Vern. ‘If you’ll have me?’

‘Capital of Malawi?’ asks Steve.

‘Malawi City?’ guesses Vern.

Steve gives a low grunt.

‘Where are you going next?’ Tony asks.

‘Palm Springs,’ says Steve.

Tony gives a low whistle. ‘Australia.’

‘America,’ says Steve.

‘Even so,’ says Tony. ‘Is it hot?’

‘Very hot,’ says Rosie. ‘But everyone’s got a pool. And Frank Sinatra used to live there. You boys like Frank Sinatra, don’t you?’

Steve and Tony both nod. Steve is still not exactly relishing the idea, but he does have to admit that he likes Frank Sinatra.

‘I’ll hold the fort back here,’ says Tony. ‘Don’t you worry about that.’

‘After the quiz though,’ says Steve. ‘That’s in my contract.’

Steve sees Trouble stirring. Giving an apologetic look to Amy, he jumps down from her lap and walks over to Steve. Trouble knows Steve doesn’t want to go to Palm Springs. He jumps up and curls himself into Steve’s lap. Steve tries as hard as he can to make it look as if he hasn’t noticed.

‘Can I get anyone more tea?’ asks Amy. Everyone agrees that she can, so she collects up the mugs and walks into the kitchen. Trouble, who likes food even more than he likes laps, follows, so Steve does too. She might need a hand.

Steve watches from the doorway as she takes a mug from his kitchen cupboard. It says I SURVIVED ST LUCIA. A memento of their previous case. He wants to keep watching, because the scene reminds him so much of Debbie just pottering around the kitchen. But it’s creepy to lurk, so he walks over to the fridge and takes out the milk for her.

‘Hey, Pops,’ she says.

‘Hey, daughter-in-law,’ he says.

Steve hears chatter in the other room as Amy flicks the kettle on.

Tony is now holding court. ‘Of course, I say it’s not a ring road, but the Stony Lane project on the A35 really improved congestion around Christchurch.’

Rosie says something in reply, Steve doesn’t catch what, but everyone laughs.

Amy tears the teabags from each other and puts them in the mugs. Warm rays of summer sun play across the kitchen. More laughs from the other room. Steve sees Amy smile.

‘What’s the smile for?’ he asks.