Dead And Buried

Fifteen

Bob Skinner took in the view from the balcony of his daughter’s new apartment. ‘You’ve done all right here, kid,’ he called across to her. A few feet below the Water of Leith flowed past, reflecting the lights from the properties on the bank opposite.

‘Haven’t I just,’ Alex replied, coming towards him with a flute of cava in either hand, holding one out to him. ‘It helps being a lawyer: you get whispers of things that are coming on the market, and of people who might be looking to buy in a specific area. I’ve always fancied living in Stockbridge, and now, here I am. I’ve even got a spare room, so that my old man can crash out when he comes for dinner.’

He stepped into the living area, closing the door behind him to shut out the winter chill. ‘I’m impressed that you can afford it, at your age,’ he told her, as he took the glass.

‘I thought it was a gamble when I signed up,’ she admitted, ‘but I’ve had a nice rise since then. I can handle it.’

‘Are you going to stay with Curle Anthony and Jarvis?’ he asked, as they settled into armchairs. ‘I seem to remember that when you started your law degree, you were full of talk about going to the Bar.’

‘I know, and it’s still a thought at the back of my mind, but the longer I stay with the firm, the more opportunities keep opening up. I’m an associate already, and that means that a partnership could be on the distant horizon.’

‘At your age most things seem distant, but they’re not. They have a habit of zooming up on you.’ He glanced at the table, set for two. ‘What’s for dinner?’ he asked suddenly.

‘Reindeer carpaccio as a starter . . .’

‘Reindeer?’

‘Trust me, it’s terrific.’

‘Reindeer? You mean we’ll be eating Rudolph?’

‘I prefer to think of it as one of the others. What’s your problem anyway? You like venison: that’s like eating Bambi’s mum.’

‘Is she the main course?’

‘No, I’m doing seared tuna steaks.’

‘Damn, I should have brought white wine, rather than red.’

‘Not at all, that Montecillo Reserva will go very well with it.’

‘I wish you’d let me take you out, you know.’

‘Not a chance. I’ve never cooked dinner for you before, not in my place. This is the first chance I’ve had since I moved and I’m not going to let it pass me by. Besides, I thought that you might prefer total privacy for what you’ve got to tell me.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Don’t play games with me, Dad. When you call me to say that you want to take me to dinner, you on your own, without Sarah, I’m going to start to think. When I hear that you two had a meeting last night in my firm’s offices, after closing time, I’m going to start forming conclusions.’

Bob rose from his chair, walked through to the kitchen and returned with the cava bottle. ‘I’m sorry, babe,’ he said, as he topped up both glasses. ‘I was trying to be delicate about it.’

She laughed, a little sadly. ‘Dad, you can’t do delicate. What’s the point anyway? I know that you and Sarah have been having troubles. The fact that she’s not here tells me that you’re not going to say that you’ve kissed and made up. You’ve come to the end of the road: yes or no?’

‘Yes. Sarah’s going back to the US.’

‘With the kids?’

‘I’ll have them during term-time, and they’ll spend their holidays with her.’

‘The nanny’s staying on?’

‘Of course.’ He looked her in the eye. ‘Well, what do you have to say?’

‘Good luck.’

‘That’s all?’

‘What do you want me to say? “Please don’t, Dad! Think again, for your children’s sake!” Sorry, that’s not going to happen. Your marriage has run out of steam; you’ve both been playing away games. It’s time to move on.’

‘Even for you, that’s a pretty calm reaction. I’d expected more . . .’

‘Sympathy? Is that what you came for? Dad, you’ve already got Sarah’s replacement lined up.’

‘Aileen is not Sarah’s replacement: she’s a friend.’

‘Pull the other one: if she’s just a friend then she won’t be for long. I know you. I’ve seen the woman; she came to lunch in our office a few weeks ago. She’s your type, Dad, more . . . and I am sorry to say this . . . than Sarah ever was.’

‘What do you mean, my type?’

‘Work it out for yourself.’

‘No, come on, tell me what you mean.’

‘When I saw her she reminded me of Mum. Okay?’

‘Well, she’s not. There may be something in the way she looks, the way she carries herself, but she’s different. Okay?’

‘Okay, if you say so.’

‘You’re your mother’s double, and she’s not a bit like you.’

‘Okay, Dad, okay. That’s fine: but she’s still your type.’

‘Well, that’s good, for she’s going to be around for a while. Now, sympathy: I did not come here for sympathy. I came to break some bad news to you and that’s all. Except you seem to be treating it as if it was good news.’

‘No, I’m not, really. If I’m not upset enough for you, it’s because I think you’re right. You’re forgetting one thing, Pops.’

‘Thank God, you called me Pops at last.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘When you call me Dad, it’s usually because you’re lecturing me about something or other. So what am I forgetting?’

‘You’re forgetting that I’ve been there myself. Okay, we weren’t married, but Andy and I were living together. The same thing happened to us. We weren’t right for each other, we got together when both of us were on the rebound from bad experiences, and eventually our relationship ran out of legs. If I hadn’t had my termination, and we had married, then it’s better than even money that you and I would be still sitting here right now, only both of us would be crying into our cava for the very same reason.’

‘Do you really think that Sarah and I got together on the rebound?’

‘Yes, I do. You might have rebounded further than Andy and me, but the principle was the same.’

‘Yes.’ Bob sighed. ‘I suppose it was. So you’re fine about it, really?’

‘As long as my brothers and sister are looked after as well as both of you possibly can, I am. If I ever doubt it, I will come down like a ton of legal bricks on each of you, but I’m confident it won’t come to that.’

‘Fair enough. Now, let’s change the subject. How’s your love life?’

‘Low level is probably the best way to describe it. I don’t have a steady, but I don’t go short of dinner dates, and if there’s a function where I need a partner, I have a list to choose from. I plan to enjoy this place on my own for a while; filling my wash basket with some man’s smelly socks is not on my agenda, I promise you.’

‘How about the accountant bloke you mentioned to me a few months back? The fellow from London.’

‘Guy? He’s still around, but only in the background, and only when I go down there. Nothing will come of that; he’s nice enough, but he’s just a bit too up himself, as they say in the City.’

‘You sound like you’ve got it taped, kid,’ he said, with a touch of admiration.

‘I like to think so.’

‘No black clouds . . . apart from me, that is?’

‘You’re not a black cloud; you’re a constant beam of sunshine in my life.’ She shot him a quick glance. ‘Everything’s fine, Pops, honest.’

Bob’s eyebrows twitched. ‘That’s another giveaway. Whenever you say “honest”, it means there’s something