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Chapter 3

Chapter 3

To: Nessa Cahill

Subject: RE: Penzance

Mixed news, Ness. Asked Chloe yesterday, and she said yes. Obviously delighted she did, though she’d dropped enough hints I wasn’t exactly expecting a no, if you get me! Still—bit of a relief, right? She’s a special woman, and now she’ll be coming with us. Who knows? Maybe Martine wasn’t the be-all and end-all of my married life, eh?

And frankly I’m looking forward to Cornwall. Always wanted to go back—and it seems fitting my first and my last posting will be in the same place! This’ll be it for me now, Ness. I’m starting to struggle to keep up, and I’m thinking of taking early retirement after a couple of years down there and setting up house proper with Chloe. Go into freelance security work, or some police civilian role. Maybe get back to dog training, though God knows if I’m still any good after all these years! But Cornwall’ll be nice. Nice to retire to, nice to put down roots. Part of me thinks Shane has a point, settling down even for a couple of years in Wheatley’s been a nice change. I think maybe this’ll be the last big move.

And speaking of Shane, he’s the bad news. Never thought I’d get to say that, it’s always Jase who’s difficult, but Shane really outdid himself at dinner last night. Chloe and I told him about the move, and he threw a tantrum like he hasn’t since he was about nine. Went off on one about not wanting to leave and Wheatley’s the first place he’s felt like he belongs. Swore, rude to Chloe, shouted, stormed out, door-slamming, the whole nine yards. Shut himself in his room all evening. I had a go at him through the door, but he’d barricaded it. And disappeared off to school early this morning before I could catch him. Little s**t.

Hell, I don’t know, Ness. It was more like telling Jason than Shane. I figured he’d be a bit down at moving again, seeing as how he has such a thing for that ginger girl, Darren Walsh’s daughter, but I didn’t expect that. He’s a placid kid.

Chloe says I should have told him first, or at least not let slip she knew. He did seem pissed that she’d known first, but since when did that kind of thing bother Shane? You know what he’s like. And he’s never had a problem with Chloe before, so God knows what it’s all about. Reckon it’s the girl?

Anyway, he’ll get a talking-to tonight. Upset or not, he knows better than to use that kind of language in my house, and especially towards a woman.

Keep me posted on how your lads are doing at their new school—and any suggestions how to handle Shane would be appreciated until he comes around. He’s a bit odd, that boy, I never quite know if he’s going to appreciate something or sulk, and I’ve had quite enough of sulky teenagers out of Jason, thank you very bloody much. But Shane’s an odd one. More like his mother than me, gets funny things in his head sometimes. Ah well, kid’ll come around eventually. Once he’s done being grounded for swearing at Chloe!

Ask your Jamie if he wants Jason’s old Nintendo console. Shane never uses it, and I’m buggered if I can work out what to do with it. If he does, I’ll box it up and drop it off at Mum’s next time we visit.