Shiver the Whole Night Through (21 page)

‘First, I wanna apologise. To you.'

‘Right? This sounds even better.'

He settled back in his seat, hands linked over his skinny belly.

‘I haven't been the friend I should have been, Podsy,' I said. ‘You were always there for me, really decent. I don't mean just about the bullying and all that – other times too. You've always been, just, a really good pal. Put up with my shit and made an effort with me. I know I'm a cranky git sometimes – it can't be easy listening to my moaning.'

He said playfully, ‘Only sometimes?'

I smiled. ‘Only sometimes. Anyway. Then there
was
the bullying, and you were like – man, you were a rock. I mean that. I don't know what I'd've done without you. Seriously.'

Podsy flapped a hand. ‘Nah. I did nothing. Although in fairness, there wasn't much I
could
do.'

‘That's not true. You were there, you were my friend, and that was enough. Didn't need to do any more. You showed real balls, Podsy. Could have gone along with the herd and kept your head down, or even joined in. But you didn't. You stayed true to yourself, and to our friendship. I'll always appreciate that. Always remember it.'

‘Meh. I guess so.'

‘No guessing needed, boy. I know you got hassled because of me. I know it – don't deny it.'

‘Aidan, look at me. I'm a geek. Of below-average size, with a wonky mouth and glasses since I was four. I don't need your help in getting picked on, know what I mean?'

‘Well then we're two geeks. And I'm bloody happy to be one. I'm proud to be the same as you.'

The lady returned with his food and Podsy dived into it like a starving man at a king's banquet. After a few minutes he wiped his mouth with a napkin and gasped, ‘
Oh
yeah. Needed that.'

‘Lunch is on me.'

‘Wow. Generosity
and
emotional honesty. What's got into you today?'

‘Let's just say  …  I recently had a moment of revelation.'

‘Well, thanks. And there's no need to apologise for anything. If you insist on doing it, I will politely accept. That's only good manners. But it's not needed. You weren't a bad friend. You were just – normal, you know? Typical teenager. Moody, unpredictable, sometimes annoying, a lot of the time really cool to be around. Don't apologise, man, it makes me feel I owe you something.'

‘You don't owe me squat. I owe
you
.'

Podsy drained his Coke and said, ‘All right, all right. You owe me, fine  …  You know, I really
would
have liked to've been able to get some payback on the bastards. The bullies – for giving you all that grief. And me – they gave me grief too. It was never gonna happen. I mean I'm small and feeble and can't fight to save my life. But still. A little revenge would have been nice.'

I winced, the memory of Sláine's confession rising in the back of my mind like a shadow taking physical form. ‘Ugh  …  yeah,' I mumbled. ‘Careful what you wish for.'

‘Guess someone else did it for us, huh?'

I hummed non-committally.

‘Anyway,' he went on, ‘seems you're in the clear for it all now.'

‘Yeah?' I said brightly. ‘This's Uncle Tim talking, I assume?'

‘Yep. Told my old folks off the record that they don't have any actual evidence against you – apparently, Parkinson was hoping to squeeze out a confession the other day. That didn't work, so  …  They'll likely close the investigation if there are no more attacks, which there don't seem to be. Probably keep an eye on you, though.' He grinned mischievously. ‘Officially, it'll be recorded as “unexplained and unsolved”.'

‘That's something, I guess.'

‘It
was
kind of weird, though, wasn't it? All your – our – enemies took down like that. I know it was just coincidence or whatever, obviously you didn't assault anyone. Still, though. Feckin'
weird
.'

Did he know? Or suspect? Neither was possible – was it?

Podsy went on, ‘Anyway, don't mind that. What about all this stuff you're coming out with today? Something's going on. You're not exactly the
Dr Phil
, display-all-your-emotions-to-the-world type. So – what is it?'

I rolled my shoulders. ‘I can't really tell you. Yet. If ever.'

‘Why did I know you were going to say that?' He squinted at me. ‘You're not dying of cancer, are you?'

‘No.'

‘Dying of some other disease.'

‘No.'

‘Dying of –'

‘I'm not
dying
, Podsy, full stop.' I gently banged a fist off my forehead and swallowed heavily. ‘At least  …  not yet.' I pushed an envelope across the table. ‘Here. Keep that somewhere safe. Like, totally fail-safe. Has your dad got a lockbox or anything? No, not there, he might see it. But somewhere.'

‘I know the very place. Don't worry, nobody'll find it. Whatever it is. Um  …  Sorry, what is this?'

‘It's a letter. From me to you. You're not to open it – I mean
never
– unless I don't contact you by Monday morning. Say, eleven in the morning. If you hear from me  …  '

‘By phone call or text? Or in person?'

‘Any. Either. Any kind of communication. If you hear from me, it'll be me telling you to burn that letter. If you don't, then something bad might have happened and  …  '

‘Then I read it. Got you.' Podsy put the envelope in a pocket of his bag, zipping it shut. ‘Do I get any hints about what's in this? Or why, in the name of Muhammad, something bad
might
happen to you? Aidan, seriously, what's going on?'

‘I can't  …  It's better you don't know yet. With any luck you'll never find out. That'd mean everything had worked out okay and there'd be no need for you to know. Oh, how I hope that's the case. We can have this stupid secret between us as a little joke. Hell, I'll tell you the whole story. By that stage it won't matter.'

He nodded. ‘And in the event that things
don't
work out okay  …  ?'

‘Something terrible is on the way, Podsy. It's here already, and it's going to get worse. Unless we –
I
, unless I can stop it.'

‘Well, can you? Stop it?'

‘I don't know.'

‘Is there any way I can “be of assistance”, as they say?'

‘No. I don't think so. Don't worry, I have  …  I'm not totally on my own in this.'

Podsy sat back and exhaled heavily. ‘Whew. Uh  …  yeah. I don't really know what to say right now. Which isn't like me at all.'

‘That letter will explain everything. I don't know how much help it'll be to you guys in trying to stop this  …  danger. Maybe none. Maybe lots. At least you'll know what you're up against.'

I threw money onto the table and stood. Podsy shucked on his coat and stood too. ‘So that's it? All you can tell me.'

‘That's it. Sorry.'

‘Okay, then.' He shrugged as we moved to the door, a stoical lift of his narrow shoulders, and I knew he'd do right – I knew I could rely on Podsy, trust him like I'd always done. A true friend, a real friend, to the last. How fortunate I was to have known such friendship in my short life.

For the first time ever I grabbed Podsy and squeezed him in the biggest bear hug my arms could muster. He gasped in surprise. I muttered into his ear, ‘I really bloody hope I see you again so you can embarrass me by reminding me of this. Take care of yourself, Podsy.'

Then I was out the door and gone.