The moans from the bedroom were growing more urgent.
Mad Will said, 'You have a kid?'
Glass swore under his breath. Done it again. He said, 'Yeah. What's that got to do with anything?'
'Don't look old enough.'
Glass said nothing.
'You don't want a gun in the house,' Mad Will said. 'Not with a kid around.'
Just his luck. A gun dealer with a conscience. 'I appreciate your concern,' he said, 'but it's my responsibility.'
'And it's for your wife, huh?'
He nodded. Good God. The guy in the bedroom sounded close to death.
Mad Will wasn't paying the noise any attention. 'If she fires this at someone,' he said, 'she'll probably go to prison.'
'Maybe. Depends on the circumstances.'
'Reasonable force, the law states.'
'I know.'
Mad Will topped up his coffee. Silence from the bedroom now. 'Guns aren't reasonable,' Mad Will said. 'By any stretch of the imagination.'
'And even if they were, this baby's illegal.' Glass paused. 'I know.'
'Worth thinking about.'
'Okay.' Glass waited a few seconds. Then: 'I've thought about it. I want to buy the gun. Do you want to sell it to me or not?'
'Absolutely,' Mad Will said. 'But I want to make it abundantly clear that it's not a toy. Owning this 'baby' can change your life.'
'Fine.'
'Well, if you're sure.' Mad Will made a sound with his lips, ran a hand through his straggly hair. 'Gun's yours.'
Finally. Glass laid a pile of notes on the table. 'That's what we discussed on the phone, right?'
Mad Will nodded.
Glass waited.
Mad Will looked at him, pointed towards the door. 'You can see yourself out, eh?'
*
In the corridor, Glass closed the sitting room door behind him and, as he passed the bedroom where the moaning and grunting had come from, he couldn't help noticing that the door was ajar.
Just a slit. But enough of an opening to see the girl's face.
She was gagged. Black mascara-bruised eyes. Tears rolling down her cheeks. She looked into Glass's eyes. If she hadn't, he might have been able to sneak past. But not now. She'd seen him.
His breath quickened as he leaned closer to the door and peered through the crack. Her hands were clamped together behind the bedpost. He couldn't tell if they were tied or cuffed.
A grunt, and then the back of a man's head came into view, a dark shutter falling down over the girl's face. Now was Glass's chance. He could no longer see her eyes pleading with him. Maybe he could get away. Escape.
There was the sound again, though. Grunting. Moaning. But it was different. Slightly higher pitched. As if … yeah, a different man.
As if to confirm it, someone said, quietly, 'That's it. Fuck the bitch, Jocky.'
Behind Glass, the sitting room door was closed. Mad Will couldn't see Glass in the corridor. Mad Will thought Glass had left the flat. And the men in the room didn't know he was there. Only the girl knew.
Glass could do this. He should do this. He had to do this. He couldn't do anything else. He backed away from the door until he felt the wall press against his shoulder blades. His mouth was dry. Do it. He couldn't just walk in there, hold them at gunpoint while the girl escaped. But if he didn't, she'd continue to get raped by Jocky and whoever else was in the room. He couldn't leave her to be gang-banged. Maybe killed afterwards. Humped and dumped, as the cons would say. Glass couldn't stand here thinking. He thought far too much. He had to act.
One step across the corridor, kick the door open, step into the room.
Easy.
Do it.
Done.
Just the two men, thank Christ. The girl was spread-eagled on the bed.
'Get off her,' Glass said to Jocky, gun arm stretched out, shaking. Felt like he might drop the weapon. Didn't trust his grip. He'd seen cops on TV. They used two hands. He did the same, his left hand supporting his right. Felt better.
'What the fuck is this?' the other guy said. He was standing up, naked, making no attempt at modesty.
Jocky's hips only stopped thrusting now. He raised himself and turned his head to the side. He had a moustache, thick and brown. Looked like a walrus. He said, 'Who are you?'
Glass licked his upper lip. Tasted salt. 'Get off her,' he said again.
'Christ's sake,' Jocky said. 'Are you for real?'
Glass stepped closer. Thrust his arm out. 'Last chance.'
When he'd stepped into the room he hadn't had any idea if he'd be able to pull the trigger if called upon. Now he knew. He couldn't. No way he could take a human life, no matter how despicable that human was. He just wasn't a killer.
Luckily, Jocky didn't call his bluff. 'Okay,' he said, and moved backwards, slowly, palms raised. Slid away from Glass, off the girl.
Glass caught a flash of her breasts, small and flattened, nipples puffy and wet. He tore his eyes away, watched Jocky, still hard, back off the bed. A big guy. Ridiculously big.
'Take off the gag,' Glass told him and wiped his forehead. It was hot in here. Stank of sweat and seafood. He kept his eyes off the girl. Away from her body.
Jocky bent over, muttered something to the girl and untied the gag.
The girl shook her head hard, spat. 'The fuck's going on?' she said to Glass. 'You can't just fucking waltz in here like you own the place, shithead.'
'I …' Glass said, staring at her breasts.
'Untie me so I can shove that gun up your fucking arse.'
This was hardly the reaction Glass had expected. She didn't seem upset. Well, she was upset. But with Glass, not with the guys who'd been raping her. And she didn't appear to be hurt.
Something was wrong here.
He didn't get it. It was as if he'd walked into another world, one where nothing made sense.
She didn't sound like she'd been crying, but he could see from her face that she had been. Those were tear streaks. Weren't they? Yeah. Well, what else could they be? Trickles of sweat?
'Thank God, Will,' the girl said.
Glass felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see Mad Will right behind him.
'You said you were leaving,' Mad Will said.
'I thought …' Glass said. 'I thought she was …' And then he saw the tripod in the corner of the room, the camera perched on top. Oh, shit.
He'd stepped onto the set of a porno shoot.
He lowered his arm. 'I'm sorry,' he said. 'I'm really sorry.'
Jocky said, 'Can we use this?'
'Dunno,' the other guy said. 'I doubt it.'
'Fuck you,' the girl shouted at Glass. 'Now I have to do all that again.' She swivelled on the bed, arms still stretched behind her, and swung her foot at him. She missed by a distance. 'You think I like this? You want to get fucked for a living?'
Glass stepped back. He had no answer for her.
Mad Will said, 'You're lucky she's still tied up. Cause even with the gun, I wouldn't fancy your chances.'
'I'm sorry,' Glass said again. 'I'm really—'
'Yeah, yeah,' the girl said. 'Twat.'
'You better go,' Mad Will said. 'I'll see you out.'
*
The girl calls him a twat and Mad Will says, 'You better give me that.' He looks at the gun in Glass's hand.
Glass says, 'I paid for it.'
'Here,' Mad Will says, sticking his hand into his pocket, pulling out a wad of notes. 'A full refund.'
'But I need it,' Glass says. 'You can't take it back.'
'Give,' Mad Will says.
Glass looks around, at the girl, at her breasts, at the two naked men, back at Mad Will. 'No,' he says.
Mad Will says, 'I asked nicely once. I won't ask nicely twice.' He raises his eyebrows.
Glass doesn't know what to do.
Mad Will says, 'I warned you.' He grabs the barrel of the gun.
Glass stares at him, amazed at what Mad Will has just done. Why isn't he scared? Is it reall
y so obvious Glass won't shoot him?
'I'll pull the trigger,' Glass says.
'Go on then.'
Glass really wants to, but knows he can't. Damn, though, it would be something to surprise Mad Will. Wipe that buck-toothed smile right off his face.
But Glass isn't a killer.
Fuck it. We all change, all the time.
He pulls the trigger.
The joint drops from Mad Will's mouth and he falls back onto the bed.
The girl screams.
Jocky says, 'Shit.'
Glass lets his grip on the gun loosen. Drops the gun.
The girl's still screaming.
*
Glass tells Mad Will he'll pull the trigger.
'Go on then.'
Glass really wants to, but knows he can't. Damn, though, it would be something to surprise Mad Will. Wipe that buck-toothed smile right off his face.
But Glass isn't a killer.
Mad Will takes the gun away. 'Thanks,' he says.
'How did you know?' Glass says. 'I could have shot you. You couldn't have known.'
Mad Will says, 'You ain't going to shoot anybody unless you turn off the safety first.' He thumbs a lever on the side of the gun. 'Like that.' Points the gun at Glass. 'See?'
Glass swallows, nods.
'Right,' Mad Will says. 'What are we going to do with you?' He looks around. 'Any suggestions, guys?'
*
They make Glass strip. He stands in his underwear.
He feels how the inmates must feel when an officer searches them. He hears Fox saying, 'Lift your balls up. Good. Bend over. Spread your cheeks.'
At least they haven't made him do that.
Jocky has moved over to the camera. He's recording this.
'The rest,' Mad Will says to Glass.
Glass shakes his head. His knees are trembling.
'Need a hand?' The girl approaches him. Presses her face right up to his. Presses her chest against his.
He feels her warmth. Smells her. She smells like Ross.
She presses her hand against his crotch. Rubs. 'Not much happening down there,' she says.
'Not going to either,' Glass says, sure of himself.
'We'll see.' She slides her fingers down the front of his Y's.
He stares at her. Wills himself not to feel anything. A twitch, though. Something stirring. He places his hands on her shoulders, fingers instantly oily. He pushes her away.
She thumps onto the bed, legs splayed. He gets an eyeful.
'Hey,' Mad Will says to him. 'That's not nice. Think we'll have to tie you up.'
'Come on,' Glass says. 'This is crazy.'
Doesn't get much further cause the girl springs off the bed and slaps him. 'That's for pushing me.' She faces Mad Will. 'Do what you want with him. I don't want to touch him again. He makes my skin crawl.'
She leaves the room, grabbing a dressing gown off a hook on the back of the door, bare feet slapping on the floor.
Jocky says, 'You up for some boy-on-boy, Brad?'
The other guy, Brad, looks at Glass, gaze dwelling on his underpants. 'Fuck, no,' he says, scratching his stubble.
'Will?'
Mad Will looks at Glass, takes a toke on his joint. 'Fuck, no.'
'Me neither.'
Mad Will says, 'Well, Glass. Looks like none of us fancy you.'
Will they let him go? Can it be that simple? 'That mean I can get dressed now?' he asks.
'Suppose so.'
'Can I have the gun?'
Mad Will chuckles.
'I need it,' Glass says.
'Suck my fat dick,' Mad Will says.
*
'Yeah, yeah,' the girl said. 'Twat.'
'You better go,' Mad Will said. 'I'll see you out.'
Glass knew he was lucky to be getting away so easily. He turned, half expecting Mad Will to hit him over the head with a hidden cosh. But he behaved like a gentleman. Showed Glass to the door, opened it for him, said goodbye.
Sometimes Glass's imagination got the better of him. He'd run through all those possibilities and they'd all seemed as if they were actually happening.
He was okay now, though. Facts were, he'd interrupted a porn shoot, pulled a gun on them, and he was getting away with nothing more than being called a twat.
Which he was.
He looked at the gun in his hand. That was real enough.
*
In the car, Glass turned on the radio, tuned into the weirdest shit he could find. Some atonal classical piece with cellos and violins that sounded like they were crying together. Did a pretty good job of summing up how he felt.
He wouldn't need to fire the gun when he met Watt a couple of hours from now. Just point it at him, show him he was serious.
Like with the porn stars back at Mad Will's?
Shut up.
What he'd said to Mad Will was close to the truth. He wanted the gun to protect Lorna. But he didn't want her to have it. Protecting his family was his job.
The girl back at Mad Will's was different. She wasn't family. If she was, he wouldn't have hesitated to pull the trigger.
Yeah, you would.
Shut up. Stop interrupting.
Probably just as well under the circumstances.
Watt had picked a public venue for their meeting. Deliberate, no doubt. But if he was intent on handing over drugs, they'd have to go somewhere else. Wasn't something that could be done in the open. Right?
Some time later, Glass pulled into his driveway. Caitlin was at the window, waving.
*
'What's my babygirl been up to?' he asked Caitlin once he was inside.
The table was littered with colouring books and the TV was on. There was no sign of Lorna.
'Drawing,' Caitlin said. 'Stickering.'
'And watching your video?'
'Beauty and the Beast.' She clapped her hands. A blue crayon flew out. 'Oops-a-daisy.'
'You're so lazy.'
'I'm so lazy!'
Glass bent down to pick it up. Handed it to her.
'Thank you, Daddy.'
'My pleasure, sweetheart. Do I get a kiss?'
'Yes!' She walked over to him, book in hand. 'Look.'
'Very pretty,' he said. 'You did that all by yourself?'
'Aha,' she said. 'And look.' She turned the page.
'That's lovely,' he said. 'Really beautiful. Where's my kiss?'
He lifted her into his arms and she smacked her lips against his and said, 'Mwa.'
He tasted Ribena. His lips were sticky.
'Where's Mummy?' he said.
'In the kitchen,' Caitlin said. 'She was thirsty.'
*
Lorna was staring at the wall, fingers curled round a wine glass, an empty bottle on the table in front of her. She didn't look up.
'Daddy's home,' Caitlin said, wriggling in Glass's arms.
'That's nice.' Lorna didn't even smile.
Glass put Caitlin down. 'You go back and watch TV,' he said.
'Want to stay here,' Caitlin said.
'You're going to miss the best bit.' He put on his actor's voice. 'He's no monster, Gaston.'
'You are,' Caitlin shrieked.
'No, you are.'
'You, Daddy. Mummy, tell him!'
Lorna said, voice flat, 'You're right. Daddy's a monster.'
'See?' Caitlin said. 'You're the monster.'
'Off you go,' Lorna said to Caitlin. She smiled this time.
'Come and watch it too,' Caitlin said.
'I'll be through in a minute,' Glass said.
She pulled a face. 'Promise?'
'Promise.'
Once she'd gone, Lorna's smile vanished.
Glass took a seat opposite her. 'You okay?'
She shrugged. Didn't look okay. She got up, went to the wine rack, pulled out another bottle. Grabbed the corkscrew off the work surface where it lay next to a slab of meat and a cleaver on the chopping board, and returned to the table.
'Want a glass, Glass?' she
said.
Another old joke. And one that wasn't funny the first time.
'Well, do you?'
He'd have shaken his head but she wasn't looking at him, focusing instead on opening the bottle. 'No, thanks.'
She burped. 'So where were you?'
'When?'
'For fuck's sake,' she said. '"When?" he asks. Just now.'
She was drunk. And pissed off. Bad combination.
'When I was out?' he asked. 'I told you. Doing a spot of shopping.'
The cork popped. 'A spot.' She filled her glass. 'Of shopping.' Turned to look at him. 'For what?'
'Just … things.'
'And where are those "things"?'
'Lorna, what's wrong?'
'Did I say something was wrong?'
'Don't be like this.'
She stared at him. 'What am I being like?'
'You're drinking,' he said. 'Too much.'
'You're lying to me,' she said. 'That's a good reason to drink too much, don't you think?'
'I can't tell you where I was,' he said.
'Oh,' she said, 'that's a fucking shame.'
'I'm sorry.'
'I bet. I have to trust you, is that right?'
'Yes.'
'And why should I do that?'
'Because I have your welfare at heart. Yours and Caitlin's.'
'Our welfare? Jesus, you're something else.' She pinged a fingernail off her wineglass. 'So you're not seeing someone?'
Where had that come from? 'Why would I do that?'
'I was hoping you'd tell me.'
'What's going on?'
'You're a bastard.'
'I don't know what you're talking about.' He placed his hand on hers.
She pulled away. 'So you don't know anything about some bondage session? A naked girl, tied to a bed, gagged? Sound familiar?'
Jesus Christ! How the hell had she found out about that?
'Fun, was it? You've never asked to do that with me. I never knew it was your thing. Is that what you like, then?'
'No, it's not,' he said. 'I don't want to do that.'
'Good.' She burped again. 'Wouldn't let you anyway. You're a fuck. A fucking fuck. Fucker.'
'Keep your voice down.'
'Don't tell me to keep my voice down. I'm not the one who's been fucking around.' She took a breath. 'Only David and you can't hold that against me for ever.'
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