The Savages

by Matt Whyman

  That the boy quickly realised he was being followed came as no surprise to the private investigator.

  ‘You’re bound to be paranoid,’ said Vernon, who had seen it all before. ‘It’s what happens when you carry around a guilty secret.’

  He made no attempt to back off. In his experience, keeping up the pressure like this simply made it more likely that the kid would crack and confess. On seeing Ivan pass the pizza place, only to wheel around as Sasha’s boyfriend bundled out in a state of some animation, Vernon pulled up smartly in the van. Was Jack Greenway in on it, too? What was with the drama? With his eyes fixed on the pair, Vernon reached across for his pasty. He found the packet on the seat, and then dropped it again as if he’d just discovered it was wired to the vehicle’s battery.

  ‘For crying out loud!’ he growled, and flapped his hand until the pain eased. ‘You could fuel a power station with this!’

  Having his lunch right beside him, seemingly superheated, was beginning to place Vernon in a foul mood. He was hungry, irritable, and also distracted, he realised, on looking back at the pizza place. Luckily, he caught sight of the pair as they headed for the little car park behind the building. He waited for the hybrid to edge out, and then let several cars pass before tailing it. Even if the pair knew they were being followed, he didn’t want them to recognise him. Every now and then, he would test the pasty on the passenger seat. Each time it felt a little cooler, in that it wouldn’t now turn an ocean to steam. Eventually, on reaching a set of traffic lights, Vernon found that he could actually hold it in one hand without having to make a beeline to the hospital burn’s unit.

  ‘This had better be worth it,’ he muttered, and eased the top of the pasty from the packet. With one hand grasping the wheel still, Vernon chewed off a generous corner. His teeth sunk through the pastry crust, which was now bearable. Unfortunately for Vernon, it also insulated what felt to him just then like a filling made from molten lava. Instinctively, he spat it out against the windscreen. The gravy was just as hot, as he discovered a second later as it slopped onto his lap, followed by chunks of steak. ‘Get off me!’ he cried and tried to swat away what could have been hot coals dropping on him. With his mouth, hands and crotch on fire, or at least that’s how it felt to him, the private investigator went into panic. Despite the fact that the traffic lights were about to turn from red to green, he snapped off his seat belt, threw open the car door and jumped out while attempting to hold the front the fabric of his trousers away from his skin.

  ‘Are you OK there?’ asked a guy on the pavement, holding a Golf Sale sign like a downcast standard bearer.

  Vernon English finished brushing himself down with the cap he had grabbed from his head. He glanced across with flushed cheeks and watering eyes.

  ‘Hot snack,’ is all he could bring himself to say at first, just as the cars ahead pulled away at the lights. ‘Shouldn’t be allowed!’

  Sasha Savage felt as if she had just admitted to a murder. For several minutes after telling her grandfather about her developing a taste for vegetarian food, they had sat side by side upon his bed without looking at one another. Oleg simply stared across the room, barely blinking. Sasha was equally lost for words, for her confession had come from the heart. It was rare for her to have been so candid and raw, even with her friends, and it felt both awkward for her and a huge release. Only Katya kept the silence at bay as she gabbled to herself on the floor before them.

  ‘It’s just a thing,’ Sasha reasoned eventually. ‘It doesn’t change who I am.’

  ‘A carnivore,’ said Oleg, as if to remind her.

  ‘Maybe,’ said Sasha, and then dipped down to pull Katya’s sleeve away from her mouth. ‘Or … maybe not any more.’

  When she rose up again, she found his attention had returned to the remains of the tofu he had taken from Katya.

  ‘What’s the attraction?’ he asked, and then shifted his gaze back to Sasha. ‘Truthfully?’

  Sasha considered the question for a moment. She clasped her hands in her lap, well aware that there was no going back from this.

  ‘To begin with I did it for a boy,’ she said, facing little Kat. ‘But now I’m not sure what to think. I’ve gone without meat for a month, and if I’m brutally honest, I don’t miss it that much.’

  Oleg nodded, still facing her side on.

  ‘How have you kept this from us?’ he asked quietly.

  Sasha breathed out, focusing on the wall for a moment. It was one thing to admit to her dietary deviation. Revealing that she’d had in-house help was quite another.

  ‘Mum has been good to me,’ she said eventually, and grimaced to herself.

  Oleg turned his attention to the wall across the room once more. He nodded to himself, shrugging at the same time.

  ‘She doesn’t want to lose you,’ replied Oleg. ‘She’s scared.’

  ‘It’s not that,’ said Sasha. ‘She just respects my decision.’

  Oleg laughed dismissively.

  ‘Your decision,’ he said gruffly. ‘You’re still a girl, Sasha.’

  ‘But I’m not,’ she said, determined not to back down now. ‘Grandpa, I’m nearly sixteen.’

  ‘You don’t know your own mind yet,’ he scoffed.

  ‘But I’m old enough to make my own mistakes and learn from them.’

  Her response hung in the air. It left Oleg looking at her searchingly. She knew full well that her grandfather had spent much of his life devoted to a pursuit that he believed brought the family together. He had seen his own son adopts his values, and now here she was, turning away from everything he stood for.

  ‘Are you happy?’ he asked, in barely a whisper.

  ‘Totally.’ Sasha smiled to herself. ‘It feels like the right thing to do.’

  Oleg placed his palms on his knees. For a moment, he and his eldest grandchild watched his youngest at play.

  ‘This family is bound by a tradition,’ he said. ‘Feasting is what keeps us tight. It stops us from drifting apart.’

  ‘I know that,’ said Sasha. ‘But I’m not just a Savage. I’m me.’

  Just then, Katya noticed that her grandfather was still holding the tofu. The toddler reached up for it, screeching enthusiastically. At first Oleg seemed reluctant to let her have it. Finally, her persistence paid off. With a resigned sigh, he offered it to her.

  ‘I know how it feels to go without,’ he said eventually. ‘It takes discipline and willpower.’

  ‘Tell me about it,’ replied Sasha. ‘The whole bacon thing is killing me.’

  Her grandfather glanced around at her.

  ‘I would struggle without human flesh just once in a while, especially tongue. Pan-seared with just a twist of Szechuan pepper.’ He stopped there to kiss his thumb and two fingers. ‘It’s all I ask for in life nowadays. That and the wellbeing of my son, his wife and their children.’

  Sasha laughed despite herself.

  ‘So, does this mean you understand?’

  ‘Times change,’ he said, as a note of some sadness entered his voice. ‘Things that once felt so important can become left behind. If giving up meat makes you truly happy, then so be it. Just so long as you don’t give up on family.’

  ‘I’m more concerned that they’ll give up on me,’ Sasha admitted.

  Oleg nodded, knowing just what she meant.

  ‘Your father will find it unthinkable for sure,’ he said. ‘He believes it is his duty to pass on the family way from one generation to the next.’

  ‘So, how will I win him over?’

  ‘You can’t just tell him as you told me,’ her grandfather said. ‘To convince him that you’ll always be a Savage, no matter what you eat, you’ll have to show him.’

  Sasha found herself nodding as he spoke. She wasn’t entirely sure how she might demonstrate her commitment. She figured it would just come to her in time.

  ‘I’ll give it my best shot,’ she said, before leaning across to kiss her grandfather on the cheek. His beard prickled madly, b
ut it was a heartfelt gesture. ‘Thank you,’ she added. ‘It means a lot.’

  Oleg pressed his fingers to where she had planted her lips.

  ‘Are you hungry now?’ he asked. ‘I’m hungry.’

  ‘Want something to eat?’ Sasha rose from the edge of the bed. ‘We’re all out of tofu, thanks to Kat, but I know there’s some hummus hiding at the back of the fridge. That’s if you’d like to try something different.’

  ‘Why not?’ said Oleg, who accepted Sasha’s hand as he struggled to rise. ‘I’ve done it once before, after all.’

  21

  Jack Greenway pulled up outside the Savage house. The engine cut out automatically. Ivan looked across at him, releasing his seatbelt at the same time.

  ‘So, you’re not going back to finish your pizza?’

  ‘Eh?’ Jack looked at him with one hand on the wheel still. Then he realised why the boy thought he hadn’t just pulled up to drop him off. ‘The car is still running,’ he told him. ‘It’s just being fuel efficient.’

  ‘Right,’ said Ivan, with complete disinterest. ‘Anyway, thanks for the ride.’

  ‘Is your sister home, do you think?’

  Jack’s question caused Ivan to pause as he opened the passenger door.

  ‘Most likely.’

  ‘Then maybe I’ll come in with you,’ he said, and unplugged the car key. As much as he wanted to rush back to the pizza restaurant, Jack needed to check that Ivan wasn’t going to break their deal and tell Sasha about the young woman he hoped would still be waiting for him. ‘After what we’ve been through,’ he told the boy, ‘I could use a cup of that nice tea you made just to calm my nerves.’

  The pair had driven around town for twenty minutes after losing their tail. Jack wanted to be absolutely sure they were no longer being followed. After a short time, turning at random at junctions and roundabouts, he had even questioned whether they were being followed at all. What would anyone want with a kid like Ivan? Even a creepy weirdo would find the boy unsettling, no matter what his intentions.

  ‘It doesn’t look like Mum and Dad are in,’ said Ivan, gesturing at the empty driveway.

  Jack wasn’t disappointed to hear this. He found both Mr and Mrs Savage somewhat intense. That evening he had come round to collect Sasha, he discovered that every time he glanced at one of them they were already looking at him.

  ‘That’s a shame,’ he said all the same. ‘Your parents are sweet.’

  Ivan glanced at Jack. He looked like he was going to say something, but then seemed to think better of it.

  ‘They look out for us,’ he said instead, and opened up the front door. ‘Are you sure you want the same tea as last time?’

  ‘Sure do.’ Jack followed him inside. ‘So, will you tell your parents about the van?’

  ‘Of course,’ said Ivan. ‘Whoever it is will be sorry. My dad will make sure of that.’

  As the boy led the way through the hallway, voices could be heard from the kitchen. Jack recognised Sasha’s laugh, and a shriek from her younger sister. It was a surprise to find her grandfather in their company, looking like he’d travelled from the past to join them. Both he and Sasha were working on something at the kitchen counter. With their backs to the door, it was only Katya who registered that they were in company. She sat on the floor behind them, and gurgled as the two boys filed in.

  ‘Hey there,’ said Jack. ‘What’s cooking?’

  ‘What?’ Sasha spun around, followed by her grandfather. Seeing Ivan with him, they both spread their arms as if attempting to hide something behind them. ‘You startled us!’

  ‘Evidently,’ said Ivan, who calmly crossed the kitchen for a better look.

  ‘That’s close enough!’ cried Sasha. ‘Seriously, you don’t want to see this.’

  Ivan stopped in his tracks. He tipped his head, straining to see what was on the counter.

  ‘Is this a feast?’ he asked, with just a glance over his shoulder at Jack.

  ‘Back off, my boy,’ his grandfather warned, jabbing a finger at the same time. ‘It isn’t what you think.’

  Sasha stood with her eyes wide open. She glanced at Ivan, then Jack, before swinging round to the toddler on the floor.

  ‘Cheese!’ cried Kat. ‘Cheese!’

  ‘Did she say cheese?’ asked Ivan. ‘Mince is her only word.’

  ‘It’s a new one,’ said Sasha. ‘She’s expanded her vocabulary.’

  ‘Well, that’s great!’ declared Jack. ‘Good choice, Katya.’

  ‘Cheese!’

  With everyone’s attention trained on the toddler, Sasha seized her moment. Without turning, and using one hand, she swept everything behind her into the waste disposal unit.

  ‘What is that?’ asked Ivan, who looked up smartly as Sasha hit the switch and the unit started grinding. ‘You’re hiding something. What is it?’

  ‘Cheese!’

  This time, it was Oleg who attempted to regain control of the situation.

  ‘Kat just told you.’ Stepping forward, he looked his grandson in the eye. ‘It’s halloumi, to be precise. We were just about to grill some for a salad.’

  ‘With mint is good,’ suggested Jack, only to find himself ignored.

  ‘Halloumi,’ repeated Ivan, as if to be sure he’d heard it right. ‘And that is what?’

  ‘It’s quite salty,’ Jack persisted, hoping to be helpful. ‘Vegetarians love it, but it’s off the menu for me nowadays. I don’t do goat’s cheese or any other dairy product. It’s a vegan thing.’

  Jack stopped there, anticipating some attention or even respect. Instead, Ivan continued to stare at the pair across the kitchen.

  ‘This salad,’ he said eventually. ‘Does it contain any meat? Some chicken, perhaps?’

  Oleg held his gaze for a moment longer before shaking his head.

  ‘None at all,’ he said. ‘Sasha hasn’t eaten meat for the last month.’

  ‘You can thank me for that,’ said Jack, and touched his chest with one hand. ‘Didn’t I tell you there’d be no going back?’

  ‘Jack,’ said Sasha quietly, and flashed him a look of anger. ‘Not now.’

  This wasn’t an expression he had seen in her before. There was something ferocious, even barbarian, behind her eyes. Jack’s first thought was that she couldn’t be serious.

  ‘That’s no way to talk to your boyfriend,’ he said. ‘Have some respect.’

  In response, and without a blink, Sasha reached for the paring knife on the counter. Jack waited for her to go back to slicing the halloumi. Instead, and it took a second for him to comprehend this, she stepped right up to him. Even with the blade just resting casually at her side, Sasha looked completely different to him. She said nothing, didn’t even appear to be aware of what she was holding, and yet she possessed this purpose and intensity to her gaze that Jack didn’t like one bit.

  All of a sudden, the girl he had regarded as a plaything and a project now faced him as a threat.

  ‘But you made it through the month,’ he insisted, hoping that by returning to the subject that started all this Sasha would come back to her senses. ‘You crossed over,’ he added, spreading his hands to reason with her. ‘Welcome to my world!’

  ‘No,’ said Ivan, in a way that drew Jack’s attention straight away. Despite the air of calm in his voice, the boy’s eyes were hardened just like Sasha’s, to the point where they looked like they could turn to flint. ‘Welcome to ours.’

  The mole stood before Titus Savage looking utterly betrayed. Here was the man who had risked everything to provide inside information on the company’s fortunes, and this is how he was being repaid.

  ‘You’re firing me?’ he asked in disbelief, and pushed his glasses back up his nose. ‘But you promised me a job at the end of all this.’

  ‘There aren’t any jobs,’ said Titus. ‘I’m breaking up the business and selling off what’s left. It’s worth more to me like that.’

  ‘Mr Savage. This isn’t what we agreed.’

  Tit
us was sitting behind the Chief Executive’s desk. The office had glass walls. It looked out across an open-plan floor, much of which was in the process of being emptied.

  ‘So, what are you going to do?’ he asked finally. ‘Complain that I haven’t kept my side of a completely illegal agreement with you?’

  The mole had no response. He didn’t want to go to jail, even if Titus went with him.

  ‘Please,’ he said eventually, his voice small and wavering.

  Titus didn’t look up, focusing instead on signing transportation documents.

  ‘Are you still here?’ he asked eventually. ‘Don’t make me call for security.’

  ‘Security has gone,’ said the mole. ‘You fired them as well.’

  ‘Did I?’ Titus set down his pen. Then he rose to his feet, towering over the man across the desk from him. ‘You’ll appreciate that if I have to escort you from the building it will involve less than professional methods.’

  ‘But you swore to me that I’d be safe,’ said the mole, who took a step backwards. ‘Please! What do I tell my wife? My children? Everything I’ve done hasn’t left me feeling good about myself, but it’s all been for them!’

  Titus continued to glower at him, but said nothing for a moment. It was as if this final plea was something he couldn’t ignore. Finally, with a sigh, he reached for his inside pocket.

  ‘Are they still good, your kids?’ he asked, having produced a cheque book which he slapped onto the desk. ‘How old are they now?’

  ‘Eight, twelve and nearly fourteen,’ said the mole, clearly sounding as if his mouth had turned bone dry. ‘Three girls.’

  ‘Three girls!’ Titus looked up, beaming broadly, which took the mole by surprise. It just seemed completely at odds with the level of wilful cruelty the man could display. ‘You must be proud of them.’